r/UKTherapists

I'm at a crunch decision point! I've been offered a place on a postgraduate counselling programme (Column C) and also considering a Level 4 CPCAB Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Column A). I did Levels 2 and 3.

I'm 56, obviously don't have (nor want) a massive career at this point. My goal is part time private practice during my sixties.

However, I'm genuinely trying to understand what my best route is. The cost of the post grad is eye-watering overall, and it will be a lot of study/involvement that will impact on my ability to work throughout - but it will be dynamic and stimulating.

Level 4 - I would go with the same provider, as they were great, but the process will follow the same formula, and the training won't be as robust. I might be bored. But it is more vocational, which is no bad thing.

But importantly, I'm genuinely trying to understand where the profession is heading. With SCoPEd now adopted, I'd love to hear from practitioners at different levels and columns:

Is Column A becoming a ceiling rather than a foundation? Are you seeing it limit (or start to limit) access to EAP panels, referral pathways, or client work in practice? Or is it still a perfectly viable route into private practice?

Honest experiences and opinions welcome. I'd rather know now than find out two years into training.

I'm right at the beginning of my journey, and looking at beginning training, starting with an accredited Counselling pathway.

I live in Norwich and it seems like the only BACP accredited course nearby is provided by The Norwich Centre. (I don't drive, so location is important). Their focus tends to be on the client-focused approach. I like this approach, but would love to expand in future.

https://www.norwichcentre.org/

My own therapist studied in London, and has told me that the Norwich Centre course looks ok, although potentially a little vague/narrow in focus.

The "levels" don't seem to fit with what I've seen elsewhere. Their diploma is listed as "Level 7" and "MA equivalent" where most other diplomas are listed as "Level 4" and lead on to an Masters' later.

My goal is to (eventually) operate as a private practitioner, and possibly to move towards a doctorate in time.

Do you think this course would be a decent starting point for me, or am I shooting myself in the foot by choosing a person-centred Counselling course like this one? I appreciate any perspectives.

If so, I’d love to hear how you experience the juxtaposition of the person-centred philosophy and the NHS medical model.

How do you keep track with your supervisor of which clients you are continually bringing to supervision if you can’t use names? In terms of how do you ensure your supervisor is aware you’re bringing the client up who you’ve brought up each time etc.

For many long term clients, the therapist will repeatedly bring certain clients up, but it just seems quite disjointed to be like “so this client, the one we’ve spoke about about xyz”. Do you ever use code names so the supervisor can keep track?

Disabled counselling trainees are being blocked from qualifying because some professional bodies refuse online placements as a reasonable adjustment even when trainees are fully capable of practising safely and ethically online.

What makes this harder to justify is that some SCoPEd-aligned bodies do allow online placements as reasonable adjustments, while others don’t.

This isn’t about lowering standards. It’s about equal access to qualification and whether disabled trainees are being unfairly excluded from the profession.

If you’re a trainee, therapist, tutor, supervisor, placement provider, or disabled professional or anyone affected in our profession please read, sign and share:

https://openletter.earth/demanding-equality-for-disabled-counselling-trainees-376b2817

The profession needs to talk about this.

Ok lovely people.

Taking the plunge into an MA and/or PGDip and looking for people's experiences as students of:

- Goldsmiths

- London Metropolitan

- University of East London

- Roehampton

Especially looking for experiences with Goldsmiths and London Met as I can't find anything from former or current students on the internet about it.

Specifically looking for feedback on course intensity, academic loads, modalities, and teaching. I'm going into this degree with M.E./CFS and I've been advised against it because it could make me worse. However, I'm determined to do it in 2 years but without completely burning myself out. For context, my aim is private practice abroad (SE Asia hopefully) straight after graduation, with the appropriate clients. This part has been worked out, purely curious about people's experience at the mentioned unis.

(REPOST as prev post didn't get much traction)

I’m looking at leaving my current role as a counsellor in education… for BetterHelp. We are being forced to do roles outside of our remit, things that create dual roles, and create power dynamics and are damaging to the boundaries that we should have in place. We wrote to the director to voice our concerns and were met with a complete lack of understanding and/or care, and basically shut down and told to get on with it.
I know there are different concerns around BetterHelp, but it feels like at this moment, the pros of going with them (autonomy, flexibile schedule, remote, no dual roles, and believe it or not, better pay) outweighs the pros of my current role (holidays, colleagues, and paid bacp registration and supervision).

Has anyone else had any similar experiences? I wouldn’t be looking to work for them forever, but I feel like it would also give me the flexibility to look at building my own PP up to then eventually fade the BH work out? I also wonder if anyone who has worked for them from the UK has any knowledge on how successful it has been in terms of doing sessions in the morning, or is it more so evening work?

