Getting placement hours to gain client experience is an essential part of the journey of becoming a counsellor, but fierce competition for spaces, unreasonable working conditions and being allocated clients with complex mental health issues are just some of the issues trainee counsellors are currently facing, according to BACP’s Student Member Survey.

The survey went out to student members in September and October 2024 and just under 1,000 responded. Many highlighted that the process is problematic, with some agencies placing unrealistic expectations on students, including commitments of up to two years, paying for supervision, travel costs and admin fees, and unethical working environments among the challenges facing trainee counsellors. 

As a trainee counsellor I can attest that these issues are unfortunately all too real – I’ve been asked to work three evenings a week alone in a building, then lock up and set the alarms (I declined). I also travelled to one agency for several weeks in a row only to find that it had no clients for me. 

The survey found that 42.7% of respondents had, to a great extent, found difficulty in securing a placement. Almost a third (31.8%) said they received very little support from their course on securing one, and 15.3% stated the course didn’t support them with this at all. 

Once an interview had been secured it was still a difficult process. More than half (55.3%) said they had experienced some difficulty in being successful at interview while 68.6% admitted there was competition with other trainees for placements. 

96.5% received no payment for client sessions 

Almost three in 10 (29.7%) agreed or strongly agreed that the length of commitment requested by the placement provider was too long. Worryingly, 19.1% agreed or strongly agreed that the working environment felt unsafe for reasons including lone working with clients. Other concerns were that the agency couldn’t guarantee a certain number of client hours, with over a third (35.1%) agreeing or strongly agreeing with this statement. 

When it comes to choice of placement, reputation mattered to a great extent to almost half (48.1%) of respondents. Trainees also said that the client groups seen by a placement organisation, and the modality used, has – or would – impact their decision to accept a placement. Client groups seen by an organisation also mattered to a great extent for 34.8% of respondents and somewhat for 32.2%, as did the modality used; this mattered for 39.4% to a great extent and 28.2% somewhat. But clearly it’s often a case of ‘needs must’ – 82.7% agreed to a great extent that placement hours being a course requirement influenced their decision to accept a placement. 

For many trainees juggling work commitments and childcare alongside training, location and availability of hours were also big concerns, with flexibility of client hours being important – 45.4% said that would impact their decision to accept a placement ‘to a great extent’. 

Almost all (96.5%) didn’t get paid for any client sessions while just 11.5% received travel expenses. Admin fees were charged to 3% of respondents. While almost half (48.4%) received free supervision, 45.7% needed to arrange this independently. 

Exploitative 

After asking the questions outlined above regarding placement provision, the survey also invited students to share their experiences in more detail, and this elicited some strong reactions. One response that was echoed by many respondents was that the placement system felt ‘exploitative’. ‘Trainees cover travel costs, perform admin tasks and are required to have prior hours of experience. With minimal training or support they’re expected to give time and effort without compensation,’ one respondent noted. Another observed, ‘The provider charged [clients] £60 per hour for my sessions and made no contributions to any of my costs.’ 

Many found that finding a placement in the first place was a major stumbling block, and struggled to know where to find them. ‘It would be helpful if trainees had access to a list of agencies that provide student placements, as it’s very challenging trying to find something online when many agencies don’t even advertise placements but potentially might offer them,’ said one. Another suggested all placements were centralised, perhaps through membership bodies, with details of requirements, whether it was online or in person, and so on. Some would like to know how other trainees got on during their placement before they applied. ‘A centralised database with trainee feedback would be amazing,’ said one respondent. 

While some trainees were lucky to get accepted onto the first, or one of the first, placements they’d applied for, they recognised that they were the ‘lucky’ ones, and acknowledged their peers hadn’t been so fortunate. As one put it: ‘Placement providers were perplexingly disorganised in their administration and communication, often wasting a lot of student time and taking over a month to respond.’ Many said they struggled. ‘It took me 43 applications, emails, phone calls and interviews to find a placement and it was incredibly stressful,’ said one. Another waited 15 months to find their placement: ‘This had a knock-on effect on completing my course and I had to defer.’ Another found securing a placement to be, ‘very random – I emailed one organisation and was told there was nothing until the following year. A fellow student tried a week later and got an interview and placement.’  

45.7% were not offered supervision on placement 

Some students, however, felt more supported by their place of study. ‘Our course leader arranged charities looking for placement students to visit the class, and this helped some secure a placement.’ Another said, ‘Some of my fellow students really struggled finding reliable placements but I found my own was incredibly professional, structured and consistent.’ 

One student who spoke to Therapy Today said it felt like an often confusing process. ‘It felt like it was a bit of a black market, knocking on doors and asking, do you really do these placements, and what do I need to do to secure one? It’s not a very formalised or standardised process, and I don’t think there’s always an internal clarity.’ 

