Our students

The group works closely together throughout the duration of the course, with students getting to know each other as they learn to talk candidly in the group setting.

Isabel Ackerley

For Isabel, counselling is all about working with people whose voices are not normally heard.

She did her placement with All About Addiction, working with clients with different addictions, has worked in a prison and would like to move into advocacy work for young people.

She said: “I have realised how much I like working with clients who are a bit socially excluded.

“Doing this course changes the way in which you interact with people and the way you listen to people.”

Mary Hutchings

Her personal experiences fuelled Mary’s desire to find out more about counselling and how she could help other people going through the same experiences that she had.

She said: “For me this has been a real personal journey. I am a parent of a very needy child and spent a lot of years not knowing how to get help or where to go.

"The need to know how to look got me into this course. There are a lot of people out there who are carers who don’t know where to go or how to get help.

“I have learned how to help and been able to sit with people long enough to get them through the muddle. It is something that is really needed.”

Despite originally taking the course for personal not professional reasons, Mary is considering a career in counselling and has been offered the chance to work on the psychological team at the Leamington Rehabilitation Hospital.

Anne Christie

Anne undertook her counselling studies over a number of years at university, but decided to study for her diploma at Warwickshire College.

She said: “I’d heard really good things about this course and when I came here I realised that this is where I wanted to do the professional qualification, and I haven’t regretted that for a minute.

“There are small groups and it has been a really good experience for me. It’s the end of quite a long journey.”

Anne did her placement at Cruse, helping people deal with bereavement, as well as working with adults with learning difficulties.

Catherine Hughes

A qualified mental health support worker, Catherine did her placement with the charity Safeline, which works with survivors of sexual abuse.

At first, Catherine found it difficult talking to the whole group, but she found it easier over time.

She said: “For me it was a big risk to talk openly and honestly in the group, but I appreciated that to improve my personal development I had to take that risk. 

She added: “The skills that I have learn here are so amazing for my job. They are so transferable and useful when working with people with mental health problem, a group who aren’t listened to.”

Nilam Gill

Nilam was supported by her employer to do the counselling course and is now looking to set up a counselling service where she works.

She said: “I was working with parents of children with additional needs and I did enjoy the listening side – active listening. I thought it could develop into having a counselling side to the organisation.”

She added: “I have really enjoyed being in the group and having everyone’s trust.”

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