Doubt about career choice

I definitely feel I embody that archetype. As for different reason, status. I grew up working class and not in a well off location, I saw my parents struggle and my mum fight to get to where she is and I know I am doing the same. There is probably some trying to keep up my cousins as they grew up middle class.

The status will also be a way of me giving myself permission to study drawing, music and writing as a job, as there are types of therapy which use these.

In many ways I feel I am both repeating the cycle and breaking it at the same time. I don't have a problem with working hard, I don't want to struggle and fight for more years to get to the clinical position and then have to keep making sacrifices to keep up in that role - I want to have to work to live in a career I enjoy not live to work and have no time for hobbies.

One of my textbooks suggested that quite a few counsellors grew up feeling like outsiders. When you are usually observing others you can learn quite a lot. I wonder if that happened for you, in reference to your class struggles.

Why don't you have permission to express your creative side? How do you think it might affect you or your clients if you are only "allowed" to be creative at work?

I can definitely see a counselling background with those questions, you sound like a really helpful and supportive person to the people you work with.

Yes I was definitely an outsider, not only in class struggles but with many areas in childhood.

I feel I don't give myself permission through a combination of not feeling good enough and not feeling heard/ accepted. I remember rejection when I tried to write as a teen and when we did our sketchbooks for art, to show our references and inspirations. I suppose it is the whole, if I keep it in my head and don't express it then I can't be rejected for it.

Though that contradicts using clothes, shoes and accessories to express myself, being creative and a bit more alternative. it feels comfortable as I was the goth kid at school.

I suppose it would get frustrating to be not expressing myself and all the ideas I have bouncing around my head. There might possibly be resentment at only being creative in work and not for myself.

It is? I thought life coaching and counselling are remaining unregulated/ self-regulated for the foreseeable future.

Gosh knows about coaching. I never liked that - felt like too much positivity when I'm trying to talk about some sad or depressing things. There's little mirroring of energy.

I was recommended to get a BACP certified accreditation because those will count after we do become regulated. I don't know what's changed over the past couple years though.

I chose not to do a degree because it felt more clinical and less connected. I don't need the ability to write essays, but I do need to sit and feel with people

This was the last update about regulation: https://www.bacp.co.uk/news/news-from-bacp/2020/6-march-government-update-on-statutory-regulation-of-counsellors-and-psychotherapists/

It looks like the BACP is working on self-regulation and trying to get lots of people to qualify on their programs through a thing called SCoPEd.

Though they have worked with extra pathways to get into the NHS: https://www.bacp.co.uk/news/news-from-bacp/2021/14-october-landmark-moment-for-nhs-counselling-and-psychotherapy-training-and-jobs/

I know what you mean, looking into the clinical stuff doesn't feel helpful as there is huge pressure to use evidence based treatments. A lot of which is cbt.

My reasons were I wanted a better paying job than minimum wage, combined with really wanting to know what makes people tick. I love anything social sciences/ arts academically.

Passions - I always wanted to write and draw, dance and sing. I never felt confident going down that route as I grew up working class and was always told those things wouldn't pay well.

Personality is were I can't see where I end and socialisation begins. I don't know how much of me wanting to care for others is because women are expected to do that and taught to put others above ourselves. I also don't know how much is trying to 'save' my child self by being the person she needed.

Morally - I initially looked at counselling as I was always told I was good at working with people. I picked psychology as counselling is self-regulated here, anyone can use the title of counsellor and training is not needed.

Will - I don't mind making sacrifices to get a better life, but not at the expense of myself. I am worried that will happen if I go into healthcare/ a clinical setting.

Priorities & Lifestyle - currently this is working to get a better paying job than barely scrapping above minimum wage.

A lot of those things do kind of line up, but I can also achieve what I want by taking the masters straight into a job.

I have been told if I want to go the clinical route it is highly competitive, all about who you know and my phd application might take years to get onto. I honestly don't want to sit in a healthcare job, which pays similar to what I am on now for years, before I can get onto the phd course. I don't fancy spending around a decade of my life struggling to get a career (10 years being the waiting to get onto the phd course, then the course being 3 years long).

You did interpret my post correctly, I am unsure about going into a clinical setting. It feels like ti will be highly competitive and require more sacrifices than I want to give. I want to have time for hobbies and not be always chasing my tail within a clinical setting.

Oh good, glad I got that. I totally understand what you mean. The healthcare industry is a calling for many, and if it doesn't call you, that's totally fine. There are plenty of options for you to use your education in a way that benefits your lifestyle