Hi everyone, I’ve recently been offered a place on the MSc Cognitive Behavioural Therapy course at Goldsmiths University and I understand that I’ll need to find a placement as part of the course. I’m also considering studying Integrative Psychotherapy, which would also require a placement, so I’m trying to understand which route might be more realistic in terms of finding one. I’m a bit worried about how difficult it might be to secure a suitable placement, and I’m trying to decide whether accepting the CBT offer is realistic if placements are hard to find. Does anyone have experience with finding placements for CBT or Integrative Psychotherapy training? I’d be really grateful for any advice on which placements are generally easier to find, what kinds of roles or organisations I should be looking at, and whether there are any specific job titles, services, or settings that might be suitable. Thank you!

I want to raise concerns about how inaccessible the CPCAB counselling pathway can feel for neurodivergent and disabled students.

Throughout Levels 2 and 3, there were extremely long classroom sessions where students were expected to remain on camera at all times, even during periods of overstimulation. Requests to briefly turn cameras off were sometimes refused. There was also heavy emphasis on constant group participation, emotional check-ins, eye contact, and neurotypical social behaviours, despite some students experiencing alexithymia, autism, ADHD, or sensory difficulties. I also witnessed one student whose nervous system had recently collapsed due to neurodegeneration being told to keep her camera on.

The overall structure of the counselling pathway also feels unnecessarily confusing and financially risky. It is very difficult to clearly understand from the website exactly how qualification, placement hours, accreditation, and progression work. Students are encouraged to apply for Level 4 before finishing Level 3, yet information about local placement availability often only becomes visible after paying thousands of pounds for the course.

For people living in rural areas, disabled students, or those with limited finances, the barriers become even greater. Many agencies have no placement availability, yet this reality is discovered too late in the process. The expectation of 100+ unpaid volunteering hours, extensive admin requirements, and large amounts of paperwork can also become overwhelming. The paperwork is also heavily convoluted requiring the production and tracking of hundreds of files and their completion in a non-linear order.

One major question I have is: why are Levels 2 and 3 allowed online, but Level 4 is not? I have yet to see convincing evidence why “embodied empathy” cannot be assessed effectively through supervised online learning and skills work.

Counselling should be a profession that understands neurodiversity and accessibility. At the moment, parts of the training system feel built primarily around neurotypical norms, financial privilege, and geographical luck.

I also want to kindly request that fellow disabled and neurodivergent candidates write their experiences here so that the problem becomes visible.

First time in 10 years of working that I am having zero client enquiries. I love my job and done so much professionally but I am genuinely worried about my future now. Seriously thinking of alternative work and trying to come to terms with that and saying goodbye to what I love doing. I can’t make financial ends meet anymore.

Ok lovely people.

Taking the plunge into an MA and/or PGDip and looking for people's experiences as students of:

- Goldsmiths

- London Metropolitan

- University of East London

- Roehampton

Especially looking for experiences with Goldsmiths and London Met as I can't find anything from former or current students on the internet about it.

Specifically looking for feedback on course intensity, academic loads, modalities, and teaching. I'm going into this degree with M.E./CFS and I've been advised against it because it could make me worse. However, I'm determined to do it in 2 years but without completely burning myself out. For context, my aim is private practice abroad (SE Asia hopefully) straight after graduation, with the appropriate clients.

Hi everyone. Starting my lvl4 training in September. The two-year programme, including placements and counselling is around £6.5k. They're a reputable provider and have great reviews.

The question is around feasibility of getting regular work. I've kept my expectations low and aim for around a day per work post-graduation. After speaking to a few counsellors, with their experiences in finding clients being challenging. Those that have some regular business, mentioned spending months working up to a few clients and connstant marketing / promotion (seems obvious) to help keep buoyant. One has spent the last two years working as a tutor, training more counsellors as she attempts to build up her client list. They attribute this to a saturation of counsellors and the cost of living, with people less willing to spend.

I have been informed that as a man who has experience /expertise in masculinity, working with men I may be somewhat in demand.

I need to be pragmatic and ensure I get a return on my investment. It's a business decision, as well as one of passion. Although I love the thought of working in counselling, I have to think of the return on investment.

Please let me have your opinions on the profession now. I'd love to hear your views on building up your business and the struggles (if any). Also, whether as a man, I may sit within a niche area (a doubled-edged sword? As men can often be less inclined to seek support).

Thank you.

Hi all...

I've been accepted on to a diploma course in Psychodynamic counselling. Supervision and counselling client hours included. Just need to pay for the course and personal therapy fees.

However, I have this gut-wrenching feeling of dread at the idea of doing it. I had my psychological assessment with a psychoanalyst as part of the application process. I just bared all in as much detail as was possible in the hour and a half session - the school encouraged full transparency. The report made on me and my experiences felt contrary to the insights already gleaned from my own long-term therapy sessions and extensive inner work. It felt like it was undoing the sense of healing and self-acceptance I'd already established so far. I kind of expected that to happen, but it's made me feel unsure of whether I want to spend 3 years training in a modality that I find quite cerebral and cold.

I was going to opt to do person-centred, but the school I considered doesn't include supervision or any counselling hours to accrue for BACP accreditation. I had already done the certificate in Psychodynamic with the same school I've applied for the diploma with.

