Family counsellor

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I work as a family counsellor in services for families with children and child welfare services. In my work, I meet with families and provide support to parents in questions related to raising children and parenthood. I offer help during different challenges in life which may have to do with mental health or substance abuse issues, neuropsychiatric challenges, or difficulties with school.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

I was going to become a physical education teacher but I didn’t manage to get into the Faculty of Sports Sciences. So, I started a Bachelor of Social Services, and I got a job at a child welfare institution through my traineeships. Later, I applied to work as a family counsellor and have worked as a family counsellor for different employers ever since.

Describe your typical working day or week.

During a typical work day, I meet up with one to three families in their homes. In addition to meeting families, my tasks include keeping entries on client information and keeping in contact with schools, daycare centres, and social workers. Still, most of my work hours are spent on customer-facing work.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I work at families’ homes and at the office. Remote work is also a possibility, but I don’t mind coming to the office to talk to colleagues about work-related things.

I have flexible working hours between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., but I mainly work between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Occasionally I also do weekend work.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

A family counsellor has to be able to deal with stress, work independently, and take action. There isn’t just one type of personality who is good at this job since families and their situations are very different.

It is important to approach the work with curiosity and empathy in order to form a trusting relationship with the families. However, it is essential that you know your own limits since this job can be very mentally draining.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best part of the job is when an initially reluctant client begins to trust me and commit to the work. Positive feedback and thanks from clients also feel rewarding. It is an especially great feeling to be able to end contact with the client because the family no longer needs support and they feel like they received help.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

The social services sector is going through tumultuous change, and you have to be able to adapt to constant change and increasing pressure. This job shows in practice how cuts in social welfare negatively affect families. It feels challenging to deal with situations with a client who really needs help but my own resources to provide help are limited.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a family counsellor?

Working as a family counsellor is rewarding and important, but factors related to the structures of the work may be stressful and make it harder to do this work. It’s good to prepare yourself for that.

How do you see the future of your profession?

Family counsellors will still be needed in the future, seeing that interaction and encounters between people cannot be replaced.

However, I do have to say that in the future, we will likely need to do this work with increasingly fewer resources, which may add to the stress of workers. I don’t think the situation as it is now is sustainable but I hope this is temporary, and I have hope that things will change.