This is very educational! Although I will say that you and another online source has helped me more in the past 2 months than a therapist ever has. I feel like all I’ve ever been told and taught in therapy is how to “cope” with it. I’m still on the hunt for a therapist that understand my needs but I think getting advice from people who seem to have gone through the same thing has been the most helpful for me.
You’re going to be a great therapist one day Drew!
With you having gone through an Anxiety Disorder....I say you have an advantage over most counselors or coaches....Even with a certification, training, and degrees....I've had some shit ass therapists who don't know JACK about true Anxiety Disorders. But yes, you should get trained in the other stuff too....if you going to be a therapist.....👍😊
This was my experience with therapists in the UK, they had no clue regarding the specifics of agoraphobia and general anxiety disorders. So for me I would always reccomend working with someone that has first hand experience and understanding of anxiety disorders. But how you work with a client is important so I get Drew’s point regarding keeping client’s safe.
Hi Drew good article, can I ask what specific qualifications you’ve completed or are working through at the moment with regard to therapy/counselling? Keen to understand what qualifications I’d need to complete in the UK to gain the appropriate knowledge to support clients with panic disorder and agoraphobia. I’ve been reading I need to do an MSc in psychology first…. as a conversion course first as I don’t have a psychology background. Thank you
I feel the truth here is that only someone who is qualified (with appropriate and accredited qualifications) and many supervised hours of training with clients should be considered as psychotherapists. Until then, they could be biased, prejudiced through lack of awareness of self and even harm clients. In the UK, our profession is not regulated adequately. Anyone can call themselves a counsellor. But despite that, there is more than one route to become a qualified therapist. The one that I took is that I have an honours degree in psychology, then I had to start at the bottom despite that degree. I went through CPCAB and completed level 2, 3, 4 and 5 of their certificates which adhere to an ethical organisation to not harm clients (Such as the BACP). This took more than 5 years and also included hundreds of hours of face to face counselling with clients that was supervised. It is a big investment of time, money and emotions. I also undertook a masters degree at the same time and focused my dissertation on mental health. I have been qualified for over a year but am still learning. You can take other routes to become qualified such as doing a masters in counselling or psychology and then getting lots of supervised client hours and trying to become accredited. It is not an easy route. But it can be very rewarding when you see clients grow into who they were always meant to be and having true quality of life.
This is very educational! Although I will say that you and another online source has helped me more in the past 2 months than a therapist ever has. I feel like all I’ve ever been told and taught in therapy is how to “cope” with it. I’m still on the hunt for a therapist that understand my needs but I think getting advice from people who seem to have gone through the same thing has been the most helpful for me.
You’re going to be a great therapist one day Drew!
With you having gone through an Anxiety Disorder....I say you have an advantage over most counselors or coaches....Even with a certification, training, and degrees....I've had some shit ass therapists who don't know JACK about true Anxiety Disorders. But yes, you should get trained in the other stuff too....if you going to be a therapist.....👍😊
This was my experience with therapists in the UK, they had no clue regarding the specifics of agoraphobia and general anxiety disorders. So for me I would always reccomend working with someone that has first hand experience and understanding of anxiety disorders. But how you work with a client is important so I get Drew’s point regarding keeping client’s safe.
Hi Drew good article, can I ask what specific qualifications you’ve completed or are working through at the moment with regard to therapy/counselling? Keen to understand what qualifications I’d need to complete in the UK to gain the appropriate knowledge to support clients with panic disorder and agoraphobia. I’ve been reading I need to do an MSc in psychology first…. as a conversion course first as I don’t have a psychology background. Thank you
I feel the truth here is that only someone who is qualified (with appropriate and accredited qualifications) and many supervised hours of training with clients should be considered as psychotherapists. Until then, they could be biased, prejudiced through lack of awareness of self and even harm clients. In the UK, our profession is not regulated adequately. Anyone can call themselves a counsellor. But despite that, there is more than one route to become a qualified therapist. The one that I took is that I have an honours degree in psychology, then I had to start at the bottom despite that degree. I went through CPCAB and completed level 2, 3, 4 and 5 of their certificates which adhere to an ethical organisation to not harm clients (Such as the BACP). This took more than 5 years and also included hundreds of hours of face to face counselling with clients that was supervised. It is a big investment of time, money and emotions. I also undertook a masters degree at the same time and focused my dissertation on mental health. I have been qualified for over a year but am still learning. You can take other routes to become qualified such as doing a masters in counselling or psychology and then getting lots of supervised client hours and trying to become accredited. It is not an easy route. But it can be very rewarding when you see clients grow into who they were always meant to be and having true quality of life.
Thanks Rebecca very informative and well done getting to where you’re at.