Thank you so much, Sarah

Today's post is one of appreciation and professional admiration for Sarah, who I am sure we would all agree, delivered a wonderful session this afternoon. She fielded all your brilliant questions, thematically, whether they were sent to us beforehand, or asked naturally in relation to the many diverse topics of conversation. Just fantastic. Organic, dynamic and all inclusive learning right there within that short time. 

As way of a brief overview of what was discussed then, here goes...

Sarah was very clear to signpost that her thoughts were her own, and not necessarily those of all, or other therapists. She opened up by giving us a privileged insight into her own career path, remembering, the journey is in progress for us all, it doesn't necessarily ever end! 

I was particularly impressed with how Sarah worked with the group, so naturally. You were seeing a professional, caring expert at work there, always careful to mention you by name and skilfully giving some examples of her own life experiences, including coping with grief as means of providing context.

The theory (I know some of you love a bit of theory, some are still being persuaded) aspect was very clear. It IS important, as Sarah, Jacqui and I would all agree, which helps make sense of the practical nature of arguably any subject, whatever it may be. The theoretical concepts help build the foundations, as is the import of personal development. Another key point was that you will ultimately get to know yourself on a better/different level when practising therapy, or indeed if you are in therapy. Client communication and in fact all communication is extremely important. And that is what we are developing in this Unit, namely oral, written, listening and reading analysis. It all ties in, seamlessly, but nevertheless. needs to be learned.

Supervision became another principal theme on the day, where Sarah discussed how essential a person centred approach is. The allocation of supervisors was also cross-referred to and this led into some interesting discourse about ethics and professionalism.

The question of self-care routine was next up and that really opened up some healthy communication. Sarah noted that she had no routine per se, but had strategies. She stated that we are all likely to do things differently, but for her, the outdoors is essential, with walking, swimming and the like being particularly helpful to her. For others, it could be the gym, skincare regimes, dog-walking and so on. This led onto some discussion about the emotional impact of supporting people and all that this entails. 

When the subject of starting up a practise was posed, Sarah suggested (her opinion) that you don't do that straight away after graduation. The safety aspect and pros and cons of working from home were also discussed in this section, with some excellent proactive questions being asked, which were both sensible and practical. Neutrality of the room was also noted as being really crucial to promote a relaxed environment.

In terms of competition, and I guess that IS the right word contextually, it was noted that there is certainly a need for therapy and therapists and most likely, even more (potential) clients. Sarah talked about how she utilised her excellent networking skills when she decided to start her own Counselling business and does not advertise as such. Being comfortable with a client is so important and how and why you might decide a prospective client is not the right 'fit' for you was talked through. 

When we looked at the pandemic and how this has changed the world of Counselling, this led neatly onto the topic of educational learning. There was some interesting debate around the practicalities of such. Sarah reflected on the point that going online, wrestling with Zoom (as we all did, educators, counsellors, learners, children, doctors etc,) was arguably / probably where Counselling was actually heading anyway. I found this segment particularly interesting as I see you as such a collegiate group, yet one who have never met in person yet. Jacqui's comments about the dynamics of classes changing when in a face to face context was fascinating. The watchword in this part of the q and a was really about accessibility for me. This developed into the theme of current trends, which helped us focus on key issues such as isolation, anxiety, and the client perspective. Sarah outlined her objective pros and cons at this juncture. 

The session finished with a short dialogue about qualifications and levels. The best advice from the three of us was to look into the qualifications which suit your needs the best and if University study is where you are heading, Strathclyde University was heralded as a good starting point. As always though, my (Mark's) advice is to speak with Kathleen and Len who will have the best in-house recommendations for you, depending on your respective career paths. One thing is for sure and that is this - that you ALL display many great skills and traits that are essential to become professional Counsellors. And remember, once qualified, everybody is a colleague. 

I am certain that there was much more communicated than previously noted, but I am very keen for you to comment in the section below as to what you enjoyed about the session. There are no specific prompts, just some feedback on what you gained from Sarah's wise counsel.

I shall leave you with these websites that Sarah discussed and thank you to Lisa too for alerting us to a podcast which will, I am sure, be of great use to us all. 

Sarah, I have a feeling I may ask you back in the Ne'er sometime if you are willing!

Business Gateway | Business Gateway (bgateway.com)

Counsellor Online Resources and CPD • Counselling Tutor

Podcast Archives • Counselling Tutor

Counselling Directory - Find a Counsellor Near You (counselling-directory.org.uk)

ONLINE CPD FOR COUNSELLORS & PSYCHOTHERAPISTS - onlinevents.co.ukonlinevents.co.uk

Home - Person-Centred Therapy Scotland (pctscotland.co.uk)

Improving children’s mental health in schools – Place2Be

I THINK that is them all, I certainly hope so. If I missed anything out, please holler and I will add the link in for everybody.

I look forward to your comments as always and thank you to everybody who attended today, it was a truly memorable and informative experience.

Yours aye,

Mark