What does a Counsellor / Therapist actually do?

The short version

Counsellors and therapists work one-to-one with clients — in private practice, charities, the NHS and workplace EAP schemes. Training takes 3–4 years (diploma or psychotherapy training, much of it self-funded), accreditation runs through BACP or UKCP, and unpaid placement hours are part of the deal.

The pitch: deeply absorbing work, real autonomy, and demand that isn't going away. The catch, stated plainly: most practitioners earn modestly — two-thirds of BACP members make under the national median from counselling work, because the career is portfolio-shaped and private practice takes years to fill. Session rates look good; annual incomes often don't.

Entry routes that actually work

• Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling — the standard route to BACP membership.
• Postgraduate psychotherapy training — the longer route toward UKCP registration.
• Volunteer placements — how you bank the supervised hours accreditation requires.