ABSTRACT
This chapter gives people a sense of what people can do both before and after qualification to get the best possible start in professional life as a counselling psychologist. It covers a few dilemmas or hurdles that a newly-qualified counselling psychologist may face, to include the question of private practice; the frustrations of encountering ignorance about or even prejudice towards the profession; and the trickiness of being a "portfolio professional". As part of a developing portfolio career, or whilst waiting for the right employment to come along, independent practice can seem an attractive prospect. Most of the academic tutors and supervisors providing professional training are likely to be, as so many counselling psychologists are, "portfolio professionals". To maintain their registration at least, and out of a sense of vocation and desire at most, they will do clinical work outside of the academic context.
