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Could your service benefit from a counselling psychology trainee?

  • Area of Work: The ALLIANCE
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 8th September 2026

Glasgow Caledonian University are seeking organisations who can offer placements for their Doctorate Counselling Psychology students.

The Counselling Psychology postgraduate programme at Glasgow Caledonian University provides a comprehensive three year training which enables graduates to apply for registration as Practitioner Psychologists with the HCPC.  The programme is always on the lookout for placement opportunities for trainees who bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to a multitude of organisations in Scotland.  Most of these are in mental health services or other specialist sectors, including work with people with head injury or other long-term conditions, services for refugees etc.   Most placements are in the central belt, although some trainees live further afield and are looking for placements locally to them.   

What trainees can provide:

Within the programme, trainees are equipped to provide contracted psychological therapies, with supervision, to a range of client groups: in their first year this is primarily through person-centred therapy, with further training in CBT and associated models being provided in the ensuing years of the programme.  

 Alongside one-to-one (and potentially group work) practice, trainees can contribute to services in a range of ways, including developing resources, presenting training or workshops for service users or staff groups, and contributing to service development.  

What trainee needs:

In order for a trainee to undertake work within an organisation, there needs to be an employed member of staff who can manage their role, ensure suitable referrals and that they have a secure place to practice, and take overall clinical responsibility for their work.  That individual may typically be a counsellor, psychologist, social worker etc – someone with the knowledge and skills to manage situations of potential risk and safeguarding.  While they are responsible for managing the trainee and placement, they are not necessarily providing clinical supervision.  We will assist trainees to source their clinical supervision externally if needed, although where an organisation is able to provide this internally we also welcome that.

If your organisation would be interested to discuss whether your service could benefit from a trainee counselling psychologist, GCU would love to hear from you.  Please get in touch with Richard.golsworthy@gcu.ac.uk to discuss further.

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