Thinking about becoming a counsellor but not sure where to begin? Explore what counselling training involves, what you already bring and how to find the right starting point.

What qualifications do I need? How long will it take? Can I train alongside work and family life? We answer five of the questions we're most often asked about training to become a counsellor.

Listening is about much more than hearing what someone says. Explore the role of presence, self-awareness, empathy and curiosity — and why listening skills matter far beyond the counselling room.

What changes when we stop treating counselling skills practice as preparation for the “real” work? A reflection on learning dyads, real relationships and the responsibility of practising with another person.

What does neuro-affirming counselling practice look like in the therapy room? Three places to begin: our language, our use of assessments and the assumptions we make about client behaviour.

How does counselling theory become something we can actually use? A reflection on moving between what clients bring, the frameworks that help us make sense of it, and developing practice.

Returning to study as an adult can bring pressure to catch up, keep up and understand everything quickly. But counselling training asks for a different kind of learning: one that develops through reflection, practice and integration over time.

Training for Counsellors was named Counselling Training Provider of the Year 2025/26 in the North of England Prestige Awards — recognising our approach to collaborative, experiential and accessible counselling training.

Why do assessors keep asking you to explain your thinking? A reflection on single-, double- and triple-loop learning, and why ‘showing your workings out’ matters in counselling training and practice.

Join us for a 30-minute conversation with Mary Murphy-Diprose as she shares her journey into psychotherapy and her doctoral research, Stories of Identity and Becoming. Mary talks about her exploration of the experiences of trans and gender diverse middle-aged and older adults in Britain today, including the methodological choices she made and the thinking that shaped her research. Watch the conversation below.

Training for Counsellors was appointed to deliver specialist neurodivergent-affirming training to more than 70 Barnardo’s therapists, supporting their work with children and young people across the UK.

What can happen when learning becomes genuinely collaborative? A reflection on adult learning, shared meaning-making and the moment the FECit© model emerged from a Training for Counsellors learning group.

What happens when the issues affecting society enter the counselling room? Reflections from the BACP Research Conference 2025 on research, collaboration, social justice and creating impact beyond therapeutic practice.

Training for Counsellors delivered an eight-week listening skills programme for Blackburn with Darwen Carers Service, supporting staff to develop communication, self-awareness and reflective practice.