Counselling can be an extremely rewarding career for those who have a passion for helping others process and work through their issues. Unfortunately, it can also be equally challenging. Counsellors face some unique challenges in their careers that can be discouraging if they’re not prepared for them. So, if you are a counsellor or you’re planning to become one, here are some of the common challenges counsellors face.
- Finding a balance between work and life
Often, one of the most challenging things mental health professionals face is trying to work out a balance between their work and social life. Some counsellors have managed to set good boundaries between their work schedule and social life, while others find it difficult.
Counsellors struggle with everything from long hours to emotionally draining situations and clients who often develop a reliance on them. Setting boundaries doesn’t have to be too difficult when you understand that you must take time off from work to ensure you’re rested and in the right frame of mind for your clients. Some methods that counsellors usually use to separate their work and social life include setting clear boundaries with clients, like contact times and work hours, prioritising their own self-care and engaging in hobbies.
- Resistance from clients
As a counsellor, you will have some clients who simply don’t want to engage with you in the session. This is a common challenge for counsellors. Usually, this is because the client may not actually want to be there, for example, if the counselling session was requested via a court order. Client resistance shows through an unwillingness to participate, unresponsiveness, surface-level answers, or complete defiance.
These clients generally take more of your time because you have to build rapport with them, showing empathy and understanding in an effort to build trust. Try using motivational interviewing techniques, working out why they are resistant, and being as patient as you can be.
- Dealing with people from diverse backgrounds
This challenge might affect some counsellors, whereas others would be fine with it. As a counsellor, you may be exposed to people with diverse backgrounds, some of which you may not fully understand or agree with. Your role as a counsellor is to be impartial. In no circumstances should your political, religious, or ethical opinions or views influence or impact the client you’re working with.
In addition to that, gaining an understanding of individuals’ cultural norms and values could help you build rapport with them and help you create a more effective treatment plan for them, too. If possible, always try learn more about the cultures and values of your clients.
- Vicarious Trauma
Counsellors are exposed to some extremely traumatic stories and experiences from their clients. Over time, this could result in the counsellor developing a condition known as vicarious trauma, when they start having intrusive thoughts or dreams that are related to their clients’ experiences.
Self-awareness and care are essential for counsellors who may be susceptible to developing this condition. This may surprise you, but this is actually why some counsellors seek counselling.
- Burnout
Burnout is a real issue in mental health professionals, like counsellors. Because the nature of the job requires counsellors to be so available to the clients, they expend a ton of energy emotionally and physically caring for clients with a range of different problems. Combine this with the long work hours, and many counsellors show signs of burnout.
Like most other strategies mentioned above, to avoid burnout, you need to prioritise yourself. Set aside time for hobbies, keep good boundaries between work and your social life, and focus on keeping healthy habits like eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising.
- Ethical or confidentiality issues
This is often a tough one for counsellors, as there may be a time when your clients show that they have the intention to hurt themselves or others. Because of this, you’re obligated to break client confidentiality. Many confidentiality cases are dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but if you’re wondering whether or not you need to break confidentiality, there are regulations around when this is permissible.
- A lack of resources
The last challenge for counsellors is often resources. Restricted or limited resources can hinder counsellors’ ability to provide their clients with the most effective care. Usually, limited resources come in the form of funding, access to materials, or even access to support staff. In some cases, this may be out of your control, but there are ways in which you can work with other professionals to share resources, or you could collaborate with them to provide a service that you may not be able to provide.
Where can you study further to be a counsellor?
One way in which counsellors can equip themselves to overcome challenges is to study methods and techniques that can help them process and overcome these challenges. If you’re thinking of doing a Master of Counselling online, here is a helpful page from Canberra University. You’ll find all the information you need to help with this course. Once you’ve completed this degree, you will feel equipped with the knowledge to prepare yourself for the typical challenges faced as a psychologist. So, what are you waiting for?
Final thoughts
As a counsellor, you may experience many of these challenges or none of them at all if you’re lucky. Regardless of whether you experience them or not, preparing yourself for them is equally important. Consider the issues above and consider how you can work through them if you ever face them.
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