5 Reasons Why Specialist Relationship Counselling Training Will Help You

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in marriage or family counselling, specialised counselling training is required. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider increasing your scope of practice in 2020:

1. Relationship counselling involves a different dynamic to individual counselling

When undertaking relationship counselling, you’re not just working with two individuals. There is another client in the room: the relationship. In the case of family counselling, multiple relationships! Understanding this dynamic is integral, and requires specialised training in order to do so.

2. You will be better equipped to serve couples or families experiencing difficulty

Relationship counselling training will provide you with the skills and knowledge which will equip you to work with couples and families facing common presenting issues such as domestic violence, affairs/infidelities, mental health issues, past or current trauma and abuse, stepfamilies, addiction, sex/intimacy, pre-marriage counselling and more. Relationship counselling training will equip you to:

• Understand common relationship patterns that may present in counselling
• Understand how individual attachment styles affect and are triggered by others
• Understand family of origin and how this impacts relationships
• Understand systems and other common relationship and family counselling theories 
• Learn practical techniques to work with relationships (couples and families) 
• Understand common relationship issues and learning how to become comfortable talking about these, for example; sexuality, intimacy, affairs, mental health, addictions, separation and stepfamilies
• Understand issues of power and control within relationships
• Recognise when relationship counselling may not be beneficial
  
  

3. Your training will open up the door to greater opportunities

Specialist relationship training allows you to work in a variety of agencies and across a range of services. Here are four:

Agencies which work specifically with relationships and families.  

These agencies often require specialist training and practical experience in this area.  Agencies may work with strengthening couple and family relationships, assisting families through issues of separation or supporting relationships which include an individual with addictions or other impacting issues.  

Organisations where there is a high child/adolescent focus.  

Often it is required when working with children that counsellors have experience in relationship and family counselling. It is common that further counselling for those connected to the child may be beneficial. 

Domestic violence services. 

Whilst there are reasons for and against working with a couple experiencing domestic violence within the relationship, this subject area is covered and provides the foundational skills to recognise domestic violence and what counselling may be most appropriate.  Individual or group counselling is often provided within these services. 

Private practice  

Many private counsellors are well suited to providing relationship and family counselling and may be able to provide flexible hours to accommodate this service.   

4. You can gain more of your required professional development hours

Therapists must do at least 20 hours of professional development hours each year. Why not spend them enhancing your capacity to work with couples and families?

5. You can get that edge over other job applicants by choosing to specialise in Relationship Counselling at Morling

Morling College’s specialist subjects in relationship counselling are running early 2020. The subjects at Morling College are offered as part of the Masters of Counselling and can also be studied as professional development for counsellors pursuing further training in this area. You can download an information pack here.