Hi Beverley, that’s great to hear, I think it’s going to be very much worth it too! Thanks for what you say about the channel, I appreciate it and do let me know how it goes if you like

Thanks so much for saying Jennifer, I appreciate it and glad you liked it. I’m excited for you that you’re on this journey and really hope it all goes well for you, am sure it will

Wow.. I am debating myself if I’m “too late” to go to college to get my masters in psychology.. (I’m 24) and here you are making me look dumb. Haha

​@unclejaws1999 I'm 28 going back to school. I tried when I was 24 and ended up putting it off. Don't wait brother, you'll be 6 years older one day no matter what. Will you have your masters at the end of that 6 years is the question.

You’re really welcome Jacob and thank you for saying, I’m grateful 😊

Thanks Michelle, really appreciate what you say, yes generally loving it and so glad I made the change 😊

Thanks so much, that's a kind thing to say, I appreciate it

You’re more than welcome and I’m very grateful to you for saying, thank you

Thanks for saying that Jonathan, I’m really glad you’re finding them helpful. Hoping the transition goes well for you and do let me know if there’s anything else you might like me to record a video about

You’re really welcome, thanks for saying, I appreciate it. And so glad to hear you love what you do, one of the keys to a happy life I think

You’re welcome and thanks for so much for saying, I really appreciate it. Hope it all goes well and let me know how it goes if you feel like it 😊

Hi there, I’m so glad to hear it gave you strength, thanks for saying. Just my experience, but I found it much better when I actually qualified and was able to do more of what I wanted day to day. I really wish you all the best with it

That’s great to hear and thank you for saying, I’m always really grateful when someone takes the time to comment like this. I hope it all goes well for you

You’re more than welcome. Amazing and great to hear you’re staying true to your passion, it’s definitely the best way forward in life in my experience. I really wish you all the best with it and do let me know how it’s all going if you’d like

You're really welcome and thank you for saying. Yes, I think it's a career where we're sort of professionally obliged to be authentic, which is one of the main reasons I like it so much. I really wish you all the best with the rest of your course and your journey generally : )

Hi there, thanks for what you say, I appreciate it, always great to hear feedback. I think that’s an interesting idea about deliberate practice, I hadn’t heard of the term before, but now I’ve had a look at what it is, I shall definitely give it some thought.

Thanks for saying Aman, I really appreciate it. I hope it all goes well for you and do let me know how it’s going if you’d like 😊

John-Paul Davies Will do! There is so much information out there about courses, training paths and providers etc! It’s quite overwhelming…not to mention the various psychotherapeutic modalities! Will be in touch for sure!😀

@@amanr6346 hi, yes I can really see how all the choices can be overwhelming. I think if you go with what feels right for you it’ll work out. Any ways I can help, do just let me know, John-Paul

You’re more than welcome, thanks for saying. Yes in my experience that’s definitely the case, it makes for a much more fulfilling life, although it can be challenging at times as with anything. I really wish you all the best with your journey and hope it goes well for you.

Thanks for letting me know, that’s great to hear. I really hope it all goes well for you

You’re welcome, thanks for saying, really excited for you. Hope it all goes well and do let me know how it goes if you feel like it

Excellent, so glad you found it helpful and thanks for saying, I really appreciate it

Hi James, thanks for the comment and glad it was helpful. Yes definitely not the case in my experience that there has to be a significant drop in standard of living. There are therapists who charge hundreds of pounds an hour and many increasing income through passive income streams too with online courses, books, referral networks etc. With attention on mental health growing hugely in the way that it is, I think the opportunities will only increase and the sky’s the limit really. I’m going to put up a video with some ideas about it on the website in the next week or so. Good luck with it and let me know if you want to have a chat about anything else.

