Canterbury College - Progression After Studying Counselling - A Student's Perspective
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Progression After Studying Counselling - A Student's Perspective

This week we have a guest blog post from Nina Vallard, former Counselling student who has just recently taken on a new career as a Care Leaver Progression Partnership Officer. Nina worked hard at her Counselling Concepts course and found her true passion, which has led directly to a career that is right for her.

"When I first began studying Counselling Concepts at College in January, I knew that the skills I would develop on the course would be helpful for my job at a nearby university, and because I wanted to branch out into a student support role in the future.

I was very interested in student wellbeing and knew that I wanted to take on a career that helped to build students’ confidence and help them pursue their ambitions.

Discovering more

During the course, we were encouraged to reflect on our own skills and beliefs. During this time, I thought a lot about the type of career that I wanted. I felt that my experience as an adoptee and my passion for creativity would be perfectly suited to an outreach role.

Over the months, my passion for counselling grew. I found the atmosphere of the seminars encouraging and stimulating. I enjoyed spending time with my classmates and I especially loved taking part in the practical sessions where we practised the listening skills we had learned about.

My favourite part of the course was meeting such a diverse group of people with the common drive to want to listen to others. We have had opportunities to debate and get feedback on our ideas, so we were always learning from each other as well as the teacher and textbooks.

Progression Route

Towards the end of my course, I saw a job being advertised in the Care Leaver Progression Partnership. The role was based at College and encompassed all of my interests. It seemed like perfect timing because my previous temporary job was ending.

I credit my counselling course for giving me the confidence to apply for my job. Being in College helped me realise I want to stay in further education, and that I want to keep challenging myself.

My plans for the next few years is to become a trained counsellor, so hopefully, you'll see me in the emotional wellbeing centre one day!"

Find out more about our counselling courses here.