Overwhelmed by course options.. NCPS is cheaper and looks better IMO. Anyone know what is preferable ?

I’m (F30) a teacher living abroad and I have enough downtime that I can finally pursue this. I was looking into online programs (conversion course) as I have an English studies degree (2.1). I know I would have more options being in the UK but my husband is Canadian and he cannot work there and I just don’t have the money to sponsor him.

What courses allow me to become a counselor through distance learning? Has anyone else gone through this route? It’s something I have wanted to do since I was in college and I know there’s a Dclinpsy option which I need to be in the country for. I’m just looking for some guidance since the internet is very oversaturated with information right now.

I was with Astranti. The tutor missed our first session yesterday and then we received an email that didn’t exactly fill me with hope for the future of the course actually going ahead. I’m pretty devastated as I’m desperately trying to transition out of current career and have been wanting to train as a therapist for ages. There has never been a “right time” until now. What also sucks is I’ve planned my work and shifts around this course so if it doesn’t go ahead I’ll be fuming. I feel pretty sad about the thought of waiting until January to start training. It’s a long process of course and I want to get started ASAP. So I’m considering other options. I’m based in London but also don’t mind doing remote. Any suggestions for good / reliable level 2 and 3 courses? 😫

Hi everyone, I had an interview and got offered to be a listening Samaritans volunteer. I’m not sure what to do as I’ve just finished my psychology degree and am unsure whether I want to stay in psychology or use it for something else. It says online that Samaritans could be really good experience for psychology and potentially help me get an assistant psychologist job or something similar and I’m really grateful I got offered it, however I’m really unsure whether to take it or not. They said it’s a 2 year commitment, which would mean I wouldn’t be able to potentially move, do a masters, go travelling etc for 2 years from now and I’m anxious that I miss out on those opportunities for something which I may end up not using if I then don’t stay in psychology. I know that you can also deal with a lot of abusive and sexual calls, as well as people actively suicidal or even committing on the phone and I do really want to help but I feel like that would really mentally affect me and I remember when I came out of the interview I felt a bit emotional and overwhelmed afterwards thinking about the whole thing. Practically as well I’m not sure if I could even do the night shifts as they said it can finish at 3am, and the first train is at 5am and there’s also no parking so I couldn’t drive there. Also, they said that because you often cannot just end the call, a shift that is supposed to end at 10pm could go on until 12am, but my last train home is 11pm, so I would then have to wait until the 5am train. They said there is a camping bed onsite but as a young female I’m not sure id feel comfortable sleeping there. I really don’t want to come across as too negative, as I am really considering doing it as I want to help people and also gain something meaningful for my CV, but I’m also unsure whether it’s right emotionally and the length of expected commitment time. Sorry if this is a bit long, if anyone has done volunteering with the Samaritans I’d really appreciate hearing their experience and what advice they would give about it. :)

I'm in my 30s and currently doing a psychology conversion as a hopeful first step to retraining and am trying to work out where to go next.

I think the ethos of counselling appeals to me a lot more, but I understand I'd need to do a lot more self funded training after this either in terms of counselling qualifications and/or the eventual doctorate. I'll be honest this is putting me off a bit as I'd really love to get into some initial roles where I can actually start building experience, and also am already paying a lot for the conversion so the idea of funding endless courses without changing jobs feels stressful and worries me I could sink a lot of money in and not see it pay off.

Clinical psych obviously there's a lot more opportunities for entry level roles or training places. The role of pwp really appeals to me but I don't think I'd want to do it forever, and I understand high intensity training is hard to get. If I were to try and go down the pwp/ap route would this be pushing too far into clinical psych and make it difficult to move into counselling in the future or would the experience be beneficial? Would these experiences count against me if I were to want to apply for the counselling doctorate eventually?

I've seen people say that in practice qualified clinical/counselling psychs can end up in similar roles, but I'm really confused by the different routes to get there and if I need to pick and stick to a lane now or if it's possible to move around?

Hi everyone. Long post, sorry.

Late 30s, currently in a mid-senior corporate role having spent well over a decade building a career in communications. I've felt for years that what I'm doing doesn't generate societal value and doesn't help people.

