Navigating the world of journalism and counselling psychology has not been a walk in the park but I believe that my journey of navigating between school and work has been rewarding and fulfilling.
It started a year and seven months after I had been practising journalism. I was then (and still are) a journalist with one of the media houses in Kampala and it is an amazing, noble and beautiful profession that I do not take for granted. However, I wanted to study Counselling Psychology. I decided to apply for a masters degree in the course. I had thought long and hard, prayed about everything and I knew God was calling me to obey his voice and apply for it. Amidst all the concerns I had, I went ahead and trusted that things would work out for my good and his glory (Romans 8:28).
Having started the course, I can say that learning how to engage with others and help them professionally in the counselling psychology field has been rewarding and an answered prayer.
The voyage of navigating the profession of a journalist and life of a student has had its ups and downs but it’s a path that I do not regret taking.
The two fields are really different, but there are important lessons I have learnt from counselling psychology that I know can be applied in the journalism world.
There is a mindset that psychology involves reading people’s minds and knowing what they are thinking but this is not what it is about. The field involves understanding others, knowing why they do the things they do and supporting them in making better decisions.
I am grateful to God to be on the path of learning and understanding more about people and their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.
Esther Tusiime Byoona
MA Counselling Psychology
