he year the student will submit by way of an extended essay paper a piece of original research into counselling and its practice. (The copy-write of all papers will be that of the training organisation to publish as they think fit). They will continue to produce their three part reports for the tutor on each client they see. Supervision will be by peer group and small tutor discussion groups. If the research paper plus the on-going counselling reports are considered to be of a high standard then – Part B – or the licence will be granted. They are then considered a fully trained and licensed counsellor in multi-discipline eclective techniques.

Fifth Step:
Once licensed to level A and B they are eligible to work in any setting requiring a counsellor. This can be a private practice, hospital or perhaps school. Further training will only be required to specialise in certain areas if the counsellor wants to move away from general everyday client situations. These extra courses can be awarded as Diplomas in what ever area is seen to be required. They can also be short courses, perhaps at night school or via the internet.

So what about Time?
If the two year course can be effectively planned for and produce a minimum standard counsellors able to work in a range of supportive areas then we will have speeded up the process of training without any problems with quality. Length of training in the old fashioned way does not ensure quality only boredom and high cost in many cases. I believe organisations such as EAP companies, schools, local authorities and many others would welcome a fast-track system that would give the world something special – that is more counsellors to help a mentally challenged population all over the world have access to good quality trained therapist devoid of dogma and prejudice.

On a personal note I am currently working in China where there is little or no psychological support for the ordinary person in the street. China has an enormous suicide rate amongst the young. They need counsellors now not in four years or more. The need is here today. It is up to those professionals like myself to show the way and

Could less be better? In a world short of counsellors should we really be waiting four years to qualify as a therapist? Most disciplines whether psychoanalytical, Jungian, CBT, transactional analysis and many others insist on years of training to become a competent counsellor. I would like to challenge this and some basic assumptions about therapy itself.

Why the length of time? Well a flippant answer could simply be money. A lot of organisations and personal trainers make a living out of training counsellors. The length of time and the commitment needed by a student can provide a steady income for a long time from relatively few trainees. Most overview organisations insist on so many hours of training, client contact, supervision and conference attendance. If you can afford to pay out for all these things you can become a counsellor. No wonder many noted psychologist’s start their own theory based counselling and start a new trend. You can break away from the original system and start your own little cult of therapy. However the secret to making money is to have the training last as long as possible and have your own pet organisation set examinations by your so-called peers to say whether you have passed their tests (or spent enough money doing so).

The current trend is about four years on average; some such as psychodynamic traditional therapy can be many years of training. It is true you can earn money yourself while training by seeing clients and practising your art. This in turn leads to the lucrative practice of supervision which is the most insidious practice of money laundering. (See separate paper on Supervision). It is considered then appropriate to spend this huge length of time learning your trade. When organisations are challenged about this they simply defend the practice by saying we are protecting the public from bad counselling. This in itself is a joke – the worst counsellors I have met had years of training – being a good counsellor or therapist is about personality not training.

What makes a good counsellor (therapist)? This question is of course multifaceted, but let’s for the sake of argument keep it simple, as simple is always best. First you need to have a stable personality yourself. This does not mean you are a boring person who sits back and listens to endless clients tell you of their misfortunes. It means in your own life you should be good at coping with adversity. You should be able to demonstrate, not that your life is perfect, but that you can cope with the problems you encounter personally. Second you should be self aware, know your own strengths and weaknesses, do not be afraid to show yourself as vulnerable sometimes. After all a good counsellor is human too. It is advocated that new counsellors should have personal therapy for several hours each month plus examine the effect clients have on them personally. Look for cases of transference and counter-transference in relationships. (This is the common situation of falling in love with the client or visa-versa.) Also in personal therapy you are encouraged to explore your inner self and your own life. This can be very counter-productive to the new counsellors own well-being. So I will make this bold statement clearly so all who read this understand:

“Personal therapy when you do not need it can damage your mental life!”

