8 Counsellor volunteer roles

Volunteer / Student Counsellor Placement

Organisation: OPTION180 Ltd
Contract Type: Student Placement (Voluntary)
Hours: Part-time, Term Time Only (Approx. 3 hours per day)
Location: School-based settings
Expenses: Lunch provided + travel expenses covered (up to 3 miles)

About OPTION180 Ltd

At OPTION180, we value our people and the dedication, compassion, and expertise they bring to our service.

Working with us means making a real difference every day, supporting children, young people, and families to recover from trauma and build brighter futures.

We are a specialist social care and family support service offering therapeutic interventions alongside comprehensive family assessment and support. Our work addresses the complex challenges families may face, including:

• Parental substance misuse
• Mental health difficulties
• Domestic abuse

Our mission is simple yet powerful: to empower families not just to survive, but to thrive despite adversity.

As a growing organisation with plans for national expansion, we are seeking passionate trainees and qualified clinicians who are willing to volunteer their time to gain valuable, hands-on experience with our client groups.

Counselling Placement Opportunities

We offer enriching placement opportunities for trainee Counsellors and Play Therapists looking to develop their clinical skills in real-world settings.

You will work therapeutically with:

• Children and young people
• School staff
• Parents and carers

across primary and secondary education settings.

Within a safe and supportive environment, you will use a combination of:

• Talking therapies
• Creative and play-based approaches

to help young people explore and manage challenges such as:

• Anxiety and stress
• Low mood
• Relationship difficulties
• Emotional and behavioural concerns

What We Offer

• Safeguarding training
• Specialist training in working with children and young people
• Clinical hours that contribute towards accreditation
• Weekly (half-day) placement during term time
• Ongoing supervision and professional support
• Exposure to wider family support and assessment services

Essential Requirements

Applicants must:

• Hold student membership with BACP, NCPS, or an equivalent professional body
• Be currently enrolled in a Therapeutic Course
• Must have their own Enhanced DBS check

Please note:

• This is a voluntary placement and not a salaried role

Are you passionate about supporting female survivors of sexual violence and committed to making a meaningful difference in your community?

GMRC is seeking compassionate and dedicated Volunteer Qualified Counsellors to join our team. As part of our vision of Building Communities, Supporting Survivors and Creating Change, you'll help provide specialist, trauma-informed support that empowers survivors on their journey towards healing.

What you'll do: 

• Provide one-to-one counselling support to survivors. 

• Create a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental space. 

• Work within GMRC's values, policies, and ethical framework. 

• Participate in ongoing training, supervision, and development.

We are looking for people who: 

• Are qualified counsellors and have some experience working with sexual trauma. 

• Have excellent listening and communication skills. 

• Demonstrate empathy, compassion, and professionalism. 

• Share our commitment to challenging sexual violence and supporting survivors. 

What we offer: 

• Specialist training and support. 

• Regular peer support and case management. 

• Opportunities for professional development. 

• The chance to make a lasting impact in the lives of survivors.

Every conversation matters - Help us build communities, support survivors and create change across Greater Manchester 

Volunteer roles are open to women only. This is a lawful occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010 due to the nature of the service being provided to women survivors of rape, sexual violence and abuse. 

Applicants must be aged 21 or over, be able to commit to the required training and volunteer hours, and share GMRC's commitment to a trauma-informed, survivor-centred approach.

#counselling #counsellor #qualifiedcounsellor

CYP Volunteer Counsellor (Term‑Time Only)

Placement Days: Monday, Wednesday or Friday Setting: Secondary School, ages 11–18

Shirley High School is seeking trainee counsellors to join our established counselling service and support the wellbeing of young people within our vibrant, multicultural community. This is an excellent opportunity for trainees looking to gain clinical experience with children and adolescents in a supportive school environment.

