Logan's preparing for life as a qualified therapist

New discovery

It was during his placement that Logan discovered a new aspect of mental health work that would motivate him towards his chosen career as a therapist.

Logan explains: “I had a placement in a local primary school in my third year where I worked as a Wellbeing Practitioner facilitating group work, individual sessions, and psychical activities to aid in the discussion of the children’s mental health.

“This was the first time I was able to meet and work alongside professionals who were in a similar field I wanted to one day work in. It also provided me with the confidence to network with other organisations and their staff.”

Securing a job working with children

After graduation, Logan volunteered for an eating disorder charity that offered counselling and psychotherapy for clients. Logan has now been offered a position to work there.

Logan believes the skills and experience he developed as part of his degree helped him secure this position. He says: “My education and hard work helped me gain this position and the fundamental understanding of therapy from my undergraduate degree aided me in getting this job. This course offered a pathway into mental health, but not just at a standard level as the modules offered at Derby were in depth and relevant.”

Making friends for life

Logan’s experiences at Derby were unlike anything he had experienced before. He says: “In my first year, I lived in halls. This gave me my first chance at independence. I made friends and connections that will hopefully last a lifetime.

“Derby’s diversity allowed me to be exposed to cultures I think I would not have had the pleasure of experiencing otherwise. The library at the University offered a varied learning environment with different noise zones you could work in depending on what kind of work you needed to do, for example group work in the green zone and cramming in the red zones.

“The students’ union offered a great space to socialise and unwind after lectures. Student services were always able to help provide me with support when discussing things like employment and help with enrolment.”

Academic support

The support Logan received from the academic teaching team also contributed to his success. “Meeting my lectures provided me with well-respected professionals who really cared about my academic progress.

“In my third year, completing my dissertation felt very daunting but I was supported through every stage. The lecturers delivered content in different ways, with lectures, active demonstrations, group discussions and the use of multimedia. I found this kept me engaged and focused to be able to get the most out of the content.”

Transitioning to postgraduate study

Logan’s ultimate goal is to become a BACP-accredited psychotherapist specialising in eating disorders and one day being able to establish his own private practice. Logan is now halfway through his MSc Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy degree at Derby, which was a natural step for him.

“The undergraduate is kind of a feed course to postgraduate, so the progression was dynamic and made sense,” he explains. “I had met the postgraduate lead during my undergraduate programme which reassured me of the pathway I could take.

“The campus, standard of teaching, accessibility and academic environment promoted me to study my postgrad at Derby as the university had met my needs and potential prospects. Furthermore, the alumni discount was a great incentive for me to stay with the University of Derby!”