About the degree

The qualification has been designed to provide a thorough coverage of counselling theory and competencies as set out in the SCoPEd framework ‘Therapist B’ level, and the opportunity for you to complete the required 450 contracted client hours at this level, as well as to apply competencies in your clinical practice. As we are not able to offer face-to-face training/practice opportunities in the OU setting, the qualification allows you - in form of two ‘open practice’ modules at level 2 and 3 - to bring in clinical practice hours you have completed externally. Your practice will be audited, and practice competencies will be assessed, in the ‘open practice’ modules. The assignments on the two ‘open practice’ modules will require you to draw on your practice (e.g., in form of case studies/process reports).

Planning my studies along the qualification structure

The structure of the qualification is designed so that practical and theoretical learning runs concurrently on all levels which will allow you to apply your theoretical knowledge to practice, and approach theoretical learning with your practice experience in mind:

Level 1

The OU online pedagogy model does not allow the university to offer initial counselling training as this is typically done in very small groups, involves high numbers of in-person contact hours and requires supporting students to access counselling placements. For this reason, at level 1 of the qualification you will have to complete an external counselling course at FHEQ level 4 which is mapped to SCoPEd framework ‘Therapist A’ level (minimum of 100 supervised client hours, minimum 300 training hours) and equips you to work with clients (see external counselling qualifications that we accept for R86 level 1). Or, if you are an already trained and qualified practitioner at SCoPEd framework ‘Therapist A’ level and want to top-up your training, then you can get the required credits from your previous counselling training, if it meets the requirements (see Accepted external counselling qualifications).

You can use the 120 credits from the external course as your R86 level 1 credit, as long as no more than sixteen years have passed since you completed it.

Level 2

At level 2 you begin your knowledge-based OU study with the OU module D241 Exploring Mental Health and Counselling. This 60-credit module locates counselling within the broader field of mental health and provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to the often-controversial debates around mental health/illness and the main theories and approaches in counselling. The module critically examines the definitions and understanding of mental health issues and the ways they are treated in counselling and psychotherapy practice. It will provide you with recent theoretical debates and contemporary international research to inform and help you to develop a critical understanding of the themes and issues related to mental health and counselling.

The other 60-credits on level 2 will come from the first ‘open practice’ module, D230 Advancing your counselling practice. With Open University students being geographically widely distributed in the four nations, it is not possible to offer practice placements and management for students. You are therefore required to self-source placements and practice opportunities, and to take responsibility for being able to meet the required client hours (a hundred (100) as part of your level 1 external study, and another 350 hours over level 2 and 3, in total 450 hours by the end of the qualification). D230 allows you to bring in client and supervision hours completed at placements, agencies and in private practice, as well as the option to gain credit for reflecting on and assessing prior learning, such as CPD training. The learning material on this module is mapped onto roughly half of the SCoPEd competencies for ‘Level B’ counsellors and module completion will help you to expand your professional and practice knowledge, expertise and skills.

Level 3

At level 3 you’ll begin with the knowledge-based 60-credit OU module DD310 Counselling and forensic psychology: investigating crime and therapy which takes an applied approach to issues such as counselling vulnerable clients and working therapeutically with offenders.

You’ll complete your degree with a further 60-credit open practice module, D330 Consolidating your counselling practice. The learning material on this module is mapped onto the SCoPEd competencies for ‘Level B’ counsellors not covered on D230, which means that at the end of your degree you will have demonstrated through your assessements all the ‘Therapist B competencies’ as stipulated in the SCoPEd framework. This includes completing 450 supervised client hours during the whole training/qualification (100 hours at level 1 and 350 hours at level 2 and 3 together).

Studying R86 as full counselling training pathway

Are you thinking about becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist, but have not had any relevant training yet? Are you maybe interested in this kind of work, but not sure which career pathway might be the best for you in this field?

If so, then our BSc Counselling qualification might be something you could consider as it offers a full training mapped to the SCoPEd framework (‘Therapist B competencies’). However, to find out if this would be indeed a good choice for you, and if you could commit to this career pathway, here are some points you should consider:

Is counselling the right career choice for you personally?

Counselling is an inherently rewarding profession and one that many people find brings them tremendous satisfaction, as well as an income of course! But it is not for everyone, as those of us working in the profession have to confront our own feelings about fear and sadness in order to be able to work with others facing difficulties in living and this can be quite a personal and professional challenge. Counselling is more than simply listening, though that is valuable in itself, and is not a case of offering advice on 'how to fix the problem' and as such requires considerable training and experience if we are to be able to offer the required professionalism needed to help people at some of the most difficult times in their lives. A counselling training programme therefore requires a serious commitment of time and effort.

It is therefore important to gain some professional experience to start with, e.g., through work as a support worker or as a voluntary counsellor, to gain an insight into what the role involves and to see if it really is the career you would like to pursue. You’ll find some examples of work environments and organisations who offer volunteer placements at OLCreate: Counselling: Work experience requirements (to access the website you need to enrol on Open Learn Create which is free of costs).  

Which counselling and psychotherapy career pathway to choose?

Counselling and psychotherapy training and careers is quite a complex field which is not easy to navigate as it requires a good knowledge of the different possible routes, and the requirements for each. 