I've been a working medium for the past 10 years and just wanted to explore a deeper understanding of myself and others to complement my spiritual practices.

However, being totally honest, I like my freedom and I trust myself enough to let life experience be my teacher rather than a ccourse. At the same time, I'm not ignorant of how transformative it could be. A therapist gave advice and said, just tick the boxes and jump through their hoops and once qualified you can work how you want. They said working from a more spiritual vantage point is quite a niche area and meets a demand that is sought after but often not provided. They also said unfortunately, there is a lot of dysfunction in the training and working world of therapy.

I've sampled and tried and tested so many different careers and it always comes back to helping and guiding others in some shape or form with whatever life experience I have to this point to aid me in doing that.

But I don't want to lose myself in this course. I have a friend who is doing the same course now. The experiential sessions are leaving her feeling crazed and going through ups and downs that leave her in tears. I get this can be part of self-awareness, but I have been involved myself in years and years of deep diving and self-confrontation and you get to this point where you realise it starts to feel damaging to keep questioning yourself...you start to want to just commit to learning to accept, appreciate and trust yourself...warts and all. My friend says she feels gaslit, as though her deepest inner knowing and feeling about herself and her experiences gets questioned and shredded to pieces...she said she feels like vultures are picking at her like a piece of meat.

I know her experience won't necessarily be my experience, but I'm anxious of this course gearing me backwards into a hole instead of forwards towards the light, so to speak.

I have been feeling better about myself than ever at this point, and as the application process progressed towards the offer, I started to feel this feeling of that sense of appreciation for myself becoming threatened.

It can be difficult to discern between resistance and genuine intuition sometimes. However, one thing I have learned, is that when there is something we really want and are truly on board with, you get a full body "hell yes!" feeling about it and go for it even with knowing the potentially tough aspects of whatever it is.

Perhaps this is just my resistance to something. My gut just feels like it's saying you're afraid by not doing this course you won't be qualified enough or financially stable enough or secure enough in a vocation...so it feels scarier to not do it...but doing it feels like I'm doing something my heart is not truly on board with.

My passion is my spiritual work and pursuits, counselling was an option for a complementary side vocation for baseline earning while I developed other elements unfolding in my life...but I'm unsure it provides that security, having researched. I have been out of work for two years now due to studying and working in mediumship. It's very tricky to describe my life unfoldment CV-wise without the fear of seeming like an inexperienced drifter, despite making very conscious decisions.

I just seem to always find myself counselling or teaching others in some way. Every other job I have tried has left me unusually drained. I seem to have energy counselling for others.

As you can tell...in a bit of a mental muddle.

Any thoughts or perspectives could be helpful and are greatly appreciated 🙏🏼

Take care.

Looking for advice around becoming a counsellor/psychotherapist. I am about to qualify as an Occupational Therapist but have always been drawn to a career in counselling or psychotherapy. I haven’t decided on an approach I’d like to start in but drawn to EMDR, DBT and internal family systems. I’d like the option to work in the NHS and privately.

A university near me offers an MSC in counselling/psychotherapy but is this the best option? What other routes are available to me. Would I have to complete level 2 certificate if I have an AHP background?

Hi everyone!

Currently trying to make the right decision for myself on whether to go ahead with a diploma as an integrative psychotherapist with a UKCP accreditation. I’m quite surprised by the how many people are saying that earning under £30k is what to expect after becoming a psychotherapist. I’ve heard that many people go onto do a degree without the motivation to get a full practice running and was hoping that if I was motivated to run a full practice and earn excess of £40k then that would be possible. I know it feels a little crude talking so openly about money but lets be candid for a moment! If for a moment we could assume anyone wanting to become a psychotherapist is doing it to help people and not to be a driving their convertible to ascot and go flying on the weekends. I’d like one day to have a family and to buy a house and am hoping they after 6 years of study this would be possible if I was organised and motivated!

Would be great to hear from people’s experiences running a private practice if you feel comfortable sharing on here

All the best x

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I’m setting up working remotely and wondered if there’s anything different you use to get yourself comfortable giving therapy at home. Do you use large monitors, an extra comfy arm chair, headphones? Or just off your iPad and in a quiet room?
Keen to hear any and all online therapy set up. TIA

Hi,

I'm currently at the beginning of my retraining journey as a therapist, and am Black and part of the LGBTIQ+ community. I'm wondering about the income of a newly qualified therapist practising privately versus an experienced therapist, and I want to hear from Black people about their experiences, particularly Black women. I've seen a lot of people on here talk about income depending on the population you work with, and I want to work with LGBTIQ+ people of colour, which is quite different from the vast majority of therapists in the UK.

It'd be great to hear how other Black people (cis, straight, or queer) navigate private practice and delivering therapy, and the type of income you make and how you get by.

I have an offer from both these universities. But I’m confused since I find Bangor’s course structure better and more integrative but Derby is accredited.

I guess what my question is that if I were to choose Bangor what are the additional steps I would have to take to be a BACP member?

Any other input or suggestions would also be appreciated.

Thank you