@@JohnPaulDaviesTTP I love this response!!!!! I love the voice you are giving to the opportunity in this field. I come from a different background as well, speech language pathology, which is still a helping profession, but not very congruent with me authentically. I picked speech over psych because I thought I’d be more financially stable, but I’ve found to to be the opposite. The % of the population who can benefit from counseling is sooo much higher

Thank you for saying, it sounds like you’re really being drawn to counselling/therapy as a profession and, based on my personal experience of the journey, I’m so pleased for you

Thanks, kind of you to say, I appreciate it 😊

Thanks for your comment, I appreciate you taking the time. That’s so disappointing insurance companies decreasing reimbursements, really sorry to hear that’s happening. It also raises another interesting point which is how different therapist’s experiences are from a financial point of view. I have very few insurance clients and my practice is almost entirely privately funded clients. It’s the same with most of the therapists I know locally. The insurance companies funding my few insurance clients have also never taken their hourly rate payment down over the years, so far as I’m aware. Are you in the US by the way? I wonder if it’s a bit different to hear the UK in that way? I’ve recently thought it would be really interesting to speak to therapists around the world on the channel about the differences and similarities between countries, including finances. Anyway, thanks again for your comments.

Hi there, thanks for your comments on the video, I really appreciate them so great to hear you enjoyed it. I think actually you're on the journey anyway by looking at videos like these. If you're in the UK and looking to become a psychotherapist, rather than a degree it's usually a foundation course and then some kind of diploma, part-time, the course of maybe 5 years. I know that sounds like a long time and I guess it is, but the time does go fast in my experience. Once you're doing some kind of foundation course, you can see what you think and how you feel at that point as to whether you'd like to carry on or not. You could also maybe do some voluntary work for someone like the Samaritans or SHOUT or THT to see how you find being in a support/mental health and emotional wellbeing world. I guess being in therapy yourself is also a good idea too. This website is one of the main UK accrediting bodies, so I'd suggest you take a look at what they say about training (you'll also see me there on link page : )) - www.psychotherapy.org.uk/psychotherapy-training/train-as-a-psychotherapist/ Hope this is helpful and let me know how it goes, John-Paul

Hi Ian, thanks for saying about the video, it's always good to hear and I appreciate it. Sounds exciting about the career change, I really hope you go ahead with it. As far as tips, I'd suggest starting off with doing an accredited course by one of the main regulating bodies. Perhaps having some therapy yourself would be a good idea just to see what it's like if you haven't done so already. Generally, I'd say be doing what you can, in whatever ways you can, to get to know yourself well at this stage. Also perhaps get in contact with others in the industry or wanting to train so you have people to go through and share it all with. As you can imagine, there are a lot of other things I could say and I'd be really happy to have a chat with you about it on the phone if you think that would be helpful. Just email on jpdttp@gmail.com if so and we can arrange it.

Hi there, thanks for your comments, yes, I hear you and it's one of the most significant factors for anyone coming into the profession. As much as we all want to do something we think we'll love and therefore enjoy more, we need to be sure it'll pay the bills and, as you say, actually provide a good standard of living. I can honestly say that I believe it's the case, and my experience, that it can do this. The trouble is of course, that everyone is different as a therapist, works in different areas and sectors, wants to do different things within the industry and shapes their own day, so there's really no way of predicting or guaranteeing a certain income for anyone. Some therapists make a lot of money relatively, others don't make much. We also don't know the effect in the future of things like low-cost platforms such as BetterHelp, or of course Government mental health policy. What I can say, is that I believe the potential is certainly there in my experience for a good income from being a therapist in private practice.

Thanks for what you say about the video Kristine, I appreciate it. Yes, I don’t see why a therapist in private practice can’t offer career counselling as well, as long as morally and ethically they’re in a position to do so

Hi Tim, thanks for your message. I’d be really happy to have a chat with you yes of course. Re logistics, I’m not sure how it works in the US and in the UK only really know the psychotherapy route rather than the psychology. If you think I could help bearing that in mind though, just let me know and we can organise it.

