r/CounsellingPsychUK

Good afternoon,

My apologies for asking! I have been researching but colleges’ websites are not clear and they are slow to answer. I am hoping you can help me identify the right providers. Or tell me I’m wrong.

Context: I (South West London) am applying for my L3 counselling. I have two limitations:

1/ I have restricted mobility so in class presence will be hard at best, impossible at times.

2/ I’m on UC and PIP so will need help funding.

I realise L4 courses can be restricted re in person attendance and what they consider “in person”. And their websites aren’t clear….

I‘d be very grateful for any guidance as to:

- where I can get a reputable ‘virtual’ L3 that is acceptable to the L4 providers

- reputable L4 that will accept a purely online or virtual L3

If useful: I’m degree educated, have 25+ years experience in a non related field (recruitment), have certificates in Safeguarding and Prevent, am due a to start Samaritan training and am attending workshops etc (not accredited) in listening skills, communication, recognising trauma, …

Any steer/ guidance/ recommendation would be gratefully appreciated!

Thank you.

I've been accepted to two counseling related doctoral programs: GCU Doctorate of Counselling Psychology, and U of Edinburgh Doctorate in Psychotherapy and Counselling.

I'm not from the UK, so I'm having a bit of a hard time understanding the difference between Counselling Psychology as a field and Psychotherapy as a field. From my understanding, it seems like DCounsPsych jobs have quite a bit of overlap with DClinPsych, in addition to being able to open a private therapeutic practice, whereas the Doctorate of Psychotherapy limits to private practice.

If my ultimate goal is to own a private practice and become a citizen of the UK (I'm originally from the US), any advice on which program would be better suited? I'm also excited by the prospect of teaching, and I'm willing to work in public health in order to "survive" for a few years but its not my dream career.

Any info on the reputation of the programs is also welcome. The GCU program seems to pose more of a challenge with placements (as all have to be found by the student), vs UoE which provides a starter placement at the Hope Park Counselling Center. Overall, I'd like to pick the program that will make me the best counselor/therapist while also not getting totally pigeon-holed.

Hi everyone, I'd really appreciate some honest input from people who know the UK mental health and counselling world, because I'm a bit lost on what's realistic here.

My husband is in the final round of interviews with a large UK company, and most probably we'll be moving early next year on his Skilled Worker Visa. I'll be coming as his dependant, so I'll have full work rights from day one, no sponsor needed in my case. We're planning to settle down in the Milton Keynes area (about 40 minutes from London), as my younger sister lives there and we want to be close to family.

I'm an EU citizen with a bachelor's and a master's degree in Psychology. My master's specialisation was in adult clinical and health psychology, and I've done a few extra method-specific trainings on top of that (ACT, Grief Recovery, Strength-Based Coaching, and so on). I'm also fluent in English and Spanish (both around C1) on top of my native language.

Work-wise: I spent 4 years volunteering as a peer counsellor with university students during my studies. After that, I worked for 3 years at a university as a psychologist, supporting the mental health of international students in 1-1 sessions, all in English. Alongside that I've been running my own practice for about 3 years, seeing non-clinical counselling clients in individual sessions in my native language, under supervision. I'm probably somewhere around 2,000 counselling hours by now.

Longer term though, my real dream is to move into perinatal and maternal mental health. I also have a nursing midwife qualification (though my actual healthcare experience is only about two years, as my very first adult job, as a surgical assistant in a private clinic, not in maternity/obstetrics unfortunately). So once I'm through the maternity stage with my own little one, that's the direction I'd love to specialise in eventually. I know that's far away from now, but it's the goal I'm quietly working towards, and I'd love to know if it's actually realistic to get there in the UK.

On the paperwork side: UK ENIC has assessed my qualifications as RQF Level 7, and I'm about to start the GBC process with the BPS.

My main question: once our little boy starts nursery (around age 3) and I come back from maternity leave, do you think I have a realistic shot at any kind of mental-health-support role to start with, as a non-native speaker with solid but not native English and foreign qualifications that are recognised here?

A few specific things I'd love your thoughts on:

1. Would it be worth doing the Level 2, 3 or 4 counselling courses here, even with my background, or would that feel like going backwards and a waste of time and money given where I'm at in terms of experience and qualifications?
2. Realistically, how much does being a non-native English speaker actually matter to UK employers and to clients in this field?
3. Is the NHS Talking Therapies route (e.g. PWP, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner) a sensible entry point for someone with my profile, or are those roles hard to get with overseas qualifications?
4. Are assistant psychologist, honorary or volunteer roles (Mind, Cruse, local charities, etc.) the usual way to get a foot in the door and build UK references, and are they realistic to land in the Milton Keynes and London commuter area?
5. More generally, what's the best way for someone in my position to build credibility here and improve my chances?

I know these are very specific questions, so honestly no worries if you can only weigh in on one or two. And on that note: is there any official body or organisation in the UK where I could book a proper, formal career consultation for this kind of thing? Someone who could look at my background and give me tailored advice on the realistic routes would be a huge help.

Any honest reality checks, "I did exactly this" stories, or "don't bother with X" warnings are very welcome. Thank you for reading this, really appreciate it!