Counsellor : Training

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)  offers an accreditation scheme for counsellors. If you have a qualification from a BACP-accredited training course, you will need to have at least 450 hours of supervised practice, accumulated within three to six years. Other criteria apply if you have a different qualification. More information can be found on the BACP website. All members of the BACP must follow their code of ethics.

Many private, voluntary and charitable counselling organisations also run in-house training schemes that focus on the particular needs of the client group with which they are concerned. They are generally aimed at counsellors already working in these fields or those who wish to add a specialisation to their counselling training.

As with many helping professions, counsellors should be prepared for continuing professional development (CPD) throughout their career. This may include short courses on new therapeutic approaches and possibly progression to MA/MSc or PhD qualifications in counselling. Courses are often self-financing and you may find that part-time training is the only realistic option. Details of the full range of accredited courses available from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP): Training Courses .