A career through personal growth - becoming a professional counsellor

By Catherine Hedrich
Canadian Counselling Association

With the understanding that most students today will have more than one career in their lifetime, becoming a professional counsellor leads to many life opportunities. It suits individuals who see themselves as making a contribution to society, one person at a time. Scott Donald, a student working towards his masters in education counselling at the University of Ottawa, describes his career choice as a natural match with his natural ability and interest.

"As a child, I found that people would begin telling me their life story even if I had just met them," says Donald. "I guess that they sensed that I like to hear what people have to say, that I would not judge them and that I am a good listener. It got to the point that family and friends kept telling me that I should work in this profession."

He says that every course he has taken to date has confirmed the fact that he made the right choice for himself.

The education and training requirements necessary in order to become a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) can come from a variety of program combinations. Although your bachelor's degree can fall within many areas of the social sciences, education or health sectors, you will also require a master's degree. The degree can be a master's in education, such as education psychology or education counselling. It can also be a master's of arts degree in counselling psychology or creative arts.

The titles of the programs in counselling vary from one university to another across Canada. They reflect each institution's desire to offer prospective students an opportunity to specialize in various fields such as art therapy, drug addiction and career counselling to name only a few. In general, most professional counsellors work in the mental health field with a chosen specialization.

Finally, we must mention that, to date, the profession is only legislatively regulated in the province of Quebec. The Canadian Counselling Association is the national bilingual self-regulating body for the counselling profession and it is highly recommended that students interested in working in this field join a provincial or the national professional association as a student member. Their membership will give them opportunities for networking, research and job placement, as well as copies of the quarterly newsletter and professional journal. Later, as a professional counsellor, you will find that the services offered to certified members such as liability insurance, visibility with our online CCC directory, a code of ethics, standards of practice and access to continuing education will serve you well with future employers and when opening a private practice.

For more information and some helpful links regarding family and mental health counsellors, employment counsellors, school counsellors and creative arts counsellors, visit the Canadian Counselling Association Web site:

http://www.ccacc.ca/ltoOthers.htm#Resources

You can also visit the career section of SchoolFinder.com:

http://www.schoolfinder.com/careers/index.asp