Counsellors volunteer volunteer roles in Bexhill on sea, east sussex

Do you believe that professional therapy should be a community standard, not a luxury? As a qualified volunteer counsellor, help us provide accessible, online counselling while managing a flexible remote caseload via our secure platform, supported by peer supervision groups.

Flourish Wellbeing Support is a Not-for-Profit bridging the gap between overstretched NHS services and high-cost private care. We are looking for qualified volunteer counsellors to join our remote team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver our suggested 4x weekly 1-to-1 online counselling sessions to clients who cannot afford private fees but face long waitlists.
• Work within a structured 15-session clinical model to provide meaningful, short-term support.
• Manage your own digital diary and caseload via our integrated, paperless counselling technology (handling bookings, notes, and encrypted video).
• Engage with a monthly peer supervision group (4 people) to share clinical insights and maintain standards.
• Our service is open from 8am to 8pm from Monday to Friday. Our counsellors can choose to work during any of these times. 

What are we looking for?

We are looking for counsellors who believe that mental health support should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their income.

1. Professional Qualification & Registration 

The most important requirement is that you are a fully qualified, registered counsellor or psychotherapist (holding a Diploma or Degree in Counselling/Psychotherapy). You must hold current membership with a recognised professional body such as the BACP, UKCP, or NCS (Accredited). 

We will also require an enhanced DBS (or we can carry one out for you) and two professional references.

2. Clinical Experience with Complexity

Our ideal volunteer is a practitioner comfortable with a wide range of clinical presentations. We are looking for individuals who have experience in safely holding:

• Trauma
• Bereavement and Complex Grief
• Long-term Depression and Anxiety Experience in working within a short-term, structured framework (such as our 15-session model) is highly beneficial, as is the ability to conduct clinical assessments and manage risk within a remote setting.

3. Technical Literacy & Remote Readiness

As a 100% online service, our ideal volunteer is comfortable using (or learning) integrated counselling platforms for encrypted video sessions, digital note-taking, and diary management. You will need a private, confidential space to work from and a reliable internet connection to ensure the safety and continuity of the therapeutic relationship.

4. Professional Autonomy & Reliability

Because we offer sessions anytime between 8am to 8pm from Monday to Friday, you can work across any of these hours and will be responsible for managing your own schedule and ensuring consistency for your clients. 

5. A Collaborative, Community Spirit

While the work is remote, the spirit of Flourish is collective. We look for people who:

• Value Peer Supervision and are willing to share insights in a small-group setting.
• Are empathetic and non-judgmental, aligning with our Social Equity values.
• Are looking for a meaningful connection to a social mission.

What difference will you make?

In the UK, 1.9 million people are waiting for support, and 1 in 3 find their condition worsens during the wait. By joining Flourish, you bridge the gap for those who cannot afford private care but need more than a student-led placement can provide. Your expertise allows us to safely support individuals facing mental health issues who might otherwise be turned away. 

Volunteer Placement Counsellor 

Location: Remote - online & telephone

Hours: 3 x clients per week - Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays

Supervision provided:3.30pm Tuesdays, fortnightly

Wimbledon Guild are recruiting up to three Volunteer Placement Counsellors to help deliver our online and telephone counselling service.  

We offer up to 16 sessions of individual online or telephone counselling to people who might find it hard to leave their homes, or their carers.

You will be on or have completed a Level 4 or above counselling course and have completed 50 hours of clinical experience or the equivalent.

You will be available to attend online supervision at 3.30pm Tuesday afternoons.  You will see a caseload of up to 3 clients online or over the telephone on either Mondays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. As this position is for online / telephone counselling, you will need access to a private and confidential working space, Wi-Fi, a private laptop and telephone. 

Wimbledon Guild Talking Therapies is accredited with BACP.

In return for your volunteering, you will receive free, online supervision, a full induction, and experience in a well-established counselling department in a London-based charity.

If you are interested, please read the Job Description/Person Specification attached.

To Apply:  Please complete the Application Form, addressing the specific criteria in the Person Specification in your Supporting Statement and return the form to us.

Closing Date:  There is currently no closing date, although we reserve the right to close applications when placements are full. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt and applicants notified if they are invited to interview.

