Counselling and psychotherapy

This page has been designed to give a starting point for those looking into careers in counselling and psychotherapy.

• What are careers in counselling and psychotherapy?
• How do I get into it?
• Finding a job or employer in this sector
• Further information and useful links

What are careers in counselling and psychotherapy?

Counsellors help people to explore feelings about their lives so that they can reflect about what is happening to them and consider alternative ways of doing things.

Psychotherapists work with individuals, couples, families and groups to help them overcome a range of psychological and emotional issues. With the client as an active participant, psychotherapists use personal treatment plans and a variety of non-medical-based treatments (Prospects).

How do I get into it?

Counselling is often taken up as a second career. As a result people are frequently working and training at the same time. For this reason, most courses are part-time, usually in the evening or day release.

While the number of opportunities for paid employment in the counselling field is increasing, this by no means meets the demand from those who are professionally trained and many positions are part-time. (BACP).

There is much scope for voluntary work in counselling. Agencies like Relate (relationship counselling), Cruse (bereavement), Phobic Action and many others select and train volunteers for counselling work within their organisations. (BACP).

Demand for counselling services continues to rise, making self employment/freelance work a viable option. Many counsellors have a ‘portfolio’ career combining part-time, voluntary and private work.

• Prospects
  A graduate careers website with job profiles and detailed profiles of the health and social care sectors.
  Types of jobs
  Counsellor
  Psychotherapist
  Industry Insights
  Health and Social Care

• Targetjobs
  Targetjobs is a graduate careers website with the following job sector information:
  Nursing and allied healthcare professions
  Social care

Professional bodies

• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
  Information on training and careers (login required).
• British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
  Information on training as a Psychoanalytic or Psychodynamic Psychotherapist.
• British Psychological Society: Careers, education and training
  Career options, resources, details of courses and training providers.
• The Institute of Psychoanalysis
  Detailed information on training as a Psychoanalyst.

• Look for courses at the university
  See the courses database for University of Brighton courses in this area

Finding a job or employer in this sector

• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
  Has an online job section and information on seeking paid and voluntary employment. (login required)
• Community Care
  This is a magazine for the social care sector. Its website contains a wide range of information about current issues, as well as a jobs page.
• The Guardian
• Harris Hill
  Charity recruitment specialist
• Opportunities
  A public sector recruitment and career development website.
• Public jobs direct
  Temporary and permanent public sector jobs and career advice.

Further information and useful links

• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
  This site includes statements of ethics and codes of practice as well as a public information area.
• British Association of Psychotherapists (BAP)
  BAP has been training Psychoanalytic and Jungian psychotherapists for 60 years. They hold an annual open day for people interested in undertaking training.
• British Psychoanalytic Council
  Information on training options.
• COSCA
  COSCA is a professional body for counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland. Site includes a directory of training courses.
• Counselling books.com
  An extensive annotated bibliography covering research, theory and practical matters in counselling and psychotherapy, psychology and mental health
• UK Council for Psychotherapy
  This site includes information on training and registration.