What are your personal and course goals that directed you to studying a Level 3 in Counselling Skills programme. How will this programme of study support you achieving those goals
Since I was a teenager, I’m interested to be a listener. I’m keened to listen to other’s life challenges and understand their feelings and thoughs via active listening. I felt satisfied when people were able to talk about their deep emotions and understand their underneath desire. Because of several reasons, I no longer live in my home country. I still wish to find out if I can equip myself as a counsellor and use the knowledge to help people surrounding me in either paid or non-paid setting. Apart from that, I think that having good faith to help is good, but it’s better if I learn more theories and skills. So I decided to study the level three course and I wish to improve my counselling skills and be a skillful helpee using English as my second language. In the last eight months, I have numerous opportunities to learn elementary theories to understand people personality, impact of various interpersonal relationships and how life events affect my present life. These knowledge allow me to have better understanding to myself. As a helper, it’s critical to understand my own patterns of reacting to life challenges and values that shape me since childhood. During the study, I have many opportunities to review my past history and interpret a few key moments using the theories. That enable me to view the same incidents in different angles and identify possible areas that worth to explore if I have my own personal therapy in the future. Apart from that, the knowledge also equip me to understand the helpee in a systematic way. In the past, I highly rely on instinct to react to what the helpee said. Now I know more knowledge and that allows me to find out possible pattern that fit particular theory and I can then assist helpee to understand his emotions better. Moreover, I’m able to have a lot of practise with other schoolmates that are keen to be a counsellor. We’re from diverse 11 background and we gain experience of dealing with different personalities. During the triad, we did some role play to respond to various circumstances, that enable us to face possible scenario that may happen in the future and think of possible ways to handle it.
Now the course is almost come to an end and when I review my original objective, I think the course helped me to achieve most of the goals. Because of various considersations, I’m not going to continue my study next year and will take a break. By studying this course, I have better understanding about my strength and weakness if I wish to be a counsellor in UK. And I know possible growth area in the next twelve months if I wish to continue my study.
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A few more words
I felt upset when I realised that the chance of earning sufficient income (for the household) as a counsellor is very low. I'm keen to equip myself and prepare for the next level training, but it's not realistic to continue the journey at this stage. I'm not saying every people that will study level 4/5 are millionaire, but I can't work it out the cost and time, especially when I'm still working on my settlement and citizenship. Besides, the language barrier is a really challenge and it's uncertain if I'm able to work with local clients, or if I'm able to complete the placement.
It's hard to tell if I will return to study a few years later, but it's obvious that the route is now closed at the moment, until I figure out how I can sort out the language barrier and living.