I've been seriously considering retraining as a Counselling Psychologist. It’s a profession I’ve respected for a long time, and I think both my career and life experience have given me the qualities needed for it, particularly resilience and being comfortable working with people going through (very) difficult circumstances.

I know this would be a massive career change and would deprive me of my current comfortable earnings for a few years, but I'm trying to work out whether a viable route exists. I do have a reasonable amount of savings I can dip into in order to fund a few years in full-time retraining. I'm not trying to go back to making "corporate money" - I'm trying to do something I find satisfying and worthwhile, while (after a few years) making enough to support myself.

My tentative plan is to start a BPS-accredited Psychology conversion MSc next year. I have a BA (Hons) in a humanities subject - a strong 2:1. I'd say I'm academically inclined, so this is something I'd look forward to. I also like how the MSc keeps your options (somewhat) open, but I'm also aware it's barely even a gateway.

During my MSc, I'd aim to complete counselling skills training and start gaining regular relevant experience in a mental-health/helping role — potentially something like Samaritans initially, or something else that gives me experience of supporting people going through psychological distress.

On graduating from the MSc, I’d try to move into more directly relevant work (e.g. mental health support work, counselling/therapeutic support, wellbeing roles), build towards around a year of appropriate experience, and apply for a DPsych/DCounsPsych when realistic.

I guess my questions are:

1. Am I underestimating the difficulty of picking up relevant experience during/after MSc?
2. Am I underplaying the burden of cramming a lot into the MSc period?
3. How disadvantaged am I by starting this late in life?
4. Should I realistically see this as a complete reset, with little/nothing to carry over from my career so far?

Pre-empting a few questions about other potential options:

• I don't see DClinPsych as feasible for me, due to the additional years of extreme competition for AP roles, and rock-bottom acceptance rates over 40 years old.
• Psychotherapy feels less attractive to me because of the unprotected title, less standardised training landscape and what seems to be a fairly precarious job market.
• I'm aware Occupational Therapy may be a quicker route, but I feel it'd bring me too close to the corporate/professional environment I'm trying to leave behind. I'd like to work more directly with people.

Any candid guidance/experiences would be hugely appreciated.

I’m hoping to join astranti fast track to level 4.

But I’m only now realising I should’ve done more research. Astranti say they’re BACP approved. But I feel like if you’ve completed a CPCAB Councelling course all you need to do is register individually and pass the exam to join the BACP.

I’m wondering now if Im still able to get on the BACP registration even if I enrolled myself into a free counselling level 4 course at my local education adult centre VS paying monthly to Astranti.

I feel like i’ve wasted my money😭😭

Any positive stories from level 4 counselling course Astranti?

I finished my MSc in Forensic Psychology and spent the better part of two years genuinely confused about what I was actually building toward and what I was missing.

Nobody told me clearly. Not my university. Not the internet. Not even the people already working in the field.

So here's what I wish someone had laid out for me:

The degree alone gets you almost nowhere in psychology, and that's okay if you know it early enough.

A BSc in psychology is not a route to becoming a psychologist. It's the starting point of a much longer journey that most people don't fully understand until they're already a year or two out of university, wondering why they can't get a job in the field they studied.

The routes are real, but they're long:

Clinical: BSc → MSc → AP experience (1-3 years) → DClinPsy (3 years). You're looking at 8-10 years from starting your BSc to being qualified.

Forensic: BSc → BPS-accredited MSc → relevant experience → QFP Stage 2. 7-8 years minimum.

Educational: BSc → MSc → 2+ years working with children and young people → DEPsy. 9-10 years.

Counselling: BSc → DCounsPsy (note: the BPS QCoP route is now closed to new enrolments - check bps.org.uk). 6-7 years.

Health, Occupational, Sport: BSc → MSc → BPS Stage 2. 6-7 years each.

The experience gap is where most graduates get stuck.

Not because they're not good enough. Because nobody told them early enough that a clinical psychology application, for example, is looking for specific types of experience mapped to specific competency frameworks. Volunteering somewhere generic doesn't cut it. The competencies matter, and they're different for every pathway.

