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Are there any extra costs?

You really need to have an internet connection that is reliable and a computer to engage with the training, as well as a reliably-available, private space for classwork. For online sessions our centres use Zoom, which you can download and use for free. Your assignments are submitted via online web-forms, with Powerpoint-compatible files (for presentations), which you can create and edit in Microsoft Office, or if you prefer, a compatible free alternative such as LibreOffice which can be downloaded and used for free from the internet.

Can I do my entire counselling training online?

Not entirely. If you follow the CPCAB training route, then you can train online for levels 2 and 3, at which point (Level 4) CPCAB require that there should be an element of face-to-face training. Our centres offer starter-level trainings, at Level 2 (CSK-L2), as a fully online option, as well as an online Level 3 follow-on course. For CPCAB's Level 4 counselling training, the main part of the training course would be on location, so at that point you would need to enrol with a local provider. If you intend to progress through a non-CPCAB training route after Level 3, or are looking for a more specialised training (eg. for pastoral care, working with children, or where the provider has other special requirements) you should check with your chosen provider to ensure your training will meet their requirement at that point in your counselling training.

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What can I do to improve my chances of being accepted onto the course?

Course places are offered to eligible course applicants in date order of application. You need to meet the criteria listed on our website, and as listed in the course specification for CSK-L2 listed on the CPCAB website, but it's not our policy to 'cherry-pick' candidates or compare applicants with each other. Where the course is close to its start-date, our centres may prioritise applicants who respond promptly to our request for an interview over those who appear not to be responding, due to the time-constraints of the interview process. Counselling training courses stretch students emotionally, and you might identify yourself out of your 'comfort zone' fromt time to time. In your interview, your interviewer may explore whether you're are experiencing a life-situation where you can cope with this. For instance, they may check how solid your personal support system is outside the classroom setting, how heavily your other life-responsibilities currently press upon you, and for life-events which are contra-indications to taking on the training (eg. if you have experienced a recent life-trauma). In certain cases we may suggest that you reapply later or (normally for those progressing on their current training path at the centre) our centres may make an offer conditional on your engagement in ypersonal therapy.

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What qualifications and experience will my tutor have?

Our counselling tutors are all highly experienced counsellors and are CPCAB-approved. All our teaching staff have over a decade's background as practitioners in counselling and psychotherapy. Our teaching staff have years of experience in leading other teaching teams and have taught counselling training groups in multiple training contexts at Levels 1-6. Members of our teams have previously programme-led or taught counselling-courses for Guildford College, Banbury Counselling Academy, Newbury College and University of Greenwich.

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What is the difference between CPCAB and BACP?

CPCAB (the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body) is the awarding body for your qualifications. Our centres partner with CPCAB to ensure that our counselling courses and the counsellor tutors who teach on them are independently and rigorously assessed, and that we meet CPCAB's professional standards. CPCAB is the only awarding body in the UK run by counsellors for counsellors, which makes it ideally placed to assess standards to which CPCAB centres operate..

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), is a key professional membership body for UK-based counsellors and psychotherapists. It has a role in setting standards and in safeguarding the public and represents the interests of the counselling profession.

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There are lots of options out there for training. How do I find the right one?

First, think about where you want to end up. If you want to be recognised by a particular professional body, If you want to be recognised by a particular professional body, or be acceptable to a particular employer, check with the training school, professional body, or employer in question, and find out what they need from you to be accepted..

Make sure, if you are selecting a starter-course, to make sure that it will be a stepping stone to your next qualification. Not all Level 2 trainings are equivalent, and may not necessarily be what you need to be accepted on a CPCAB Level 3 training. To know if a prior training is sufficient for entry to your next course, ask the centre providing the further training, not the centre offering the previous one (as they may not have up-to-date information, or may not reliably know the current status).

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