A series of administrative errors led to this respondent not getting their first choice of placement, they added. ‘I contacted them and they said my application had gone to junk and was asked to resend. I was devastated to hear they’d lost it.’ They apologised and the student was offered an interview immediately. ‘I couldn’t do that time, so I suggested several alternatives, and they didn’t reply. I called the centre and they wouldn’t put me through to the person I needed to speak to, so I basically just gave up. I was more than disappointed, I was furious.’ 

After their experience, this trainee urged agencies to run a more transparent application process. ‘I think what they offer when you’re in there is pretty good, but it’s often unclear and poorly administered.’ 

Another trainee echoed this view. ‘Looking for a placement was very difficult, and I faced a lot of rejection, but both placements that I’m on now have so far been very supportive and helpful, which has boosted my confidence.’ 

Costs

With many students now expected to pay for supervision on top of travel costs and tuition fees, gaining placement hours can feel like another cost that many students can do without. Some worry that this makes counselling a profession that is only accessible to the middle classes. As one respondent put it: ‘The way in which placements are conducted is exclusive to people who can afford to work for free, lose income and pay for supervision. No wonder most therapists come from very privileged backgrounds. The financial sacrifice is huge.’ 

Many wanted to be paid. ‘I think it is absolutely outrageous that we’re still not paid for our placements. In other industries they have abolished unpaid internships and we need to do the same. Finance is a massive barrier – these requirements for unpaid hours are classist.’ 

Many others agreed. ‘I like my placement but it’s expensive – including travel it costs about £12.50 per therapeutic hour that I provide and for which I’m not paid. I have to do more than 200 hours for my course, so it will cost me over £600.’ Another said, ‘It used to cost me around £120 a month [in travel costs and supervision], and the revenue the agency incurred from me was approximately £6,000. All I got [when I left] was a box of chocolates and a counsellor’s diary.’ 

For students living some distance away from major cities, travel costs can quickly spiral. ‘I live in Cumbria and have to travel two hours to Birkenhead for my placement. When looking for a second placement the closest I could get to me was Wigan, 50 minutes away by train, costing upwards of £100 per month,’ said one trainee. 

Getting the hours 

Securing 100 hours of counselling, 51 of which need to be in person, proved difficult for many, particularly as more counselling has moved online since the COVID-19 pandemic. One respondent said, ‘It feels like the ratio of online/ in-person client hours required by BACP is outdated for a post-pandemic world,’ while another said, ‘Clients choosing to have sessions online or on the phone has made it difficult to obtain the in-person hours needed.’ 

One respondent wondered why ‘so many placements ask if you already have hours – how do you get these hours before placement?’ Another agreed. ‘Most organisations don’t want you if you have no experience, so it’s a bit chicken and egg.’ One said, ‘I’ve found that many placements require students to have already completed 40 or even 100 hours, which makes it very difficult to find an initial placement.’ Another trainee said, ‘I was asked a number of times to reapply once I had more experience as a counsellor.’ 

13.3% felt unsafe on placement 

When trainees were in placement, many bemoaned the no-shows. ‘I had 12 hours of no-shows,’ one said, with another saying, ‘Clients don’t show up 40% of the time.’ Another agreed. ‘The most frustrating aspect of placements is the no-shows, which can be up to 50%.’ 

No-shows and the struggle for in-person hours mean some students have to take on more than one placement. ‘I need three placements to have adequate clients,’ said one respondent, while another said, ‘Sometimes I’ll spend three hours of my day travelling for one 50-minute session.’ 

Working practices 

After securing a placement, some students were disappointed at how they were treated. ‘I’ve found management at both placements to be defensive, rude and pressurising at times,’ said one. Another respondent who spoke to Therapy Today encountered difficulties with the placement lead, who was ‘very challenging’ and ‘communicated in a hostile way’. ‘I felt like I was walking on eggshells, not knowing what to expect from them. I’d witnessed angry reactions towards other people as well.’ The trainee ended up developing shingles from stress and left after six months.  

This respondent felt that previous students’ experiences need to be taken into account and recorded for future students, so they can get a sense of what the placement will be like at an agency. ‘My counselling college has created a feedback sheet for students who’ve been on placement that’s visible for future students. I feel there is a duty of care that training providers could show for students on their placement.’ 

Being asked to work with clients with complex mental health issues was another issue raised. ‘I had one placement that kept trying to give me clients who were well beyond my competence, and they were annoyed when I said no,’ revealed one student. Another said, ‘I was once left alone with an angry client with a brain injury, as I’d been given the keys to open up the agency before staff arrived.’ Someone else shared, ‘I recently had to decline a client who scored 24 on their PHQ-9 and was experiencing psychosis.’ 

