Joining Relate

 Being a Relate counsellor is incredibly interesting and rewarding.

There are currently around 2000 counsellors working for Relate and there are many opportunities for growth, development and specialising. Being a Relate counsellor gives you the chance to have a positive impact on people's lives, and can be an incredibly rewarding job.

Relate's 1,887 counsellors, sex therapists and trainers help around 150,000 people every year and receive regular supervision and support throughout their training and practice. Relate offers excellent opportunities for personal growth and development, and offers further training for those who want to specialise in a particular form of relationship counselling such as family counselling, psychosexual therapy or counselling for young people. Our couple counselling training takes two years and combines theoretical study with supervised clinical practice.

Training is provided by the Relate Institute based in Doncaster. A range of courses is offered at a range of venues across the country. For further details and/or prospectus, telephone the Institute on 01302 553915 or visit their website. The students include those new to counselling and qualified counsellors extending and developing their skills by undertaking advanced study at postgraduate level.

If you are interested in becoming a relate counsellor in Wolverhampton or Dudley please complete our online enquiry form.
 

What level does the basic counselling skills course, as part of the entry requirements, have to be?

This can be a level 2 or 3 course. These courses can be found either at your local college or a Relate Centre. If you have, however, completed a course with counselling skills as part of its content, please include details, or even a transcript, of the course with your application.

I don’t have an ‘A level’ qualification or equivalent. Would I need to have one to apply for the course?

Yes, one of the entry requirements is an ‘A level’ or equivalent. However, if you do a level 3 counselling skills course/qualification, this would be the equivalent level 3 for the academic standard of an ‘A level’ qualification.

I want to become a counsellor. Which course should I choose?

If you do not have a first degree, but do have a level 3 qualification and a basic counselling skills qualification at level 2 or 3 or equivalent, such as Samaritans training, entry course for you would be the Introduction to Couple Counselling. If you have a first degree you can access the MA in Relationship Therapy directly.

Are there limited places on these courses?

There are usually 24 places on each cohort, however this may vary depending on start date and location.

What hours will I have to do for the placement?

This depends on the course you attend, please refer to the course page on the website. The clinical placement manager in the centre will be able to advise you.

How many days are involved in the training?

The required number of hours varies from course to course. Please refer to the relevant course page on the website. The clinical work can either be done on placement at a Relate Centre or a clinical setting where couple clients with relationship issues can be sought. If using a clinical setting outside of Relate, the supervisor supervising the clinical practice would need to meet the Relate Supervisor Register criteria.

How do I find a placement?

We suggest you contact your preferred clinical placement, such as Relate Wolverhampton and Dudley, before you apply, so that you have an idea if you will be able to gain a placement. If you are unable to find a placement, you will be unable to start the course.

When should I apply for this course?

Please note that the Relate Institute website indicates closing dates for the courses, so you need to allow plenty of time for your application to reach us before the deadline.

Where do the courses take place?

The courses take place in a number of venues, please refer to the course page on the website. Courses in High Melton (Doncaster) usually run at weekends and on weekdays in other venues.

How long are the study days?

They start at 9.30 and end at 17.00.

How much do the courses cost?

This depends on course, location and prior qualification. Please visit the Relate Institute website for more information.