Entry Requirements

A Minimum of 64 UCAS Points from one or more of the following:

• At least two A-levels
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma/Diploma/Subsidiary Diploma/Certificate
• BTEC National Award/Certificate/Diploma
• International Baccalaureate
• Access to Higher Education Diploma (minimum 15 credits at Merit or above)
• GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade C (old specification) or Grade 4 (new specification) or above OR a Level 2 equivalent such as Functional Skills.

For any qualification not identified above the HE Admission Team will determine equivalences through UKNARIC.

Exceptional Entry

Applicants wishing to be considered for entry to the second or third year of study or wishing to import credits or evidence of prior learning into the course for which they are applying will be considered in accordance with the awarding bodies policy on Accreditation of Prior (Experiential) Learning.

Applications from mature students who do not possess the entry requirements as listed above but who possess related professional experience or professional qualifications are welcome to apply. You will need to demonstrate by interview exceptional entry portfolio (this is likely to include evidence of paid or unpaid work experience) and/or written assessment that you are suitable for the course. In the first instance we suggest you contact HEAdmissions@southessex.ac.uk to discuss your application.

DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service)

All successful applicants for this course must undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check in Year 1 prior to starting placement in Year 2. The cost of the initial DBS check is included in the course fees.

DBS identification documents are verified by trained staff in line with DBS guidelines as part of the admissions process.

Important:

Disclosure and Barring checks cannot be carried out for applicants who are not or have never been resident in the UK. Applicants who reside or previously have resided overseas will be required to provide a criminal record check or certificate of good conduct from their country or countries of residence prior to entry on to the course.

Course Structure

Year one modules (Level 4)

• Introductory Counselling Skills Ethics and Law
• Existential and Person-Centred Therapy
• Counselling in a Contemporary Context: Working Therapeutically with Identity Difference and Diversity (1)
• Critical Psychopathology
• Developing Counselling Skills (incorporating FTP1)
• Counselling Children and Young People 

Year two modules (Level 5)

• Integrative Practice (incorporating FTP2)
• Comparative Approaches in Counselling
• Counselling in a Contemporary Context: Working Therapeutically with Identity Difference and Diversity (2)
• Loss and Attachment
• Introduction to Research 

Year three modules (Level 6)

• Consolidating Creative Techniques (incorporating FTP3)
• Philosophical Issues in Counselling
• Addiction and Substances
• Dissertation
• Personal and Professional Relationship 

Work placements

Minimum of 100 Hours Voluntary Placement Counselling in an approved Counselling Agency Mandatory requirement. In year two there is a require- ment for 25 to 50 hours to be completed subject to successful completion of the Fitness To Practice module in Year one. A further 75 hours are re- quired in Year three these numbers ensure that successful graduates will be well positioned to achieve full membership of an appropriate regulatory body such as BACP or NCS.

Personal therapy

You are also required to undertake 30 hours of personal therapy during the programme with a minimum of 10 hours of personal therapy to be com- pleted during the first year prior to starting placement in year 2. You will be required to become student members of The BACP (British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy) and to maintain personal indemnity insurance in line with industry requirements.

Teaching & Learning

Contact hours: 13 hours per week over two days.  Plus Independent study (suggested 30 hours per week).

You are taught through a combination of lectures seminars and workshops which enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of the disciplines of Counselling and all professional aspects pertaining to the counselling industry.

A range of appropriate facilities including the library and online learning resources the Learning Resource Centre and the Forum supports your independent learning.

Assessment & Feedback

You will receive on-going feedback as part of your one-to-one sessions with your unit teachers. You will also receive summative feedback on all formal assessments undertaken by coursework. Feedback is intended to help you learn and you are encouraged to discuss it with your unit leader. Feedback can be given in a range of different ways in order to accommodate a variety of learning styles and aptitudes including group critiques, recorded verbal feedback and written feedback. 

Feedback on the Final Major Project/Dissertation module in Year three is provided throughout and through supervision meetings as scheduled.

