What are the main disadvantages of training as a psychosocial counselor?

After training as a psychosocial counselor, you will be able to help mentally healthy people who find themselves in a stressful life situation or crisis and work with them to solve a specific problem or conflict. As a specialist, you will support people through goal-oriented and advisory discussions.

The main disadvantages of training as a psychosocial counselor are

1. The degree awarded after training as a psychosocial counselor is not federal. The SGfB certificate is the industry label of the Swiss Association for Counseling, which guarantees appropriate theory, self-awareness and supervision as well as a protected professional title. It is a recognized intermediate qualification on the way to the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for counsellors in the psychosocial field with a federal diploma. When choosing a course, it is important to ensure that it supports the desired professional direction, e.g. individual psychology, humanistic psychology, person-centered psychology, integrative counselling, transactional analysis or existential analytical counselling.
2. At certificate level, the course content and admission requirements are generally not regulated and can be determined autonomously by the schools. However, in the case of association diplomas such as SGfB or ASCA, there are regulations and, as a rule, corresponding recognition in the industry. In some cases, psychological counselling can be registered as a method with the Swiss Foundation for Complementary Medicine and is therefore recognized by the supplementary insurance schemes of some health insurance companies.
3. Working as a consultant is often associated with a high workload, heavy physical demands and a high volume of work. You need a certain emotional maturity to be able to act as a constant motivator and source of ideas for your clients. You need a lot of flexibility, patience, empathy and a lot of responsibility.
4. The costs for the psychosocial counselor training of CHF 13,500 to CHF 17,500 must generally be borne by the participants themselves. Only those who take a federal examination can benefit from federal contributions to the training costs. However, the costs then tend to exceed CHF 20,000.
5. Even after the psychosocial counselor training, the learning doesn't stop: If you want to work as an experienced, qualified counselor in a psychosocial context, you should ideally complete the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) for counselors in the psychosocial field with a federal diploma.

As a psychological counselor, you can become self-employed and advise individuals, groups and companies. Interesting employment opportunities are available in social, socio-educational and medical institutions, for example.

Training providers of psychosocial counselor training