I make that statement as I say boldly, against all the trends out there that feel you should have your own breakdown in order to rebuild you into a thinking, emotional, empathetic counsellor. I only have one comment on that proposal – rubbish. Counselling is like any other job you can do it without thinking so hard about your own life. It is ironic that in any other job we tell people to keep their personal demons at home where they belong. If on the other hand you have personal issues of such magnitude that you need to see a counsellor yourself then maybe you are not right for becoming a counsellor in the first place. I am not a believer that the best person to understand a junky is a reformed junky. That is the modern joke on our society that we employ the ex-unstable to help the present un-stable. I am not saying these people are not sincere in their effort to help those like themselves but most are really indulging in self-righteousness of the most insidious kind. The point I am really making here is time again. It is another time consuming exercise that for most is unnecessary to do the work. It takes a long time to build up personal therapy hours in order to show you are stable and ready to treat others. This in itself is contradictory in that just because someone has resolved their own issues somehow they are able to then have some insight into other people’s lives. It is like the unmarried Catholic priest advising on marriage when they do not marry themselves, you do not need to talk from personal experience to understand another’s point of view. Many Catholic priests do a very good job of counselling the faithful. I personally may not agree with the doctrine but if you have faith in God then that is the route to your salvation in mental health. I have no problem with that approach. However in the modern God-less world the therapist is often cast into the new priest of the high alter of therapy and theory.

Time: I started this paper with the preposition that counsellor training is taking too long. I cannot just criticise the present if I am not prepared to risk a solution. So I propose the flowing ideology of training for future counselling based on practical skills and theory also the clear idea of an eclectic approach for all and the dismissal of all single approach therapies.

First Step: A simple self-evaluation of what counselling actually is and is not. Counselling is a relationship between two or more people communicating difficult life problems and learning to come to terms with and cope with those issues. It is not about a cure and never was! If you can see yourself as capable and intelligent enough to listen and actively engage other people then you may have the right starting point.

Second Step: A degree in a related area would be a good foundation for learning counselling, this could be nursing, human biology, medicine (although not always the best training ground for empathy) and of course psychology. I am not advocating that people who do not possess a degree would not make good counsellors just that a degree of proven intelligence for learning can be a good grounding for further study.

Third Step; Tuition itself, I suggest in a two part system over a two year period. The first year should cover the skills of basic counselling and an all round appreciation of all types of counselling theory and not just one technique. This should also cover mental health issues and a history of psychiatry (this is to make aware new counsellors of the barbaric medical profession and its practises). By the end of the year the student should be able to discuss an elective approach and how to apply it practically. During this period they should build up a small client base of paying or voluntary patients. They would be required after each session with a patient to fill in a three part report for the course tutor. The first part should be a short report of what happened in the session, the second, should be the active approach the therapist used in this session. Finally the therapist should report their own feelings and learning outcomes. At the end of every ten sessions a three part report on the same lines should be produced for filing in the counsellors training record. Supervision will be arranged by peer group only and should be free except where held in the trainer’s offices. The leading tutor may sit in on the early sessions to give guidance but then leave the group to itself. More learning goes on within a peer group than in any one to one supervision session. (See separate paper for criticism of supervision). At the end of the first year the student can take a formal examination – multiple choice on theory – and case studies for insight measurements. With their on going reports all three aspects will enable them to have their initial licence (Part A) to treat clients as a business in their own right within strict parameters.

Fourth Step: Year two tuition should be all that is required. In the second year a more intense and in-depth look at mental health and a multiple of case studies and practice. Open discussion techniques and planned exercises in research methods and statistical analysis. (Psychology graduates may be excluded from this as they will be more advanced than most students). At the end of the year the student will submit by way of an extended essay paper a piece of original research into counselling and its practice. (The copy-write of all papers will be that of the training organisation to publish as they think fit). They will continue to produce their three part reports for the tutor on each client they see. Supervision will be by peer group and small tutor discussion groups. If the research paper plus the on-going counselling reports are considered to be of a high standard then – Part B – or the licence will be granted. They are then considered a fully trained and licensed counsellor in multi-discipline eclective techniques.

Fifth Step:
Once licensed to level A and B they are eligible to work in any setting requiring a counsellor. This can be a private practice, hospital or perhaps school. Further training will only be required to specialise in certain areas if the counsellor wants to move away from general everyday client situations. These extra courses can be awarded as Diplomas in what ever area is seen to be required. They can also be short courses, perhaps at night school or via the internet.

