As part of our Faces Behind HCC series, we also want to highlight the voices of those currently in training, who are an integral part of the life of HCC. Our internal newsletter regularly features trainee reflections, and we believe these accounts are valuable to share more widely, particularly for those considering training in psychodynamic counselling.
The interview below first appeared in that newsletter and has been anonymised to protect the trainee’s ongoing development. It captures a genuine moment in the training process, and the responses remain unedited.
The following reflections come from a second-year Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling trainee at HCC.
What brought you to decide to train at HCC?
Finding counselling courses was convoluted. The range of training on offer is vast, and it took time, plus a few extra pairs of eyes, to work out what I was truly looking for. HCC appeared in a cohesive and generous blog post that clearly outlined some of the necessary steps. I am very grateful that post is still active, even though it was written several years ago.
HCC met all my core criteria, as well as some welcome practical ones. It offered trajectory while remaining a small institution; it held academic grounding alongside clinical impact; the course fees were manageable; and the classes were nearby. It felt well balanced, the best balanced option for me.
I was initially looking for a Certificate level, unsure whether I would continue to the Diploma, though knowing that progression was possible made the choice more reassuring. At the time, I was navigating this search with a toddler at home, so logistics crucially mattered. But more than that, I needed something that offered a robust and supportive process. That combination became the deciding factor.
I was fortunate to have options when considering my next steps when it came to deciding on a diploma course. I chose to remain at HCC because of that balance I keep returning to: access to placement within the centre carried significant weight, as did the diversity and intentionality of the cohort selection, and the tutors’ blend of theoretical depth and clinical experience, as well as the overall time of the course. In the end, it felt like a natural continuation.
What has been the greatest challenge in your training to date?
To honour myself and the multiple pulling elements involved in the training. It really touches every part of your life and asks something of each of them. In that sense, getting the balance right has been the greatest challenge.
The training is demanding—intellectually, logistically, emotionally and even physically. Learning not to let it overtake everything, while still giving it the depth and care it requires, has been an ongoing negotiation. There is the practical commitment—readings, preparation, classes, workshops, client sessions, supervision, travel—but also the internal and emotional labour, which often translates into time.
For me, a central question has been how to make choices that honour how I show up in my personal life, in my professional life, and in my training. And, how best to distribute my time and energy across them. Understanding that this is an individual journey held within a community, with impact both immediate and far-reaching, has been one of the most meaningful lessons.
Do you have a sense of where you would ultimately like your training to lead you?
This is difficult to answer, as I find myself drawn more to the present than to the future at this point in my training. Being in process is where my attention feels at. Perhaps most unexpectedly, the training has led me to sit more comfortably in uncertainty—and so far, that feels remarkable.
That said, when I began, I imagined continuing my work in visual communication alongside a private practice, particularly around bereavement and grief, pregnancy sickness, gender/LGBTQ-related concerns, and contributing meaningfully within communities. If I am able to practise and continue training further in this field, that would feel deeply aligned.
What does HCC mean to you?
Collaboration.
At HCC there is a sense of hands being pulled together; something like manual craft comes to mind. With craft, there are sometimes mishaps, but also accountability, openness and a certain robustness; a work that is personalised, slowly evolving, grown over time. What HCC offers, both in training and in counselling, feels shaped by that collaborative spirit.