Counselling Courses in Newcastle:
The Definitive Guide
Would you like to explore the possibility of building or advancing your career in counselling?
Explore the variety of counselling courses in Newcastle through our informative guide.
Whether you are a novice or an experienced professional, we have everything you need to make an informed decision about the ideal course for you.
Start taking the next step in your counselling journey today!
1. Counselling in Newcastle
2. Qualifications available
3. Newcastle course providers
4. Classroom Vs Online
5. Why choose Connect?
1. What does counselling in Newcastle look like?
As a counsellor, Newcastle is an incredibly rewarding city to call home and build a career. Known for its fierce sense of community and regional pride, “the Toon” offers a therapeutic landscape that is both gritty and deeply compassionate. With a growing population and a significant regional role as the heart of the North East, the demand for mental health support in Newcastle is substantial. This provides a wealth of opportunities for counsellors, whether you are interested in working with the city’s large student population, its diverse urban communities, or within the established clinical frameworks of the NHS and local charities.
Moreover, Newcastle is home to a robust network of mental health services and professional communities. The city is famous for its warmth and welcoming residents, offering a supportive atmosphere that extends into the professional sector. Beyond the consulting room, Newcastle offers an exceptional quality of life, from the bustling Quayside to the peaceful nearby coastlines of Tynemouth and the rugged beauty of Northumberland. For a counsellor, this balance of vibrant city life and access to nature provides an ideal environment for maintaining your own wellbeing while helping others.
Let’s explore some specific reasons why you should consider training and working as a counsellor in Newcastle.
Mental health has become a major strategic priority for Newcastle. In recent years, local authorities and healthcare trusts have launched ambitious initiatives to ensure that mental health support is as accessible as physical healthcare. The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recently launched its first dedicated mental health strategy, a collaborative effort designed to integrate psychological wellbeing into every aspect of patient care. This city-wide commitment is part of a broader push to tackle the specific health inequalities found in the North East, ensuring that support reaches the most vulnerable groups in society.
The city is supported by a sophisticated network where the NHS, private organisations, and local charities work hand-in-hand. This collaborative spirit is best seen in the way local providers partner with national bodies to provide a seamless “stepped-care” model. For a qualified counsellor, this means Newcastle offers a stable and evolving professional landscape with abundant job opportunities and a wealth of clinical resources. There is a genuine opportunity here to make a lasting difference in a community that values resilience and mutual support.
Newcastle offers a wide range of opportunities for counsellors to specialise and find their niche. Whether you are passionate about working with young people, supporting the LGBT+ community, or addressing complex trauma, the city’s infrastructure supports a diverse range of practices.
Here are a few key organisations that define Newcastle’s counselling landscape:
- NHS Newcastle Talking Therapies: Provided by the Vita Health Group, this is the primary NHS gateway for adults in Newcastle, offering short-term talking therapies for anxiety and depression.
- Anxious Minds: A high-profile North East charity that provides low-cost, long-term counselling and support groups, filling a vital gap for those who need more than short-term intervention.
- Select Psychology: A leading private provider based in Gosforth, offering a wide range of evidence-based therapies and providing excellent opportunities for practitioners in private practice.
- Newcastle City Learning: While a training provider, they are deeply involved in community wellbeing, offering introductory counselling courses that act as a bridge for many local residents.
- Mindful Therapies: Based in the city centre, this social enterprise offers a range of mindfulness-based counselling and workshops, focusing on making mental health support accessible to everyone.
- Northern Guild: An esteemed specialist provider in Jesmond that offers high-level psychotherapy and counselling, as well as being a hub for clinical supervision.
- Streetwise: A long-standing charity that provides free and confidential information, advice, and counselling for young people aged 11–25 in Newcastle.
2. What qualifications are available to me?
Now, you might be asking yourself, what qualifications do I need to work as a counsellor in Newcastle?
And the answer is… technically, none at all! Yes, you read that right! Unfortunately, counselling has yet to become a regulated profession in the UK, which means anyone can start working as a counsellor in Newcastle. But before you get too excited, this is certainly not something that is recommended.
Counselling is a challenging profession, and you’ll often be dealing with sensitive issues and situations. So, it’s recommended that you undertake training to ensure that you have the right skills and experience to deal with these effectively. Also, these days, counselling agencies and clients are increasingly seeking out counsellors who have a qualification accredited by a professional body, so that they can be sure the counsellor has undertaken the right training.
