Best online counselling courses UK compared (October 2026)

Which counselling course should I start with?

Start with a regulated Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills if you want a qualification that counts towards becoming a counsellor, or want recognised listening and helping skills for care, support, education or voluntary work. Choose on four things: the qualification must sit on the Ofqual register (check the qualification number), the assessment should include practice sessions and not just written questions, you should have a named tutor, and the price should be clear with nothing hidden. If you only want to try the core skills first, Lift College's Introduction to Counselling Skills is a 4 hour CPD course, paid once, and it is not a regulated qualification.

Online Level 2 counselling courses compared (prices checked 22 October 2026)

Prices were read from each provider's live course page on the dates shown and exclude any time limited offers. Awarding bodies, qualification numbers and credit values were taken from the same pages and from the Ofqual register. Check the provider's page before you buy, because prices change.

What the table tells you

Three of the four courses lead to the same qualification: the TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (RQF), qualification number 601/7815/2, 16 credits, 120 guided learning hours. Oxbridge offers the NCFE CACHE version of the Level 2 certificate instead. All four are regulated by Ofqual, so an employer or a Level 3 provider will recognise any of them. What separates them is how you pay, how long you get, and how your skills are assessed.

Lift College charges by the month rather than for the whole course up front, so a learner who finishes in four months pays £135.96 when they start now, and a learner who takes the full year after the free trial pays £407.99. The subscription includes a named tutor, portfolio feedback and the assessment of your recorded practice sessions. There are no exams and no placement; you record practice sessions at home with a volunteer helpee, and your tutor assesses the recording. You can cancel in the 7-day trial and pay nothing, and every payment is covered by a 14-day money back guarantee.

NCC Home Learning's course is the same TQUK qualification at £385 paid in full, or a £29 deposit followed by 12 monthly payments. It lists 200 study hours, gives 12 months of tutor support, and assesses the skills units through a witness testimony of a role play rather than a recording. Oxbridge's NCFE CACHE certificate is the highest priced here at £510 for online study and includes 12 months of tutor support. Online Learning College offers the TQUK certificate at £379 at last check.

What a Level 2 counselling course does and does not give you

A Level 2 certificate gives you the core counselling skills: active listening, open questions, reflecting and summarising, empathy, boundaries and the ethical framework that counsellors work within. People use it to support colleagues, clients or pupils better in care, teaching, support work and volunteering, and as the first rung on the counsellor training ladder. It does not let you call yourself a counsellor or see clients. The usual route after Level 2 is a Level 3 certificate in counselling studies or skills, then a Level 4 diploma with at least 100 supervised client hours, then registration with a professional body. Our guide to counselling qualifications explained sets out what each level lets you do, and how to become a counsellor in the UK covers the full route and what counsellors earn.

If you are reading this because you or someone close to you is struggling right now, a counselling course is not the place to start. Call NHS 111, or Samaritans on 116 123, any time.

Start the Level 2 Counselling Skills course free for 7 days

The Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills at Lift College is open to anyone aged 16 or over, starts the day you enrol, and costs £39.99 a month after a 7-day free trial, with nothing charged until day 8. You can also browse every course on the counselling hub.