You must currently be taking a course which provides core practitioner training in counselling or psychotherapy. We don't accept core training in disciplines such as psychology, hypnotherapy, social work or coaching.

Your course must include at least one year's full time or two years' part time, face to face classroom-based tuition and an integral, supervised placement of at least 100 client hours. Online and distance learning courses do not qualify, as we believe developing and practising counselling skills with tutors and peers is important for effective training.

Your placement hours must be:

• carried out with genuine clients, rather than peers from your course, for example
• in an appropriate setting with appropriate clients. Counselling services are an ideal setting as they are likely to assess whether clients are suitable for your level of competence. Your training provider should not allow placement hours through private practice or with client groups that have not been pre-assessed as suitable - such as children and young people or those with complex mental health needs.
• assessed (or marked) as an integral part of your training
• supervised. Supervision is important at all stages of seeing clients. For trainees, we recommend a ratio of one hour's supervision to eight hours counselling. We also recommend you see your supervisor fortnightly. 

Student membership is also available for full or part-time doctoral students. Your programme may be taught or self-guided and does not have to include a supervised placement.

Your membership lasts for 12 months. We will send you a renewal notice about six weeks before your renewal date.

You'll need to log into your account to complete the membership terms and conditions, advise us of any changes to your circumstances and pay your membership fees. (If you pay by Direct Debit, your existing payment arrangement will continue unless you ask us to change it.)