Counselling Courses in Southampton:
The Definitive Guide
Would you like to explore the possibility of building or advancing your career in counselling?
Explore the variety of counselling courses in Southampton through our informative guide.
Whether you are a novice or an experienced professional, we have everything you need to make an informed decision about the ideal course for you.
Start taking the next step in your counselling journey today!
1. Counselling in Southampton
2. Qualifications available
3. Southampton course providers
4. Classroom Vs Online
5. Why choose Connect?
1. What does counselling in Southampton look like?
As a counsellor, Southampton is a wonderful place to both live and work. With the increasing demand for mental health services in the region, there are numerous opportunities for counsellors in both private practice and public healthcare. The city’s diverse population provides counsellors with the chance to work with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures.
Moreover, Southampton is home to a robust network of mental health services and counselling practices, offering valuable professional development opportunities and a supportive community. The city is lively, with welcoming residents, and hosts plenty of local events and activities. Its coastal setting also provides a calming retreat, with picturesque waterfront views to enjoy.
Let’s explore some of the key reasons why you should consider training and pursuing a career as a counsellor in Southampton.
Mental health has become a significant focus in Southampton. In recent years, various initiatives have been implemented to improve mental health services, resulting in better outcomes for residents. Southampton is recognised for its commitment to transforming mental health care, with the City Council recently approving an “ambitious” city-wide mental health and wellbeing strategy.
The city is supported by a well-established network of NHS services, private practices, and charities working together to meet the community’s mental health needs. The Southampton Mental Health Network has partnered with over 90 local organisations and individuals to promote mental wellbeing across the city. This collaborative environment makes Southampton a great place for qualified counsellors, providing abundant job opportunities and a wealth of support and resources for professionals in the mental health sector.
There is a genuine opportunity to make a difference in local communities. While Southampton has made significant progress in enhancing its mental health services, it is acknowledged that further improvements are necessary. Mental health inequalities persist, especially in deprived areas and among vulnerable groups, with local authorities such as the Southampton Mental Health Network prioritising efforts to close these gaps. This has created a continuous demand for qualified mental health professionals, including counsellors. For you, as a counsellor, this presents the chance to make a real and lasting impact on the wellbeing of Southampton’s local community.
Southampton offers a wide range of opportunities for counsellors. As mentioned earlier, there is a strong network of NHS services, private organisations, and charities providing mental health support across the city. Whether you’re interested in working with young people, couples, or individuals, Southampton has plenty of opportunities to train and work in your chosen field.
Here are a few examples that highlight the variety of organisations you could work for in Southampton:
- Steps 2 Wellbeing is an NHS service that offers counselling to adults living or working in Southampton.
- Southampton Mind provides a range of mental health services, including free counselling for adults registered with
- Rethink Southampton is a free drop-in support group that offers advice to carers and family members of people living with mental illness.
- Yellow Door offers counselling and support for individuals affected by domestic abuse or sexual violence in Southampton.
- No Limits provides mental health services, including counselling, for young people aged 11-25 who are facing various challenges, including issues related to gender identity or sexuality.
- The University of Southampton offers counselling as part of its mental health services for students.
And that’s just the beginning! There are many more organisations in Southampton dedicated to providing essential mental health services. In addition, there are numerous training providers in Southampton that offer counselling courses to help you start your career in this rewarding field (more on these later!).
2. What qualifications are available to me?
Now, you might be asking yourself, what qualifications do I need to work as a counsellor in Southampton?
And the answer is… technically, none at all! Yes, you read that right! Unfortunately, counselling has yet to become a regulated profession in the UK, which means anyone can start working as a counsellor in Southampton. But before you get too excited, this is certainly not something that is recommended.
Counselling is a challenging profession, and you’ll often be dealing with sensitive issues and situations. So, it’s recommended that you undertake training to ensure that you have the right skills and experience to deal with these effectively. Also, these days, counselling agencies and clients are increasingly seeking out counsellors who have a qualification accredited by a professional body, so that they can be sure the counsellor has undertaken the right training.
There are two major professional counselling bodies in the UK, the BACP and the NCS. And fortunately, there is a choice of qualifications accredited by both of these bodies on offer in Southampton! Let’s take more of a look at these two options.
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
The BACP is the larger of the two professional bodies. Its members have to undertake rigorous training and adhere to high ethical standards, and, as a result, BACP membership is highly valued and recognised in the counselling world.
