From Dole to Doctor- Chelsea's journey to becoming a Counselling Psychologist

 Hi everyone,

Welcome to our next instalment of the Pathways to Psychology blog. Today we hear from Chelsea Richards, Trainee Counselling Psychologist. Chelsea shares a journey which was full of adversity and challenge, but has drawn on her experiences to becoming a compassionate and reflective Counselling Psychologist. We hope reading about Chelsea will highlight how every person, regardless of their background, could find their path to a successful career in the Psychology field. 

Chelsea Richards: Trainee Counselling Psychologist

From Dole to Doctor: My Journey into Counselling Psychology

Growing up in a maisonette on a deprived council estate in Newport, wasn’t exactly the idyllic start to life that many would hope for. Mum passed away when we were young, and my sisters and I relied on the benefits system and the support of neighbours and friends to get us by. My early life experiences of adversity very quickly taught me that my childhood was going to look a little different than the other kids around me, but that it was going to shape the person I am today.  

For as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a hairdresser. The subjects I chose to study in secondary school were not because I had a clear plan for my future, but psychology stood out to me simply because I liked the teacher and it somewhat felt ‘safe’. As I began learning about attachments, anxiety, and the mind, something shifted and my passion started to develop. I could recognise parts of my own story in what I studied. 

School always felt like a bit of a challenge for me, as much as I enjoyed being there and attending my lessons, I would often fade away into the background due to being so quiet and unsure of myself. I was very much an ‘average’ kid, but I knew I needed that little bit more help if I was going to attend university and ‘make something of myself’. When the opportunity came up to attend a summer university programme for those who wanted to attend further education, I knew I needed to make the sacrifice of my six weeks holidays to dedicate towards my future. This gave me a taste of university life and the grades I needed to apply for that summer. 

Following the completion of summer university and scraping through my A-levels, I was offered a place to study psychology at the University of South Wales and I was so proud of myself. I felt like that moment changed everything and there was no stopping me. I discovered a real passion for learning, something that felt more freeing and independent. I made it through my undergraduate degree and went on to complete a Master’s in Clinical Psychology, though getting through either degree was not particularly easy, I know how much I wanted to work as a psychologist. After I left university, I applied for over 30 Assistant Psychologist jobs but was unsuccessful. I felt incredibly deflated, but knew I needed to enter the working world, and little did I know how my role as a Support Worker really gave me the base I needed to start building my experience. 

By the age of 25, I had lost both of my parents. Navigating a world without them was and still is incredibly hard, but it has shaped me in ways I could never have anticipated. It taught me compassion, strength, and resilience, qualities that I feel so importantly define me as both a person and professional now. Within a few short months after the loss of my father, I secured my first NHS role as an Assistant Psychologist in a Specialist Dementia Intervention Team, an incredibly bittersweet moment, but one I had hoped and worked so hard for. I didn’t have extensive experience, but I believe my passion and a chance really gave me the opportunity to prove myself.

After a year I was redeployed to the Memory Service. I was terrified at the time, moving into a service with a team and a role I didn’t know, but this was the start of my career becoming a Counselling Psychologist. Working closely alongside a truly wonderful, and incredibly supportive Principal Counselling Psychologist taught me all I needed to know, and provided me with the confidence, belief and courage I needed within myself. 

Through my NHS work, I was given the opportunity to apply for the Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at the University of South Wales with funded support, something up until this point I’d only even given a fleeting thought, as this was something I would have not been able to fund independently. I’d spent months learning about the profession’s core values of empathy, collaboration, and viewing people as whole beings whilst pulling a portfolio together to submit. I was so incredibly nervous when I was offered an interview, having so many thoughts of ‘I always thought I would be a Clinical Psychologist, what if I don’t fit?’. Although, little did I know, when I attended the group interview day, despite the nerves and uncertainty, something just clicked. I felt completely at home. For the first time, I could see myself as a someone who could combine real life experience, theory and evidence-based practice to support others in meaningful ways. Chelsea Richards, A Counselling Psychologist. 

Nearly 3 years later as I complete my final year of training, I often sit in disbelief when I reflect on what I have achieved and how far I have come. Over the last few years, my career has gone from strength to strength, alongside the placements I have been on and the clients I have learnt so much from, I pride myself in my contribution to the design, development, and delivery of an innovative post-diagnostic course titled “Life with a Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)”. The course has been my ‘baby’ as my team would say, but to see how far it has come and to know the positive impact it’s had on people’s lives has been one of the most fulfilling moments of my career so far. When I joined the Memory Service the idea of setting up a course for people living with MCI was merely a seed, something driven by a passion of wanting to support and advocate for others when change is needed. Fast forward to now, we have received awards, networked and presented at conferences across Europe, and published research articles on the outcomes of the course. Truly making a difference for those who need it. 

Alongside my placements I am also in the middle of writing my thesis. Through experiencing my own personal encounters with loss and my professional work supporting individuals and families facing life-limiting conditions and grief, I became curious about what it means for psychologists to sit in that space of uncertainty. My research explores Counselling Psychologists’ experiences of delivering a prognosis of a life-limiting illness. I chose this research topic as I want to understand how, as professionals we manage these complex emotions and navigate these deeply human and often heart-wrenching moments. Again, using my personal experiences I am hoping my research can influence policy change within services and educational establishments to ensure both staff and the individuals receiving input are having the best support and guidance possible. 

My journey, from dole to Doctor, is something I hold with deep pride and humility. Growing up on a council estate, surviving on benefits, facing adversity, setbacks and loss, and now standing on the verge of becoming a Doctor in Counselling Psychology feels surreal at times. I am truly humbled to be where I am today and will never take for granted the people who saw potential in me when I couldn’t see it in myself. 

Thank you so much Chelsea for sharing your experiences. You are a glowing example of the great talent and variety in the Psychology field, with each and every person bringing richness to their training and this informs the empathy and reflectivity which underpins their practice. 

Maybe reading about Chelsea reminded you of your training pathway. Perhaps you work as a CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) clinician, a PWP (psychological wellbeing practitioner), a Psychotherapist, Counsellor, or Psychologist. Get in touch- it would be lovely to share your blog entry and to learn from your experiences. 

Kind regards,

The Pathways Team.