We are seeking a qualified and compassionate counsellor to volunteer their time to facilitate weekly emotional support groups for people living with sight loss. These groups provide a safe and supportive space for members to share experiences, build resilience, and reduce isolation.

You will lead one or more specialist peer groups, which may include:
• Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) Support Group
• Sight Loss After Stroke Group
• Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) Support Group
• Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) Support Group

Each group brings together individuals facing similar challenges, offering mutual understanding and connection. Your skills as a counsellor will help guide conversations, support emotional wellbeing, and foster a caring, inclusive environment.

You will:
• Facilitate a weekly 2 hour emotional support group.
• Create a safe, welcoming, and non judgemental atmosphere.
• Encourage group discussion and peer support while managing boundaries.
• Offer emotional support and signposting where appropriate.
• Maintain confidentiality in line with ethical guidelines.

What We Offer:
• Full induction and training related to visual impairment awareness.
• Ongoing support and supervision.
• Opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people affected by sight loss.

How often will I be needed?

• 2 Hours per Week

Key requirements

• This role requires 2 references and a criminal record check.

Location

Region

• Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands, South West, South East, North West, North East, Greater London, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, East Midlands, East of England

Home based

• This role is home based

Additional location information

• This is an online/remote role.

Who this opportunity will suit

Minimum age

• You must be at least 18 years old to apply

What skills and experience are needed?

• We are looking for someone who is: • A qualified counsellor (minimum Level 4 diploma or equivalent). • Warm, empathetic, and confident in group facilitation. • Passionate about supporting people affected by sight loss. • Comfortable working with individuals who may be newly diagnosed or adjusting to changes in their vision. • Able to commit to 2 hours per week on a regular basis. Experience working with visually impaired people is beneficial but not essential - training and guidance will be provided.

Are you a Child and Young Person Clinical Supervisor interested in supporting child and young person counsellors and therapists?

Burning Nights CRPS Support has a highly skilled counselling and therapy team who provide counselling and psychotherapy to adults and children who have been impacted by a debilitating pain condition, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This team is expanding rapidly and we are now looking for 1 volunteer Child and Young Person (CYP) Clinical Supervisor to join this team ensuring we can continue the provision of our vital emotional support services to this community specifically for young people. We would ideally like to take on 1 CYP Clinical Supervisor supporting a small group of CYP therapists who specialise in a range of modalities.

All our Counselling and therapy team help to develop our growing mental health support service for patients, families and carers affected by Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). As a volunteer with the CRPS Counselling & Therapy Service, your skills and experience as a CYP Clinical Supervisor will be providing support to therapists who offer therapy to vulnerable children and young people aged 5-18.

Depending on your qualifications, skills and experience, you will provide group and 1-2-1 Supervision support for CYP counsellors or psychotherapists who provide counselling support or specialist services for children and young people. The service currently offers specialist support to anyone over the age of 5 who is affected by CRPS.

Key Tasks and Objectives

• Facilitate Clinical Supervision group sessions on a monthly basis (online) and be able to offer at least 1 or 2 supervisees on 1-2-1 basis mainly trainees

• Administer this supervision from invitation through to record keeping

• Take part in complex case allocation meetings with the Clinical Lead

• Maintain appropriate clinical records of all work and to report, along with any concerns on individuals or their practice to the Clinical Lead

• Commitment to ongoing supervision of supervision practice at Burning Nights CRPS Support as well as engaging in separate own personal supervision

• Work flexibly as part of a small team as necessary to provide maximum coverage for supervision, such as in the event of emergencies

• Abide by all Burning Nights CRPS Support policies and procedures

• Adhere to BACP, BABCP (or other appropriate therapies governing body) Ethical Framework

Key Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Psychotherapy/Counselling qualification with a minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in a similar field

• Qualification in Clinical Supervision - ideally level 7 or above (could also suit experienced counsellors who require a placement during Clinical Supervision placement, or experienced counsellors wishing to gain experience in supervision)

• Had experience of supervising CYP therapists 

• Accreditation/registration (or working at the level of or towards this qualification) as a Supervisor with BACP/HCPC/BABCP or equivalent

• Significant proven experience of supervising individual CYP counsellors/psychotherapists from a range of training backgrounds 