So what about Time?
If the two year course can be effectively planned for and produce a minimum standard counsellors able to work in a range of supportive areas then we will have speeded up the process of training without any problems with quality. Length of training in the old fashioned way does not ensure quality only boredom and high cost in many cases. I believe organisations such as EAP companies, schools, local authorities and many others would welcome a fast-track system that would give the world something special – that is more counsellors to help a mentally challenged population all over the world have access to good quality trained therapist devoid of dogma and prejudice.

On a personal note I am currently working in China where there is little or no psychological support for the ordinary person in the street. China has an enormous suicide rate amongst the young. They need counsellors now not in four years or more. The need is here today. It is up to those professionals like myself to show the way and

e, as simple is always best. First you need to have a stable personality yourself. This does not mean you are a boring person who sits back and listens to endless clients tell you of their misfortunes. It means in your own life you should be good at coping with adversity. You should be able to demonstrate, not that your life is perfect, but that you can cope with the problems you encounter personally. Second you should be self aware, know your own strengths and weaknesses, do not be afraid to show yourself as vulnerable sometimes. After all a good counsellor is human too. It is advocated that new counsellors should have personal therapy for several hours each month plus examine the effect clients have on them personally. Look for cases of transference and counter-transference in relationships. (This is the common situation of falling in love with the client or visa-versa.) Also in personal therapy you are encouraged to explore your inner self and your own life. This can be very counter-productive to the new counsellors own well-being. So I will make this bold statement clearly so all who read this understand:

“Personal therapy when you do not need it can damage your mental life!”

I make that statement as I say boldly, against all the trends out there that feel you should have your own breakdown in order to rebuild you into a thinking, emotional, empathetic counsellor. I only have one comment on that proposal – rubbish. Counselling is like any other job you can do it without thinking so hard about your own life. It is ironic that in any other job we tell people to keep their personal demons at home where they belong. If on the other hand you have personal issues of such magnitude that you need to see a counsellor yourself then maybe you are not right for becoming a counsellor in the first place. I am not a believer that the best person to understand a junky is a reformed junky. That is the modern joke on our society that we employ the ex-unstable to help the present un-stable. I am not saying these people are not sincere in their effort to help those like themselves but most are really indulging in self-righteousness of the most insidious kind. The point I am really making here is time again. It is another time consuming exercise that for most is unnecessary to do the work. It takes a long time to build up personal therapy hours in order to show you are stable and ready to treat others. This in itself is contradictory in that just because someone has resolved their own issues somehow they are able to then have some insight into other people’s lives. It is like the unmarried Catholic priest advising on marriage when they do not marry themselves, you do not need to talk from personal experience to understand another’s point of view. Many Catholic priests do a very good job of counselling the faithful. I personally may not agree with the doctrine but if you have faith in God then that is the route to your salvation in mental health. I have no problem with that approach. However in the modern God-less world the therapist is often cast into the new priest of the high alter of therapy and theory.

Time: I started this paper with the preposition that counsellor training is taking too long. I cannot just criticise the present if I am not prepared to risk a solution. So I propose the flowing ideology of training for future counselling based on practical skills and theory also the clear idea of an eclectic approach for all and the dismissal of all single approach therapies.

First Step: A simple self-evaluation of what counselling actually is and is not. Counselling is a relationship between two or more people communicating difficult life problems and learning to come to terms with and cope with those issues. It is not about a cure and never was! If you can see yourself as capable and intelligent enough to listen and actively engage other people then you may have the right starting point.

Second Step: A degree in a related area would be a good foundation for learning counselling, this could be nursing, human biology, medicine (although not always the best training ground for empathy) and of course psychology. I am not advocating that people who do not possess a degree would not make good counsellors just that a degree of proven intelligence for learning can be a good grounding for further study.

