How to become a counsellor in Scotland
Counselling is a demanding but rewarding profession where you will make an immense difference in the lives of those you work with.
Trained counsellors are in increasing demand. There are many routes into the profession, but understanding the paths to qualification can be complex.
Below, we explore the routes to qualifying as a counsellor in Scotland while highlighting options offered here at the University of Strathclyde.
What do counsellors do?
Counsellors are professionals trained to provide guidance, support, and assistance to individuals or groups facing various personal, social, or psychological challenges. They often work with clients on issues such as relationship problems, stress, grief, and life transitions.
Counsellors typically engage in talking therapy approaches to help clients understand their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, fostering self-awareness and empowering them to make positive changes in their lives.
Qualifications for counsellors can vary, ranging from certificates to advanced degrees, and they may specialise in different areas such as marriage and family therapy, addiction counselling or career counselling.
How do counsellors differ from psychologists, psychiatrists & psychotherapists?
Clinical psychologists have advanced degrees in psychology and specialise in the study of human behavior. They work with people to provide psychological interventions and support, working in alignment with the medical model and offering diagnosis.
Psychiatrists are qualified medical doctors who specialise in mental health. While they may also use therapeutic approaches, their primary focus is on the medical aspect of mental health treatment (e.g. diagnosis, medication and case management) unlike counsellors who primarily focus on guidance, emotional support and counselling techniques.
Psychotherapists, like counsellors, use therapeutic approaches to help individuals address challenges. But while counselling focuses on shorter-term interventions aimed at addressing specific issues, psychotherapy tends to involve longer-term interventions to address complex, deep-seated issues. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably but psychotherapy is most commonly associated with study at higher academic levels such as Postgraduate Diplomas or Masters degrees.
Understanding accrediting bodies
A number of prominent accrediting bodies play a role in confering qualified status upon counsellors, ensuring high standards and ethical practice in the profession. Accreditation can refer to courses (indicating that they meet minimum standards in content and quality) and individuals (indicating that they have met the standards for professional accreditation).
- COSCA is the most recognised accrediting body in Scotland, setting standards and accrediting counselling courses and training programmes. Attaining COSCA accreditation signifies that a course meets specific criteria regarding content, quality and training hours. They also provide professional accreditation to individuals.
- BACP is one of the largest and most widely-recognised accrediting bodies for counselling and psychotherapy in the UK. Like COSCA, it offers accreditation to individual practitioners and accredits counselling courses.
- CPCAB is an awarding body that provides accreditation for counselling courses, ensuring they meet specific criteria and standards.
If you don't have an undergraduate degree...
... but you meet the entry requirements for entrance to a BSc programme:
1. Undertake a relevant undergraduate degree
The first step is to study for a relevant BSc or BA. This will give you foundational knowledge essential for roles in counselling and will set the stage for further specialised training in the field.
The BSc Psychology & Counselling at Strathclyde, for instance, allows graduates to meet the requirements for Graduate Membership with the British Psychological Society and gain the COSCA-accredited Counselling Skills certificate.
Learn more:
2. Gain a professional qualification
The next step to becoming an accredited counsellor will involve gaining a professional qualification. This can by either:
- Gaining a relevant Diploma
- Gaining a relevant Masters degree
3. Begin practice and work towards accreditation
With an undergraduate qualification, a COSCA-accredited Counselling Skills certificate and professional qualification, you will be able to work for organisations or in private practice to get more hours under your built as you work towards accreditation with a professional body like COSCA or the BACP. Professional accreditation requires a minimum of 450 hours of supervised practice.
If you don't have an undergraduate degree...
... and you do not meet the entry requirements for entrance to a BSc programme:
1. Undertake a certificate in Counselling Skills
The Certificate in Counselling Skills course is designed, in association with Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA), for people for whom counselling skills could be useful in their normal day-to-day work or as the starting point for a change in career. No formal educational qualifications are necessary.
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2. Study for a Diploma
The COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills will enable you to apply for a diploma where you will work towards becoming a qualified counsellor. You can search these sites to learn more about accredited training providers:
Your course should be at least one year full-time or two years' part-time classroom-based tuition. It should also include integral, supervised placements of at least 100 hours. These courses usually run at further or higher education colleges, universities or third sector organisations.
3. Begin practice and work towards accreditation
Having gained a Diploma, you will then be in a position to work towards professional registration with COSCA, BACP (or equivalent) and be prepared to apply for roles in your chosen modality. Professional accreditation requires a minimum of 450 hours of supervised practice.
If you already have an undergraduate degree
1. Undertake a certificate in Counselling Skills
The Certificate in Counselling Skills course is designed, in association with Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA), for people for whom counselling skills could be useful in their normal day-to-day work or as the starting point for a change in career.
Learn more:
2. Study an MSc
A Masters qualification in counselling is a unique opportunity for those with an undergraduate degree in any subject to gain in-depth experience of person-centred methods applied in counselling and psychotherapy.
Masters programmes typically align with the scientist-practitioner model, emphasising the integration of research, theory, and clinical practice and giving graduates hands-on experience of an approach preferred by employers.
Students on the MSc Counselling & Psychotherapy at Strathclyde will also get a minimum of 150 hours of counselling experience, taking them further down the route to professional accreditation.
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3. Begin practice and work towards accreditation
Masters graduates have the potential to move into full-time or part-time positions. Graduates may also choose to continue working within the placement they undertook during the Masters, adding to their client experience.
Graduates from the MSc at Strathclyde are encouraged to work towards professional accreditation with COSCA, BACP (or equivalent) which require a minimum of 450 hours of supervised practice.
Contact us
Email: studywithus-hass@strath.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 141 444 8600
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