Tag Archives: CBT

Considering a career in counselling?

People reach out to counsellors for many reasons; to try and resolve an emotional or psychological issue in their lives; if they have underlying anxiety or depression affecting their day-to-day life; if they’ve experienced a particular period of distress, such as divorce or bereavement; or if they are isolated, with no one else to talk to – or just prefer to talk to a professional who is impartial and understanding.

As such, to be an effective counsellor you need a wide range of skills and attributes. You need to be able to communicate and relate to people from a variety of different backgrounds, be patient, tolerant and non-judgemental; to always act ethically and with integrity; and to have undergone professional training, based on recognised standards of quality and competence, providing training in reflective, competent and ethical practice.

There are three main models of counselling:

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy looks at the links between thoughts and feelings, patterns and behaviour. A CBT counsellor would work collaboratively with the client to actively change thoughts and behaviour patterns in healthy ways.
  • Psychodynamic therapy is concerned with exploring the ways in which the past affects the present, and looks at how unconscious processes impact the ways in which we experience the word.
  • Person centred therapy is concerned with empowering the individual to self-actualise in order to find fulfilment.

Birkbeck’s Introduction to Counselling course is a great way to find out whether training in counselling is the right career move for you, with the freedom to explore these different models of counselling. You will be introduced to the core theories, aims and methods of the main counselling traditions and you will consider the role of the counsellor and the importance of the therapeutic relationship. You will also explore the idea of ethics and learn about the importance of self-awareness and reflective practice. It may also be useful to those who work in people-focused roles, like teachers or social workers, for whom developing new skills and techniques around empathy and support is useful.

This year, the Introduction to Counselling short course will take place on Wednesdays 10am – 1pm, for five weeks from 13 November to 11 December 2019.

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