Third Step; Tuition itself, I suggest in a two part system over a two year period. The first year should cover the skills of basic counselling and an all round appreciation of all types of counselling theory and not just one technique. This should also cover mental health issues and a history of psychiatry (this is to make aware new counsellors of the barbaric medical profession and its practises). By the end of the year the student should be able to discuss an elective approach and how to apply it practically. During this period they should build up a small client base of paying or voluntary patients. They would be required after each session with a patient to fill in a three part report for the course tutor. The first part should be a short report of what happened in the session, the second, should be the active approach the therapist used in this session. Finally the therapist should report their own feelings and learning outcomes. At the end of every ten sessions a three part report on the same lines should be produced for filing in the counsellors training record. Supervision will be arranged by peer group only and should be free except where held in the trainer’s offices. The leading tutor may sit in on the early sessions to give guidance but then leave the group to itself. More learning goes on within a peer group than in any one to one supervision session. (See separate paper for criticism of supervision). At the end of the first year the student can take a formal examination – multiple choice on theory – and case studies for insight measurements. With their on going reports all three aspects will enable them to have their initial licence (Part A) to treat clients as a business in their own right within strict parameters.

Fourth Step: Year two tuition should be all that is required. In the second year a more intense and in-depth look at mental health and a multiple of case studies and practice. Open discussion techniques and planned exercises in research methods and statistical analysis. (Psychology graduates may be excluded from this as they will be more advanced than most students). At the end of the year the student will submit by way of an extended essay paper a piece of original research into counselling and its practice. (The copy-write of all papers will be that of the training organisation to publish as they think fit). They will continue to produce their three part reports for the tutor on each client they see. Supervision will be by peer group and small tutor discussion groups. If the research paper plus the on-going counselling reports are considered to be of a high standard then – Part B – or the licence will be granted. They are then considered a fully trained and licensed counsellor in multi-discipline eclective techniques.

Fifth Step:
Once licensed to level A and B they are eligible to work in any setting requiring a counsellor. This can be a private practice, hospital or perhaps school. Further training will only be required to specialise in certain areas if the counsellor wants to move away from general everyday client situations. These extra courses can be awarded as Diplomas in what ever area is seen to be required. They can also be short courses, perhaps at night school or via the internet.

So what about Time?
If the two year course can be effectively planned for and produce a minimum standard counsellors able to work in a range of supportive areas then we will have speeded up the process of training without any problems with quality. Length of training in the old fashioned way does not ensure quality only boredom and high cost in many cases. I believe organisations such as EAP companies, schools, local authorities and many others would welcome a fast-track system that would give the world something special – that is more counsellors to help a mentally challenged population all over the world have access to good quality trained therapist devoid of dogma and prejudice.

On a personal note I am currently working in China where there is little or no psychological support for the ordinary person in the street. China has an enormous suicide rate amongst the young. They need counsellors now not in four years or more. The need is here today. It is up to those professionals like myself to show the way and

s kind. The point I am really making here is time again. It is another time consuming exercise that for most is unnecessary to do the work. It takes a long time to build up personal therapy hours in order to show you are stable and ready to treat others. This in itself is contradictory in that just because someone has resolved their own issues somehow they are able to then have some insight into other people’s lives. It is like the unmarried Catholic priest advising on marriage when they do not marry themselves, you do not need to talk from personal experience to understand another’s point of view. Many Catholic priests do a very good job of counselling the faithful. I personally may not agree with the doctrine but if you have faith in God then that is the route to your salvation in mental health. I have no problem with that approach. However in the modern God-less world the therapist is often cast into the new priest of the high alter of therapy and theory.

Time: I started this paper with the preposition that counsellor training is taking too long. I cannot just criticise the present if I am not prepared to risk a solution. So I propose the flowing ideology of training for future counselling based on practical skills and theory also the clear idea of an eclectic approach for all and the dismissal of all single approach therapies.

First Step: A simple self-evaluation of what counselling actually is and is not. Counselling is a relationship between two or more people communicating difficult life problems and learning to come to terms with and cope with those issues. It is not about a cure and never was! If you can see yourself as capable and intelligent enough to listen and actively engage other people then you may have the right starting point.

Second Step: A degree in a related area would be a good foundation for learning counselling, this could be nursing, human biology, medicine (although not always the best training ground for empathy) and of course psychology. I am not advocating that people who do not possess a degree would not make good counsellors just that a degree of proven intelligence for learning can be a good grounding for further study.

