Counsellor
Also advertised as: Bereavement Counsellor, Counsellor, crisis counsellor, crisis intervention counsellor, crisis situation counsellor, crisis situation counselor
Helps clients work through emotional difficulties through structured talking therapy.
What the job involves
Counsellors provide a confidential, non-judgemental space for clients dealing with bereavement, relationship problems, anxiety or life transitions. Most counsellors work part-time or self-employed alongside other work, especially early in their career while building a client base. Regular clinical supervision is a professional requirement throughout a counsellor's career.
Typical responsibilities
- Deliver one-to-one or group counselling sessions
- Assess client needs and risk
- Maintain confidential case notes
- Attend regular clinical supervision
- Refer clients to other services when needed
Common employers
- Private practice
- Charities and EAP providers
- GP surgeries and NHS talking therapies services
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£20,000 – £26,000 a year
With experience
£30,000 – £40,000 a year
Typical hours
Flexible, often part-time or self-employed
Working environment
Private practice rooms, clinics or remote sessions
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Boundary setting
- Reflective practice
- Confidentiality
Transferable skills you may already have
- Mentoring or pastoral care experience
- Listening skills
- Emotional resilience
Requirements employers ask for
- Active listening
- Empathy
- Boundary setting
- Reflective practice
- Confidentiality
- Level 4 Diploma in Counselling
- Accreditation with a professional body (e.g. BACP)
- BACP or equivalent professional accreditation
- Enhanced DBS check
- help clients make decisions during counselling sessions
- accept own accountability
- undertake continuous professional development in social work
- behavioural therapy
- perform therapy sessions
- maintain the trust of service users
- communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields
- human psychological development
- have emotional intelligence
- report on social development
- listen actively
- build helping relationship with social service users
Useful but not essential
- Mentoring or pastoral care experience
- Listening skills
- Emotional resilience
- Specialist training in CBT, bereavement or trauma
- Experience in a helpline or support role
- prepare youths for adulthood
- strategies for handling cases of sexual assault
- reproductive health
- provide termination of pregnancy counselling
- support young persons affected by sexual assault
- administer appointments
- advise on family planning
- assess clients' drug and alcohol addictions
Helpful qualifications
- Specialist training in CBT, bereavement or trauma
- Experience in a helpline or support role
Licences and checks
- BACP or equivalent professional accreditation
- Enhanced DBS check
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- No standard apprenticeship route; typically part-time study
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Psychology
- Related subject: Health and social care
Where this career can lead
next
Accredited Senior Counsellor
next
Psychotherapist (via further training)
next
Clinical Supervisor
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Flexible self-employed working patterns
- Deeply meaningful client relationships
- Can be built around other commitments
What people find hard
- Building a paying client base takes time
- Emotionally demanding sessions require strong self-care
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a counsellor?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. preferred
- How much does a counsellor earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £20,000 to £26,000 a year, rising towards £40,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Mentoring or pastoral care experience, Listening skills, Emotional resilience.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 15 September 2026.
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