Counselling placements where you are valued and supported
Online counselling placements for trainee counsellors across the UK. Varied adult caseload, monthly supervision at £35 per hour, careful client matching by a qualified counsellor — and a team that genuinely invests in your development.
NCPS Organisational Member
90+ Qualified Therapists
★ ★ ★ ★ ★“I really do treasure my time spent at Hope as a student on placement and it has definitely been such an inspirational and meaningful part of my development into the counsellor I am today.”
Previous placement trainee
5,000+
People supported
90+
Qualified therapists
Est 2014
NCPS Organisational Member
£35/hr
Supervision for placement trainees
This page is part of our Counsellor Hub — visit for a full overview of how we support counsellors and trainees
Applications are currently closed
We are not accepting new placement applications at this time. You are welcome to read about placements at Hope Therapy below and submit an expression of interest —we will contact you when applications reopen. Thank you for your interest.
About Us
A counselling placement built around your development
A counselling placement is one of the most significant parts of your journey toward qualification — the point at which everything you have been learning starts to become real clinical experience. The quality of that experience matters, and it depends heavily on the organisation you place with.
Hope Therapy & Counselling Services has been operating since 2014. We are an Organisational Member of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and work in line with the NCPS Code of Ethics and BACP Good Practice. Our placements are online, which means you can build your practice hours from wherever you are in the UK — without needing to be in a specific location.
Every client is assessed by a qualified counsellor before being matched to you. You are not allocated clients at random — we match based on your experience level, therapeutic approach, and availability. You are supported throughout by a team that knows your name and your caseload, and supervision is provided by qualified supervisors at a reduced rate of £35 per hour.
All client sessions are confidential, conducted in line with your professional body’s ethical framework. There are limited circumstances in which confidentiality may need to change — for example, if there is a serious risk of harm — and your supervisor will explain these clearly before your first client session begins.
What We Offer
What you get from this placement
We aim to offer trainees the kind of placement experience we would have wanted ourselves — structured, supportive, and genuinely developmental.
Varied adult caseload
You see between two and six adult clients per week depending on your stage of training and availability. The adult caseload covers a wide range of presentations — giving you meaningful breadth of experience across your placement year.
Qualified client assessment
All clients are assessed by a qualified counsellor before referral. You also have the opportunity to conduct your own assessment in the first session. Clients and trainees are matched based on suitability, your experience, and your availability.
Monthly supervision — £35/hr
Individual supervision with one of our qualified supervisors, provided monthly at a reduced rate of £35 per hour. Supervision is a core part of your ethical practice and your professional development — and we make it as accessible as possible for trainees.
Reduced-rate personal counselling
In many cases we can offer reduced-rate personal counselling to trainees in placement with us — even if you already hold a placement elsewhere. Personal therapy is a BACP and NCPS requirement during training, and we want to make it genuinely accessible.
Flexible online sessions
All client sessions are held online via Zoom or telephone. This means you can build your practice hours from anywhere in the UK, at times that fit around your training schedule. No commuting, no fixed location requirements.
Additional CPD opportunities
As a placement trainee, you have access to additional CPD opportunities offered through Hope Therapy. Continuing to develop your theoretical knowledge and clinical skills alongside your placement work is something we actively support.
What We Expect
What we ask of placement trainees
We are honest about what a placement here involves. A good placement is a two-way relationship — and we want you to know what you are committing to before you apply.
Requirements
- Complete an application form and attend an informal interview
- Hold membership with a recognised body — BACP, UKCP, NCS, or BABCP
- Be signed off by your training centre as fit to practice
- Be in weekly personal therapy, or have access to a counsellor to support your training (we can usually offer this at a reduced rate)
- Participate fully in monthly supervision
- Commit to a minimum of one year
Important to know
- All client sessions are held online — this is an online-only placement
- If your training provider requires face-to-face hours specifically, you may need to treat this as a second placement alongside another provider
- We recommend checking with your training centre that online sessions meet their requirements before applying
- Clients are adults (18+) — we do not currently offer placements with young people
- You will need to be able to see between two and six clients per week
What Previous Trainees Say
Real experiences from placement trainees
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I have found that Hope has shown me how an efficient practice works, to abide by ethical and legal standards and to follow procedures.