Third Step; Tuition itself, I suggest in a two part system over a two year period. The first year should cover the skills of basic counselling and an all round appreciation of all types of counselling theory and not just one technique. This should also cover mental health issues and a history of psychiatry (this is to make aware new counsellors of the barbaric medical profession and its practises). By the end of the year the student should be able to discuss an elective approach and how to apply it practically. During this period they should build up a small client base of paying or voluntary patients. They would be required after each session with a patient to fill in a three part report for the course tutor. The first part should be a short report of what happened in the session, the second, should be the active approach the therapist used in this session. Finally the therapist should report their own feelings and learning outcomes. At the end of every ten sessions a three part report on the same lines should be produced for filing in the counsellors training record. Supervision will be arranged by peer group only and should be free except where held in the trainer’s offices. The leading tutor may sit in on the early sessions to give guidance but then leave the group to itself. More learning goes on within a peer group than in any one to one supervision session. (See separate paper for criticism of supervision). At the end of the first year the student can take a formal examination – multiple choice on theory – and case studies for insight measurements. With their on going reports all three aspects will enable them to have their initial licence (Part A) to treat clients as a business in their own right within strict parameters.

Fourth Step: Year two tuition should be all that is required. In the second year a more intense and in-depth look at mental health and a multiple of case studies and practice. Open discussion techniques and planned exercises in research methods and statistical analysis. (Psychology graduates may be excluded from this as they will be more advanced than most students). At the end of the year the student will submit by way of an extended essay paper a piece of original research into counselling and its practice. (The copy-write of all papers will be that of the training organisation to publish as they think fit). They will continue to produce their three part reports for the tutor on each client they see. Supervision will be by peer group and small tutor discussion groups. If the research paper plus the on-going counselling reports are considered to be of a high standard then – Part B – or the licence will be granted. They are then considered a fully trained and licensed counsellor in multi-discipline eclective techniques.

Fifth Step:
Once licensed to level A and B they are eligible to work in any setting requiring a counsellor. This can be a private practice, hospital or perhaps school. Further training will only be required to specialise in certain areas if the counsellor wants to move away from general everyday client situations. These extra courses can be awarded as Diplomas in what ever area is seen to be required. They can also be short courses, perhaps at night school or via the internet.

So what about Time?
If the two year course can be effectively planned for and produce a minimum standard counsellors able to work in a range of supportive areas then we will have speeded up the process of training without any problems with quality. Length of training in the old fashioned way does not ensure quality only boredom and high cost in many cases. I believe organisations such as EAP companies, schools, local authorities and many others would welcome a fast-track system that would give the world something special – that is more counsellors to help a mentally challenged population all over the world have access to good quality trained therapist devoid of dogma and prejudice.

On a personal note I am currently working in China where there is little or no psychological support for the ordinary person in the street. China has an enormous suicide rate amongst the young. They need counsellors now not in four years or more. The need is here today. It is up to those professionals like myself to show the way and

unding for further study.

Third Step; Tuition itself, I suggest in a two part system over a two year period. The first year should cover the skills of basic counselling and an all round appreciation of all types of counselling theory and not just one technique. This should also cover mental health issues and a history of psychiatry (this is to make aware new counsellors of the barbaric medical profession and its practises). By the end of the year the student should be able to discuss an elective approach and how to apply it practically. During this period they should build up a small client base of paying or voluntary patients. They would be required after each session with a patient to fill in a three part report for the course tutor. The first part should be a short report of what happened in the session, the second, should be the active approach the therapist used in this session. Finally the therapist should report their own feelings and learning outcomes. At the end of every ten sessions a three part report on the same lines should be produced for filing in the counsellors training record. Supervision will be arranged by peer group only and should be free except where held in the trainer’s offices. The leading tutor may sit in on the early sessions to give guidance but then leave the group to itself. More learning goes on within a peer group than in any one to one supervision session. (See separate paper for criticism of supervision). At the end of the first year the student can take a formal examination – multiple choice on theory – and case studies for insight measurements. With their on going reports all three aspects will enable them to have their initial licence (Part A) to treat clients as a business in their own right within strict parameters.