Hi Tim, coincidentally I’m also based in America and 27 years old as well but with a background in International Affairs and International Development. Similar to you I’ve been in the ngo sector for little bit over a year and feeling like this is not the perfect match for my personality. I was wondering if you would be open to connect since perhaps we can help each other as we explore our options

Hi there, thanks for your comment and sharing some of your story, I really appreciate it. As you say, I only really know about that the UK, but certainly in principle the idea of retraining and even running a practice whilst also working in HR I’m sure would work fine if that’s what you wanted to do, either for a period while you’re building a practice or even indefinitely if you enjoy both things. For me, one of the great things about retraining is that, subject of course to practical considerations, you can choose to set your life and tailor in a way that makes you happy now, your mix is up to you and it can change over time. Maybe someone else reading this can comment too and in the meantime I wish you all the best with it. If you want to let me know how it’s going on here too, please feel free to do that whenever you’d like 😊

@@JohnPaulDaviesTTP thank you so much for taking your time to reply!

@@kavs714 you’re very welcome

Hi, thanks for your message and sorry for the delay in coming back to you, I was out of the country. As you say, I’m sure there are certainly people practicing who did a shorter route, although everyone I know has done one of the accredited courses as far as I’m aware. I know some people who didn’t actually qualify but still see clients, but don’t know anyone who sees clients having done one of the short courses. As I say though, I’m sure there are people and how good or otherwise someone is as a counsellor isn’t always going to be dependent on how long they’ve studied. Having said that, I think there are good reasons for people studying for years to practice both in terms of the course content and the personal development over that period. I also don’t think someone can get on the directories to advertise, work for insurers, or be employed if they haven’t completed accredited courses. It may also be that many potential private clients look for accredited counsellors when choosing someone. Just let me know if there’s anything else you want to ask and I really wish you all the best with it in any event.

@@JohnPaulDaviesTTP Thank you so much for replying! I think the word "short" was wrongly used on my end. Allow me to rephrase. There are online diploma courses that you would still need to take for at least 3 years (level 2 to 4+). However, as there is no face-to-face training involved, the BACP does not accredit them. They are usually accredited by organisations such as the ACCPH, who have their own directories and offer insurance. It's still accreditation, just not enough to get you to work beyond a private practice (not that that bothers me). All this online route also costs quite less than what the nationally accredited courses are asking for. But it seems the BACP is the "top" accreditation/qualification to have (and quite the monopoly, really). Then there is the uni route which I won't even get into. Conclusion: It would be nice to study strictly online as I want to work strictly online. I also am quite introverted and empathic and don't do well in live group trainings. I don't mind supervision or personal counselling though. But apparently that's not enough for the BACP, UKCP, etc. What if someone disabled wants to study to be a counsellor? Physical presence in a class is not easy for everyone. So just wondering if I will be taken seriously if I go down the path of "lesser" accreditation and just study online. Do clients even ask about which body you are accredited by / registered with? Does it matter that much in private practice? (Sorry about the long message)

Ah I see, yes I can see there are quite a few barriers with the accredited courses in terms of money and time commitments and I do wonder if that will change over time. If as you say you’re only looking to see private clients, I’ve never had anyone ask about my accreditation or qualifications in all the 10 years plus I’ve been seeing clients. Having said that, if they come through my website and/or the directories they’ll have seen the information there and I’m not sure how important it will have been for them in their search… Certainly as you get word of mouth clients as time goes on, I’m suspect the particular course and qualifications get less important to them Re studying online I’m sure it works well and of course everyone did for quite a long period of time over Covid. The only thing I would say not being face to face in groups etc though is I wonder will you get the most out of the personal development aspect of being on the course?

Hi there, thanks for your question and some of your story, I really appreciate you writing it. No I don’t think you’re too old at all to study to be a therapist. When you say degree though are you talking about an undergraduate degree or a qualification in psychotherapy? If it’s the latter, I think everyone on my course was at least over 30 and most around your age. I was only a couple of years younger than you when I did my diploma. Life experience is very helpful in this profession.

Thanks for saying about the video, I appreciate it. Been a while since I did one of those personality tests, maybe over 20 years, but I was actually ENTJ at the time (not sure about the Debator). Wondered if I might have changed a bit over that period, maybe more F. Really interesting that you were so close though, you’re basing that on what you saw in the video?