Previous placement trainee
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Management support has been efficient, encouraging, supportive and always available for my questions. I have felt encouraged and valued throughout my placement. Clients have been referred to me quickly.
Previous placement trainee
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I felt extremely supported and always knew that support was available when I needed it. I felt Hope was open to all questions and needs that I had, however large or small.
Previous placement trainee
Experiences are unique. These are genuine testimonials from previous placement trainees.
Apply for a counselling placement
Why Hope Therapy
What makes this placement different
A placement that takes your development seriously
There are many placement providers — and not all placements are equal. What matters for your development is the quality of the clinical experience, the standard of supervision, and whether the organisation you place with sees you as a person, not a headcount.
- Every client is assessed before referral — you are matched, not allocated
- Supervision is provided by qualified, accredited supervisors at £35 per hour
- You are supported by a team available for questions throughout your placement
- Reduced-rate personal counselling is available for trainees with us
- We have been operating since 2014 — we have experience of supporting trainees at every stage
- NCPS Organisational Member — operating in line with the NCPS Code of Ethics and BACP Good Practice
Online across the whole of the UK
Because all sessions are online, you can complete your placement hours from anywhere in the UK. Whether you are studying in London, Leeds, Bristol, or anywhere else, geography is not a barrier to building a quality caseload with us.
Many trainee counsellors hold two placements simultaneously — one online and one face-to-face — to meet the requirements of their training provider. If you need face-to-face hours specifically, we recommend confirming with your training centre that online sessions meet their requirements before applying.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
Are counselling placements with Hope Therapy online or face-to-face?
All client sessions in our placement programme are held online, via Zoom or telephone. This ensures the safety and flexibility of both the trainee and the client. If your training provider or examining body requires face-to-face hours specifically, you may need to treat this as a second placement alongside another provider. We recommend checking with your training centre before applying.
How many clients will I see on placement?
You can see between two and six adult clients per week, depending on your individual circumstances, stage of training, and availability. All clients are assessed by a qualified counsellor before being matched to you, based on suitability, your experience level, and your availability.
What supervision is provided on the placement?
We provide monthly individual supervision at a reduced rate of £35 per hour with one of our qualified supervisors. In many cases, we are also able to offer reduced-rate personal counselling to trainees in placement with us — even if you already hold a placement elsewhere.
What qualifications or body membership do I need to apply?
You must hold membership with a recognised counselling body — such as BACP, UKCP, NCS, or BABCP — and be signed off by your training centre as fit to practice. You must also be in weekly personal therapy, or have access to a counsellor to support your training. We are usually able to offer this at a reduced rate.
How long is the placement commitment?
We ask trainees to commit to a minimum of one year. This allows time to build genuine therapeutic relationships with clients and to develop meaningfully as a practitioner. Short-term placements are not something we offer.
What do previous trainees say about the placement?
Previous placement trainees have described feeling well supported, valued, and encouraged throughout. They have commented on the efficiency of client referrals, the quality of supervision, and the sense of being part of a professional team. Genuine testimonials from previous trainees are on this page.
Related Support
Other support for counsellors and trainees
Ready to apply for a placement?
A free, no-obligation conversation is the easiest way to find out whether this placement is the right fit for your training. Or apply directly via the form above.
Get in Touch
Questions about the placement?
If you have a question before applying, send us a message and a member of our team will get back to you. All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“My supervisor and the director were very attentive in answering any questions or worries I shared.”
Previous placement trainee
NCPS Organisational Member
Est 2014
90+ Qualified Therapists
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies
Individual registrations vary per therapist. Last reviewed: May 2026.