How to become a Counsellor
Official title: Counsellors
Also called: Counsellor, Debt counsellor, Relate counsellor, School counsellor, Student counsellor, Bereavement counsellor, Therapeutic counsellor, Primary care counsellor, Relationship counsellor, Stop smoking counsellor, Mental health counsellor, Smoking cessation counsellor
Counsellors provide counselling services to clients with a wide variety of problems by means of assisting them to reach their own resolutions to the difficulties they face. Counsellors may specialise in a particular area or client group or address a wide range of issues.
Main tasks
- Meets clients face-to-face, working either one-to-one or with couples or families, or by telephone or internet
- Encourages clients to discuss their feelings in relation to their problems, aiming to ensure that an understanding of the issues is achieved
- Presents different perspectives to the problem areas identified
- Refers to other appropriate sources of help
- Keeps accurate and confidential records
How to become one
There are no formal qualifications requirements for entry but relevant experience is necessary. Many employers will expect entrants to have achieved or be working towards accreditation with a professional body via certification or a diploma in counselling. Background checks including a DBS check are likely to be required for counsellors working with vulnerable adults and/or families.
Ways in
- University: Psychology degrees, Offered by 26 universities in the UK
- University: Health & Public Health degrees, Offered by 23 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £31,124 a year The middle half earn £28,703 to null.
- About 46,200 people work in this job now, and about 50,800 are projected by 2035. (+10%)
Related jobs
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a Counsellor?
There are no formal qualifications requirements for entry but relevant experience is necessary. Many employers will expect entrants to have achieved or be working towards accreditation with a professional body via certification or a diploma in counselling. Background checks including a DBS check are likely to be required for counsellors working with vulnerable adults and/or families.
How much does a Counsellor earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £31,124 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a Counsellor a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 46,200 to about 50,800 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a Counsellor?
Usually. 68% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.