What You Really Need to Know about Counselling and Psychotherapy Training

An essential guide

Cathy McQuaid

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781317815389
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Mental Health in Psychology
• Index: Psychology

Becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist is a transformative and life-changing experience. Some trainees manage this process well, while others struggle to come to terms with the personal impact of their training.

In What You Really Need to Know about Counselling and Psychotherapy Training, Cathy McQuaid provides an in-depth but accessible guide to the processes of understanding individual motivations for wanting to undertake training and choosing the most appropriate course. Backed by extensive research, the book explains the training process from beginning to end, covering topics including:

• entry requirements, course curriculum and terms and conditions of training;
• the training relationship and group process;
• the challenges of training;
• the outcomes of counselling and psychotherapy training.

McQuaid leads the reader through the process of choosing a course, working with the course leader and with a group of peers and considering potential employment prospects upon completion.

Prompting the reader to consider their own personal, professional and educational needs within the framework of training, this is essential reading for anyone thinking of training as a counsellor or psychotherapist and for trainers and training course providers.

Chapter 1

Definitions, learning theories and levels of education and training

This chapter introduces you to some of the diverse definitions of counselling and psychotherapy that exist because the various professional bodies have different views on the nature of, and, more specifically, the requirements for, training. You may find it helpful to understand these differences when choosing your course as it will influence the type of training you receive, and the options you will then have later in your career.

After presenting you with the assorted definitions of counselling and psychotherapy, I introduce you to one of the most important aspects of the training that you need to be aware of, but which is not often commented upon, and that is the personal impact it will have on you.

Then I present some theories on how adults learn, and put this in a wider educational context which may be helpful to you when considering undertaking a training course.

Finally, I explain the academic levels of training. It is important that you are aware of these because choosing the right level of entry for you will ensure you are a competent and confident learner; it will also influence the other course options available to you later in your training, and determine the professional accreditation or registration scheme that you can apply for once you have completed training.

What is counselling and psychotherapy?

This may seem like a straightforward question, but there can be as many answers as persons asked. This is not helped by the fact that, in the UK, the terms ‘counselling’ and ‘psychotherapy’ tend to be used interchangeably. Some people disagree about whether there are any differences. For example, Sue Aldridge of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), in a response to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) concerning the then proposed statutory regulation, wrote:

The Association does not support the specific proposals to differentiate between counselling and psychotherapy and the consequent differentiation within the Standards of Proficiency and threshold entry levels to the register …

The proposal to differentiate between counselling and psychotherapy is out of step with research and other developments in the field of the psychological therapies for example New Ways of Working and IAPT [Improving Access to Psychological Therapies]. The work undertaken by Skills for Health to develop National Occupational Standards for the Psychological Therapies does not differentiate between counselling and psychotherapy. There are an increasing number of training courses that title themselves ‘counselling and psychotherapy’.

(BACP, 2009a)

The BACP defines counselling and psychotherapy as:

umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies … delivered by trained practitioners who work with people over a short or long term to help them bring about effective change or enhance their wellbeing.

(BACP, 2010a)

The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), on the other hand, states that their organization:

strongly supports the Strasbourg Declaration – particularly in identifying psychotherapy as a profession independent of, and distinct from counselling, psychology and psychiatry, and in upholding the multiplicity of psychotherapy modalities.

(UKCP, 2008a: 7)

With regard to any differences between counselling and psychotherapy:

Different people use the words counselling and psychotherapy in different ways, so there is no commonly agreed definition. There is a general understanding that a psychotherapist can work with a wider range of clients or patients and can offer more in-depth work where appropriate.

UKCP believes the difference lies in the length and depth of training involved and in the quality of the relationship between the client and their therapist. UKCP-registered psychotherapists are trained to Master’s level.

UKCP registers psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. Psychotherapeutic counsellors are counsellors who have received more in-depth training than that undertaken by most counsellors. UKCP’s training standards for both qualifications seek to ensure that UKCP registrants are competent to practice to the highest standards.

(UKCP, 2013)

The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), while embracing both, states that:

Counselling tends to deal more with immediate issues that may have arisen more recently e.g. bereavement or relationship breakdown. Psychotherapy tends to deal with deeper, more long-term issues that may be rooted in the past e.g. a trauma, or, serious mistreatment, where the affects of such are ongoing.

(IACP, 2010: 2)

In a document written for Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA), Bondi (2004) states that:

Counselling and psychotherapy are ways of responding to a wide range of human needs. Counselling and psychotherapy provide opportunities for those seeking help to work towards ways of living in more satisfying and resourceful ways.

In their current form, counselling and psychotherapy are less than 100 years old, but they have roots in much older ways of providing help and care. Counselling and psychotherapy have developed in order to respond to modern circumstances. They are living practices which are open to change and which evolve in response to changing needs. Consequently, it is impossible to define counselling and psychotherapy once and for all.