Course Cost

Adult, full_time: £9,535 per year

Fees are per academic year for Home/UK students.

The following course-related costs are included in the fees:

• A sum towards clinical supervision. A sum towards appropriate personal indemnity insurance. A sum towards required membership of an industry regulatory body
• You will receive an allocation of pages for printing. Once you have used your allocation, you need to charge up your account with more pages
• Initial DBS check

Additional costs

You will be expected to source and pay for 30 hours of personal therapy over the three years of the programme. Personal therapy sessions cost in the region of £40 per hour.

What Next...

Students can progress onto postgraduate programmes including:

• MA Counselling
• MA Psychotherapy and Counselling
• MSc Therapeutic Counselling
• MSc Counselling Children and Young People
• MSc Psychology
• MSc Psychological Research Graduate destinations

When you have graduated you will be able to pursue a number of different career options including:

• Counsellors in a variety of settings including schools, charitable organisations, Women’s Refuges, mental health agencies
• teaching

The majority of students have gained full-time employment following graduation.

Success Stories...

Success Story: Gosia Grabowska

Course studied

Counselling BA (Hons)

Starting college was daunting at first. From my very first interview, I felt safe, supported and encouraged, while still being treated professionally and with respect.

View full story

My name is Gosia Grabowska, and I studied Level 3 Certificate Counselling Studies, Level 4 Diploma Therapeutic Counselling, and Level 5 Diploma Psychotherapeutic Counselling  at South Essex Colleges Group. This is my story.

Originally from Poland, I came to the UK over 20 years ago with a simple plan: learn English and return home to use it in my future career. However, life had other ideas. I met my partner here, settled down, and built my family.

Before discovering counselling, I worked across a range of roles, including in retail, hospitality, and as a GP receptionist. After having my second child, I knew I wanted more from my career when I returned from maternity leave, something that offered not only financial stability but also real purpose and fulfilment.

Becoming a therapist had always been my dream. As a birthday present, I asked my partner to fund my Level 1 introductory counselling course. Those first eight weeks changed everything. I felt an incredible sense of pride and achievement, and it inspired me to continue progressing through Level 2, Level 3 and beyond. 

Starting college was daunting at first. From my very first interview, I felt safe, supported and encouraged, while still being treated professionally and with respect. That strong sense of trust stayed with me throughout my studies. What I enjoyed most about the course was the human connection. Counselling training isn’t just about theory, it fundamentally changes the way you understand yourself and others.

I was fortunate to learn from many tutors, each bringing something unique to my experience. One moment stands out in particular. During the early stages of the COVID pandemic, I became very unwell while studying the Level 4 course and believed I would have to leave the course. I met with my tutor, Zoe Viscardini and she supported and encouraged me, helping me believe I could continue. Looking back, I know that if I had walked away at that point, I would not be where I am today. Her belief in me made all the difference.

Throughout my studies, I developed essential skills including communication, self-awareness, reflective practice and emotional resilience. I also learned the importance of professionalism, boundaries, collaboration and lifelong learning, skills that continue to shape both my career and personal life.

One of my proudest moments was completing the Level 4 course and qualifying as a counsellor. It had been a challenging journey, with moments where I doubted myself. Finishing felt like receiving a driving licence, you’ve learned the skills, and now it’s time to go out into the world and use them. It remains one of the proudest achievements of my life.

Since qualifying, I’ve built a varied and rewarding career in counselling and mental health services. I began as a mentor at the organisation where I completed my placement and have since progressed to become a Clinical Manager for counselling placements within a local charity, a Clinical Supervisor and a private practitioner.

Alongside this, I’ve qualified as a tutor and now teach within counselling training organisations. I also work as a marker for a trauma academy, am a qualified EMDR therapist, and deliver workshops for social work students focusing on therapeutic communication and relational skills.

If there’s one piece of advice that has stayed with me, it’s the importance of collaboration. Counselling is not a profession you can do in isolation, you need connection, shared learning and support from others. That mindset has shaped my journey and continues to guide my career today.

Take a look at our range of counselling courses starting September