PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLOR - Mental Health Academy

THE PROFESSIONAL COUNSELLOR03 2007STATE NEWSSydneyHi to all our Sydney and International students.I don’t know about you, but this year seems to beflying by. Let me ask you a question: when you reflectback over the year so far, have you made the progressin the course that you expected to make when youenrolled?The feedback I get from students tells me that thepart of the course they often find the hardest, is inreality the easiest part… it’s called the beginning. Itseems that where the difficulty lies is not actually inthe course itself, but rather the process of gettingstarted. Have you found that to be true? Discipliningyourself to sit down and find the time… oops, I meanmake the time… to start, is not always easy is it? Andyou don’t have to make time to study just once, butregularly and often.If you find that making time to study is your biggestproblem, then more often than not it’s because youare allowing everything else to be more important.Some things, of course, will be more important thanyour studies, but not everything will be. Your job is toprioritise your time, so that you can identify the thingsin your life that are more important than studying andthose things that are not.Take a look at the things that you have listed asbeing less important than doing your course. Manystudents list watching TV as being of less importance.Is that on your list? If so, take some of the time youcurrently use in watching TV for example, and reallocatethat time to study time. A couple of hours willdo to begin with. Once you begin to develop a studyhabit, you can increase the hours if you wish.Nothing good comes without some sacrifice, but inthe end that ‘something good’ will outweigh thesacrifice it has taken to achieve it. Good luck withyour studies… and from Jacqui, Mary, Sandra,Lorraine, Eve and myself, our best wishes on yoursuccess.Kind regards,Nev RandleManager – Sydney/InternationalRegional NSWHi All,And welcome to this edition of the ProfessionalCounsellor.Firstly, an update with staff in the Port Macquarieoffice: Crystal has decided to move on due to fallingpregnant and relocating to Coffs Harbour. She hadbeen with us for approximately three years and wewill miss her.In every adversity there is a seed of equal or greaterequivalent.My daughter Vanessa who is completing YearTwelve is replacing Crystal on a casual basis with theview to move into a full time position as she gainsexperience and I wish her every success as she settlesinto her new role.An Inspirational Note...I began with the Institute when it was only twoyears (15 years ago) old and have been very fortunateto grow with it. Our initial trading area was fromTamworth to Taree to Coffs Harbour and from therewe built our business to now encompass all ofRegional NSW, the A.C.T. and Gold Coast regions.I recall talking with students in the early days andone of the biggest problems facing people in countryareas was the lack of counselling services available inregional areas.I feel very proud to be part of an organisation thathas brought about a real change in our society andcongratulate all of our graduates who have set upcounselling practices to help overcome thesechallenges.So if you are contemplating a career in counselling;think about how you can impact the society for thebetter; assess your current situation; and act (chaseyour dreams)! The outcomes can be extremelyrewarding and character-building.See you next edition!Michael PollockManager – Regional NSWMelbourneHello again and welcome to the ProfessionalCounsellor’s ‘State News’ from Victoria!New Training StaffTwo new staff members, Nicky Boyle and KerenLudski, have recently been welcomed into the fold atthe Victorian branch. Nicky and Keren both joinSophia as a part of our team of trainers here inMelbourne.Nicky Boyle is our new seminar facilitator. Nickyhas over five years counselling experience and abackground in training, management and humanresources. Nicky will be there to facilitate yourseminars when Sophia is not available and I am sureyou will find that Nicky’s passion for both counsellingand training will enrich your understanding as youmove through the course content.Keren Ludski is our new In-Class Studies presenter.Keren’s five years of private practice counsellingexperience, her extensive training experience and herwarmth and professionalism are sure to make your21