There are two major professional counselling bodies in the UK, the BACP and the NCS. And fortunately, there is a choice of qualifications accredited by both of these bodies on offer in Newcastle! Let’s take a closer look at these two options.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
The BACP is the larger of the two professional bodies. Its members have to undertake rigorous training and adhere to high ethical standards, and, as a result, BACP membership is highly valued and recognised in the counselling world.
To become a BACP member, there are certain criteria that you have to meet, one of which is taking an approved practitioner course. To demonstrate the amount of training that is required to complete an approved practitioner course, let’s look at a specific pathway that can be used to attain membership to the BACP. This pathway involves taking a series of CPCAB-accredited courses:
CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills. Total qualification time = 170 hours
CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies. Total qualification time = 196 hours
CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. Total qualification time = 1,204 hours
As these courses are typically taught on a part-time basis, you can expect to take at least three to four years to complete a BACP-accredited qualification, such as the one above. Several different providers offer counselling courses in Newcastle that will allow you to gain membership to the BACP. Hang tight; we’ll come to these soon.
The National Counselling Society (NCS)
Whilst the NCS is smaller than the BACP, it is also seen as a reputable professional body in the UK, and NCS membership is still a great stamp to have as a practising counsellor. Like the BACP, the NCS requires its members to meet certain criteria, which also include comprehensive training via an approved practitioner course.
There are a few different providers of counselling courses in Newcastle that offer NCS-approved courses. We’ll come to these shortly.
At Astranti Connect, we believe a BACP-approved qualification is the best option for those aspiring to become professional counsellors. You can read why this is in our definitive guide to counselling qualifications.
Other options
Finally, a few different counselling course providers in Newcastle offer qualifications that do not fall into either of the two categories above.
This includes short courses, which could be a good option if you don’t plan to practise as a counsellor and, instead, you’re just looking to pick up some counselling skills to help with another professional role or for your own personal development. Some of these short courses may also give you a qualification that could contribute towards BACP or NCS membership if you choose to study further in the future.
3. Newcastle counselling course providers
Newcastle is an educational powerhouse for the North of England, offering some of the most respected counselling training in the country. From large-scale colleges to intimate specialist institutes, you can find a pathway that suits your academic level and professional ambitions.
So, let’s dive in and explore the main options!
Universities and colleges
For many in Newcastle, the journey begins at one of the city’s major educational institutions, which offer a structured and academically rigorous environment.
- Newcastle College: Based at the Rye Hill Campus, Newcastle College is a major provider of vocational training. They offer a clear progression route starting with the NCFE Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills. This is an ideal starting point for those looking to build a foundation before moving on to their Level 3 and eventually their degree-level qualifications.
- Tyne Metropolitan College: Serving the wider Tyneside area, TyneMet offers a Pearson BTEC HNC Level 4 in Counselling & Applied Psychology. This course is particularly notable for being aligned with BACP guidelines and is delivered part-time over two years, making it a popular choice for adult learners balancing work and study.
- Newcastle City Learning: Operating out of several community hubs, they specialise in NCFE-accredited Level 2 and Level 3 courses. These are perfect for those who want to study in a supportive, community-focused environment before committing to long-term professional diplomas.
Specialist providers
But we’re not finished there! Not only are there a variety of universities and colleges to choose from, but there are also some specialist providers of counselling courses in the Newcastle area.
If you are looking for a training experience that is deeply immersed in the world of private practice and specialist psychotherapy, Newcastle has several renowned options.
- Northern Guild Psychotherapy & Counselling: Located in Jesmond, the Northern Guild is one of the most prestigious specialist providers in the North. They offer BACP-accredited diplomas in Psychotherapeutic Counselling and specialised training for working with children and adolescents. Their training is famously rigorous, often involving weekend or evening delivery to suit professionals.
- Therapy North: A specialist provider that has permission to deliver CPCAB-accredited qualifications. They are highly regarded for their focus on the “Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling,” which is the professional standard for those wishing to enter private practice or agency work.
- Astranti Connect: We have a strong presence in the North East, providing a modern alternative for Newcastle-based students. We focus exclusively on the CPCAB pathway, which we believe is the most robust route to BACP membership. Our “live” online delivery is specifically designed to meet the face-to-face training requirements of professional bodies while offering the flexibility that modern life in Newcastle demands. With our tutors being active practitioners, we bridge the gap between classroom theory and the reality of the Newcastle counselling market.
4. Classroom vs Online: what should you choose?
That’s a great question, and the answer really depends on what you want to achieve with your counselling aspirations. Just like choosing the right qualification and training provider, it’s important to pick the right type of counselling course to suit your goals.
