Our Commitment to providing a trustworthy and professional service to you includes:

All our counsellors having counselling qualifications to ensuring ethical practice, demonstrating professional competence, meeting professional requirements, and providing a safe and effective service to clients. 

Key Reasons for the Importance of Counselling Qualifications in Our Service:

Ensuring Competence and Safety: Accredited courses provide comprehensive training in counselling theories, practical skills and ethical guidelines. This ensures practitioners have the necessary knowledge and tools to support individuals effectively and safely, avoiding potential harm.

Meeting Legal and Professional Standards: Although "counsellor" is not a legally protected title in some regions (such as the UK), most reputable employers (like the NHS) and clients require counsellors to be registered with a professional body like the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Membership in these bodies requires specific qualifications and a commitment to their ethical frameworks and ongoing professional development.

Essential Practical Experience: Core practitioner training (typically diploma or degree level) includes a mandatory, supervised placement of at least 100 hours of clinical practice. This hands-on experience under the guidance of a qualified supervisor is crucial for applying theory in real-world scenarios and developing self-awareness.

Personal and Professional Development: The training process encourages significant personal growth, including enhanced self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and communication skills, which are valuable in both professional and personal life.

Building Client Trust: Possessing recognised qualifications and professional registration provides assurance to clients that the counsellor is a vetted professional who adheres to high standards of practice and confidentiality. This trust is fundamental to a successful therapeutic relationship.

In essence, qualifications are the foundation for a professional, competent, and ethical counselling career, providing both the practitioner and the client with necessary safety and quality assurance.

 

Catholic Counselling Management & Quality Assurance Team:

Rev. T. Thomas (Counselling, Pastoral Coordinator & Canon Law Consultant)

H. Willmott (Psychotherapy & Safeguarding Consultant)

Rev. Dr. M. O’Boy (Theological & Spirituality Advisor)

L. McDonnell (CBT & Referrals Therapist)

Dr. L. Harborne (Professional Clinical Supervisor)

Dr. M. Copestake (Medical Consultant)

Z. Wilson (Legal & Quality Assurance Advisor)