How do you become a qualified psychotherapist?
https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/psychotherapy-training/
https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/psychological-therapies/roles/psychotherapist
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/psychotherapist
Have a look at these websites, stop if you're feeling overwhelmed with information. They have loads of information and you don't need to know it all. It'll be enough to have a general idea of the process and what your future steps should be, and once studying at university you'll have more help and assistance to figure all this stuff out
To be a Psychologist (Clinical or Counselling) you will need a BPS recognised psychology degree (and then experience before doing further doctoral level training), but for the vast majority of other routes none of that is necessary.
As above, there are so many different roles within psychotherapy and many different possible routes - not all requiring a psychology degree (though in my experience, it helps!). I can share the route I took to give you an idea of one possibility.
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I did my undergraduate degree in Psychology with Counselling with the Open University.
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Then I completed a level 3 counselling skills certificate at a local college, which took 1 academic year.
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I then did a postgraduate certificate in psychological therapies (started an MSc but dropped out as I realised I wanted to continue with professional counselling/psychotherapy training instead of a more academic route).
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I moved into a level 4 counselling diploma after that, which took 2 academic years and involved a 100-hour placement.
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After that, I took on a role as a Trainee High Intensity CBT Therapist, which is a paid role in the NHS (just finishing this now).
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Alongside all of that (apart from my current HIT role), I built up a lot of relevant experience by working as a support worker, drug and alcohol recovery worker, and Assistant Psychologist.
This is just one possible route, there are also degrees in counselling and psychotherapy out there that offer an alternative route. Mine has taken me a long time, but I'm very happy with where I am at now.
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