We're offering five entry-level bursaries for students to undertake counselling and psychotherapy training, starting in September 2023. 

You may not have thought about a career in counselling before, but if you're motivated to help others, are open to learning and understanding someone else’s life and experiences, and are interested to learn more about yourself and others, then counselling training might be right for you.

What training does the scheme cover?

Entry-level bursaries are available for: 

  • Introduction to counselling courses

Taking an introductory course could help you decide if counselling is the right career for you. It will help you gain basic counselling skills and give you an overview of what the training involves before you commit fully. These courses will usually cover:

    • active listening skills
    • understanding the differences between counselling and other roles
    • developing practical skills
    • increasing self-awareness through personal reflection

Introductory courses are usually run at local further education colleges or adult education centres and last from eight to 12 weeks. Many do not require you to have any formal qualifications but you may have some personal experience. You may already be working in a helping or listening role where people find it easy to talk to you, perhaps as a volunteer or working with a community group. Even if you decide not to progress your counselling training, you will gain valuable skills for your own personal and professional development.

  • Certificate in counselling skills

A certificate level course will develop your counselling skills and give you a deeper understanding of counselling theories, ethics and self-awareness. This training may also be useful if your job involves advising or helping people, even if you don't plan to become a therapist.

Once you've identified a suitable course, it is a good idea to talk to the course provider about any entry requirements, how the work on the course will be assessed and any student support available so you can decide if it is a good fit for you.

What does the bursary cover?

We will provide funding for course costs of up to £875, plus £500 for additional expenses such as IT, books and travel.

Who can apply?

The scheme is open to all UK residents and we strongly encourage applications from racially marginalised groups. Applicants should be able to demonstrate that they are in genuine financial need.

You'll also need to meet any eligibility requirements for your chosen course.

We’re keen to encourage applicants who may not have considered counselling as a career and to open up the profession to those who already have listening skills and use them in their day-to-day role or in volunteering. 

How do I apply?

Applications for this scheme have now closed as we’ve reached the maximum number of applicants.

If you've submitted an application, you should still be able to access your account on the Blackbullion website, but you can’t make any changes. Applications will be anonymised and ranked by Blackbullion against the eligibility criteria. Those that meet the requirements will progress for review by BACP. If you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please contact support@blackbullion.com.

Following an exceptional and unprecedented response we’ve had to close applications for the bursary scheme as we’ve now reached the maximum number of applications (100). We’re overwhelmed by the interest in the bursaries and didn’t expect to reach the application limits so early. We’ll learn from this as we review the pilot scheme.

You can find more information in our Bursary scheme FAQs and Bursary scheme terms and conditions.

What is counselling and psychotherapy? 

Counselling and psychotherapy are umbrella terms that cover a range of talking therapies. Counsellors and psychotherapists can improve people's health and wellbeing by helping them to talk about their feelings, think about their choices or their behaviour, and make positive changes in their lives.

Counselling can take many forms. It can be on an individual basis or with a couples or family therapist. Most therapy takes place in planned, regular sessions which last for around 50 minutes and can take place face to face or online or over the phone.

Counsellors do not give opinions or advice or prescribe medication. They help clients to find their own solutions – whether that’s making effective changes in their life or finding ways of coping with their problems. Trained therapists are impartial but understanding, they listen without judgment and help clients to explore their thoughts and emotions. They may offer information, but they won’t tell clients what they should think or do.

Find out more about counselling