Best online counselling skills courses UK, compared

Lift College counselling courses at a glance

Both courses are open to anyone aged 16 or over, with no entry requirements and no experience of counselling needed. Prefer to start now? Skip the trial, pay today and every payment is 15% lower for life, at £33.99 a month. Every payment carries a 14-day money back guarantee.

Comparison table: Level 2 counselling skills online

Details are as each provider shows them on its own course page; "Check provider" means the page did not state it.

At £39.99 a month, three months of study with Lift College costs £119.97 and six months £239.94, with the TQUK registration and certificate included. NCC Home Learning sells the same TQUK qualification, 601/7815/2, for £385.00. NEC sells the units one at a time. Open Study College's Level 2 course is a QLS course rather than a regulated qualification, and the same provider sells the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills.

Level 2, Level 3, then Level 4: the counselling route

BACP, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, recommends a three stage route that can take three or four years: an introduction to counselling, a certificate in counselling skills, then core practitioner training. Providers describe the same route by level:

1. Level 2. The core skills, from active listening to boundaries and endings, with an introduction to theory, ethics and personal development. BACP says this training may also be useful if your job involves advising or helping people, even if you do not plan to become a therapist.
2. Level 3. A Level 3 certificate in counselling skills or counselling studies goes deeper into the counselling relationship, theory and self awareness. TQUK names the Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills as the progression from Level 2.
3. Level 4. The practitioner diploma. BACP says core practitioner training should be at least a Level 4 Diploma or equivalent, over at least two years, with a minimum of 300 guided learning hours and a supervised placement of at least 100 client hours.
4. Registration. Counsellors usually join BACP, the NCPS or UKCP. BACP notes there are no compulsory training courses or qualifications for therapists, and says most employers and many clients look for professional qualifications and membership.

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, pay and timescales.

Level 3 counselling courses online

Lift College offers Level 2 and the short course; it does not offer a Level 3 counselling course. Level 3 certificates and diplomas are run by further education colleges and by distance learning providers. For example, Open Study College sells the NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills (qualification reference 600/0727/8) at £659.00, shown with £709.00, or from £23.31 a month. Its page gives about 270 hours of study with up to 1 year to complete, assessment by written and recorded assessments, and a minimum age of 16, and says the course suits learners who have already studied a Level 2 counselling qualification (checked 20 October 2026). Whichever Level 3 you choose, check that it is the qualification your planned Level 4 provider asks for.

Which counselling course should you choose?

• You want to try counselling skills, or use them in your job this month. Take Introduction to Counselling Skills: 4 hours, £19.99, pay once, with a CPD certificate issued by Lift College the day you pass.
• You want a regulated qualification on the counselling route. Take the Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills: Ofqual regulated, tutor marked, no exams and no placement.
• You already hold Level 2. Look for a Level 3 certificate or diploma in counselling skills or counselling studies, then a Level 4 diploma.

What to check before you pay

• Is it regulated? A regulated qualification has a number on the Ofqual register, such as 601/7815/2. A short course or QLS course gives a certificate from the provider or the scheme.
• What does the price include? Some providers add a registration fee; Lift College's price covers the full course with all fees included.
• How are the skills assessed? Three of the courses in the table ask you to show the skills in practice: Lift College through recorded practice sessions, NCC Home Learning through a witness testimony on a roleplay, and NEC through a recorded helping conversation.

Training a team in counselling skills

Care providers, schools and charities can enrol staff on Introduction to Counselling Skills through a free Lift College organisation account: each course is £16.99 a learner, with no account fee and no minimum, paid by card or by invoice with your PO. All counselling courses are listed in the counselling hub.

Ready to start? Start the Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills free for 7 days.