• Appropriate and proven clinical experience of working with young people with a range of difficulties including complex medical health issues, loss and bereavement. Ideally experience of working with children and young people living with or affected by chronic pain or chronic conditions

• Willingness to engage in any Burning Nights CRPS Support training

• Understanding of issues regarding confidentiality and management of risk within a counselling service

• Good administrative skills

• Understanding of the voluntary sector

• Commitment to on-going engagement in personal supervision

• Knowledgeable of and committed to equalities’ provision

Desirable:

• Appropriate and proven clinical experience of working with children and young people living with or affected by chronic pain or chronic conditions

• Being able to supervise CYP therapists in small groups

• Experience of working within a low-cost / free voluntary sector counselling setting

• Experience of working within the voluntary charity sector

To telephone befriendees at their home for approximately 10 to 30 minutes, you will arrange the specific times of your future calls directly with them. These calls are intended to occur once a week, but individual needs will be matched with your availability.To provide a telephone conversation, a listening ear and chat about interests and hobbies, helping to alleviate loneliness and feelings of isolation. To provide companionship and human interaction at a time when this may be limited. To provide an update after each call to the Telephone Befriending support Team. This is so we can keep a track of the amount of befriending calls each volunteer is undertaking, the type of support being offered during these calls and if there is anything further required.

It is important to note telephone befriending is not counselling or therapy and other services must be sought if this is required.

Benefits

• FREE DBS.
• Discounted food.
• Store discount.
• Volunteer from home.
• Above all you will be making a positive difference in your befriendee’s life.
• As a volunteer telephone befriender, you will learn how to support others, make friends, become more confident, and practice communication skills.
• You will gain new and transferable skills. We offer support for you to increase your own job-readiness and personal development.
• Training opportunities,
• Volunteering experience
• Detailed references will be provided.

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Al Naasih is a 1‑to‑1 mentoring programme established by Hidayah in March 2020. It seeks to support queer Muslims struggling to reconcile their faith and identity. Mentors are trained in relevant skills (emotional intelligence, active listening, managing relationships, etc.) and paired with mentees to help them achieve personal goals. Within this role you will:

· Provide empathetic, non-judgemental support for mentees working through challenges related to faith, identity and wellbeing

· Help mentees set and achieve personal goals

· Act as a positive role model and safe space

· Assist mentees in exploring reconciling their faith with their LGBTQ+ identity, supporting spiritual, emotional, and practical wellbeing

Please this role is UK based and online/virtual.

What are the key responsibilities of this role?

This role will have the following duties, but are not limited to:

· Build a trusting and respectful relationship with mentee

· Be in regular contact: at least once per month, according to what works best)

· Help mentees identify goals, hurdles, and strategies to work towards those goals

· Listen actively and empathetically; offer guidance rather than prescribing solutions

· Maintain confidentiality, boundaries, and ethical conduct

· Attend required training sessions (1‑on‑1) to develop mentoring skills (emotional intelligence, active listening, relationship management, etc.)

· Reflect on own practice; be open to feedback and possibly supervision / check‑ins

What do we expect from an Al Naasih Mentor?

Please note that you must agree with and fit the criteria below to be eligible to volunteer in this role:

Essential:

· Must be a queer Muslim

· Strong empathy, patience, and trustworthiness

· Comfortable discussing issues around faith and sexuality / identity

· Good communication skills; active listening; emotional intelligence

· Ability to set and maintain healthy boundaries

· Reliability and consistency (making time for regular sessions)

· Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding mentee’s personal information

·Ability to recognise limits of the mentoring role (e.g. not a therapist / counsellor) and refer on where needed

· Able to respect the mentee’s autonomy and pace

Desirable:

· Prior experience of mentoring, coaching, or peer‑support work

· Some understanding of LGBTQ+ issues within Muslim communities

This role will report to the Al Naasih Programme Coordinator or designated lead.

 

How much commitment is required?

This is a voluntary role with flexible hours subject to the agreement between you and your mentee. However, the following are vital to the success of this role:

· Minimum once per month meetings (virtual) with mentee

· Time needed to prepare, reflect, and possibly attend training or support / supervision meetings

· Duration per mentee: to be mutually agreed, depending on goals and needs

· Up to three mentees once comfortable with the role