Counselling Courses in Liverpool
The Definitive Guide
Are you interested in pursuing or developing a career in counselling?
Discover the range of counselling courses Liverpool has to offer with our informative guide.
From beginner to experienced practitioner, we’ve got you covered with all the essential details you need to choose the right course for you.
Take the next step on your counselling journey today!
1. Counselling in Liverpool
2. Qualifications available
3. Liverpool course providers
4. Classroom Vs Online
5. Why choose Connect?
1. What does counselling in Liverpool look like?
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Considering a career in counselling in Liverpool? Here’s a snapshot of the vibrant counselling scene in this iconic city that’s home to the Beetles!
Liverpool is celebrated for its cultural diversity and strong community spirit. The city is bustling with a range of neighbourhoods, each offering unique opportunities to connect and make a meaningful impact. As a counsellor in Liverpool, you’ll find a rich tapestry of experiences, working with people from all walks of life and collaborating with a supportive network of mental health professionals. Plus, Liverpool’s rich industrial heritage and dynamic urban environment provide a stimulating backdrop for personal and professional growth.
Discover why Liverpool stands out as a prime location to pursue your counselling training and career.
There is a rising demand for mental health services in Liverpool. As the city continues to attract residents and visitors alike, there is a growing recognition of the need to enhance mental health support across the region. Factors such as the pandemic have underscored the importance of addressing mental health challenges promptly and effectively. This presents an opportunity for skilled mental health professionals, including counsellors, to contribute significantly to the well-being of Liverpool’s community.
There is a strong focus on mental health in Liverpool. Efforts are underway to improve community mental health care, with initiatives aimed at reducing wait times and bridging service gaps. The NHS Community Mental Health Framework is actively working towards these goals, striving to offer seamless mental health care experiences for Liverpool residents. Additionally, the formation of partnerships like the Liverpool City Council Department of Public Health Community and LCVS charity demonstrates a concerted effort to enhance service accessibility and identify innovative support avenues.
There is a large surge in job openings for qualified counsellors in Liverpool, accompanied by ample resources and robust support networks for mental health practitioners. Across the city, a diverse array of organisations and charities provide counselling services tailored to various demographics and needs. Whether you prefer urban or suburban settings, working with specific age groups or communities, Liverpool offers a plethora of counselling opportunities.
Among the organisations offering counselling services in Liverpool are:
- The Brain Charity is a local mental health charity catering to individuals across the city.
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, which provides comprehensive mental health services to Liverpool residents.
- Plus, numerous local charities and private practices contribute significantly to the mental health landscape in Liverpool, offering counselling and support to those in need.
And besides these, there are many more local charities, NHS organisations and private practices that are doing important work to improve mental health in the Liverpool area. You can also find various providers of counselling courses in Liverpool to kickstart your career in this rewarding area. More on these below!
Liverpool CPCAB Level 4 Fast Track Course – September 2024
Enrolment for our Liverpool-based CPCAB Level 4 fast track course is now open!
Become a qualified counsellor in just two years with our part-time course, consisting of 60 live sessions spread across two years.
2. What qualifications are available to me?
If Liverpool sounds like the place to start your career in counselling, the good news is that there are a few different options available to help you get going.
But, before we get stuck in, we should quickly take some time to clear up the difference between what you need to do and should do to start working as a counsellor in Liverpool.
You might be surprised to know that anyone can call themselves a counsellor and start working with clients – without any qualifications at all! This is because counselling is not yet legally regulated as a profession in the UK. Hopefully, you can see that this isn’t a great idea, though!
As a counsellor, you will be faced with challenging and sensitive situations, and, as such, it’s strongly advised that you undertake an appropriate qualification to ensure that you have the right skills and knowledge to handle these effectively. It’s also worth noting that employers and clients are increasingly seeking out counsellors with a qualification accredited by a professional body. This is because this accreditation process provides assurance that the counsellor has undertaken rigorous training and meets certain standards.
In the UK, there are two major professional bodies for counselling, and qualifications accredited by both of these are on offer in the Liverpool area. Let’s have a look at these two bodies.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
The BACP is the larger of the two bodies and, in fact, the largest professional body for counselling in the UK. The BACP has a reputation for upholding high ethical standards amongst its members. As such, BACP membership is a distinguishing mark that will help you to find employment and clients in the Liverpool counselling market.
So, how does one become a BACP member? Well, for this, you need to meet specific criteria – one of which is completing an approved core practitioner qualification. One example of a qualification pathway that can be used to gain BACP members is to undertake a series of CPCAB-accredited courses. We’ll use this pathway to illustrate the amount of study that is required to obtain BACP membership.
So, to qualify for BACP membership via the CPCAB qualification route, you need to have completed the:
CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills – requires 170 hours of study
CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies – requires 196 hours of study
CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling – requires 1,204 hours of study
There are a few providers that have BACP-accredited counselling courses in Liverpool – we’ll get to these shortly!
