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

We offer places to eligible applicants in date order of application. You need to meet the criteria listed on our website, and in the course specification for CSK-L2 listed on the CPCAB website, but we do not 'cherry-pick' candidates or compare applicants with each other. Where the course is rapidly approaching to its start-date, we may prioritise people 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.

Trainings in counselling skills stretch students emotionally, and you may find yourself out of your "comfort-zone" at times. Your interviewer may explore if you're are experiencing a life-situation where you can cope with this. For instance, they might check how strong your support-system is outside of the classroom setting how much competing life-responsibilities currently press on you, and for life-events which represent contra-indications to taking on the training (eg. a recent bereavement). In some cases we may suggest that you reapply at a later date or (normally for those who are already students on their existing training path) we may make an offer which is conditional on your embarking in your own counselling or psychotherapy.

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Are there any extra costs?

You need to have a reliable internet connection and a computer to engage with our trainings, as well as a reliably-available, private space to engage in classwork. For online sessions our centres use Zoom, downloadable for free. Your assignments are submitted via online web-forms, with Powerpoint-compatible files for presentation materials, which you can create and edit in Microsoft Office, or if you prefer, a compatible free alternative such as LibreOffice which is available for free from the internet.

Is it possible to 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. We currently offer starter-level trainings, at Level 2, as a fully online option, as well as an online Level 3 follow-on course (CST-L3). For CPCAB's Level 4 counselling training, the majority of your training would be on location, so at that point in your training 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 you will meet with their requirements at that point in your training.

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

To work out where to start, you need to think about where you want to end up. to specialise with a particular training, to specialise with a particular training, or be acceptable to a particular employer, check with the professional body, training school, or employer in question, and find out what they need from you. Make sure, if you are selecting a starter-course, to make sure that it will be sufficient to take you to your qualification at the next-level. 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 acceptable for entry to a further course, inquire of the training centre providing the further training, not the centre offering the previous training, as they may not have up-to-date information, or may not reliably know the current status.

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What experience will my tutor have?

Our counselling tutors are all highly experienced practitioners in counselling and are CPCAB-approved. All our team members 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 training groups in multiple training contexts at Levels 1-6. Our team members 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 make sure that our courses and tutors are rigorously and independently 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 the standards to which its centres operate..

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

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