If your aim is to join a professional counselling body like the BACP or NCS, you should know that a significant amount of your training hours will need to be in person. For instance, with the CPCAB pathway to BACP membership that we discussed earlier, you can take the Level 2 and Level 3 courses online, but 75% of the Level 4 course has to be taught in person.
This means that to qualify for BACP or NCS membership, you will need a mix of both online and classroom training or just classroom training if that’s what you prefer. Whilst some course providers offer online-only Level 4 courses, these won’t qualify you for BACP or NCS membership – something to watch out for!
It’s also important to note that any online courses you take must be live, such as over Zoom, in order to contribute towards BACP or NCS membership. This is because these professional bodies do not believe self-directed learning will allow you to develop the practical skills you need to be successful as a counsellor. Instead, it’s important that you can interact with your tutors and fellow students.
So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of online-only or blended online-and-classroom counselling courses?
The advantages of online counselling courses:
- More flexibility
- Location less of a barrier
- Could save some money
The disadvantages of online counselling courses:
- Possible technical difficulties
- Potential for greater distractions
- Limited social interaction
- Don’t always lead to membership of professional bodies
There’s no “right” decision when it comes to the choice between online, in-classroom and blended counselling courses. You should make your decision based on your preferred learning style and personal circumstances. If you’d like more information to help you with your decision, you can read our definitive guide to online counselling courses.
5. Why join a Connect course?
So, why do we think you should study with us?
We have experienced tutors
Connect tutors are all qualified counsellors with experience in teaching. Many are also practising counsellors and, when they aren’t teaching our classes, they continue to work with their own clients. Our tutors have a wealth of relevant, real-life experience and strong ties with the local counselling community.
We specialise in counselling
We have over 15 years of experience in counselling training and, unlike universities and colleges which offer a broad range of courses, our expertise and knowledge are focused on a small number of subject areas.
We are a national provider with centres across the country
If you’re not set on completing your counselling courses in Bristol, but you’d like to take part in one of our classroom counselling courses, we also have counselling hubs in Devon, Wiltshire, Norwich, Sheffield and Manchester. This also means you don’t have to be tied to one area throughout the course of your studies! We also have online options for Levels 2 and 3 and our post-qualification courses, offering additional flexibility. You can check out our full range of courses here.
We have a high Trustpilot rating
We are renowned as a high-quality training provider, as you can see from our excellent Trustpilot rating and reviews!
We have limited class sizes
Both our online and in-person courses have a maximum size of 16-18 people. This offers a great balance between plenty of tutor interaction and support and working and practising with a diverse range of people.
You will get access to our online community
We have an active online community, allowing you to learn from other students and support each other in your studies.
Our students must pass pre-course assessments
This helps to ensure our courses run as smoothly as possible, and you can rest assured that you and your fellow students are well-suited to the course.
We provide courses for Levels 2 to 6
This means once you pass one course, you can move on to another! Completing our Levels 2, 3 and 4 courses sets you up to apply for BACP membership to become a qualified, professional counsellor.
Our CPD Seminar Subscription comes free with our CPCAB courses
Twice a month our own tutors or expert guest speakers host live online seminars, each focusing on a new interesting topic in the world of counselling. From ‘Exploring Sexual Diversity’ to ‘What Star Wars Can Teach Us About Right and Wrong’, there’s something for everyone.
When you join a Connect course, you’ll have access to our live seminars and full bank of recorded sessions for the duration of your course.
Our Connect courses
Whether you’ve decided a classroom or online course is best for you, we have lots of course options available to suit your needs!
If you want to train with Astranti Connect from Newcastle, check out our online courses here:
Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
All of our courses are approved by the CPCAB, and completing the Level 4 Diploma provides a pathway to BACP membership. It also forms part of the CPCAB Open University Foundation Degree if you’d like to come away with a degree at the end of your studies.
Looking for more flexibility? Then we also offer live daytime and evening online courses for Levels 2 and 3 (remember, these can be done online as long as they’re live, but the majority of Level 4 must be completed in a classroom to qualify for BACP membership!).
Once you’ve completed level 4, we also have a Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling and a Level 6 Certificate in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision – because many counsellors want to progress to run their own practice, or become supervisors, and these courses give you the skills to achieve both of these ambitions.
And, if you’re looking to complete your counselling courses elsewhere, we have hubs located all over the UK! Find our full range of courses here.
Want to talk to someone about your next course options?
If you have any questions about Astranti Connect’s counselling courses in Newcastle, you can have a free 1-2-1 call with one of our Connect student advisors!
Head to your relevant course page below to book yours:
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