(Bondi, 2004: 1)

She does, however, make some interesting points regarding the differences between counselling and psychotherapy when compared with other allied activities such as befriending, mentoring and coaching, advocacy and mediation. Bondi further considers that the main differences between counselling and psychotherapy lie in their origins:

[Psychotherapy] began with the arrival and development of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic ideas in the 1920s, joined later by a variety of other approaches. These various approaches to psychotherapy developed in the private sector, and initially psychodynamic ideas also secured a place in the medical speciality of psychiatry, although when the National Health Service was established, practitioners without medical qualifications were forced out. Psychotherapeutic ideas also influenced other professions and professional training, including teaching and social work. Through the middle of the twentieth century, psychotherapy flourished in the public sector and in the private sector, with training offered primarily in the independent sector. Recently there has been a partial shift in the location of training into universities. Training fees are paid either by trainees’ employers (e.g. public sector bodies such as the NHS) or by trainees themselves.

(ibid.: 4)

She continues:

Counselling services and counselling training began to develop in the 1950s, with both originating in the voluntary sector. In contrast to this, with rare exceptions, psychotherapy services and training have not developed in the voluntary sector. The first counselling services to be developed were offered by voluntary sector organisations, with the counselling delivered free of charge by trained volunteers.

(ibid.: 5)

Finally, the United Kingdom Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners (UKAHPP), an organizational member of the UKCP, defines a counsellor as:

Someone trained to deal with immediate problems and crises which arise, such as bereavement, a broken relationship, a difficult marriage, a specific illness like cancer or AIDS, problems with children, alcohol/drug problems etc. Many counsellors also deal with long-term problems. Counselling can also be done on a couple, family or group basis. Some counsellors also use active techniques and give specific advice.

(UKAHPP, 2012)

They define a psychotherapist as:

Someone with a specialised, professional and broad-based training and the ability to work in depth with clients, sometimes for two or three sessions a week and often over an extended period of time. Psychotherapists may use a wide range of approaches or may concentrate on one in particular. Short-term psychotherapists usually specialise in more intense work with clients but of limited duration.

(ibid.)

From reading these extracts, it is clear that there is a lack of consistency in defining counselling and psychotherapy within the professional organizations. This lack of clarity could cause some confusion for potential trainees in determining what a course is actually offering.

What’s in a name?

The Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2009) defines ‘counselling’ as ‘advice and support given by a counsellor to someone with problems, usually after talking to them’ (p. 383), and ‘psychotherapy’ as ‘the treatment of mental illness … by talking to someone and discussing their problems rather than giving them drugs’ (ibid.: 1401).

If we take on board these two definitions, it is clear that counselling and psychotherapy will require different skills, and, depending upon their training, that some psychotherapists may be able to offer counselling, and that a number of counsellors may be able to provide psychotherapy.

Unfortunately, because the terms are often used interchangeably, it may not be clear from the outset which discipline a training course is offering, and what employment you can undertake as a result of that training.

Being conversant with the differences, or implied differences, between counselling and psychotherapy can be helpful for a number of reasons. First, knowing if you want to be a ‘counsellor’ or a ‘psychotherapist’, about the types of clients or issues you want to work with, or which professional body you wish to belong to, will help you determine the most appropriate course for you. Second, that decision will help you to get the type of employment you would like once you are qualified. For example, some jobs are advertised specifically for a ‘counsellor’, or a ‘psychotherapist’, or both, so your choice of course may broaden or limit your employment opportunities. Third, having an appreciation of all the elements of training, whether as a counsellor or a psychotherapist, means that you will have a greater understanding of the likely impact the course will have on you. Most psychotherapy training programmes tend to be more personally and academically challenging than counselling training courses in terms of personal therapy requirements, the depth of the knowledge-base needed, and the increased number of clinical hours with a higher supervision ratio, and they will probably have more of an impact on you and your relationships with friends and family. Finally, you will be clearer about the costs you will need to pay, as, overall, a psychotherapy training programme with all its extra requirements will cost more than counselling training.

In order to decide which route to take, initially you may find it helpful to have an idea of the outcome you want at the end of your training. If you want to be able to work with people who have issues such as anxiety, stress, relationship problems, low self-esteem or confidence, then counselling training would probably be advantageous. If you wish to work with clients suffering from a more complex range of mental health problems, such as unresolved childhood issues, or abuse and trauma, then psychotherapy training would be beneficial.

It’s a personal process

Counselling and psychotherapy training is a very personal process. In order to demonstrate the significance of the personal processes involved, I offer some theoretical concepts throughout this book and invite you to apply them to your own life. Another reason for doing this is to help you become familiar with some of the terminology you may come across during your search for a training course. (There is a glossary at the end of the book to help you get acquainted with specific terms that may not yet be familiar to you.)

To begin, I want to introduce you to the idea of a ‘life story’, or ‘script’. Eric Berne (1910–70), the founder of transactional analysis (TA)...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• List of illustrations
• Foreword
• Acknowledgements
• List of abbreviations
• Introduction
• 1 Definitions, learning theories and levels of education and training
• 2 Counselling and psychotherapy modalities
• 3 Entry requirements, course curriculum and terms and conditions of training
• 4 ‘This time, it’s personal!’
• 5 Training relationships and group process
• 6 The challenges of training
• 7 The outcomes of counselling and psychotherapy training
• 8 Bringing it all together
• Appendix 1 UK main professional accrediting/registering bodies
• Appendix 2 Relevant professional organizations
• Appendix 3 Log book templates
• Appendix 4 Personal learning contract
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index