how to get a psychotherapy client

corky1968

I'm starting a masters degree in psychotherapy at Independent Colleges in September. One of the requirements of the course is to work with a client under supervision as part of your training. The responsibility is with the student to organise this. Can anyone help with advice on how to go about doing this? Maybe someone has completed the course and could offer some advice on the best approach.

Any advice/help appreciated.

krankykitty

Is there someone in the college that can help you with it? In our college we are told it's up to us to find the placement but there is a placement officer who can give you a hand in some circumstances.

Perhaps try with some local counselling services, drug/alcohol rehab places, suicide prevention/bereavement counselling services but beware a placement can be pretty hard to find. Am between placements at the moment myself and am not having any luck getting one.

Max001

Try Cork Volunteer Centre off Coburg St?

LilMrsDahamsta

If it's individual clients you're after, I regularly see notices up where I teach offering free/low cost counselling to students by a student counsellor. The provider changes from year to year, but the notices keep appearing so I guess they do get some responses. There's also a notice up in our local chemist at the moment for a similar service, and judging by the number of tabs torn off the poster, there is at least some interest.

Best of luck!

Kooli

Well surely you won't have to start working with a client straight away (if you do, I would be VERY worried about the course you are doing!)

I would hope that once you start the course there will be someone to give you guidance on this?

krankykitty

I'm sure you'll get some information when the course starts but you're as well to be thinking ahead anyway.

On the point someone made about hanging up notices in shops - just be conscious that when you get clients in this manner, there won't be anyone assessing them to see if they are suitable for psychotherapy or indeed if they would be a suitable client for a student with (i'm guessing) little or no experience. At least in a counselling service/referral type setup there may be some form of assessment beforehand. Its as well to be cautious about these things particularly at the start, it means there's less chance of getting yourself into a situation that is outside the realms of your experience and knowledge of therapy.

hotspur

Kooli wrote: »

Well surely you won't have to start working with a client straight away (if you do, I would be VERY worried about the course you are doing!)

I would hope that once you start the course there will be someone to give you guidance on this?

Actually they do for that course, or rather in the first semester anyway. It's psychoanalytic though so it's a case of strap yourself in for the ride because we're going to be here a while.

corky1968

Thanks to everyone for the advice/feedback. I'll see how I get on over the coming weeks and let you know how it works out.

Cheers