Counsellor is not a protected title in the UK, so anyone can call themselves a counsellor, but the counselling profession sees it as unethical to be a counsellor without proper training. Therefore, to become a counsellor who is on the register of any of the national counselling bodies, the following qualifications are usually required:
- The equivalent of a level 4 counselling training course that included 450 guided learning hours, personal or group therapy, and a 100-hour placement seeing clients as a trainee counsellor.
- Level 4 is the equivalent of the first year of a university degree.
- To be accepted onto a level 4 course students need to have already completed level 2 & 3 counselling training (or equivalent).
- Some students start with a level 2 course in counselling and then progress to level 3 and level 4. Others might start with a counselling degree (level 6).
- Continued Professional Development (CPD).
- Counsellors are supposed to be life-long learners who are growing in their knowledge and skills each year.
- Once training is completed, counsellors are expected to regularly learn more about counselling for the rest of their careers. CPD includes training courses, seminars, and reading books and articles on counselling. The BACP recommends at least 30 hours of CPD each year.
- Agreement to an ethical framework.
- Each counselling body in the UK has an ethical framework that its counsellors must follow. You can find a list of all the counselling bodies that are accredited with the Professional Standards Authority here https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/check-practitioners/practitioner/counselor
By Duncan Forbes
255 words