Career Pathways After Studying Counselling ~ My Career Journey

Summary

In this video, Maya, a qualified counselor, shares her professional journey since completing a Master's in Counseling and Psychotherapy. She details her experiences working in various roles, from placements in homelessness services and therapeutic support for children, to case management for individuals with disabilities. Maya also discusses her transition to a private counseling practice and her work with university students with disabilities. With each job, she emphasizes the importance of using counseling skills and adapting to different client needs, highlighting the diverse career paths available in counseling and psychotherapy.

Takeaways

• 😀 Maya is a qualified counselor who shares tips on becoming a counselor and the career journey in counseling.
• 😀 She began her career with placements during her Master's in Counseling and Psychotherapy, including work with a homelessness service and Relationships Australia.
• 😀 The first job post-degree was a part-time position at Relationships Australia, where Maya worked with children in therapeutic group settings.
• 😀 Maya transitioned to a role working with adults who had been in foster or institutional care, offering both counseling and family reconnection support.
• 😀 After gaining experience, Maya took on another role within Relationships Australia, co-facilitating a community-based program with circus performers to build social skills in children.
• 😀 Maya's experience also included a case management role with a charitable organization, supporting clients with disabilities, including those who were blind or hearing impaired.
• 😀 In this case management role, Maya also provided outreach support, connecting clients with necessary services and offering counseling support in a less traditional sense.
• 😀 Maya worked as both a case manager and counselor within the same role, offering one-on-one counseling sessions as well as group therapy for people with vision impairments.
• 😀 Maya was made redundant from her case management job but later transitioned into private counseling, offering personal therapy sessions.
• 😀 Her most recent job was at a university, providing support to students with disabilities, medical conditions, or mental health challenges, ensuring they received the necessary accommodations.
• 😀 Maya emphasizes that there are a wide variety of roles available for counselors, and it's important to find the area of counseling that aligns with one's interests.

Q & A

What was Maya's first job after completing her Master's in Counseling and Psychotherapy?

Maya's first job was a placement at a homelessness service, which she completed as part of her degree. After finishing her placement, she was offered a casual part-time position working with children in school holiday programs and providing therapeutic support in schools.

How did Maya transition from her placement to a part-time job at Relationships Australia?

Maya was initially placed at Relationships Australia as part of her degree. One of her friends who worked there arranged a meeting for her with a team manager. After the meeting, the team manager offered her a casual part-time position working with children in therapeutic programs.

What type of therapeutic work did Maya do with clients who had been in foster care?

Maya worked with adults who had been in foster care or government care as children. Her role involved providing therapeutic support, including counseling, case management, and helping clients reconnect with lost family members. She would also offer strategies for dealing with parenting issues and attachment challenges.

What unique role did Maya play in helping clients reconnect with their family members?

Maya's role in reconnecting clients with their families involved researching and locating lost family members, often using social media and search engines like Facebook and Google. It was part of her job to act somewhat like a detective while providing therapeutic support to the clients.

What was Maya's involvement in the community circus program?

Maya co-facilitated a program run by circus performers that aimed to teach children social skills and circus skills. As a therapeutic support, Maya worked alongside another colleague to manage behavioral issues and ensure the children participated well in the program.

How did Maya's work in a charitable organization differ from her previous counseling roles?

In the charitable organization, Maya worked as a case manager providing outreach support to people with disabilities, including the blind and hearing-impaired. Unlike typical counseling, her role was more focused on case management, such as helping clients access necessary services and accompanying them to appointments.

How did Maya's case management role evolve within the charitable organization?

Maya's case management role eventually expanded into a counseling role after the departure of the previous counselor. She was tasked with providing one-on-one therapy sessions for clients and even running group therapy sessions for people registered with the organization.

What was the nature of Maya's private counseling practice?

After being made redundant from her case management role, Maya started her private counseling practice. She began seeing clients privately and running individual counseling sessions, adding another dimension to her professional career.

What role did Maya take at a university, and how did it relate to her previous work?

Maya took on a role at a university working with students who had disabilities, medical conditions, or mental health issues. She helped ensure these students received the necessary adjustments and supports within the academic environment, leveraging her counseling skills in an educational context.

What advice does Maya give to those pursuing a career in counseling?

Maya advises that there are many diverse career opportunities within the counseling field. It's important for aspiring counselors to find a specific area of interest or niche that aligns with their passions and strengths, as this will lead to more fulfilling and impactful work.