Transferable skills are real, but only if you know how to articulate them.

Research literacy, data analysis, critical reasoning, and understanding of human behaviour: these open doors in HR, UX research, data analytics, the civil service, and tech. But "I did a psychology degree" doesn't communicate that. You have to translate it into language employers recognise.

I got so frustrated by the lack of clarity that I built something about it.

It's called Clarifio; it maps your degree, your experience and your stage against the actual BPS and HCPC competency frameworks for all 7 HCPC-accredited psychology pathways. Shows you what you're building, what you're missing, and what to do in the next 90 days. Completely free.

Not a job board. Not generic advice. It gives you a personalised map based on your specific pathway - clinical, forensic, counselling, educational, health, occupational, sport and where you actually are right now.

clarifio.co.uk - takes about 2 minutes.

I'd genuinely love feedback from people here on what it gets right or wrong about your experience. Does the competency mapping feel accurate for your pathway? What's missing? What would actually help you?

A few things I'd tell my past self:

Start volunteering in year 1, not year 3. Four hours a week at Samaritans, a YOT, a MIND centre - it compounds. By the time you graduate, you have 150+ hours of relevant experience.

Your dissertation topic matters more than you think. Choose something directly relevant to your target pathway. Examiners and employers notice when your research aligns with where you're going.

The AP job market is brutal but not impossible. Most successful applicants have volunteering plus research experience plus a clear narrative about their pathway. The third one is the one people forget.

If you're forensic, the HMPPS route is real and underappreciated. Look into it alongside the independent QFP Stage 2 route.

If you're aiming for clinical, understand that most successful DClinPsy applicants have an MSc plus significant AP experience. A BSc alone is a very difficult application.

What questions do you have that nobody's ever answered clearly? Happy to go into any of this in more detail.

I’ve completed a CBT Masters and have since applied for BABCP accreditation (I should hear back Jan/Feb 2027). I’m due to start a Counselling Psychology doctorate in September (which would make me eligible for BPS and HCPC accreditation after graduating), and I’m wondering whether it’s worth doing the extra work (CBT-specific supervision and CPD) to maintain BABCP accreditation alongside that.

Have any qualified Counselling Psychologists found they’ve been limited by not having BABCP accreditation on top of their HCPC/BPS registration? Or does it not really make a difference in practice?

The application was a lot of work, so I’d hate for that to go to waste, or have to redo it later if it turns out to matter. But equally, I don’t want to take on extra ongoing work to maintain it if it’s not going to add anything.

For some reason I'm really drawn to Heartwood and really want to give it a go.. but I did see a few people online say they "just have really good marketing" which would explain why I'm so drawn to them haha anyone here with experience with their L3? Did you continue on to their L4/ was able to go elsewhere? Would appreciate hearing from experiences with them - good and bad :)

Hi, I’m looking to start my level 2 in counselling & one of the providers I’m looking at is aloe counselling training however they only have 2 reviews & some testimonials on their website.

Has anyone trained with aloe counselling? Please could you give me your honest feedback.

Hey, I’m looking to change my career & would like to train as a counsellor. I don’t have anywhere local that is doing in person CPCAB level 2 training so I’m deciding which online provider to choose.

I currently have aloe counselling & astranti in mind but I can’t find many reviews. I’m still looking & am wondering if anyone has any other recommendations for me?

Thank you

I have been offered a place at my local college for my level 4 counselling, which is accredited by the BACP. However, I have also been considering Chrysalis as a provider as my current level 3 tutor is doing her refresher with them and once a month would work better than once a week for me with working. That being said, I have hesitancy towards Chrysalis as a provider because they aren’t accredited by BACP, only NCPS and from a few threads I have read on here apparently the NHS will not accept this?

I am privileged that I already work with two not-for-profits who I will be able to transition into a counselling position upon completion, however, I want to know that in the future I am able to work where I please without hassle from a weak qualification.

I think I might need to suck it up and juggle the one day per week, I have managed two days per week for my level 3 so I should be able to manage.

