Is it worth doing a masters in CBT? Any jobs?

Pixied

Hi

I have just finished a degree in counselling and psychotherapy. I am tempted to apply for a part-time masters in CBT, as it is an area I am interested in. Just a couple of questions:

Does a masters in CBT make a counsellor more employable?
If so, by which sectors?
If not, what related courses can you recommend?

I am wary of paying 10k I can ill afford for a masters if I will not be able to find work with it.

Any help appreciated

JuliusCaesar

As I'm not an employer, I can't give you a definitive answer.

However, if you are going to be competing for jobs with people who have Masters, then you are better off with one.

What kinds of qualifications are necessary with the National Counselling Service for example?

Where are you likely to find work?

It won't work against you, and everyone will generally need an ability to work in a specialised way, beyond general counselling skills. You might also want to have a look at the sticky on Statutory Registration.

What do other people think?

Odysseus

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

What kinds of qualifications are necessary with the National Counselling Service for example?

What do other people think?

I tell people to get as highly qualified as possible it will help you deliver a better service. This is from a counselling/psychotherapy viewpoint; but the entry level is quite low in some services. For example a counsellor in the Addiction Services the person only needs a Diploma level qualification, I don't agree with this, however, I also know some therapists with a low level quaification who are very good, however, I never refer a person to another therapist unless they are at Master's level.

We lost a lot of counsellors to ABLA [I don't know if they have changed that name] they where at the low end of the qualification scale. So it appears that Diploma level is common with some HSE Services. With ALBA the pay was up to 15k more as well I was tempted to jump ship at one time as well.

Having a Masters will make a person an assest to a service, and where you compare CV's and see a person with a Dip and another with a MA/MSc, well first impressions and all that. At the end of the day it helps you sell yourself [or your soul;)] at your interview stage

Though with saying that neither of the Services I named above are are hiring or will be for a while; so there is not much work out there for someone starting, therefore I would suggest that if a person wants to work in the area to get as many quailifications as possible. Once your in the job, securing further training can be difficult;even getting an afternoon off once a week for my course was not easy, I'm taking most of it out of my TOIL and my annual leave.

JuliusCaesar

Odysseus, ALBA? TOIL? are these anagrams? (What for?)

I agree with a lot of what you said (the bits I understood ), but surely there will come a day soon when our new CEO of the HSE will realise that reducing the Mental Health budget to its current lowest ever (6% of the overall health budget) is a false saving.......surely that day will come......surely....and they will start employing staff again.......or do we have to wait till MaryH is forcibly retired?

Pixied

Thanks for the replies The public jobs embargo is indeed a nightmare.

I suppose what I am also wondering in relation to CBT is if there is a demand/preferance for counsellors who have a masters in this over other counselling related masters?

If I decide to do a masters is there more of a preferance from service provides for those counsellors who hold a CBT masters over a general counselling & psychotherapy masters?

Hope that makes sense.

Odysseus

Pixied wrote: »

Thanks for the replies The public jobs embargo is indeed a nightmare.

I suppose what I am also wondering in relation to CBT is if there is a demand/preferance for counsellors who have a masters in this over other counselling related masters?

If I decide to do a masters is there more of a preferance from service provides for those counsellors who hold a CBT masters over a general counselling & psychotherapy masters?

Hope that makes sense.

IMO no the modality will not matter really from my experience. However, like anything else, it can depend on the person who is looking at your CV. I have had to hire people in the past, as a psychoanalyst I would show my own basis to someone who trained in that manner, but in my own service people come from all therapy models.


However, with saying that CBT is popular with those looking at it from a medical viewpoint, and you may have a psychiatrist on the team who is interested in CBT or even psychoanalysis. So my answer would be it will really depend on the job you go for.

Odysseus

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

Odysseus, ALBA? TOIL? are these anagrams? (What for?)

Sorry, I should have been clearer. Yes they are and they would be common in my service TOIL is time off in lieu, ABLA was the service for those with a history of abuse, I think the named changed a few years ago, however I keep those cases in-house so I not sure of the service's name now:o

JuliusCaesar

IAPT in the UK has been vastly increasing the number of CBT therapists in England and (I think) Wales. We may follow suit here sometime.... the outcomes tend to be good for specific conditions. And one day our financial overlords may recognise that there's something to be said for effective treatment as an economy measure.

Cinful

Can't speak for Ireland. In America you need a Ph.D. to be competitive.

Bobbity

I recieved an offer from PCI for Dip. in counselling & psychotherapy, but I am not taking it.
It seems to me that there is a huge amount of counsellors/therapists with different trends in Ireland, and I'm not sure if taking this course would be a worthwhile thing for me to do. There are so many, it makes me question the whole thing, it seems if a counsellor takes a dip course, they can then set up at home, would this be an accurate take?
This is not my intention, by the way, as if I'm going to do it, I want to go the whole hog. What do others feel about this?
Sorry Pixied, not trying to take over your thread, just looking for clarification.

Odysseus

Bobbity wrote: »

I recieved an offer from PCI for Dip. in counselling & psychotherapy, but I am not taking it.
It seems to me that there is a huge amount of counsellors/therapists with different trends in Ireland, and I'm not sure if taking this course would be a worthwhile thing for me to do. There are so many, it makes me question the whole thing, it seems if a counsellor takes a dip course, they can then set up at home, would this be an accurate take?
This is not my intention, by the way, as if I'm going to do it, I want to go the whole hog. What do others feel about this?
Sorry Pixied, not trying to take over your thread, just looking for clarification.

Lots of people started out from PCI so I won't rule it out as a training option, in a lot of cases a Dip is enough to get people started in certain organisations. However, as I constantly state get as quailified as you can.

To work from home as a counsellor at the moment you don't actually need anything, however, I can't really see many people attending someone like that; it can still do damage though.

JuliusCaesar

Vision for Change, if it ever gets implemented, recognised the utility of talking treatments/psychological approaches and recommended adding psychotherapists to each Mental Health team: specifically mentioned were family therapy, CBT, addiction counselling, and also recreational/creative therapies. BUT it does say that until Statutory Registration comes in, the training of therapists can be very variable. (And so, yet again, may I point you all to the Statutory Registration sticky?)

CBT training is conforming with European standards - I think all member disciplines of the ICP are doing so or have done so already. The European norms will be taken seriously by the Stat Reg people.

Odysseus

[QUOTE=JuliusCaesar;66716868

addiction counselling,
[/QUOTE]

God I hate that term, I hope they have finally discovered what it is when it eventully do implement Stat Reg:)