Fourth Step: Year two tuition should be all that is required. In the second year a more intense and in-depth look at mental health and a multiple of case studies and practice. Open discussion techniques and planned exercises in research methods and statistical analysis. (Psychology graduates may be excluded from this as they will be more advanced than most students). At the end of the year the student will submit by way of an extended essay paper a piece of original research into counselling and its practice. (The copy-write of all papers will be that of the training organisation to publish as they think fit). They will continue to produce their three part reports for the tutor on each client they see. Supervision will be by peer group and small tutor discussion groups. If the research paper plus the on-going counselling reports are considered to be of a high standard then – Part B – or the licence will be granted. They are then considered a fully trained and licensed counsellor in multi-discipline eclective techniques.

Fifth Step:
Once licensed to level A and B they are eligible to work in any setting requiring a counsellor. This can be a private practice, hospital or perhaps school. Further training will only be required to specialise in certain areas if the counsellor wants to move away from general everyday client situations. These extra courses can be awarded as Diplomas in what ever area is seen to be required. They can also be short courses, perhaps at night school or via the internet.

So what about Time?
If the two year course can be effectively planned for and produce a minimum standard counsellors able to work in a range of supportive areas then we will have speeded up the process of training without any problems with quality. Length of training in the old fashioned way does not ensure quality only boredom and high cost in many cases. I believe organisations such as EAP companies, schools, local authorities and many others would welcome a fast-track system that would give the world something special – that is more counsellors to help a mentally challenged population all over the world have access to good quality trained therapist devoid of dogma and prejudice.

On a personal note I am currently working in China where there is little or no psychological support for the ordinary person in the street. China has an enormous suicide rate amongst the young. They need counsellors now not in four years or more. The need is here today. It is up to those professionals like myself to show the way and

he year the student will submit by way of an extended essay paper a piece of original research into counselling and its practice. (The copy-write of all papers will be that of the training organisation to publish as they think fit). They will continue to produce their three part reports for the tutor on each client they see. Supervision will be by peer group and small tutor discussion groups. If the research paper plus the on-going counselling reports are considered to be of a high standard then – Part B – or the licence will be granted. They are then considered a fully trained and licensed counsellor in multi-discipline eclective techniques.

Fifth Step:
Once licensed to level A and B they are eligible to work in any setting requiring a counsellor. This can be a private practice, hospital or perhaps school. Further training will only be required to specialise in certain areas if the counsellor wants to move away from general everyday client situations. These extra courses can be awarded as Diplomas in what ever area is seen to be required. They can also be short courses, perhaps at night school or via the internet.

So what about Time?
If the two year course can be effectively planned for and produce a minimum standard counsellors able to work in a range of supportive areas then we will have speeded up the process of training without any problems with quality. Length of training in the old fashioned way does not ensure quality only boredom and high cost in many cases. I believe organisations such as EAP companies, schools, local authorities and many others would welcome a fast-track system that would give the world something special – that is more counsellors to help a mentally challenged population all over the world have access to good quality trained therapist devoid of dogma and prejudice.

On a personal note I am currently working in China where there is little or no psychological support for the ordinary person in the street. China has an enormous suicide rate amongst the young. They need counsellors now not in four years or more. The need is here today. It is up to those professionals like myself to show the way and push out the old guard. I believe most psychological societies and therapy organisations are little more than parasites that perpetuate their own existence. Peer groups is the way forward not organised dogma from ivory tower intellectuals who rarely if ever get their hands dirty in the real world. It is ironic that in counselling most of the rules and regulations are nothing more than a way to promote money.

I have many heroes in the world of psychology, some are dead, and some are living. I will not name names here. However even though I may admire them for their insight, their determination to push forward the bounds of counselling or psychological science they (just like me) are full of contradictions and personal hells and paradises. No-one is perfect and we will never find the perfect counsellor. The point I am making is that it often does not matter what is happening in the counsellors life as long as their training is of a high quality and very supportive if they need it.

Final Note: We need to produce more counsellors for society, we need to do it now, and we need to compress and re-evaluate the needs of new counsellors and forget the dogma of the past. This is a call to action by those organisations and training schools to come to terms with society’s needs and not their short-term monitory gains. If I had my way counselling would be trained over one year. However even I feel they need time to learn but not time to waste.

Professor Stephen F. Myler PhD Shanghai, P.R. China