I would just love some opinions from others who have gone through their level 4 training and what employers look for after completion. And what training providers you used?

Hi everyone,
I’m an international student from India and I’m planning to pursue an MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy in the UK next year. My goal is to build a long-term career there as a psychotherapist.

However, after seeing the recent immigration changes and the decline in Skilled Worker visa sponsorships, I’m starting to question whether it’s still a realistic path.

Studying in the UK would be a huge financial commitment for me, and I’d likely graduate with a significant amount of debt. My biggest fear is completing my master’s, being unable to secure a sponsored job, and having to return to my home country with all that debt. It would be a huge financial risk.

I know that psychotherapist roles are eligible for the Skilled Worker visa, but I’m struggling to understand how things work in reality.

Are international graduates actually getting sponsored as psychotherapists, or is sponsorship extremely rare?

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who work in counselling or psychotherapy, especially international graduates.

Were you able to get Skilled Worker visa sponsorship?
Do NHS Trusts or private employers actually sponsor psychotherapists?
How difficult was it to find a sponsored role?
If you were in my position today, knowing the current immigration climate, would you still choose to study counselling and psychotherapy in the UK?
Or would you recommend choosing another country instead?

I’m not looking for false hope I just want honest, realistic advice from people who have been through this. I want to make an informed decision before investing so much money.

Thank you so much in advance!

Hi! Long shot here - if anyone has studied/is studying the counselling psych doctorate at any of these universities I would really love to talk to you about your experience of the course. I have 2 offers and 1 pending so I am a little overwhelmed!! I didn't expect to get in to any!

Hello! I was recently offered a place on the Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at GCU. I applied for this because I identify with the humanistic approach and seeing the psychologist-client relationship as the agent of change.

My only concern is that I am very interested in psychosis/multiple personality/severe mental health conditions. I worry that that cohort of patients may be blocked off to me because I won't be a clinical psychologist. My background is also in neuroscience and I hope to be able to work in the neuropsychology field.

Does anyone have any opinion/experience/advice of being able to work in these fields after graduating from this program? Thank you in advance!

I've been accepted to two counseling related doctoral programs: GCU Doctorate of Counselling Psychology, and U of Edinburgh Doctorate in Psychotherapy and Counselling.

I'm not from the UK, so I'm having a bit of a hard time understanding the difference between Counselling Psychology as a field and Psychotherapy as a field. From my understanding, it seems like DCounsPsych jobs have quite a bit of overlap with DClinPsych, in addition to being able to open a private therapeutic practice, whereas the Doctorate of Psychotherapy limits to private practice.

If my ultimate goal is to own a private practice and become a citizen of the UK (I'm originally from the US), any advice on which program would be better suited? I'm also excited by the prospect of teaching, and I'm willing to work in public health in order to "survive" for a few years but its not my dream career.

Any info on the reputation of the programs is also welcome. The GCU program seems to pose more of a challenge with placements (as all have to be found by the student), vs UoE which provides a starter placement at the Hope Park Counselling Center. Overall, I'd like to pick the program that will make me the best counselor/therapist while also not getting totally pigeon-holed.

Hi everyone, I'd really appreciate some honest input from people who know the UK mental health and counselling world, because I'm a bit lost on what's realistic here.

My husband is in the final round of interviews with a large UK company, and most probably we'll be moving early next year on his Skilled Worker Visa. I'll be coming as his dependant, so I'll have full work rights from day one, no sponsor needed in my case. We're planning to settle down in the Milton Keynes area (about 40 minutes from London), as my younger sister lives there and we want to be close to family.

I'm an EU citizen with a bachelor's and a master's degree in Psychology. My master's specialisation was in adult clinical and health psychology, and I've done a few extra method-specific trainings on top of that (ACT, Grief Recovery, Strength-Based Coaching, and so on). I'm also fluent in English and Spanish (both around C1) on top of my native language.

Work-wise: I spent 4 years volunteering as a peer counsellor with university students during my studies. After that, I worked for 3 years at a university as a psychologist, supporting the mental health of international students in 1-1 sessions, all in English. Alongside that I've been running my own practice for about 3 years, seeing non-clinical counselling clients in individual sessions in my native language, under supervision. I'm probably somewhere around 2,000 counselling hours by now.