To become a BACP member, there are certain criteria that you have to meet, one of which is taking an approved practitioner course. To demonstrate the amount of training that is required to complete an approved practitioner course, let’s look at a specific pathway that can be used to attain membership to the BACP. This pathway involves taking a series of CPCAB-accredited courses:
CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills. Total qualification time = 170 hours
CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies. Total qualification time = 196 hours
CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. Total qualification time = 1,204 hours
As these courses are typically taught on a part-time basis, you can expect to take at least three to four years to complete a BACP-accredited qualification, such as the one above. Several different providers offer counselling courses in Southampton that will allow you to gain membership to the BACP. Hang tight; we’ll come to these soon.
The National Counselling Society (NCS)
Whilst the NCS is smaller than the BACP, it is also seen as a reputable professional body in the UK, and NCS membership is still a great stamp to have as a practising counsellor. Like the BACP, the NCS requires its members to meet certain criteria, which also include comprehensive training via an approved practitioner course.
There are a few different providers of counselling courses in Southampton that offer NCS-approved courses. We’ll come to these shortly.
At Astranti Connect, we believe a BACP-approved qualification is the best option for those aspiring to become professional counsellors. You can read why this is in our definitive guide to counselling qualifications.
Other options
Finally, a few different counselling course providers in Southampton offer qualifications that do not fall into either of the two categories above.
This includes short courses, which could be a good option if you don’t plan to practise as a counsellor and, instead, you’re just looking to pick up some counselling skills to help with another professional role or for your own personal development. Some of these short courses may also give you a qualification that could contribute towards BACP or NCS membership if you choose to study further in the future.
3. Southampton counselling course providers
So, if Southampton sounds like the place for you, we have good news! There are lots of different course providers offering counselling courses in the Southampton area. The best one to pick will depend on your career goals, interests and studying preferences.
So, let’s dive in and explore the main options!
Universities and colleges
Because universities and colleges are non-specialist institutions, offering a broad range of courses, they typically have larger campuses and student populations compared to specialist counselling providers. So, if you’re looking for a full, immersive student experience, these options might be ideal for you!
The University of Southampton and Southhampton Solent University, for instance, offers a variety of psychology and mental health-related degree courses that can provide a broad foundation for careers in teaching, social work, youth work, probation, or counselling. This could be a great choice if you’re looking to keep your options open. Courses like this often include lectures alongside practical sessions, which might not suit everyone’s preferred learning style.
For those who prefer a more hands-on approach to their studies, Southampton City College offers a range of counselling courses, including introductory, Level 2, and Level 3 qualifications.
If you’re open to travelling a little, there are additional colleges within a 30 to 40-minute drive from Southampton city centre that offer counselling courses.
Eastleigh College and Fareham College are both within easy reach and provide a variety of counselling courses from Level 2 to Level 6, offering excellent options for those looking to pursue counselling qualifications in the wider Southampton area.
Specialist providers
But we’re not finished yet! Alongside the universities and colleges in Southampton, there are also specialist providers of counselling courses in the area. These institutions tend to focus specifically on counselling and mental health-related courses, offering a more concentrated and tailored learning experience.
Because these providers are often smaller in scale, you can expect smaller class sizes, fostering more interaction with your tutors and classmates, and creating a supportive, immersive learning environment. Many of the tutors are practising counsellors themselves, which means they bring real-world experience to the classroom and often have valuable connections within the local counselling community. This can be especially helpful when you’re looking for work experience or job opportunities.
Here are a few specialist providers offering counselling courses in the Southampton area:
Chrysalis Courses – Provides Level 3 and 5 counselling courses, along with a Level 3 Hypnotherapy and Counselling course for those interested in specialising.
Astranti Connect – We offer a range of counselling courses, from Level 2 to Level 6, designed to support your development and prepare you for a rewarding career.
4. Classroom vs Online: what should you choose?
That’s a great question, and the answer really depends on what you want to achieve with your counselling aspirations. Just like choosing the right qualification and training provider, it’s important to pick the right type of counselling course to suit your goals.
If your aim is to join a professional counselling body like the BACP or NCS, you should know that a significant amount of your training hours will need to be in person. For instance, with the CPCAB pathway to BACP membership that we discussed earlier, you can take the Level 2 and Level 3 courses online, but 75% of the Level 4 course has to be taught in person.
This means that to qualify for BACP or NCS membership, you will need a mix of both online and classroom training or just classroom training if that’s what you prefer. Whilst some course providers offer online-only Level 4 courses, these won’t qualify you for BACP or NCS membership – something to watch out for!
