Thinking of becoming a psychotherapist in the UK? Here are our top tips!

27th Apr 2023

It is never too late to change a career or follow your goals to become a psychotherapist. If you are wanting a job that allows to make an impact on people’s lives, becoming a psychotherapist may be for you. It does require extensive education and accreditation, which will challenge you.

You’ll be helping those with mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, behavioural issues or more severe issues such as personality disorders and psychosis.

Here are some tips for starting out as a psychotherapist.

Have a look at the training and requirements needed

To become a psychotherapist you will need to complete:

a degree in psychology or a related subject like nursing, medicine or social work.
an accredited postgraduate qualification.
450 hours of practice to be registered as a licensed psychotherapist by the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

Your course should be one recognised by the:

Entry requirements:

2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent for a degree.
A degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study.

Course durations can be up to 4 years. Training combines study and clinical training under supervision, allowing you to strengthen your clinical skills, alongside acquiring the necessary knowledge.

To become a child psychotherapist, you will need to complete 4 years of training with the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP).

You’ll also need experience of working with vulnerable adults or children. The more work experience, within the field, the better.

To help you deal with issues that may arise as a therapist, some courses may expect you go into your own personal therapy journey, allowing you to gain experience from a client’s view point.

What must-have skills will you need?

Every practitioner works in a different way and has different strengths. With that being said, some skills needed include:

Psychology knowledge.
Brilliant verbal communication skills.
Counselling skills – active listening, sensitivity and understanding, patience, ability to have a non-judgemental approach, awareness and understanding in people’s reactions.
Ability to remain calm under stressful high pressure situations.
Basic IT skills – scheduling appointments, writing reports.

Find the perfect space for you and your clients:

If you decide to into private practice, finding the right therapy space is important. Pricing and location can have a major factor on the decision of what therapy room to rent is right for you.

How BrighterSpaces can help your business:

Here at BrighterSpaces we offer ad-hoc bookings with cancellation of up to one hour before your session. No joining fee or membership required. We have onsite managers Monday-Friday and use a wireless code service for weekend bookings, alongside a waiting room for your clients. It is simple, low outlay fees for you as a practitioner, flexibility and a safe, comfortable environment for both your clients and yourself as practitioner.

Renting a therapy room has its advantages, especially from BrighterSpaces:

Low financial outlay (booking ad-hoc).
Flexibility to cancel bookings both for your clients and for yourself.
Sense of security – panic buttons in each room, ensuring your welfare.
Waiting room for your clients.
Registered business address – if you want to register your business address from our site, for a small fee we’ll make it happen.
Mail handling – If you wish for us to handle your business mail, for a monthly fee we offer this service.

If you want to find out more, contact us today!