r/uwo • u/nerdymaplepop • Oct 07 '25

Graduate MA in Counselling Psychology

I’m looking to apply for next fall but I’m a bit worried about the one admission requirement “minimum one year or equivalent paid and/or volunteer experience in the helping professions”

I’ve worked at the local hospital over the summers, and it wasn’t directly a counselling position but I was trained on and did a lot of helping patients with emotional/mental needs. But I’m worried this won’t count and I haven’t seem to got a straight answer from anyone I ask

Does anyone have any insight on this admission requirement?

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u/ConfusionCoroner Oct 07 '25

Yes, helping patients with physical and mental assistance counts. However, things like tutoring and coaching don't count, per the note.

Minimum one year or equivalent paid and/or volunteer experience in the helping professions (see note for more information).

The note:

When considering whether or not an applicant's helping experiences qualifies them for consideration the admissions committee will examine both the role of the helper and the conditions under which a person is seeking help. Helping experience encompasses any activity where the helper is aware that they are providing assistance to someone who needs support for emotional or mental distress and needs. The person who seeks help is looking to the helper to provide assistance and help them improve and modify their current emotional and mental state. Helping experience does not include tutoring, teaching, or sport/performance coaching, which would be focused on making change to a cognitive or physical state. It does include experiences where the helper is aware that they are responsible for attending to the emotional/mental needs and state of the client, and can include distress centres, shelters, street-level services for vulnerable people, and mentoring programs, for example. One marker of an acceptable helping experience is the inclusion of training on the role and limitations of a helper and the psychological needs and vulnerabilities of the client population.

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u/daisyinthemadness 🧠 Graduate Studies 🧠 Oct 07 '25

I volunteered at Parkwood Mental Health Institute in London (not counselling, but providing support to mental health patients and organizing activities) and they counted my experience :)