An increasing number of women are ditching highly-paid careers in business and finance to find more 'fulfilling' jobs in the therapy sector, new research reveals.
More female bankers, accountants and stockbrokers are re-training as counsellors, psychologists and therapists than ever before.
Applications for part-time courses have 'easily' more than trebled in the last 12 months alone.
The majority of trainees - aged between 25 and 55 - will take significant pay cuts of up to £30,000-a-year.
But many insist a drop in salary is worth 'every penny' to escape the rat race and enjoy a less stressful way of life.
The findings, released yesterday by course provider Chrysalis, reflect a growing trend among female professionals to improve their work-life balance.
Chrysalis co-founder Dr Chris Forester said: "We have noticed a dramatic rise in numbers on our courses in general.
"But in the past 12 months, more trainees than ever were from business backgrounds, with the majority in highly-paid positions.
"Our own research therefore suggests that an increasing number of female professionals are willing to accept pay cuts for a more fulfilling role in the therapy industry."
Chrysalis, a family-run organisation, runs a range of online and in-situ courses in venues across the UK.
It collected the data over a 12-month period - ending February this year - from part-time hypnotherapy, counselling and psychotherapy Diploma applicants.
Of the 1,456 students it tutored during that period, almost 674 were female professionals – up 36 per cent, or a third, on last year.
Dr Forester, an Oxford graduate who holds a doctorate in analytical psychology, said the reason behind the shift was clear.
He said: "Many people spend their lives doing the things they are second best at - they miss out on their true vocations and remain unsatisfied.
"We find a lot of students hoping to quit their desk jobs for something more fulfilling, both personally and professionally.
"Our courses challenge everyone to find and develop a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives, for it is only then that they can truly help others."
But the move towards the therapy sector is not only confined to professionals.
A growing number of new mums are using training courses to return to, or enter, the workplace.
Other women have begun training after losing their jobs, or their businesses, in the recession.
Of these, around 26 per cent are being tutored online.
Dr Forester said: "We expect this trend to continue to rise as more and more women, some perhaps shaken by the economic slump of the last few years, look elsewhere to make a living."
Allison Price, the founder of MotivatingMum.co.uk, an online resource for working mothers, said the therapy sector was the ''perfect choice'' for new mums and professionals looking for a change in pace.
She said: "It's extremely important to many new mums that they find a job or career path that allows them flexibility.
"It's no surprise that other women, especially those in the business environment, also crave that flexibility and job satisfaction."
For more information, go to www.chrysaliscourses.co.uk
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