The BPC accredits a range of courses designed to help you progress, whatever your stage of career. All their accredited trainings meet high standards, and are usually a total of four years. Based on psychoanalytic theory, they include supervised practice and extensive personal psychoanalysis or psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
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If you’re thinking about becoming a counsellor, or if you’ve already qualified and are looking to specialise or build on your knowledge and skills, the NCPS has a list of assessed and verified courses throughout the UK.
Qualification courses accredited by the British Association of Play Therapists are post-graduate level and it is usual for trainees to hold a first qualification in either teaching, social work, occupational therapy or other related field and to have extensive experience of working with children.
Training to become a counsellor/psychotherapist can take three to four years. Counselling and psychotherapy can be deeply rewarding professions, however they are not suited to everyone, so it is important that you test out whether becoming a therapist is the right choice for you.
Find out the training route to qualify as a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist (CAPT) with this useful guide from the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP).
Creating and maintaining a career plan can be overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you measure it? What can you do to stay motivated? That’s where career goals can help.
Therapy Expo is an event for professionals in therapy, exercise and rehabilitation.
Date: 26 - 27 November 2025
Location: NEC Birmingham
Cost: Early Bird Rate £125 +VAT (available until Weds 30 April)
Welcome to Europe’s largest trauma, mental health and wellbeing conference. Early bird sale ends 31st May!
Date: 28th - 30th September 2025
Location: Oxford or Online
Cost: £750 in-person ticket or £300 virtual ticket
This award-winning free online course aims to introduce learners to the use of counselling skills in everyday life and work.
Duration: 6 - 12 weeks
Hours: 5 - 10 hours per week
Location: Online
Cost: FREE (100% Government Funded)