One student felt ‘not all placement practices are structured in the true ethos of person-centred therapy’. Another believed that they were ‘mopping up’ those who couldn’t be seen by the NHS, and that volunteer counsellors were providing an important service while unqualified and unpaid. 

Diversity 

Another issue raised was lack of diversity and inclusion awareness by some placements. One deaf trainee who volunteered to speak to Therapy Today was shocked to be asked to act as an unpaid interpreter. ‘This was while an experienced counsellor assessed a deaf client, as they couldn’t afford to hire an interpreter. I wasn’t comfortable with this as I had enough to focus on at the time. I also didn’t want them to think this was ethical or acceptable practice. However, I didn’t want to lose a placement and risk not completing my course.’ They left the placement before the assessment was booked. 

The respondent elaborated that there is ‘fierce competition’ for placements in their area. ‘In my case it was extra stressful as I had to try to secure funding to have interpreters available to me in potential placements. Placements wouldn’t provide them, and initially my course provider refused to do so, later changing their decision after some exasperated communication from me.’ The course provider helped the student to find an additional placement when hearing clients didn’t want to be matched with them, and also agreed to provide BSL interpreters for interviews and supervision, they added.

Others talked of preference for female therapists, and age being a hindrance: ‘Aged 74, possible age discrimination has not helped.’ Support for the LGBTQ+ community wasn’t always there either. One transgender trainee said: ‘I was subjected to a transphobic rant during one placement interview.’ 

One student felt that while counselling agencies call for diversity, those with a strong non-English accent nevertheless found it ‘very difficult’ to find a placement. Another trainee who spoke to Therapy Today struggled with what they described as the UK’s ‘current hostile political climate’. They elaborated, ‘I had three cancellations from clients who were white after just one session. I was told they didn’t think I was the right fit, but I’ve never had a client of ethnic background cancel. I believe that my name is an issue, and so is my ethnic background. I’d never want to have special treatment. All I want is for people to just look at my ability and judge me on that.’ 

This trainee also felt that placements should be advertising and attracting clients from all walks of life. ‘They should be encouraging more working-class people to get involved, and possibly run some kind of course that is accredited but affordable so working-class people aren’t marginalised.’ 

This wasn’t everyone’s view, however, as another respondent said, ‘My agency ensured they had working-class and non-white representation and lived experience/socio-economic competency.’ 

Commitment 

Many trainees bemoaned the level of commitment, with some being asked to volunteer for up to two years – way beyond the usual commitment of 100 hours. One shared, ‘My placement requires me to do admin work for six months of a two-year placement at an hour a week. They also want to keep me on the books working as a volunteer for two years, potentially long after my 100-hour course requirement is done.’ Another said, ‘Many want a two-year commitment, which is more than the required hours. You feel taken advantage of.’ 

One trainee who spoke to Therapy Today was told they’d first have to get experience elsewhere volunteering for a charity before they could be offered an 18-month-long placement. They felt that, as many others indicated, training as a counsellor is only for those who don’t have to work to support themselves. ‘I’m feeling really disheartened about how to complete my training and juggle a placement.’ 

Many placement providers are struggling for funding while also – as a result of overstretched NHS services – meeting the mental health needs of some of the most disadvantaged members of our community. Without trainees working unpaid they couldn’t survive. But we are also seeing a ‘cost creep’ for trainees with practices that at one time were unusual – such as not providing paid supervision or covering travel expenses – now becoming the norm. Even once students are qualified problems can persist, as one put it: ‘Most agencies want or expect you to carry on giving your time for free once qualified. I understand the desperate need for low-cost counselling but equally I need to be able to pay my bills.’ As a profession we are more aware than ever of the need for a more diverse workforce of practitioners, but while the financial burden of becoming a counsellor keeps growing, a meaningful shift will never happen. 

35.6% experienced competition with other trainees for placements 

As a trainee it’s easy to feel like lack of success securing placement hours or having difficulty with placement providers is a personal failing – I certainly felt like that after being rejected by my preferred placement twice without an interview before finally securing a place. And when you’re set on qualifying and joining a profession you can feel like rocking the boat while you’re training is not in your best interests. But learning about the experiences of a range of trainees across the UK for this feature has made me aware that the state of placements is a systemic problem, and our ‘put up and shut up’ attitude is allowing it to go unchecked. As counsellors we are taught to be aware of power dynamics, and in the traineeplacement relationship it’s clear where the power lies. Not every provider exploits this position, but while the competition for places remains so high the door will always be open for them to do so. 

* With thanks to Charlie Duncan, BACP Senior Research Fellow 

What are your views on the good and bad of the placement system, and how it could be improved? Share your insights by emailing therapytoday@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Rachel Britton