If you want to become a practitioner psychologist, you need an undergraduate degree in psychology which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) (e.g. the Open University’s Psychology degrees Q07, Q82, Q83, Q84). While these psychology degrees don’t equip you to work with clients as a practitioner, they allow you to embark on further doctoral level training programmes to become a counselling psychologist or a clinical psychologist and work with clients (subject to meeting entry requirements). This route to therapeutic practice is quite an intensive, long training programme involving many years of academic study, which can lead to positions in clinical settings (e.g. in the NHS).

For counselling, the new SCoPEd framework sets out the minimum core training, practice and competence requirements that counsellors represented on it have achieved and can evidence on three different levels. These three levels/columns also represent entry points and progression routes within the profession. Depending on the length, depth, level, and content of the initial training practitioners enter the profession either at column A (average 2 years training, minimum level 4), B (3 years, level 4-7) or C (4 years, level 7 minimum). Practitioners in column B will have all the competences from columns A and B, and practitioners in column C the competences from columns A, B and C. Our R86 BSc (Hons) Counselling covers the column A competencies at level 1, and equips graduates with the column B competencies at level 2 and 3. It is the intent to seek SCoPEd compliance (or equivalent for this qualitfication where this is possible).

If you are unsure about the best training pathway, or if a counselling profession would be a good choice for you at all, you might want to look at the information provided by the BACP on ‘choosing counselling and psychotherapy as a career’: BACP becoming a counsellor. There is also information available on via our Careers and Employability Service.

Introductory counselling skills and theory training

Before you can embark on any at FHEQ Level 4 counselling training (including the ones accepted for R86 level 1 which are mapped on SCoPEd framework ‘Therapist A’ level) you will first need to complete introductory courses in counselling skills and studies. Training providers providing FHEQ Level 4 counselling training often have an entry level certificate programme, and completing this is an entry requirement for enrolling on their level 4 counselling training.

When you apply for a counselling training programme, training providers will reassure themselves and you that you are ready to do this. They will check what is currently going on in an applicant’s life and if it is the right time for them to do the training. Training in counselling can be an intense process and paired with additional stress in your own life (e.g., recent bereavement or divorce) this can create an overwhelming experience. Training providers will also make sure that applicants are able to sit with profound distress, like anxiety, depression or traumatic experiences, that clients can bring to the counselling room. There is a huge difference between being a friend who can help friends through difficult times for a few hours here and there, and being a professional counsellor working with distressed clients daily.

Please be aware that progression from introductory counselling skills and theory training to a Level 4 training programme is often not automatic and that individual training centre can select trainees (e.g. by interviewing them) to ensure they are ready for the training. It is vital that all students who complete a Level 4 training programme are fit to practice as a counsellor and so additional requirements are necessary beyond academic achievement. It is common that admission process for Level 4 courses include consideration of the following aspects:

• Identify reasons for training beyond personal development
• Capacity to cope academically & emotionally with this level of training
• Be able to work with difference and diversity
• Possess personal qualities, imagination, intuition, openness and ability to benefit from self-development
• Be able to form a therapeutic relationship
• Demonstrate some self-awareness, insight, honesty and the ability to make links
• Be emotionally stable and be without personality disturbance
• Be able to challenge and be challenged
• Be able to respond sensitively and empathically to others.

There are a number of things you can do to enhance your chances of success in securing a place on a Level 4 counselling training programme (assuming you do not already have such experience):

• Undertake some personal therapy/personal development work;
• Do voluntary work with an agency;
• Practise your skills (if you have already done the skills training) with a peer group of fellow students or helping agency (e.g. Victim support, Samaritans).
• Approach a training centre delivering a Level 4 counselling training and discuss how you might prepare for the assessment interview at that centre (in advance of applying for the course).

Studying R86 as top-up for SCoPEd-A practitioners

Are you a trained and qualified practitioner (at FHEQ Level 4/SCoPEd framework ‘Therapist A’ level) thinking about acquiring new advanced counsellor competencies that can help to improve you practice? Are you looking for a training pathway that will allow you to top-up your skills from SCoPEd framework ‘Column A’ level’ to ‘Column B’?

If so, then our BSc Counselling qualification offers you such a ‘top-up’ pathway from SCoPEd framework ‘Column A’ to ‘Column B’ level. You can study the knowledge-based modules flexibly online, choose practice competencies that suit you and bring and reflect on the client hours you have conducted in your practice settings.

The SCoPEd framework sets out the minimum core training, practice and competence requirements that counsellors represented on it have achieved and can evidence on three different levels. These three levels also represent entry points and progression routes within the profession. Depending on the length, depth, level, and content of the initial training, practitioners enter the profession either at Column A (average 2 years training, minimum level 4), B (3 years, level 4-7) or C (4 years, level 7 minimum). Practitioners in column B will have all the competences from columns A and B, and practitioners in column C the competences from columns A, B and C. In February 2023, all SCoPEd partner organisations formally decided to adopt the SCoPEd framework, meaning that the organisations will now align their membership categories to reflect the SCoPEd framework and develop a shared agreement on pathways and routes between SCoPEd columns.

When studying our BSc (Hons) Counselling, you can get recognition of prior learning for your previously acquired Level 4 counselling training (for more information on the Level 4 counselling courses that we accept as external counselling training components for the level 1 of this qualification see accepted external counselling qualifications). You will learn all the Column B competencies at level 2 and 3 of the qualification which, with the required supervised client hours and practice requirements, which will significantly advance your practice competence.