How to become a counsellor in the UK
The qualifications you need to work as a counsellor in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
It’s been five years since I updated my popular piece on how to qualify as a counsellor. There have been some changes in the world, and in counselling, so it’s time for another re-write.
It may shock you to learn that in the UK anyone can legally claim to be a counsellor, even if they are not actually qualified. Terms like counsellor, cognitive behavioural therapist and psychotherapist aren’t on the list of protected titles so anyone can call themselves one. It also means there is no official definition of any of them. Similar titles like counselling psychologist, arts therapist and sports and exercise psychologist are all legally protected and require specific qualifications.
Most (but not all) safe and ethical counsellors get themselves registered with a professional body. Each membership body sets its own standards which counsellors are expected to adhere to. This generally includes a requirement for continuing professional development (CPD), so even when you’re qualified you’ll still be learning. For example, if you’re a member of the BACP or NCPS then you need to complete 30 hours of CPD per year.
There are lots of different ways to become a counsellor and it’s impossible to cover them all, so this article will touch on the most popular.
The Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework was adopted in 2023 by six of the counselling membership bodies (BACP, NCPS, HGI, UKCP, BPC and ACC). Because of the lack of regulation, it aimed to set out core training, practice, and competence requirements for counsellors and psychotherapists who work with adults.
The process and adoption has proven controversial in the counselling world. Counsellors in these membership bodies have been allocated to columns A, B or C based on their existing qualifications and experience. Speaking as someone working in private practice, I haven’t yet seen any real impact, but if you’re at the beginning of your training then it may factor in the route you choose, particularly if you want to be employed by an organisation instead of working for yourself. No one knows how it will all play out so it’s important to keep on top of any developments.
To be placed in SCoPEd Column C (the top one) straight after your training you’ll need to complete a Level 7 (master’s level) qualification lasting a minimum of 500 hours. You’ll need to have counselled clients for 400 hours during your training, and the length of your training or experience must have been at least four years. BPC and UKCP psychotherapists are placed in this column. Both these membership bodies accredit training courses which you can choose from if this is your preferred option.
If you don’t want to go down the master’s route then the best place to start is probably with the CPCAB’s Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills. There’s a free taster of CPCAB’s courses and basic counselling skills here. The CPCAB is an examining body, much like AQA, Edexcel or OCR for your GCSEs.
You’ll need to take the Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills even if you already have other Level 2 qualifications (such as GCSEs) or above, because the important thing here is learning the basic skills, not the academic level. It’s a short course which I’d actually recommend to pretty much anyone, whether you want to become a counsellor or not. It will teach you useful skills and empathic ways of communicating which can enhance your everyday relationships, and it should give you a good idea as to whether it’s the right career for you.
The Level 2 certificate is available at colleges and private providers all over the UK. I took mine with Devon and Cornwall Counselling Hub which sadly no longer exists. The course only lasts a few months, coming in at 90 hours in total. Make sure you choose a course that takes place in person or live online where you interact with a tutor and other students. If it’s self-paced or study alone then it won’t be recognised by the profession. Unfortunately there are lots of counselling courses out there that aren’t recognised so it’s extremely important that you do your due diligence before spending your time and money on something that turns out not to be legitimate. If it’s a CPCAB course you know it’s the real thing, but there are other options too.
The next step is the Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies which introduces a lot more theory. You may already know which type of counsellor you’d like to become — in which case it would be helpful to pick a provider focusing on that modality as the theories you’ll be using in Level 4 should feature in their Level 3. If you don’t know then it may be best to choose somewhere offering training in integrative counselling. Integrative does what it says on the tin — you literally integrate concepts from different modes of working and schools of thought. This recognises that different clients will have different problems and different preferences, so different approaches will be needed. At Devon and Cornwall Counselling Hub, we focused mainly on person-centred, gestalt and CBT but we also touched on transpersonal and psychoanalysis. The course is another 90 hours, again usually taken as an evening class. Once you’ve completed it you should be prepared for the Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling which is the level where you actually qualify as a counsellor.
