You may notice a few changes or experience minor issues while we transition to our new website – please contact our team if you need any help.

341 – Everyday Trauma

CT-Podcast-Ep341 featured image

Working with Parents of Children with Disabilities – What to Do if You Don’t Get Onto the Next Course

subscribe_itunes button small

In Episode 341 of the Counselling Tutor Podcast, your hosts, Rory Lees-Oakes and Ken Kelly, take us through this week’s three topics:

Firstly in ‘Ethical, Sustainable Practice’, we explore the concept of everyday trauma.

Then in ‘Practice Matters’, Rory speaks with Ellie Finch and Dr. Jo Griffin about their CPD lecture, which focuses on working with parents of children with disabilities, complex medical conditions, and special educational needs.

And lastly in ‘Student Services’, Rory and Ken discuss what to do if you don’t get accepted onto the next stage of your counselling training, offering support and strategies for staying motivated.

Download your free Everyday Trauma handout

Everyday Trauma [starts at 03:33 mins]

In this section, Rory and Ken discuss how trauma isn’t always caused by major events, it can also be the result of ongoing low-level stressors. These “small-t” traumas are often overlooked but can be just as impactful.

Key points include:

  • Everyday trauma includes repeated, subtle experiences that chip away at confidence and resilience over time.
  • Common sources of everyday trauma:
    • Education-based trauma – e.g. being misunderstood, shamed or unsupported at school.
    • Workplace trauma – e.g. toxic environments, bullying, redundancy, or job insecurity.
    • Medical trauma – mistrust or fear due to past negative healthcare experiences.
    • Poverty and discrimination – food insecurity, racism, homophobia, ableism, or unsafe housing.
  • Clients may minimise their experiences and not see them as “trauma”.
  • These experiences may cause:
    • Low self-esteem
    • Anxiety
    • Hypervigilance
    • Burnout
    • Internalised oppression

Rory and Ken highlight the importance of:

  • Being trauma-informed in your practice.
  • Responding with empathy and curiosity, not correction.
  • Holding a non-pathologising space where clients feel seen, heard, and accepted.
  • Looking out for body-based trauma responses, such as shaking, shallow breathing, or restlessness.

See Counselling Skills Used in Real Sessions by Qualified Therapist

Real Sessions – Real Presentations – Real Skills
Gain the competence and confidence to use counselling techniques effectively!

Working with Parents of Children with Disabilities [starts at 26:57 mins]

In this week’s Practice Matters, Rory is joined by Ellie Finch and Dr. Jo Griffin to discuss their new CPD lecture. They focus on how therapists can support parents who care for children with disabilities, complex medical conditions, or special educational needs (SEND).

Key points from this discussion include:

  • Parent-carers experience cumulative trauma from daily battles with healthcare, education, and support systems.
  • This trauma can present as:
    • Anger or withdrawal
    • Burnout and overwhelm
    • Grief over the imagined future for their child
  • Therapeutic considerations:
    • Be flexible with appointments.
    • Understand the systems (SEND, healthcare, social care) that they’re navigating.
    • Be aware of the emotional toll of constant advocacy.
  • Importance of recognising ‘inch-stones’ – small milestones that are deeply meaningful to parent-carers.
  • Avoid ‘toxic positivity’, it’s important to hold space for both joy and grief simultaneously.

Counselling Student Library

On-demand access to a rich lecture library covering theory, skills, and professional development for counselling students—Mapped to the UK awarding body criteria

“The Student Library has been BRILLIANT, I can’t recommend it enough!
It has been a lifeline in helping me prepare for practice and my first clients. If you’re considering it, go-for-it, it’s absolutely worth it!”
Kelly – Graduated and now in practice.

What to Do if You Don’t Get Onto the Next Course [starts at 54:58 mins]

In this section, Rory and Ken talk through the common but difficult experience of not being accepted onto the next stage of your counselling course.

Key points include:

  • Course places are often capped due to awarding body restrictions – sometimes, it’s simply a numbers game.
  • Rejection doesn’t mean you’re not good enough – there can be many reasons, including tutor availability or institutional changes.
  • What you can do:
    • Ask for feedback from your tutor or application panel.
    • Reflect on any personal or academic development opportunities.
    • Apply to other institutions with similar training standards.
    • Stay focused on your ‘why’ – what made you want to be a counsellor?
  • Remember:
    • Many practising therapists were once rejected from a course.
    • Resilience and persistence often lead to better opportunities.
    • Rejection can be a redirection, many students go on to thrive after taking time to grow and regroup.

Free Handout Download

Everyday Trauma

Counsellor CPD Library

Get on-demand Certified CPD that is implementable in your practice

  • Over 150 hours of on-demand CPD lectures to help you stay current with your CPD ethical requirements
  • Support, and be supported, by thousands of other counsellors as a member of the exclusive online community.
  • Access your learning anytime you want … anywhere you choose … using any device type — desktop or mobile.

£100 off the WebHealer.net “Do it for me” service

  • WebHealer are the go-to provider of websites for private practitioners in the UK.
  • Established over 20 years, WebHealer offers a non-technical and fully supported service to help therapists grow their private practice.
  • Just one customer from your website each year pays 
for their service.
Use coupon code CT100 Visit webhealer.net