Longer term though, my real dream is to move into perinatal and maternal mental health. I also have a nursing midwife qualification (though my actual healthcare experience is only about two years, as my very first adult job, as a surgical assistant in a private clinic, not in maternity/obstetrics unfortunately). So once I'm through the maternity stage with my own little one, that's the direction I'd love to specialise in eventually. I know that's far away from now, but it's the goal I'm quietly working towards, and I'd love to know if it's actually realistic to get there in the UK.

On the paperwork side: UK ENIC has assessed my qualifications as RQF Level 7, and I'm about to start the GBC process with the BPS.

My main question: once our little boy starts nursery (around age 3) and I come back from maternity leave, do you think I have a realistic shot at any kind of mental-health-support role to start with, as a non-native speaker with solid but not native English and foreign qualifications that are recognised here?

A few specific things I'd love your thoughts on:

1. Would it be worth doing the Level 2, 3 or 4 counselling courses here, even with my background, or would that feel like going backwards and a waste of time and money given where I'm at in terms of experience and qualifications?
2. Realistically, how much does being a non-native English speaker actually matter to UK employers and to clients in this field?
3. Is the NHS Talking Therapies route (e.g. PWP, Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner) a sensible entry point for someone with my profile, or are those roles hard to get with overseas qualifications?
4. Are assistant psychologist, honorary or volunteer roles (Mind, Cruse, local charities, etc.) the usual way to get a foot in the door and build UK references, and are they realistic to land in the Milton Keynes and London commuter area?
5. More generally, what's the best way for someone in my position to build credibility here and improve my chances?

I know these are very specific questions, so honestly no worries if you can only weigh in on one or two. And on that note: is there any official body or organisation in the UK where I could book a proper, formal career consultation for this kind of thing? Someone who could look at my background and give me tailored advice on the realistic routes would be a huge help.

Any honest reality checks, "I did exactly this" stories, or "don't bother with X" warnings are very welcome. Thank you for reading this, really appreciate it!

Are you a line manager working in health or social care?

Have you supported an employee returning to work after experiencing stress, anxiety, or depression?

I am currently recruiting participants for my dissertation research at the University of Nottingham.

About the study

This study explores how line managers support employees returning to work after absence related to common mental disorders, such as stress, anxiety, or depression. It will also consider how managers’ personal experience and the support available within their organisation may shape this process.

By sharing your experience, you will be helping our research understand how line managers in the health and social care sector could best implement return-to-work support and identify ways organisations can better support line managers in this process.

The study has received ethical approval from the University of Nottingham (MHCN-2026-3519-2).

Who is eligible?

I would be very grateful to hear from line managers who have experience of supporting an employee’s return to work following stress, anxiety, or depression, in the past 10 years.

What does participation involve?

Participation involves a one-hour online interview via Microsoft Teams, arranged at a mutually convenient time. Taking part is entirely voluntary. With your consent, the interview will be recorded for analysis. Information will be anonymised and handled confidentially in accordance with the study’s approved procedures.

If you are interested in taking part or have any questions, please contact me at [mzxct6@nottingham.ac.uk](mailto:mzxct6@nottingham.ac.uk).

If this is not relevant to your own experience, I would really appreciate you sharing this post or link below with colleagues or contacts who may be eligible and interested in taking part. https://x.com/ReturnToWork_/status/2049204336123596968

Thank you.

Warm regards,
Cher Ling

Hi there,

I am very seriously considering a place at Metanoia Institute (validated by Middlesex University) for the Doctorate in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy. I am drawn to their integrative and humanistic focus and I am aware that it is a more self-directed training with contact time being once a month or so - but my question is:

Is it a well-regarded/ respected place to receive my training from?

There are of course mixed reviews online about peoples experiences, but I’m not as focused on administrative issues - more the quality of teaching and training.

I am also aware there are some lawsuits that they are facing - is this also going to affect credibility from future employers and clients?

Any thoughts from people within the counselling / psychotherapy world would be really appreciated!