What is Psychotherapy?
Are you passionate about helping others with their problems? Do you have an empathetic demeanour that people easily warm up to? If you answered yes to both questions, your chances of becoming a successful psychotherapist are big.
Psychotherapy is a treatment approach for entrenched psychological and emotional issues. It helps a patient address unconscious feelings that resulted from difficult experiences they've had in the past, but aren't fully aware of.
Why Study Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy entails the use of a broad range of modalities to address the root of a patient's psychological issue. Studying psychotherapy will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to be able to integrate this modality into your natural health business, and gain you membership in Australia's peak organisations for psychotherapists such as Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA).
What Does it Take to Study Psychotherapy and or Become a Psychotherapist?
Besides having empathy and a strong inclination to help others resolve their deep-seated emotional pain, you must be willing to undergo extensive education and training in the field of psychotherapy. This includes completion of the three-year Bachelor of Counselling & Psychotherapy. If you currently hold an undergraduate health science qualification, say in counselling or psychology, you may enrol in the Master of Psychotherapy & Counselling.
What are the Differences between Studying Psychotherapy Offline and Online?
The difference between studying psychotherapy on-campus and on a distance learning platform lies mainly in the way a student interacts with their teachers and classmates, rather than the absence of interaction in an online course. The latter allows students and instructors to interact face-to-face, albeit virtually.
The physical presence of your instructors and group mates are immaterial when you can communicate with them with just one click on your keyboard. Besides that, studying online allows you the flexibility to work on your homework and projects at your convenience, which you couldn't possibly do if you're in a classroom setting.
How Do I Choose a School or Psychotherapy Course
When choosing where to study psychotherapy, consider creating a list of potential schools whose offerings are aligned with your goals. For instance, if you're looking to enrol in a program which won't interfere with your day job, consider narrowing down your choices to institutes that provide online psychotherapy courses. On the other hand, if you want to benefit from the government's VET Student Loans, look for a school that offers courses that are approved by this government grant. You can start by checking out the listed courses above.
Taking these things into consideration will ensure you of an enjoyable and fulfilling journey to becoming a psychotherapist.
