The Journey That Made Me a Counsellor

In this heartfelt and inspiring reflection, Liz, Counselling Qualifications Professional at CPCAB, invites us to join her on the incredible journey she experienced while training to become a counsellor. Initially seeking to complement her hypnotherapy studies with a Level 2 counselling course, she found herself immersed in the rich emotional landscape of counselling. In her article, Liz shares the ups and downs of her training, revealing moments of self-discovery, resilience, and vulnerability that transformed not only her professional path but also her personal growth.

I began my counselling training in 2005. At the time, I hadn’t planned to become a counsellor - I was training to be a hypnotherapist, and the Level 2 counselling course was meant to support that work. But within a couple of weeks, something shifted. My first tutor, Sam, was so engaging and full of life. More than that, the course itself, and the people in it, opened something up in me. I was hooked.

It wasn’t just learning about the core conditions or writing about theory. It was the experience of sitting with others, hearing how they viewed the world, and sharing something real. We had skills practice sessions where we got to know each other in much deeper, more honest ways. That group, and the space we created together, changed me. Without it, I wouldn’t be the person I am today, or the therapist I’ve become.

After completing Level 3, I experienced a gut-punch: I wasn’t offered a place on the Level 4 Diploma. At the time, it felt like everything I’d worked toward was collapsing. But I regrouped. I was already progressing in my hypnotherapy training, so I pivoted and took up training in CBT as well. This was pre-Layard, so I didn’t yet see the direction CBT would take in the public sphere. Once qualified, I quickly realised that I needed more. The training had been mostly home learning, with only 60 guided learning hours, and I could feel the limitations.

I returned to my original college and was accepted onto the counselling degree. But this time, I was more intentional. I remembered those early conversations in Level 2 and 3 - the ones that had cracked something open in me - and I knew I didn’t want to rush. I wanted to be in a classroom, learning with and from other people. I wanted to develop not just my knowledge, but my ability to truly be with someone. That, I believed, was what would make me the best counsellor I could be.

During this time, I also began to explore something more personal: my history with education. I’d always been bright, but I’d struggled with academic writing and had dropped out of my A-levels. In talking with peers, I started to unpick that story—seeing how it had shaped me, and how much I’d missed out on. If I had been studying entirely through videos or written material alone, I don’t think I would have reached those realisations.

So I did something bold: I asked my teacher if I could stay back and do an extra year on the access course to hone my writing skills. I told her I didn’t want to rush through it. I needed time to grow.

In the end, I studied for four years. And it was the best decision I ever made. I didn’t just gain academic knowledge, I had four years of meaningful connection. Four years of rich, emotional learning alongside others. Four years of becoming.

And this brings me to process groups.

It’s in face-to-face process work that we really begin to see each other. There is something irreplaceable about sitting in a room, in a circle, being unapologetically yourself, and holding space for others to do the same. It’s here we learn what it means to truly be with another person, in all their pain, joy, fear, and complexity.

I remember one group session vividly. It was shortly after my son was born, during my second year of the degree. That day, I became a counsellor. Not in terms of qualifications or theory, but in how I understood myself and my ability to hold space for others. It was like pouring out all the jigsaw pieces of my life and slowly putting them back together.

That day, I cried. I allowed myself to be completely vulnerable. I heard hard truths. And in doing so, I understood, in my bones, what it means to sit with someone in their distress. That moment didn’t just change how I worked, it changed who I was.

Conclusion

This journey hasn’t been a straight line. It’s been full of unexpected turns, setbacks, and moments of deep reflection. But every step - especially the slow ones, the painful ones - has shaped the therapist I am today.

I’ve learned that becoming a counsellor isn’t just about acquiring skills or passing assessments. It’s about being transformed by the process itself, by sitting with others, by being seen, and by doing the emotional work yourself. That’s the kind of learning that lasts. And it’s the kind of learning I hope to carry forward into every room I sit in, with every person who allows me to walk beside them.