Counselling postgraduate personal statement example

Personal statement example

Most calls to the housing repairs line where I work begin with a leak, a broken boiler or a door that will not lock. A few weeks ago, a woman rang about a dripping kitchen tap. After I had booked the plumber, she stayed on the line and told me it was the first winter since her husband died, and that he had always fixed things. I did not have long, but I listened, reflected back what she had said, and checked whether she knew about the bereavement support listed by the council. She said it helped simply to say it aloud. Calls like that are why I want to train as a counsellor. I want to be able to offer people more than five minutes, with proper skill and supervision behind it.

I studied psychology at undergraduate level and enjoyed the research methods and developmental modules most. For my dissertation I interviewed eight young adults who care for a parent or sibling, asking how they described time away from caring. I used thematic analysis and found that several participants spoke about guilt alongside relief, and that 'a break' often meant a few hours at work rather than rest. The interviews taught me practical things: how to phrase an open question without leading, how to tolerate silence, and when to pause a recording because someone was upset. They also showed me the limits of a research role. I could ask and listen, but I was not there to help someone work through what they told me, and I sometimes found that frustrating.

After graduating I completed a part-time evening course in counselling skills. We practised in triads as speaker, listener and observer, and studied Carl Rogers' core conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard. I found congruence the hardest to understand at first. In my job I am used to sounding calm and helpful whatever I feel, and in role-plays my tutor pointed out that I sometimes smoothed over moments rather than staying with them. Recording myself and reviewing it with a partner helped me notice when I was rushing towards reassurance. I would like to develop this much further, and to learn about other approaches, including cognitive behavioural and psychodynamic ideas, so that I can think critically about which ways of working suit which clients.

Three years on the repairs line have given me experience I value. I handle around sixty calls a day, some from people who are angry, frightened or confused about their rights. I have learnt to keep accurate notes, follow safeguarding procedures when a caller mentions risk, and pass concerns to the right team rather than trying to solve everything myself. Last year I was asked to help train two new starters, mainly by letting them listen to my calls and talking through them afterwards. That made me more aware of my own habits and of how much good practice depends on reflection.

Outside work I share an allotment with a retired neighbour. We grow potatoes, beans and far too many courgettes, and she has taught me patience in a very literal sense. It is also where I switch off. I know that counselling training asks a great deal emotionally, and I take seriously the need for personal therapy, supervision and looking after my own wellbeing.

I am ready for postgraduate study because I now understand both the academic side of psychology and the everyday reality of listening to people under pressure. I hope to build the theoretical knowledge, supervised practice and self-awareness needed to become a safe, ethical counsellor, and I would particularly like to work with carers and with people facing loss.