How to become a counsellor: introductory qualifications and next steps
There’s no single qualification that you are legally required to hold to call yourself a counsellor in the UK. But if you want to work professionally, most employers will expect you to have completed practitioner-level training.
For most, the journey starts with one of three types of study. Introductory counselling courses are excellent for absolute beginners.
If you want to learn more about what counselling involves and start developing core skills (e.g., listening and communication), these are an excellent first step. Counselling studies qualifications usually go into greater depth.
They can help you build your theoretical knowledge and prepare you for more advanced study. Or, you can pursue professional practitioner training: this is the stage where you develop the competence required to work with clients as a counsellor.
Learn how to become a counsellor with Distance Learning Centre, one of the UK’s leading providers of distance learning courses.
What qualifications do you need to become a counsellor?
There’s a lot of confusion online about what it means to be a ‘qualified’ counsellor. But, as we mentioned earlier, there’s no single qualification prescribed by law in the UK for anyone calling themselves a therapist or counsellor.
Yet that doesn’t reflect the job market - in practice, many employers, including NHS and school-based services, expect recognised practitioner training and may also require professional registration.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), for example, recommends completing your core practitioner training at a minimum of Level 4 or equivalent.
But hearing this as a beginner can be very overwhelming: it’s important to remember that recognised practitioner training builds progressively from foundational knowledge and skills into supervised client practice
Can you become a counsellor without a degree?
Yes - you don’t need a university degree to become a counsellor in the UK.
It is a path into the profession, but it’s not the only one. Many successful therapists build their careers entirely through vocational training before moving on to recognised practitioner-level training.
What matters most to employers is the professional recognition of your practitioner training. In fact, it’s a common misconception that studying psychology at university automatically qualifies someone to practise as a counsellor: it doesn’t.
A psychology degree gives learners an excellent academic background in human behaviour, but it usually doesn’t teach the practical, clinical skills required to sit in a room and therapeutically support a vulnerable client.
The BACP specifically states that for membership purposes, it doesn’t accept qualifications in related disciplines (e.g., psychology, coaching, or social work) in place of psychotherapy practitioner training.
The beauty of taking the vocational route is that you can start small. Take an introductory self-study course to learn the foundational skills of counselling before making any long-term commitments.
What do you learn on an introductory counselling course?
An introductory counselling course (like our QLS Level 2 Introduction to Counselling) is an opportunity to decide if counselling is the right career for you before making a long-term commitment - it’s not designed to prepare you to take on clients straight away.
Through our introductory course, students will explore the realities of counselling across several core areas.
What comes after an introductory counselling course?
So, you’ve obtained your QLS Level 2 qualification from Distance Learning Centre - what’s next? As we know, there’s no single pathway that every trainee counsellor follows. Your next steps might depend on the training provider and professional body you eventually want to join.
But the journey usually involves these core elements:
1. Develop your knowledge
Our Counselling QLS Level 3 Course is a natural progression from the QLS Level 2. It incorporates foundational units and adds deeper study into relationships, stress, and substance misuse.
Important note: If your long-term aim is to become a practising counsellor, always check the specific entry requirements of your intended professional practitioner course before choosing your intermediate qualifications.
2. Complete practitioner training
Here is where you transition from learning about counselling to training to work with real clients. A Level 4 Diploma (or a degree) is the benchmark.
For the BACP's recommended route, core practitioner courses starting from February 2026 must feature at least two years of classroom-based tuition and 300 guided learning hours.
3. Complete a supervised placement
Professional training means stepping out of the classroom and into a placement within an approved organisation. BACP currently requires an integrated placement of at least 100 client hours to qualify for training.
4. Consider professional membership
Once qualified, you may choose to register with a professional body such as BACP, NCPS or UKCP. While not legally mandated, membership can demonstrate that you’re working within an ethical framework.
5. Continue developing your skills
When you’re learning how to become a counsellor, the journey doesn’t stop once you qualify. Therapists develop continuously throughout their careers through:
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD): Workshops to keep practice current.
- Ongoing supervision: Many professional bodies require practising therapists to maintain ongoing supervision to make sure they remain safe and effective.
- Specialising: Undertaking training to build expertise in areas like trauma, youth counselling, bereavement, or addiction.
