How to qualify to practice as a child counsellor
How to qualify to practice as a child counsellor
Become a child counsellor with Place2Be no matter how far through your counselling training you are.
You can follow this route to get qualified to practice as a children's and young people's counsellor if you:
started your child counsellor training journey elsewhere by completing an eligible Level 2 and Level 3 qualification and have sufficient experience working with children and young people
have trained with Place2Be via the route detailed in the Start or continue your training to become a child counsellor page.
Are you passionate about training to work therapeutically with children and young people but need some help to fund your training? Our bursary funding is here to support you. We offer bursaries for our:
- Level 4 Diploma in School-Based Child Counselling
- Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy for Children and Young People in Schools
Our bursaries are also available for some of our foundation courses.
1. Choose the right qualifying course for you
To practice as a counsellor for children and young people with Place2Be, you'll need to complete one of the below qualifications.
Level 4 Diploma in School-Based Child Counselling
Our Level 4 Diploma will enable you to qualify as a children and young people's counsellor in 12 months. This full-time course includes practical experience working with primary-aged children in one of our Place2Be partner schools as a Counsellor on Placement.
Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy for Children and Young People in Schools
Our Postgraduate Diploma allows you to qualify as a children and young people's counsellor in two years. The course is part-time and includes a supervised placement in one of our Place2Be partner schools as a Counsellor on Placement.
If you started your counselling training elsewhere, you can apply for our Postgraduate Diploma if you have a qualifying Level 3 Certificate, Counselling Diploma or relevant degree and have completed a Place2Be Taster Day.
2. Complete a clinical placement as part of your training
Reputable professional bodies require you to complete a certain number of placement hours as part of your qualification in order to become a member.
Our counselling placements are an excellent opportunity to work with children and young people in a safe therapeutic setting. Both of Place2Be’s qualifying courses include a placement that is organised for you by our training and placement teams.
3. Get accredited by a professional body
As a child counsellor, it's crucial that you meet specific safety and ethical standards. Membership organisations make sure these standards are consistently met by practicing counsellors.
In the UK, several professional bodies accredit counsellors. Options include:
4. Supervision
Both trainee and qualified child counsellors are required to have regular clinical supervision sessions with an experienced and qualified supervisor. The requirements for clinical supervision can vary depending on your accrediting body or professional organisation.
We work closely with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), who specifies that counselling trainees need:
- a minimum of 90 minutes of supervision every month
- 8 hours of counselling to one hour of supervision
- supervision every two weeks.
The BACP website has more information about supervision requirements and what to look for in a clinical supervisor.
Are you qualified to practice as a child counsellor and looking to further your counselling training? Find out more about how you can progress your career as a counsellor for children and young people.
Learn how to further your counselling training
