[Rivière]

So, as many know, the UK is currently in lockdown. I work as a personal trainer and fitness coach at a gym.

Before this lockdown ends I want to better myself with some form of additional qualification. I don't want it to be long. Just a short online course that will grant me a good, legal certificate to show off my extra skills. I want to show that I am continuing to better myself despite the current situation we're all in.

I'm the kind of PT that focuses on self-esteem and confidence building. I focus heavily on being an advocate for mental health and mental wellbeing. I'm also really big on injury prevention and corrective exercise.

Originally I was going to see about taking an NVQ in physiotherapy. It doesn't mean I'm a legally qualified physiotherapist. That requires a degree and takes between 4-7 years of educational and practical experience. I wanted to undertake this NVQ to supplement the fact I'm a fully qualified corrective exercise specialist. Some of the techniques I use to help with low back pain, muscular imbalances and so on, are based on a form of physiotherapy.

Having a course under my belt like that could definitely help add weight to my list of skills. It would also make me stand out more against other PT's.

However the course I wanted to take has a few pricing wobbles. Some are £299 but through a legitimate recruiting agency are somehow just £10-19. It seems weird.

However, I was also interested in undertaking a professional psychology course, but the similar issue has arisen.

One good thing is that there is an additional course I could take which relates to counselling and psychotherapy. It's definitely just £19 (excluding tax) and covers the basics in what is involved in counselling. So for example, the types of counselling (like person-centred which I have previously received), the purpose and aims of counselling, as well as the ethics of counselling. It also covers drug addiction counselling, addiction recovery, and so on.

It wouldn't mean that I can legally say I'm a psychotherapist nor a counsellor, but it would add potential weight behind my PT qualification list. It could help add weight in my understanding of mental health-related tools which supplements my 18 years of mental health experience.

The thing is, I don't know if I should go for it. I don't know if it's worth it because we're still in lockdown. And I don't know if it would truly benefit me in a way that can help others. I don't know if I should go for it just because it's currently discounted (it's normally £318).