Kerry I think it's great you're going into counselling/psychotherapy as a career choice - I take it you want to help others who have been through similar things? I actually think that, a lot of professionals don't quite 'get' mental illness, it's something they've read about it in books and studied in lectures and not something they have FELT. You can't really understand unless you've been there. I think you'll have a great advantage coming from where you are. I think that'll go a long way to ACTUALLY helping people, not spewing strategies at them and treating them as a patient, but really seeing them as people.

can you tell I've had crap treatment? lol, I recently left therapy because they were so closed minded, treating me as a patient, just one of thousands, instead of me as a person. I told them one of their methods was harming me, and they refused to accept it, saying that method works for everyone... couldn't get them to hear ME so I left. Very disappointed. But I am having an assessment soon and seeing if they can offer me any other help, the eating disorder therapy was a joke.

Good luck to you hun and thanks again for trying to inspire us here, I think that's so important, people need to have hope and to see that you CAN get better.
I actually have studied psychology (dropped out of my degree) and have considered going into working in mental health (considering studying social work maybe) but nothing is decided yet, I need to feel a bit better first with my anxiety.
x