Before the pandemic, training at all levels had to be in person. Lockdown moved teaching online and caused training providers and membership bodies to review their requirements. The BACP now requires that Level 4 courses include at least 70% face to face classroom-based tuition and up to 30% live synchronous online training. This last point is important. Cheap online courses require you to teach yourself using the course materials provided and don’t offer live online tuition with a tutor and other students. Such courses are not recognised by the counselling profession. The CPCAB published a letter to centres allowing them to apply to deliver courses live online. However, their Level 4 courses must include at least 75% face to face teaching.
Level 4 is a much bigger commitment than Levels 2 and 3, usually taking place one day a week for two years. There are some weekend and evening options available but these are less common. You’ll also be required to do 100 hours of one-to-one work with clients, undertake supervision, and have your own personal counselling. (If the course you’re looking at doesn’t include these things then it won’t be recognised.) It’s perfectly possible to do it while working and having other demands in your life, but you will need to be prepared to spend a lot of time and money.
Some courses are accredited by a membership body, which means you’ll be eligible to join them as a full member upon completion. My Level 4 wasn’t accredited so when I completed it I took the free certificate of proficiency and joined the BACP as a registered member. You might like to look at the other professional bodies and choose the one that suits you. Most also offer student memberships for those in training.
Although you’ll be qualified as a counsellor when you’ve completed your Level 4, it’s really just the start. The diploma also forms part of the Open University’s Foundation Degree in Counselling, so you can do more modules and gain that qualification too through distance learning if you like. You might then choose to top up to a full bachelor’s degree with another institution. You can go on to complete higher level qualifications with the CPCAB or another awarding body. Even if you don’t want to do any further qualifications, you’ll still need to keep updating your skills through CPD courses and reading. If you want to move up the SCoPEd columns then you’ll need to undertake training with this in mind.
Alternatively you may wish to go down the psychology and mental health route. In the UK, the British Psychological Society (BPS) charters individuals and accredits qualifications. If you don’t have a degree then you’ll need to do one of their accredited psychology degrees which are available across the country or via distance learning. If you already have an undergraduate degree in a different subject, or you have a non-accredited psychology degree, then you can do a conversion course at master’s level. Again, these are available at universities across the country or via distance learning. I completed my MSc Psychology online with Manchester Met over two years alongside my diploma.
With a Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and an MSc in Psychology you’ve got a huge range of options available to you and it would be impossible to run through every choice in one article. Two of the most popular are likely to be applying for a professional doctorate, either in clinical psychology or counselling psychology, and gaining chartered membership of the BPS. The links explain more about what they involve.
Once qualified as a counsellor, a lot of people choose to set up in private practice. There are not a lot of full time jobs advertised for “counsellors” and there is still a culture of volunteering and part time work. However, there are lots of jobs in the wider mental health field, and a Level 4 Diploma will help you to get one of these.
If you want to work for the NHS then you may choose to apply directly for one of their recruit to train posts, where they will pay you to train as a counsellor. You’ll find these advertised on NHS Jobs as they come up, but competition for these roles is fierce. The NHS Jobs adverts also show you the qualifications expected for different counsellor posts if you hope to work within the NHS without obtaining a recruit to train post.
Whichever route you decide on, good luck!
I was contacted by readers who found previous versions of this article invaluable in gaining an understanding of a complicated field. They asked me to run one-to-one online sessions to go into more depth about the counselling and psychology field and explain different titles, training routes and accreditations, as well as answering any questions. If you are interested in an hour-long personalised discussion based on your current CV, qualifications and career aspirations then please get in touch.
I will also be offering group webinars to help people consider their options so please contact me if you would like to be made aware of future dates.
Work with me
My inbox is always open to hear from people who’d like to work with me as a counsellor; collaborate professionally; or suggest ideas for potential projects.
My current offer:
Counselling for adults and young people aged 16+ online and in Launceston. Sessions are 60 minutes. These usually take place weekly or fortnightly but other arrangements may be possible. It’s important you feel safe and comfortable with whichever counsellor you choose. I offer a free, 15-minute online video call for anyone who is interested in working with me but would like to find out more first.
Rewind trauma therapy for PTSD symptoms can be carried out as part of counselling work or as a stand-alone therapy.
One-to-one video calls for those who are considering becoming counsellors and would like support navigating the range of qualification pathways.
Please get in touch via jade.farrington@gmail.com
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