The introductory course, our CPCAB-awarded L2 Certificate in Counselling Skills forms the initial stage in your training path as a qualified practitioner in counselling.

Counselling, when practised as a profession is regulated by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care in the UK, which ensures that regulatory establishments in the health professions have a set of standards for safe and ethical practice, and have Accredited Registers of qualified counsellors, with the largest being maintained by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy.

The CPCAB Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2) is the starting point on the path to a professional qualification in counselling at Level 4 (CPCAB's TC-L4 diploma qualification), which can, as part of the CPCAB L4 course, build in an assessment by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the largest such organisation in the UK, affording successful trainees immediate recognition as full BACP members upon completion of your training.

Note that not all CPCAB-recognised centres operate a BACP-approved qualification, so please do check with your chosen Level 4 provider first. Whoever you choose as your trainer, we would recommend you select a counselling training that is recognised by an organisation listed as a counselling-register holder by the Professional Standards Authority. The CPCAB qualification BACP-approved Level 4 training meets the requirements for several of these bodies.

You can find a list of organisations in counselling with Registers which are officially accredited by visiting the website of the UK's Professional Standards Authority, and a listing of L4 training providers in your local area on CPCAB's Centre Finder.