Lucy Payton 
Are you considering studying further as a counsellor and doing your master’s? Maybe you have another related degree, and you want to make a career change. Either way, before you tackle a Master’s of Counselling, we recommend considering whether counselling is the career for you and whether studying for a Master’s degree is in your best interest.
Why Study a Masters of Counselling?
We would argue that one of the main reasons you should study for a Master’s in counselling is because it will equip you with additional skills, knowledge, and techniques to help people. At the centre of a counsellor’s motives to pursue counselling is usually to help people. Studying further simply makes you a more capable and efficient counsellor. 
In addition to that reasoning, furthering your professional education always comes with benefits like making your resume look more appealing if you’re looking for a job, opening the door to advancing your career or allowing you to specialise in a certain aspect of counselling. With these benefits, the potential to earn a larger salary also usually comes too.
Should you study for a Master’s in Counselling?
While we believe that studying counselling is a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to help people, we like to caution individuals and urge them to consider whether it is the career they would like to pursue. Here are some questions that we ask:
Are you secure in your own emotional state?
As a counsellor, you’re going to be exposed to people who have had the worst experiences. Many counsellors burn out because they simply cannot handle the emotional toll dealing with some of these issues brings. With that in mind, consider where your emotional maturity is. Are you emotionally secure? Would you be able to sit with others and help them navigate their emotions and traumatic experiences on a regular basis while still maintaining their emotional state? If so, then pursuing a Master’s in Counselling might be a good idea.
Do you qualify to study further?
Secondly, you need to make sure that you qualify for a master’s in counselling first. There are multiple ways that you can study a master of counselling; for example, you could study a master of counselling in Melbourne in person or online. Be sure to check the requirements that need to be approved for the course first, though. As a postgraduate course, a Master of Counselling would require you to have a relevant undergraduate degree and the necessary results to be approved.
Can you afford to study further?
Tertiary education isn’t cheap. That’s why we always ask whether a person can afford to study further before they take a loan and dive in. There’s nothing wrong with taking a student loan or getting financial assistance to study further, we simply encourage students to think through their options thoroughly before deciding.
Consider the cost of studying a Masters of Counselling and whether you have enough to fund the course yourself or if you need financial support.
Do you have the time for it?
Another consideration you would need to make, particularly if you’re planning on working and studying, is whether you have the time to commit to doing your Master of Counselling. In general, a Masters degree requires a lot of time and effort, with much of your time put into researching theories, principles, and practices related to your degree. 
If you’re working a full-time job, studying may be challenging. Having weekends off to study and working in the evenings can help. Ideally, you should be able to devote between 5 to 10 hours a week to studying if possible.
What are your reasons for studying further?
Finally, what are your reasons for wanting to study further? Whether you would like to further your career as a counsellor, specialise in a particular aspect of counselling, earn a better salary, or simply do a better job as a counsellor, clearly defining your reasons for studying further can help you stay motivated as you work towards your goals as a counsellor.
Final Thoughts
Counsellors need to have a thick skin and a huge amount of emotional maturity to help navigate the feelings of others and the emotional toll of helping others through their issues. So, if you’re planning on studying for a Master of Counselling, make sure that you’re not only ready for the pressure of studying again but also for the emotional side of the job.