The National Counselling Society (NCS)
The NCS is the other major professional body for counselling in the UK. Similar to the BACP, you are required to meet specific criteria in order to gain membership to the NCS body. There are several providers that offer NCS-accredited counselling courses in Liverpool – we’ll look at these in just a moment!
At Astranti Connect, we believe BACP membership is the better option of the two. You can read why we think this in our definitive guide to counselling qualifications.
Other options
If you do not intend to work as a counsellor – perhaps you’re looking to pick up some counselling skills for another professional role or for your own personal development – then undertaking a qualification to gain membership to a professional body might feel like a bit too much!
If this is the case, there are a few more options for counselling courses in Liverpool that you may wish to consider. Various organisations and individuals offer short counselling courses in Liverpool, some of which provide you with a short qualification that could contribute to BACP or NCS membership in the future if you decide to study further. Others are not accredited, however, and it’s important to keep in mind that this means their quality may not have been checked by an external organisation.
3. Liverpool counselling course providers
In Liverpool, you’ll find many counselling course providers catering to various preferences and aspirations within the field of counselling. Your choice will depend on factors such as location, interests, and career goals.
Let’s explore the main options available:
Universities and Colleges
Liverpool boasts several universities and colleges offering counselling courses, alongside a range of other disciplines. These institutions often feature expansive campuses and bustling student communities, providing opportunities for diverse extracurricular engagements.
If you value a vibrant student life, these options might align with your preferences.
Some notable institutions in Liverpool offering counselling courses include:
- Liverpool John Moores University offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in counselling psychology.
- Edge Hill University offers a counselling and psychology BA course as part of its psychology programmes.
- Riverside College has a range of counselling certificates to degree-level courses.
- Wirral Met offers a range of counselling courses from levels 2 to 4.
- The City of Liverpool College and Knowsley Community College offer a level 2 counselling skills course.
Specialist providers
Liverpool is also home to specialised counselling training providers, offering focused courses tailored exclusively to counselling and therapy.
These providers offer smaller class sizes, fostering closer interaction with faculty members and a more supportive learning environment. Many tutors continue to practice as counsellors, facilitating valuable connections within the local counselling community.
Discover specialist counselling training providers in Liverpool, including:
- Astranti Connect delivers a wide range of accredited counselling courses from levels 2-6
- Compass Training offers a selected few counselling courses for levels 2 and 3
- RASA Merseyside provides level 2 to 4 counselling courses
- Jo Edwards Training offers counselling courses in levels 4-5
4. Classroom vs Online: what should you choose?
You may have noticed that some of these counselling training providers in Liverpool offer both online and in-classroom courses. So, which one should you choose?
Well, unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question. Like choosing the best qualification and training provider, it really depends on your personal circumstances and what your counselling aspirations are!
But let us take you through some of the key considerations to help you make your decision.
Firstly, it’s important to be aware that if you want to be able to join a professional counselling body, such as the BACP or NCS, a large proportion of your training will have to be in a classroom.
To illustrate how this works, let’s return to our earlier example – the CPCAB pathway to BACP membership. For this qualification pathway, the Level 2 and 3 courses can be taken online, but 75% of the Level 4 course (which is, by far, the largest of the three levels) has to be taught in person.
So, if you want to become a member of the BACP or NCS at the end of your studies, you will need to choose either a blend of online and classroom or just classroom-based training – whichever you prefer! It’s important to note that some course providers offer online-only Level 4 courses, BUT you won’t be able to apply for BACP or NCS membership using these qualifications.
It’s also important to be aware that, to qualify for BACP and NCS membership, any online courses that you need to take need to be taught live over a video conferencing platform. This is because the professional bodies do not believe that students will be able to learn the necessary practical skills to become a counsellor via self-directed learning. Instead, they want to see that you have been able to interact and practise with your tutors and fellow students.
So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of taking an online-only or blended online and classroom counselling course?
The benefits of online counselling courses:
- A greater degree of flexibility
- Access to courses outside of your local area
- Reduced costs
The drawbacks of online counselling courses:
- Could experience technical difficulties
- More distractions at home
- May lose some social interaction
- You need to choose the right online course carefully!
All-in-all, there’s no right answer when it comes to a decision between classroom-only, blended or online-only counselling courses. It comes down to your own personal circumstances and preferences, and you should choose the best format for your goals and needs.
We have more information on this subject in our definitive guide to online counselling courses.
5. Connect courses
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 Devon, but you’d like to take part in one of our classroom counselling courses, we also have counselling hubs in Bristol, 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 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!
We offer the following in-person courses at our Liverpool hub:
Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
Each of these courses is 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.
If you’re after a bit more flexibility, we also offer live daytime and evening online courses for Levels 2 and 3 (remember, these can be completed online as long as they’re live, but the majority of Level 4 must be completed in a classroom setting to qualify for BACP membership!).
Once qualified, we also offer a Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling and Level 6 Certificate in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision – because why stop there?
And, as we mentioned above, if you’re not sure you want to complete your counselling courses in Liverpool, we also have counselling hubs in Bristol, Norwich, Devon, Sheffield and Manchester. You can check out 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 Liverpool, 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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