It’s also important to note that any online courses you take must be live, such as over Zoom, in order to contribute towards BACP or NCS membership. This is because these professional bodies do not believe self-directed learning will allow you to develop the practical skills you need to be successful as a counsellor. Instead, it’s important that you can interact with your tutors and fellow students.
So, what are the advantages and disadvantages of online-only or blended online-and-classroom counselling courses?
The advantages of online counselling courses:
- More flexibility
- Location less of a barrier
- Could save some money
The disadvantages of online counselling courses:
- Possible technical difficulties
- Potential for greater distractions
- Limited social interaction
- Don’t always lead to membership of professional bodies
There’s no “right” decision when it comes to the choice between online, in-classroom and blended counselling courses. You should make your decision based on your preferred learning style and personal circumstances. If you’d like more information to help you with your decision, you can read our definitive guide to online counselling courses.
5. Why join a Connect course?
So, why do we think you should study with us?
We have experienced tutors
Connect tutors are all qualified counsellors with experience in teaching. Many are also practising counsellors and, when they aren’t teaching our classes, they continue to work with their own clients. Our tutors have a wealth of relevant, real-life experience and strong ties with the local counselling community.
We specialise in counselling
We have over 15 years of experience in counselling training and, unlike universities and colleges which offer a broad range of courses, our expertise and knowledge are focused on a small number of subject areas.
We are a national provider with centres across the country
If you’re not set on completing your counselling courses in Bristol, but you’d like to take part in one of our classroom counselling courses, we also have counselling hubs in Devon, Wiltshire, Norwich, Sheffield and Manchester. This also means you don’t have to be tied to one area throughout the course of your studies! We also have online options for Levels 2 and 3 and our post-qualification courses, offering additional flexibility. You can check out our full range of courses here.
We have a high Trustpilot rating
We are renowned as a high-quality training provider, as you can see from our excellent Trustpilot rating and reviews!
We have limited class sizes
Both our online and in-person courses have a maximum size of 16-18 people. This offers a great balance between plenty of tutor interaction and support and working and practising with a diverse range of people.
You will get access to our online community
We have an active online community, allowing you to learn from other students and support each other in your studies.
Our students must pass pre-course assessments
This helps to ensure our courses run as smoothly as possible, and you can rest assured that you and your fellow students are well-suited to the course.
We provide courses for Levels 2 to 6
This means once you pass one course, you can move on to another! Completing our Levels 2, 3 and 4 courses sets you up to apply for BACP membership to become a qualified, professional counsellor.
Our CPD Seminar Subscription comes free with our CPCAB courses
Twice a month our own tutors or expert guest speakers host live online seminars, each focusing on a new interesting topic in the world of counselling. From ‘Exploring Sexual Diversity’ to ‘What Star Wars Can Teach Us About Right and Wrong’, there’s something for everyone.
When you join a Connect course, you’ll have access to our live seminars and full bank of recorded sessions for the duration of your course.
Our Connect courses
Whether you’ve decided a classroom or online course is best for you, we have lots of course options available to suit your needs!
We offer the following in-person courses at our Southampton hub:
Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
We plan to have both level 3 and level 4 courses following the level 2 courses that are currently scheduled – this will offer anyone who completes the level 2 course the opportunity to continue their journey towards becoming a qualified counsellor, without the need to switch course providers.
All of our courses are approved by the CPCAB, and completing the Level 4 Diploma provides a pathway to BACP membership. It also forms part of the CPCAB Open University Foundation Degree if you’d like to come away with a degree at the end of your studies.
Looking for more flexibility? Then we also offer live daytime and evening online courses for Levels 2 and 3 (remember, these can be done online as long as they’re live, but the majority of Level 4 must be completed in a classroom to qualify for BACP membership!).
Once you’ve completed level 4, we also have a Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling and a Level 6 Certificate in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision – because many counsellors want to progress to run their own practice, or become supervisors, and these courses give you the skills to achieve both of these ambitions.
If you’re unsure you want to complete your counselling courses in Southampton, we also have counselling hubs in Devon, Bristol, Reading, Liverpool, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Manchester. You can find our full range of courses here.
Want to talk to someone about your next course options?
If you have any questions about Astranti Connect’s counselling courses in Southampton, you can have a free 1-2-1 call with one of our Connect student advisors!
Head to your relevant course page below to book yours:
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