Counsellors Should Treat the Whole Person
There is a great deal of overlap between physical illnesses and mental disorders.
This can be well illustrated through the Royal College of Psychiatrists who reported that the rates of depression are double in people with:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Heart failure
- Coronary heart disease.
Also, rates of depression are triple in people with:
- End stage renal failure.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Cerebrovascular disease.
Furthermore, they observed that:
- Depression doubles the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
- Increased psychological distress increases the risk of a stroke by 11%.
- Depression earlier in life also is a predictive factor in back pain, irritable bowel syndrome and colorectal cancer later in life.
When you look at people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, they die on average 25 years earlier than the general population. This is mainly because of physical health problems associated with their mental health disorders. They have double the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, triple the risk for respiratory disease, and four times the risk of contracting infectious diseases.
Clearly there is a complex relationship between physical and mental health.
What do our students think of this course?
I am currently working on my Diploma in Psychology and Counselling via ACS. I have always wanted to do a course in this field and finally decided to take the plunge about two years ago. I was interested in the subjects ACS offered and liked the idea of being able to study via long distance and at my own pace. I have learnt a lot from this course and have enjoyed it immensely.
I left my job in the Telco industry in 2010 in order to pursue my passion in counselling. I have been doing some volunteer work to complement my studies, and I am loving it! These volunteer roles have enabled me to practice some of what I have learnt from the course and the experience has been invaluable. I am still learning a great deal! Just when I think I understand what counselling is all about, something new comes up and I am put right back into student mode.
ACS is very flexible in their approach which I have found extremely helpful when it came to some of my assignments. For example, in my Child Psychology module where I didn't always have access to interviewing children, my tutor mentioned that I could do alternative research instead to answer the questions, which is great.
Sharon Alsop, UK, studying Diploma in Psychology and Counselling course.
Any Questions?
If you are interested in studying counselling and psychology to start a new career, improve your existing knowledge and career or just for interest, then this could be the course for you. It is an intensive and comprehensive insight into counselling and psychology.
If you have any questions, please get in touch. Our psychology tutors are happy to answer any questions you may have.