Richard’s story

I studied with York Learning for 4 years, from level 2, through to my Level 4 diploma. I was seeking a career change and instinctively felt that counselling might be right for me. My experience with York Learning was extremely positive and complimented my learning style in its experiential nature. It wasn’t just about learning new skills – the course also stretched me to develop my self-awareness, which was invaluable for the role despite being challenging at times.
I had fantastic tutors; they held me to account and challenged me, but always from a place of care. The knowledge I gained was always applied to myself or others and I’d liken the experience to being given the right ingredients, but with autonomy to use them in a way that felt authentic. The training modelled the personable skills associated with counselling in how students and tutors related to each other. It did not stray to become detached or overly theorised. When combined, these were major factors in me staying with York Learning for the entirety of my training.

Towards the end, my experience of placement was that York Learning was viewed favourably by counselling agencies. Their students were deemed to be competent and this was testament to the value of the content at Level 4.

I have since been fortunate to find employment as a full-time counsellor within a secondary school and sixth form. Whilst the challenges are many, I feel that York Learning readied me for such an experience rather than contain me in a bubble of safety in predictability. Needless to say, I notice that my tutors stay with me in my practice and remain a source of reassurance despite not being there in person.

Martin’s story

I strongly feel with York Learning that you get what you put in. The tutors are second to none, they are engaging and supportive but will push and challenge. For someone who didn’t enjoy university and generally didn’t like groups, I was amazed at how well the courses were organised, how personal it was and how well the tutors facilitated the group training environment. It was a new experience to look forward to coming to sessions every week, to feel like they truly cared about your journey rather than being just a number.

I became comfortable with being vulnerable. I learnt it was OK to take risks and truly be me because the setting was safe and secure and the people were trustworthy and supportive. Some of the personal development work was, while initially uncomfortable, ultimately transformative to me and something I will take with me going forward.

The tutors have hearts of gold, they want you to succeed but at the same time, it can be difficult to hide and you will be challenged. They will model a level of authenticity that feels more at a colleague level than simply tutor-student. It is because of this authenticity that you can really be enabled to progress. You know what you are being told and the feedback you are getting is genuine and individual and this allows you to move forward.

While still on the course, I left my job to become a stay at home dad while I finished my studies. In the past, this decision would have been met with procrastination and fear, but I found my mindset was different. I genuinely believe that if you let it, Level 4 in particular changes you and enables you, however uncomfortable it may be, to make transformative changes.

Of course, this isn’t an overnight process. For me, it all started with Level 2 where I had no idea if this was a feasible long term career but something I wanted to at least try. I had tried to find a suitable provider for a while after my previous one had cancelled our course and after waiting a year I joined York Learning. From my first interaction with York Learning, I felt that I was dealing with a knowledgeable and competent team. My tutor at Level two was patient and knowledgeable and week by week, I felt my knowledge and skills growing. Even at Level three, conducted online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, everything ran smoothly which was very re-assuring with new technology I had never used before.

I knew that Level 4 would be more of a time commitment and I remember looking at courses closer to home. However they never felt right, York Learning had earned my trust and loyalty and had showed me a consistently high standard of teaching and organisation over the previous two years and I decided to continue with them even if it meant travelling further. This was genuinely one of the best decisions I ever made.

I cannot express how much change I have undergone in the last couple of years, both personally and professionally. My daughter was born mid-way through the first year of level 4, I was open and honest about my worries and the potential impact of this in advance and my tutors worked alongside me to support me. This is just one example of the human aspect of this course that perhaps is sometimes overlooked. Life happens and you need good people around you to ask for help.

In addition to the human aspect, there has to be a core base of knowledge. Within this, the teaching is varied and of a high quality, allowing you to develop a base which you are then able to apply within skills training.  In skills training, you obtain feedback from tutors and peers, and are in a much better place for going into placement with a real solid base beneath you.

I genuinely at times don’t recognise myself anymore, but in a good way. These courses haven’t just enabled me to gain some skills here and there, they have enabled a natural way of being that was perhaps hidden away. I have become more comfortable in moving away from external validation to following my own internal feelings. It has helped me understand myself and my processes and it has given me a sense of assuredness and confidence that is difficult to replicate. As I embark on a career in counselling, standing on my own two feet, I can only reflect that York Learning has helped me to develop a unique mix of knowledge, skills and self that in 40 years, I haven’t found in that combination anywhere else.