@@JohnPaulDaviesTTP yes that’s right. I’m thinking about becoming a therapist and found your video inspiring. I can certainly relate to a lot of the things you mention. I’m also an ENT (Debater) personality type. Apparently a personality type that lends itself well to being a therapist.

@@vidibites ah interesting, makes sense about the personality type. Good to hear you can relate to what’s said in the video and I hope it’s all going well for you, I definitely don’t ever regret making the career change

Hi there, my course was a post graduate diploma, so we did have to have an undergraduate degree. I suspect that’ll be the case for many accredited training programs, but may depend on the the training organisation. I’m sure there will be some training places that don’t require it, but you’ll want to be sure it’s a reputable organisation, so if you choose the accredited course you like you can maybe see what they say?

Difficulty to say without knowing the context, but generally, do you feel like you have what you need to do what you’d like to do with clients and, if you want to work for others, is what you have already enough for that do you think? I guess many also go ahead with a masters because they really enjoy being in the academic world.

Hi there, it’s just my understanding of it, but I think psychology is more research and scientifically based than what you’ll most of the see on a psychotherapy course. I’m sure it has probably changed now, but when I did my psychotherapy training there was, for example, no neuroscience on it all. Instead we covered areas such as alchemy and dreams, alongside more cognitively based therapies. (By the way, I think it’s a really good idea to cover neuroscience on a psychotherapy course.) If anyone else has any other ideas on the difference between the two, please do feel free to add comments below. Re psychotherapy courses outside of London, a Google search I just did came up with lots of interesting looking courses. Was it something in particular you were looking for?

@@JohnPaulDaviesTTP not sure, but something online maybe. I will look again. Thank you for your response.

You're really welcome, I wish you all the best with it and just let me know if there's anything else.

Hi there, thanks for your message, great question, yes there are so many different types of therapy. I’m a member of Counselling Directory which lists and explains many of them here: www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counselling.html?_gl=1*itu6i4*_up*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAiAmsurBhBvEiwA6e-WPAxeA-lVLa7QaTaiBY6pTHZNfiGL2zAD6yX0JbJeKJvEY6oNSHSMIRoCeSYQAvD_BwE#couplescounselling As far as choosing which modality, you can choose to do one, a mixture, or even come up with your own way of doing things. It can also change over time. When deciding which one/ones though, I’d suggest you do what you find most helpful and interesting and what makes you come alive personally.

Hi, thanks for your comments, great to hear it was helpful for you and I appreciate you saying. In terms of your question, I was 34 I think when I started training, so roughly the same age. I qualified when I was 39. I definitely don’t think it’s too old, in fact in my experience I think being a bit older is a good thing. I really wish you all the best with it if you do decide to retrain.

@@JohnPaulDaviesTTP thank You for good word:)

@@szynsz90 you’re welcome : )

Hi @john Paul! I have just read the above comment & couldn’t stop myself from writing here. I resonate fully with @szynsz90. I am 34 years old and I planning to transition from my corporate career to being a coach. My reservation are if it’s too late to get another degree and where to start!! Paul did you do a complete degree to become a therapist? If yes then how long was your program?Also in the transition period how did you manage your finances ? We are a family of 4 & both me & my husband support the finances so I can’t just quit job & it’s a great concern form me! Please share your experience 🙏🏼🌸

@@anikatasnim984 hi there, thanks for your comments, Paul will hopefully come back to you on your question. I often hear peoples’ concerns about funding any transition and really understand how important it is to think about it and plan it. My only comment would be that all of my training was part-time, so I would have been able to complete it and continue working at the same time (even though I didn’t actually do that myself). Some people also go part-time after they qualify and continue with some form of paid work while they’re developing their practice. They may even want to do that indefinitely to remain part of an organisation. If you listen to some of the conversations with therapists I’ve recorded for this channel, pretty much all of them talk about the ways they managed the transitions. Hope it’s helpful and I really wish you also the best with whatever you decide to do 😊

Thanks for the question. A degree in counselling or psychology as an undergraduate degree do you mean? As far as I know, you can’t do an undergraduate degree in counselling or psychotherapy in the UK, only psychology.