Which course do I need to be on? BACP accredited course or NCPS Course? Do I need an accredited counselling course? When it comes to choosing which counselling course you need to do, the information out there can be very confusing and conflicting. Hopefully this post will help to narrow things down and give you the important information that not everyone tells you is important.

SO! Which Counselling Course Should I Choose – and Does It Need to Be BACP Accredited? The answer, not really.

Every year, around August, many people begin searching for counselling courses to start in the autumn. A common first step is to check Google or Facebook, gather as much information as possible, and try to make sense of it all.

However, a lot of the information online is conflicting and sometimes can seem like it is hidden behind gatekeepers and personal opinion. Especially when it comes to whether your course needs to be BACP accredited.

It can be helpful to start With Your Goal in Mind

The best way to decide is to think about where you want to end up. If your goal is to become a fully qualified counsellor, perhaps working in a school, for a charity, in the NHS, or in private practice you’ll need to register with an ethical body. Examples include:

• BACP – British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
• NCPS – National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society

Registration with one of these bodies is often required for:

• Being listed on directories such as Counselling Directory or Psychology Today
• Working with EAP’s
• Jobs in the NHS and school counselling roles

The ethical bodies are in place, largely as counselling is an unregulated profession in the UK, “counsellor” and “therapist” are not protected titles. This means the only way employers and clients can be confident in your qualifications, safety, and ethics is through your affiliation with an ethical body.

As a result, the courses you choose must lead to eligibility for membership with one of these bodies. This is why there is such a strong emphasis on doing a course that is BACP/NCPS accredited. It is purely the ethical body that has someone become the identifier of quality within our industry.

What Does “BACP Accredited” or “BACP Approved” Mean?

When a course is described as BACP accredited or approved, it means the BACP (or another ethical body) has reviewed the course provider and confirmed that their training is robust enough to produce well-prepared, ethical practitioners.

For example, at Insight Counsellor Training, we are a CPCAB (Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body) course provider. CPCAB courses are approved by both the NCPS and the BACP. This means that by completing our courses, you are on a recognised pathway for ethical body membership.

Understanding Course Levels

To qualify as a counsellor, you must complete a Level 4 Professional Diploma, which typically takes two years part-time. These Level 4 courses must be recognised by the BACP or NCPS to ensure your eligibility for membership later.

However, Level 2 and Level 3 courses are not BACP accredited in the same way. You may see Level 4 courses advertised as “BACP Accredited,” but Level 2 and 3 are generally described as “approved” rather than accredited. The important thing is that your Level 4 provider accepts your earlier qualifications.

The Certificate of Proficiency (CoP)

If you take an approved course, you may be required to complete a CoP test towards the end of your Level 4. This is a multiple-choice assessment designed to confirm your understanding of the BACP’s ethical framework.

Progression Between Levels – The Grey Areas

Progression from Level 2 to Level 3 can be flexible. For example:

• If you’ve done a short online Level 2 (e.g., 30 hours over 10 weeks) and perhaps may have some relevant experience, (such as three years volunteering with the Samaritans or working for Shout where you have demonstrated the skills you would have learnt in level 2), you may still be accepted onto a year-long Level 3 course under Recognised Prior Learning rules.

However, progression from Level 3 to Level 4 has no wiggle room. A robust Level 3 typically means at least 90 face-to-face teaching hours (often 120 total), with substantial skills practice.

Some centres will not accept fully online Level 3 courses especially self-taught ones because they lack essential peer interaction and live skills training.

My Recommendation – Work Backwards

Always start with the end in mind. If your aim is private practice plus some work in a school or charity, you will need a Level 4 diploma that is BACP or NCPS approved. From there, work backwards:

1. Identify Level 4 providers you might want to train with.
2. Ask them exactly what Level 3 qualifications they will accept.
3. Then check what Level 2 qualifications are required for that Level 3.

This ensures every step leads towards your final goal and prevents you from wasting time (for example, completing an online Level 3 that won’t be accepted by any Level 4 provider).

Choosing the Right Provider

Pick a provider who is:

• Honest about course requirements and progression routes
• Easy to contact and happy to answer questions
• A qualified counsellor themselves (as all course trainers should be)

The connection you feel with your course provider matters. You’ll be spending years working with them, and the right fit can make a big difference to your learning experience.

Other Training Routes

This article has focused on the vocational route, progressing through Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4. The alternative is the university degree route, which has its own pros and cons. I’ll cover that in a separate post.

For now, I hope this guide has helped you make sense of the terminology and the steps involved in becoming a qualified counsellor. If you’re unsure about your next step, feel free to get in touch, choosing the right course can be a minefield, but the right advice early on can save you a lot of time and frustration.