Who We’re Looking For

• Trainee counsellors studying at Diploma level or above, already qualified to Level 3 (or equivalent).
• Training must be recognised by the BACP or equivalent professional body.
• Able to provide a current fit‑to‑practise certificate.
• The course includes personal therapy as part of training.
• Understanding of the BACP Ethical Framework and good practice for working with young people.
• Some experience with children or young people (not necessarily counselling).
• Commitment to inclusive, culturally sensitive practice.

Placement Requirements

• Maintain professional membership (BACP or equivalent).
• Hold professional indemnity insurance.
• Adhere to school safeguarding, confidentiality and child protection policies.
• Willing to complete an enhanced DBS.
• Attend fortnightly group clinical supervision (term‑time only), provided by the school (Mondays 16.30-18.00 online).

What the Role Involves

• Holding a caseload of 2–3 students per week, offering 45‑minute sessions.
• Providing short‑term or longer‑term counselling depending on need.
• Keeping accurate, confidential records.
• Working collaboratively with the lead counsellor, clinical supervisor and school safeguarding team.
• Identifying when students may need referral to specialist services.
• Treating all students with dignity, respect and sensitivity.

Commitment

• Minimum three counselling hours per week.
• Ideally a full academic year, or at least two terms.
• No work required during school holidays.

Childline Volunteer Counsellor- Someone who wants to make a difference to children’s lives by being there to listen when they feel they have no one else to turn to. As a Childline counsellor, you’ll be there for young people and listen to them as they open up about whatever is worrying them, whether it’s bullying, abuse, self-harm or family relationships – you’ll be there to support them.

What you’ll do

You’ll volunteer in our Leeds Childline base, offering counselling support to children and young people over the phone or through our 1-2-1 online chat. Your supervisor will help you develop and evaluate your counselling skills. After your initial training, you will be able to help young people as well as identify when a child or young person may be at risk, but don’t worry a supervisor will be on hand to give you plenty of support.

What you’ll get

You’ll receive training sessions over 12 weeks to prepare you for the role. When you start your regular shifts, a supervisor will be around all times to support you. Every shift includes a briefing and debriefing alongside other volunteers. Supervisors will also give you regular one-to-one support and group supervisions.

What we’ll need from you

Signing up to be a Childline counsellor is a big commitment and requires lots of training so, we do ask people to stay in the role for a minimum of one year.

We’ll also need to do some routine safeguarding checks, including an enhanced criminal record check and at least two satisfactory references with at least one covering a period of five years or more with no gaps. It’s nothing to worry about, and we can answer any questions you have about this.

Who’s right for the role?

While we think this role is suitable for a whole range of people, we are particularly looking for those with the following qualities and experience.

• Passionate about helping young people and children
• Great communication skills
• Empathetic and perceptive
• able to think on your feet
• works well within a team
• emotional resilience

Why volunteer with us?

Not only will you gain valuable experience throughout your volunteering journey, you’ll also have access to useful resources including a catalogue of online training, discount portal and NSPCC inMind – an online mindfulness resource.

You’ll be fully supported throughout your volunteer journey with us and will have a dedicated key contact should you have any questions along the way.

Royal Trinity Hospice's Patient and Family Support team offer psychological support and counselling to individual patients, as well as family members who have been affected by a patient’s illness. 

We are looking for qualified volunteer supervisors to join our Bereavement Service. As a volunteer supervisor, you will provide group supervision to our trainee and qualified volunteer counsellors.

Key responsibilities of the role:

· Facilitating fortnightly/monthly group supervision sessions for trainee and qualified volunteer counsellors

· Creating a safe, supportive and reflective working environment

· Facilitating discussions around client work, ethical dilemmas, and professional development

· Encouraging self-awareness, critical thinking, and the integration of theory and practice

· Providing constructive feedback and guidance to trainees

· Monitoring trainee progress and identify areas for development

· Providing reports to support clinical placements as required

Essential criteria:

· A qualified counselling supervisor, with a recognised counselling and supervision qualification (We may be able to consider someone working towards a supervision qualification)

· A member of a relevant professional body (e.g. BACP, UKCP) and able to adhere to their ethical framework

· Significant experience in providing counselling supervision, particularly in a group setting

· Demonstrable experience of counselling theory, practice and ethical guidelines, especially around bereavement and loss

· Excellent communication, interpersonal and facilitation skills

· The ability to create a safe and supportive learning environment

· A commitment to ongoing professional development

· IT literacy and the ability to maintain clear and accurate records

Popham Kidney Support is seeking accredited counsellors to help expand access to emotional support for children and young people affected by kidney disease across Wales. This role could be individual or as a part of a group of counsellors depending on availabilities.

