Is Counselling and Psychology the Right Career Path for You?

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If you enjoy listening to people, helping others and making a difference, counselling may be the career for you. But if you want to get into the field, you’ll need more than just good ears.

Being a counsellor requires a combination of personality traits and skills so you can provide the right amount of support for clients. It’s also about knowing how to adapt those levels to suit individual needs.

What you’ll need to consider

Are you a good listener?

This goes without saying. However, it’s the ability to listen without interrupting, giving the people space to talk and permitting the silence that’s more important. It’s also about being able to listen effectively. Being a counsellor, you’ll need to listen to what a client is saying and identify key phrases, words or explanations that may help you to help them. Being an effective listener is also about picking up body language and asking the right questions to encourage a client to talk more freely.

Are you a people person?

Psychology and counselling is a people industry, and you don’t get into the field unless you can get along with others. You’ll need to be approachable – clients will want to open up to you and feel comfortable. You should never come across as superior to your client. While you are a person of authority and there to help, a client or patient should always feel as if they are on the same level as you.

Are you naturally inquisitive?

A good counsellor will guide the session using their own questions to best understand their clients and patients. Astute observers who like to ask follow up questions and are genuinely interested in the answer will suit a career in counselling.

Do you have good self-awareness?

It’s important to never let your own personal beliefs or problems get in the way of a counselling session. To be successful as a counsellor, you’ll need to take into account any natural biases (and yes, these do occur), education, background, social status and religious beliefs. You’ll also have to have a grip on your own problems so they don’t trickle into a client’s session.

Are you a good communicator?

Being a counsellor is not just about listening. It’s about understanding and helping. A good counsellor will use what he or she has learned during their education, and communicate it in a way that the client understands. A young adult is not going to necessarily understand things in the same way that a middle-aged man is. Alternatively, someone going through the death of a family member is not going to understand things the same way that someone going through depression may. You need to listen to the client, adapt what you’ve learnt and then communicate it effectively so that each individual understands.

Are you comfortable speaking to all types of people?

As a counsellor, you’re never going to get the same type of people walk through your door. Rather, you’ll see people from a range of cultural, religious, socioeconomic and political backgrounds. While you don’t necessarily have to agree with a client’s views, you need to be empathetic to them and you’ll need to have the interpersonal skills to hold conversations with every personality type.

Puzzles, riddles and creativity

Just because you’re not an artist, doesn’t mean you won’t need to be creative. A good counsellor will have to think quickly on their feet, and creatively to be able to empathise and talk to a range of different people. People go to a counsellor to help them, and you’ll need to find creative and flexible ways to help clients see through their issues to a possible solution.

You’ll also be expected to decipher a lot of information from sometimes-limited information. You may have to piece together information from a number of different conversations to find the root cause of the patient’s situation. Not every person who comes to see you will be as open and honest as you may think.

Flexibility and boundaries

Often, counsellors will need to work outside of ‘normal’ hours to accommodate clients’ schedules. However, it’s important to set boundaries. Sometimes, clients will expect access to you 24/7 so you’ll need to be able to switch off and leave work at work’s door. It’s also just as important to set boundaries for yourself and understand when to take time for yourself.

If after asking yourself these questions you still feel that a career in counselling and psychology is good for you, contact ICI today to enquire about how their courses could get your career started.

If you enjoy listening to people, helping others and making a difference, counselling may be the career for you. But if you want to get into the field, you’ll need more than just good ears.

Being a counsellor requires a combination of personality traits and skills so you can provide the right amount of support for clients. It’s also about knowing how to adapt those levels to suit individual needs.

If after asking yourself these questions you still feel that a career in counselling and psychology is good for you, contact ICI today to enquire about how their courses could get your career started.

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Gladys Mae

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Gladys Mae serves as the General Manager and Head of Student Services at the International Career Institute. Gladys holds a degree in Mass Communication - Broadcast Media from the University of San Jose-Recoletos. She joined ICI in 2010 and has over the past 12 years been instrumental in providing leadership and guidance to staff and students alike. Prior to joining ICI Gladys led a multifaceted career with key roles in the banking and business process outsourcing industries.