Why I went from Teacher to Counsellor

It was during my final teaching practicum that I looked around at the stress and anxiety of the year 11 and 12 students that I felt some sort of imbalance. Some of these students were having a hard time keeping up, others were doing well but the stress of keeping that up was affecting them. I wanted to stop and help those that needed the extra help and talk to those who were stressed more than I already was. However, the way the curriculum and school systems work, teachers barely have time to get through what they are required to get through. It was that early on I realized that while I loved to teach, I loved helping young people more and I wasn’t going to be able to achieve that as a classroom teacher.

Another bachelor’s degree – this time in psychology – and a post graduate diploma in counselling later (also some helpful life and career experiences) and I found myself exactly where I wanted to be. In a position to effectively guide teenagers and young adults through the stressors and changes of this tumultuous time in their lives. My teaching background allows me greater insight into their challenges and their joys. The year 11 and 12 system is still the same one I taught in. This allows for deeper understanding without time spent on explanations.

With a psychodynamic basis to my counselling, I apply a multimodal approach in order to cater counselling to the specific client and their needs. When it comes to adolescents and young adults this is greater enhanced by my understanding of learning theories and such concepts as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

The one constant present in both my teaching and counselling experiences has been clear. Sometimes all a young person needs are to feel listened to and seen by someone outside their immediate circle.

I offer face to face sessions in Mullaloo as well as online sessions in order to further cater the experience to the needs of the individual.