High Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counsellor Trainee (DIT pathway)

Integrated Care System; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in Milton Keynes is offering a fully funded training program for aspiring High Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counsellor Trainees. This innovative three-year program leads to dual qualifications in psychotherapeutic counselling and brief dynamic interpersonal therapy. Candidates will engage with diverse communities and contribute to the NHS’s mission to provide effective mental health support. Training includes supervised client hours and a strong emphasis on personal and professional development.

Benefits

Fully funded training program

Accredited qualifications

Qualifications

• Degree at 2:2 or above in any relevant subject.
• Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills required.
• Proficiency in English at IELTS 6.5 minimum.

Responsibilities

• Develop strong therapeutic relationships with service users.
• Ensure clinical practice aligns with service policy.
• Promote personal and professional development.

Skills

Commitment to working with people with common mental health problems

Demonstrable interpersonal skills

Ability to cope with emotional demands

Education

Recognised degree at 2:2 or above

Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills

Job description

Go back Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

High Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counsellor Trainee (DIT pathway)

The closing date is 11 August 2025

We welcome eligible applications to an innovative NHS fully funded three year training programme leading to dual qualifications as Accredited Psychotherapeutic Counsellor and Accredited Brief Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy (DIT) practitioner. Applicants will be graduates (or able to demonstrate professional and academic equivalence) with a commitment to the NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression (TTaD) model. The programme starts late September 2025 and is a joint recruitment between Milton Keynes Talking Therapies, provided by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, as the participating site service and the University of Roehampton and Anna Freud Centre, providing the national curriculum for High Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counselling (DIT pathway).

Attendance is required both at the site and university on prescribed days through training.

The NHS TTad Psychotherapeutic Counselling national curriculum delivers a Foundation level training with eligibility to apply to continue to Level 7 Postgraduate Diploma training in Psychotherapeutic Counselling leading to qualification to practise as a High Intensity Therapist in NHS TTad services delivering NICE-recommended evidence based psychological therapy for adults with depression. Pay in Yr1 Foundation level training is Agenda for Change (AfC) Band 5, and Yrs 2 and 3 Diploma level is AfC Band 6.

Main duties of the job

This training aims to:

• Develop high intensity psychotherapeutic counsellors with the qualities, skills and competences to develop, engage in and sustain strong therapeutic relationships and work effectively with Talking Therapies service users with depression, and their families where appropriate.
• Ensure clinical practice in accordance with local and national Service policy, including working to create inclusive and effective services for all.
• Promote personal and professional development and self-awareness essential to successful psychotherapeutic counselling.

Training Requirements:

• A one-year core psychotherapeutic counselling Foundation level training, which also introduces the psychodynamic theory. Following sign off for readiness, enables practice in the service with people with mild to moderate depression
• A two-year Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in psychotherapeutic counselling (minimum 120 credits at Level 7)
• Embedded training in Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy aligning to the NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression (TTad) national curriculum.
• A minimum of 450 supervised client hours gained within an NHS Talking Therapies service
• A minimum of 450 training hours (skills and theory)
• A minimum of 50 personal therapy hours (self funded)
• Individual registration in line with the TTad Manual (see the Manual for more details).

About us

CNWL (Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust) has almost 8,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond. We involve service users, carers, the public, staff and partner organisations in the way that we are run.

Our catchment area spans diverse communities, with over 100 first languages spoken. It contains areas of great affluence as well as areas of much deprivation. We are committed to providing services that meet the needs of the people who use them, and we actively encourage involvement from local people who can help make a difference. We're proud of our diversity and we continue to undertake new initiatives to advance equality for LGBT+, BME and people with disabilities to promote good relations and understanding between our staff. We are recognised locally, nationally and internationally for providing high quality, innovative healthcare. We aim to employ only the best people, and our experts are frequently called upon to contribute to national health strategy and policy, and many models of our care have been adapted for use in other countries.

Become part of our team. We care for you as much as you care for others.

Job responsibilities

• Recognised degree at 2:2 or above in any relevant subject, or equivalent. Candidates without a degree at 2:2 or above may be able to secure a place by demonstrating competency via a portfolio of evidence, which meets specified academic equivalence requirements.
• Completed a Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills, (minimum of 10 days or 60 hours of face-to-face tuition at level 2 or level 3). Note: Online courses are not acceptable. L2 Award, Helping Skills and introductory courses are not acceptable.
• Proficiency in reading, writing and spoken English of a standard necessary to support academic study and professional practice at Level 7 IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each element.

As part of your application please include a personal statement (up to 1,000 words) reflecting on your motivation for choosing this career pathway and your readiness to engage in this emotionally demanding and transformative training (e.g. capacity to cope with the emotional demands of training, ability to cope with the intellectual and academic requirement, ability to come alongside people experiencing emotional and psychological distress, ability to be vulnerable and make use and reflect upon own life experience).

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Recognised degree at 2:2 or above in any relevant subject, or equivalent
• Completed a Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills, (minimum of 10 days or 60 hours of face-to-face tuition at level 2 or level 3).
• Demonstrates competency via a portfolio of evidence, which meets specified academic equivalence requirements

Experience

• Show a commitment to working with people with common mental health problems
• Demonstrable interpersonal skills and values consistent with providing hopeful, person-centred care within the NHS TTad stepped model of care
• Evidence of working within a team environment
• Evidence of communicating with individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Evidence of working with people who have experienced a common mental health problem
• Previous clinical or professional expertise in mental health
• Worked in a setting where agreed targets in place demonstrating clinical outcomes
• Experience managing own caseload and time

Skills

• Ability to integrate training into practice
• Capacity to cope with the emotional demands of the course
• Received training in and carried out risk assessments within scope of practice
• Ability to use clinical supervision and personal development activity positively and effectively

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust