The Counsellor Training Journey

To begin with, I would like to clarify a point: counselling and psychotherapy ARE regulated, however, not on a statutory level. What this means is that the profession has developed a robust process of voluntary self-regulation. Despite being under no legal obligation to do so, the profession has created frameworks for ensuring ethical practice, standards for training, and mechanisms for accountability. Professional bodies set guidelines and codes of conduct that practitioners are expected to follow, which helps maintain the integrity and professionalism of the field.

In the field of counselling and psychotherapy in the UK, prominent professional bodies include (but are not limited to) the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), the  British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Each of these organisations maintains a register of qualified practitioners who have met their rigorous standards for training and ethical practice. These registers are accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), an independent body accountable to Parliament, which ensures that voluntary registers meet high standards of governance, education, and training. By hosting a PSA-accredited register, these professional bodies provide assurance to the public that their registered practitioners are competent, ethical, and committed to ongoing professional development.

In addition to the efforts of professional bodies, the counselling and psychotherapy profession is moving towards greater standardisation through initiatives like the SCoPEd project. SCoPEd, which stands for Scope of Practice and Education, is a collaborative framework developed by leading organisations to establish clear competencies and practice standards across the profession. This framework defines the core training requirements, skills, and knowledge necessary at different levels of counselling and psychotherapy practice. For you as a student, training courses aligned with the SCoPEd framework provide a transparent pathway towards achieving recognised professional standards, enhancing your career prospects and ensuring consistency in the quality of care you will provide to clients. Our training, being accredited, has been measured against SCoPEd column A to ensure it meets future training standards.

A good starting point is to explain the language around ‘levels’ in counsellor training: when you read about ‘level 2 certificates’ or ‘level 5 diplomas’, we are not talking about the quality of the training, but rather, where the training sits on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF). The RQF includes a list of different levels ranging from entry-level courses through to doctoral degrees. As you move up the levels, the academic expectations become more demanding. So, a level 2 certificate in counselling is equivalent to completing a GCSE and achieving a 4 – 9 (C – A*) grade. Level 3 counsellor training (often a year long) is similar to an A level, whereas our level 5 accredited diploma is equivelent to completing a Higher National Diploma.

Another thing to clarify is the provision of online or self-study courses. Whilst no doubt informative, online training is rarely recognised by professional bodies due to the lack of in-person practical experience essential for counselling. You might complete a full diploma that runs as a distance course and find that certain professional bodies will not recognise it and refuse you membership. Some ‘dual delivery’ courses are more accepted; however, the majority of delivery hours should be in-person and there are still no guarantees; always check before you pay! Self-directed courses, even with assignments, are almost always rejected by membership bodies. This is the reason that all of our core training is in-person.

It is also important to distinguish between counselling and psychotherapy; as the titles are often used interchangeably. Arguably, the therapeutic relationship, rather than the job title, is more relevant to the ‘success’ of therapy – a topic often debated with much nuance and differing opinions. However, the learning pathway is markedly different when compared with counsellor training. Psychotherapy training typically requires a master’s degree and can include higher, doctoral-level study, more personal therapy and a more substantial placement; it is a robust training process. Counsellor training, still significant in commitment, is far more accessible in terms of cost, time, and academic demand, making it a more realistic choice for the majority of trainees. Because we focus our training in psychotherapeutic counselling, the rest of this article will discuss that, rather than including psychotherapy training.

To make things straightforward, it might be helpful to think about counsellor training in terms of stages:

Standardisation doesn’t mean making everything the same. Each training provider has flexibility in structuring their courses, including the sequence of subjects, required personal therapy hours, the therapeutic model they promote, and whether to include a ‘process group.’ This flexibility allows every provider to offer a unique experience, and we believe that’s a positive thing!

When you train with us, you’re joining a programme built on years of experience, student feedback, and a commitment to grow alongside our trainees. For instance, we prioritise ethics, skills, and theory in the first year, based on our understanding of the training process and feedback from past groups. These foundational topics best prepare you for your placement. Meanwhile, counselling research, the personal development assignment, and the final placement portfolio naturally fit within the second year.

From our experience as therapists and though conversations with stakeholders (placement providers, retired lecturers, and senior therapists) we have set personal therapy hours at sixty over the two years. This structure offers steady personal support, a continual opportunity to enhance self-awareness, and a direct experience of what it feels like to be a client.

Beyond personal therapy, we also bring in a process group facilitator on a regular basis. The process group is a confidential space where you can share, challenge, support, and work through the shared experiences of counsellor training. Confidentiality in this group is essential, and our facilitator, a qualified group therapist, does not relay any discussions back to the teaching team.

Our decision to teach integration as a method, rather than endorsing a single established framework, empowers each trainee to develop an approach that is personally meaningful and reflective of who they are. To us, this approach feels modern and progressive.

If you choose Long Valley Therapy Training as your provider, you’ll be joining a community that values growth, authenticity, and a personalised approach to training. Our commitment is to support you in developing a practice that truly reflects who you are, grounded in solid experience and a dedication to continuous learning. We look forward to supporting you on your journey into the transformative work of counselling.