Currently, counselling provision available are extremely limited, meaning some children and young people may face delays in accessing the support they need. By providing counselling through the charity, we aim to complement existing services and help ensure that more children and families can access timely emotional and psychological support.

This role will involve offering one-to-one counselling to children and young people who may be experiencing challenges related to living with kidney disease, treatment, hospitalisation, trauma, anxiety, low mood, or the wider impact of a long-term health condition. Counsellors will play an important role in helping children and young people build resilience, develop coping strategies, and improve their emotional wellbeing.

Sessions may be delivered online or in person, depending on the counsellor's preference, location, and availability. The role is highly flexible, enabling counsellors to offer support around their existing commitments while making a meaningful difference to the lives of children and families affected by kidney disease. All counsellors will receive an induction to Popham Kidney Support and the impact of kidney disease, with opportunities for further learning and development where appropriate.

Expectations

• Provide a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental environment for children and young people to explore their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
• Deliver counselling sessions in accordance with professional and ethical standards, maintaining appropriate professional registration and insurance.
• Adhere to all safeguarding, confidentiality, and data protection requirements, escalating concerns where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with Popham Kidney Support staff and, where relevant and appropriate, healthcare professionals supporting the child or young person.
•  Maintain clear and accurate records in line with organisational and professional requirements.
•  Attend an induction covering Popham Kidney Support's services, policies, safeguarding procedures, and the impact of kidney disease on children and families.
• Communicate availability and session capacity to the charity to support referrals and service planning.
• Treat all children, young people, and families with dignity, respect, and cultural sensitivity.

Time Commitment

• No expectation, as much time as you are able to give.

Skills and Qualifications

• Qualified counsellor with appropriate professional registration/accreditation.
• Experience working with children and young people.
• Strong communication and safeguarding awareness.
• Ability to provide support either online, in person, or both.
• Compassionate, empathetic, and person-centred approach.

Summary

Signpost offers one-to-one counselling, coaching, outreach, creative therapies, group therapy, and parent support for children and young people aged 5-25.

Detailed description

We are seeking qualified and compassionate children’s counsellors with specialisms in play therapy, art therapy, or drama therapy to volunteer their time and skills to support children navigating emotional, behavioural, or developmental challenges. As a Volunteer Therapist, you will provide a safe, creative, and therapeutic environment where children can express themselves and begin to heal.

·Provide 1:1 or small group therapeutic sessions using your specialised modality (play, art, or drama).

·Build trusting relationships with children to support emotional expression and psychological wellbeing.

·Collaborate with staff and carers to ensure continuity and appropriateness of support.

·Maintain clear and confidential records of sessions and observations.

·Participate in supervision (where applicable) and team meetings.

·Support safeguarding and child protection practices in line with organisational policies.

Skills / Abilities / Experience / Qualities

·A recognised qualification in Play Therapy, Art Therapy, or Drama Therapy (BACP registration required)

·Experience working therapeutically with children and young people.

·A trauma-informed, child-centred approach to counselling and therapy.

·Excellent communication, empathy, and listening skills.

· A commitment to ethical practice, confidentiality, and safeguarding.

·Willingness to undergo an Enhanced DBS prior to starting).

 Training / Support

·A full induction to Signpost will be provided

·Requirement to complete mandatory online training

·A menu of optional training will also be made available

·Ongoing support and regular 1:1/supervision sessions

·Reimbursement of travel expenses (if applicable).

·Opportunities to attend team meetings and One YMCA events, socials and conferences

Additional Information

·x 2 references required

·Valid insurance cover