Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling (PC-L5)

This qualification is designed to give learners the knowledge, skills and competencies to work as self-employed counsellors in independent practice. It also equips learners to take on a senior counselling role in an organisational context where client assessment, referral and routine evaluation are part of the role.

This qualification meets the competencies of SCoPEd Column B more details... and with sufficient practice hours provides candidates with a route to membership and accreditation with professional associations in counselling approved by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) e.g. BACP, NCPS, ACC.

You must have obtained our Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling or its equivalent.

Read section 5 of the Specification for further information.

Centres that hold an Advanced Learner Loan (ALL) facility or are registered with the Office for Students (OfS) in England can transfer to the use of Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) funding for courses starting from January 2027.

Please note Advanced Learner Loan funding will be withdrawn in 2030. Centres looking to offer this qualification with access to the relevant student finance options can apply for registration with the Office for Students (OfS), subject to meeting the Department for Education (DfE) criteria.

If your centre does not currently hold an ALL facility or OfS registration, you can still deliver this qualification, however candidates would be required to self-fund. For more detail, see A Guide to Funding for CPCAB Centres.