Tracey Testimonial

Tracey has a background in retail, finance and HR. After becoming unwell and experiencing a decline in her health, she was unable to work and went through a difficult period with her mental health. “I lost everything I had known. I just wasn’t in a good place,” she shared. Tracey tried counselling, but it didn’t feel like the right fit. This made her think there had to be something else out there, and she didn’t want to give up. When she saw the Level 1 Counselling course advertised, she thought, “If I can’t find a counsellor who works for me, maybe I can learn some counselling techniques to help myself.”

From the start, she found the course engaging and supportive. “Anita, the course tutor, made it really engaging and made me want to go back and continue on to Level 2. She was really understanding if I was in any pain. I went on to do the Level 3 course.” Tracey wasn’t sure she’d be able to do Level 3, but once she got through her first assignment, things started to click. “It helped me mentally; it was like a form of CBT. It distracted me from the pain and made me use my mind for something else, rather than worrying about if I would be able to do the housework or whether I’d be able to walk that day. It has created new pathways in my brain. Chronic pain fries your brain, you get stuck in a cycle, and the courses showed me how much I could push myself mentally and physically.”

Starting Counselling Level 1 wasn’t about beginning a new career; it was about understanding herself better. “It was more about counselling myself and giving myself knowledge that I wasn’t getting from counselling sessions.” Because of her medical condition, Tracey can’t commit to full-time work, but she didn’t want to lose the motivation and momentum the courses had given her. That’s when she came across the Psychology and Counselling degree at The Open University. “I applied and got my place.”

Tracey’s long-term goal is to either become a counsellor or go into teaching. Choosing this path means she can fit work around her medical condition while still supporting others. “I feel like I’ll gain a lot from these roles. I’m open to opportunities.” When reflecting on the main impact of the courses, Tracey shared: “It’s the knowledge I can apply to counselling roles. It has taught me patience, which I didn’t have before. It’s made me assess situations differently, be more sympathetic, and it’s given me confidence. The biggest thing it’s given me, which I haven’t felt in a long time, is self-worth. I lost my identity when I became unwell.”

The classroom environment played a huge part in rebuilding this. “I felt like my normal self. I was contributing, helping others. I didn’t think I still had it in me to grasp something and understand it. It made me feel worthy.” Tracey credits Anita’s teaching style for creating such a positive experience. “If I’d gone to that counselling course and it had been someone else, maybe I wouldn’t have felt comfortable. Maybe I wouldn’t have spoken as much or felt welcome. The nurturing way Anita taught made me feel really comfortable and gave me the confidence to go again and push through things. She understood me, and I never felt judged.”

Tracey says she would definitely recommend training with 3D: “Not only for the support in the classroom but outside the sessions too. Support is always available. If you’re unsure about starting training, you’re not going to lose anything by trying, but you might lose something by not.”

Tracey is due to start her Psychology and Counselling degree in the new year.