ONCE UPON A DREAM; Making Plans - Post-Graduate

Today was a writing day.  It was a day when I got a lot done and ticked a couple of important things off my to-do list.  I have quite a few writing tasks on the go at present; some are for editors, others are for my future plans of studying.  So it has been nice to get a few things done and other things prepped, so I can continue with them tomorrow.

I am making plans for my next study course!  Now that the diploma is over and I am qualified, I have been thinking of my next move.  I'm planning to take the next academic year off - partly because my diploma certificate won't arrive in time to apply for anything this year and also because I don't have my graduation ceremony until November.  I don't want to have started another course before I have formally graduated from this one - it upsets my methodical frame of mind.  So I am going to wait a year to recharge my batteries and tie up the loose ends of my diploma with the formal graduation ceremony first.

This plan also means that I have longer to prepare my application portfolio for university.  There is quite a bit of work to do for that.  It isn't just a case of completing an application form, though that is part of it; you also have to provide evidence of your abilities and previous work, to prove that you are capable of studying at post-grad level, so you have to put together a portfolio of work to support your application.  In addition you have to write a statement as to why you are suitable for a place and what you hope to achieve from it. 

It can be a bit daunting, but my philosophy is, if I don't get in then I have lost nothing in the trying.  And if I do get in, it will be an exciting new chapter to look forward to next autumn as it will mean that I will be moving on to university and studying at a higher level.  It feels like the next logical and natural step.  It feels exciting. But I confess that I am glad to have a year off between now and then!

I honestly don't think that I could go straight onto another course this September.  I'm too tired from the diploma.  I would be starting with an empty tank, which means I'd be setting myself up to fail. The sensible thing to do is to take a year out and then go back into the academic world, with a full tank of juice, well rested and with a fresh mind, ready to learn.

Having said that, I still went stationery shopping a couple of days ago!  This is something I do as an affirmation of action - I buy myself new stationery that I intend to use only on the next course of study.  So far this has proved to be something of a good luck charm and I have always been granted a place on the courses I applied to. So I now have a collection of sparkly notebooks; a pink A4 one for class notes, a silver A5 one for general uni notes, a pink plastic envelope folder for handouts and a beautiful pink pencil case from Ted Baker.  So I'm all set! Next summer I'll buy my academic diary and a pink ring binder and then I'll be ready to go.

I'm even looking forward to this year of anticipation!  I have a whole year to look forward to the prospect of more studying; to rid my mind of the lingering toxicity of our old tutor and see uni as a fresh start, with new tutors to learn from and a new bunch of students who all have a common interest and similar goal in mind.  I am looking forward to the camaraderie of it, to being with like minds - and to the fact that university libraries are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! Oh the joy of that! If that's not an incentive, I don't know what is!

But I am not counting my chickens before they hatch.  First of all I have to win a place for myself, and to do that I must put together the very best portfolio I can to support my application.  The hardest part is trying to choose what work to include, but that is something I plan to make headway with next week and act as if I have already been granted a place.  In the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy the anticipation of the fact that I definitely plan to apply to a post-grad course - and I might even get in. You never know your luck. 🍀

ONCE UPON A DREAM; I Just Qualified!!!

I have always believed that Friday the 13th is a lucky day for witches. This theory has been reinforced today when the results of finals landed in my inbox.  After five years of tedious essay writing and clinical hours, I am pleased to report that I have passed all sections of my diploma.

This means that I officially qualified as a psychotherapy counsellor today and I am now Marie Bruce Dip. T.C.

I already knew I was on track to pass, but having the official confirmation feels like such a surreal moment.  It means that I will definitely be graduating in cap and gown this autumn with the rest of my classmates; those of us who have passed. Sadly some dropped out along the way, but you get that in any course.  I'm really glad I stuck with it, as five years later I am now a qualified psychotherapist, with letters after my name, and the right to set up a private practice of my own if I want to do so, at some stage in the future.

I feel elated, shaky and a little bit stunned, to be honest.  There were times when I thought I'd never get through it, times when I too wanted to drop out, leave the dreadful tutor behind and forget the whole thing.  But winners never quit and quitters never win, so I stuck it out and now it has all come to a very happy ending. 

Most of all, I feel a huge sense of relief.  Relief that I never, ever have to write a tedious counselling essay again! Relief that all the placement report, clinical hours and paperwork has been approved by the examining board. Relief that the five years of training is actually over - it's finally over! No more essays, reports, classes, workshops, research projects, clinical hours, or admin to do.  That's it now, I've done it all and I have achieved my goal and passed. Now I have a lovely graduation ceremony to look forward to in November, just before my birthday!

It feels weird too, because this has been one of the biggest 'writing projects' I have ever undertaken - five years of essay writing - and yet there is no published book at the end of it all.  That feels a bit strange. But unlike many new counsellors, I won't try to fob-off my compiled essays as a 'book' and expect a commercial publisher to be grateful for it!  Any new books I write, will be written from scratch, to commission, under contract, as usual. 

Also, I do have my new psychotherapy column to start writing, and exactly ten years to the month after sitting down to write my first ever column for Spirit&Destiny, this weekend I will be sitting down to write my first ever psychotherapy column, which launches on August 4th 2018!  So I've come full circle, with a brand new writing topic up my sleeve and the professional credibility to back it, with 20 years of publishing experience and 10 published books under my belt.   I'm hoping to do lots more psychotherapy writing as well, for various publishers, as it is now my new genre of expertise. 

So things are going quite well for me. Slowly, my reinvention of self is taking shape and my writing life is starting to reflect that.  I am free to concentrate on building up this new profession and make the most of my recent training and qualifications in my writing career.  And there will need to be a shopping trip for the perfect graduation outfit too! Meantime, today is definitely a day for me to celebrate...😻

xxx