Why is it so hard to find a job as a counsellor?
Are there actually any counselling jobs out there?
Before training as a counsellor — or training for any job role — it’s useful to look at the state of the job market and the qualifications, skills, and experience that employers are after. You can then decide whether you think the time, effort, and money you need to invest are likely to be worth it.
In the UK there is a culture of working for free after qualifying as a counsellor due to a lack of jobs and opportunities. Unable to find paid work, newly-qualified counsellors are commonly found volunteering in order to build up their hours and experience in the hope that this will make them more attractive to employers. This has led to a backlash within the profession, with Counsellors Together UK playing a particularly prominent role in challenging the culture of unpaid work.
Some volunteer counsellors work for free in order to reach the 450 hours necessary for BACP accreditation which is requested in many job adverts. If a qualified counsellor joins the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) then they are classified as a registered member, not accredited. Job adverts and employee assistance programmes (EAPs) commonly demand accreditation. While some will accept those who are not BACP accredited if they’re able to demonstrate their qualifications and experience, others strictly enforce this. It’s an odd situation given that the BACP is a membership body — not a governing body — and there is absolutely no legal requirement for any UK counsellor to be a member of it. Other membership bodies, particularly the National Counselling Society (NCS), will challenge employers that demand BACP accreditation if their members bring such adverts to their attention.
For some counsellors, setting up their own private practice is a proactive choice and exactly what they want to be doing. Many are very successful working for themselves, earning a good living while running their own business on their own terms. However, others struggle for clients and would rather be working for an employer or agency with a more secure monthly income. They have turned to private practice due to an inability to find sufficient paid work, rather than out of choice.
So why is there such a lack of work? Anyone who pays any attention to the news can hardly escape the fact that we seem to be in the middle of a mental health crisis, with more and more people seeking help for emotional problems, depression, and anxiety.
Surely this should mean there are more opportunities than ever before for those hoping to work in the field? There probably are, but for the most part you won’t find the job adverts requesting ‘counsellors’. They certainly exist — and adverts do appear for full time counsellors — but many are part time or volunteer roles.
Counselling is an unregulated profession, which means anyone can call themselves a counsellor whether or not they are qualified (you can find out how to qualify here). Where counsellors do have robust qualifications, these still vary hugely. Some qualify in a single modality such as person-centred or gestalt. Others are integrative, learning how to integrate concepts from several different modalities. Some people take diplomas, while others take master’s degrees. There’s no consistency, and even those with the same qualification can have very different capabilities.
For someone looking to recruit a counsellor, it can be an absolute minefield. Even qualified counsellors get confused about whether an organisation is a governing body or a membership body, and what the difference between NCS accredited and BACP accredited actually means. It’s hardly surprising that a lot of advertisers want to avoid this and call the role something else entirely, with a job description tailored to the needs of their organisation.
The NHS does recruit some counsellors, but it generally prioritises cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) over other modalities due to the evidence base behind it. Whether this is fair is another debate, but it’s the current reality. Counsellors who know how to work with CBT, and like doing so, therefore have a wider range of job opportunities open to them than those who — for a wide variety of reasons — do not. Most advertised job titles will not contain the word ‘counsellor’, but you shouldn’t let this put you off. You may not want to work for the NHS; you might dislike CBT; or perhaps the heavy workload isn’t for you. Those are all legitimate reasons not to apply. Just don’t let it be the ‘practitioner’ or ‘therapist’ job title that turns you away.
I secured a full time ‘practitioner’ position straight after completing my Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. I took an integrative course that included CBT, and I really enjoy learning about it and using it. I find CBT extremely useful for clients, and for myself. In my application and interview I emphasised that, because it’s what the role was looking for.
As with any job application in any field, the important thing is to show the employer that you are going to meet their needs, and to explain exactly how your skills, experience, qualifications, and attitude allow you to do that.
If you don’t want to work for the NHS; you’re not interested in CBT; and the idea of running your own business sounds horrifying, there are still opportunities out there. Facebook group ‘Counselling and Psychotherapy Jobs’ collates relevant opportunities from around the world, and there are plenty in the UK. If you’re willing and able to relocate to where the work is then you’re going to have a much wider pool available to you, but adverts do come up just about everywhere. You can find them on local job sites, on agency Facebook pages, and on big websites like Indeed and Charity Job. If you’re after something specific in a particular location then it’s likely to take more time to find it.
A single full time job doesn’t always turn out to be the best option for everyone. It may be that you find a mixture of roles allows you to earn a living while enjoying some variety. It’s not unusual for counsellors to have their own private practice, as well as a part time job with an agency, while also teaching counselling courses or running CPD workshops, and maybe ending up qualifying as a supervisor too. There’s no one-size-fits-all.
It’s also worth remembering that many jobs are not actually advertised. When I gained my clinical 100-hour placement it wasn’t through an advert for students. I saw them advertising their service for clients and contacted them asking if they would be willing to take me on as a student volunteer. I was probably therefore up against far fewer people than I would have been if I was responding to an advert. It’s the same with jobs. If places you want to work aren’t advertising then you have nothing to lose by contacting them. You could be exactly who they’re looking for.
