LOCATION: Shipley/Keighley for face-to-face counselling GRADE / SALARY: £30 to £35 Sessional Rate HOURS: 15 hours per week ACCOUNTABLE TO: Team Lead / CBT Lead Purpose of the Job: Associate Therapist (delivering short-term counselling, typically 6–12 sessions) Provide 1:1 evidence based therapeutic work with clients presenting with complex and specialist needs, including: Complex trauma and emotional dysregulation Critical and long-term health conditions Complex bereavement and grief Relationship and psychosexual difficulties Deliver counselling interventions in line with best practice, adapting approach and modality to meet individual needs. Main Duties: Provide a professional and high-quality therapy service in line with Trust Therapies policies and procedures. Deliver safe, effective, and ethical therapy in accordance with BACP guidelines and relevant specialist codes of practice. Undertake triage-informed short-term therapy tailored to client needs across complex trauma, bereavement, critical illness health-related distress, and relational/psychosexual difficulties. Identify and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns, in line with The Cellar Trust policy. Work with clients in an inclusive, non-judgemental way, considering diverse cultural, social, and community contexts. Communicate effectively with health and social care professionals, referring agencies, and community partners. Contribute to integrated pathways, ensuring continuity of care and appropriate signposting. Attend monthly personal clinical supervision and engage in specialist supervision as required by practice area (e.g., trauma, psychosexual). Contribute proactively to service development and quality improvement. Collect and input data for monitoring purposes, including GAD7/PHQ9 clinical outcome measures and client feedback. Maintain accurate and confidential case notes in line with Trust Therapies requirements. Values and Behaviours: Create and maintain a culture of Respect always challenging and rooting out discrimination and stigma. Demonstrate a consistent belief in people and tenacity in supporting people to improve their future. Be passionate about our work and inspire others to feel the same. Be committed to doing things well and always look for opportunities for improvement. Model excellent partnership and team working. Person Specification Listed below are the knowledge, experience skills and values you’ll need to do this job, we will assess these through your application or through tests or interviews after shortlisting. Knowledge Essential / Desirable Hold a professional counselling qualification, minimum Diploma Level 4 (or equivalent). Essential Additional specialist training/qualification or demonstrable practice experience in at least one of the following areas : Complex Trauma (e.g., EMDR, DBT, trauma-focused CBT, sensorimotor psychotherapy) Critical/Long-Term Illness (e.g., CBT for LTCs, health psychology-informed counselling) Complex Bereavement & Grief (e.g., bereavement counselling, grief and loss models, trauma-informed grief work) Relationship & Psychosexual Counselling (CBT, Relate qualification, psychosexual diploma) Essential Ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in at least one of the four specialist areas listed above. Essential Knowledge and understanding of a range of counselling procedures and techniques, underpinned by theory. Essential Membership of BACP (or equivalent professional body such as UKCP, COSRT). Essential Understanding of safeguarding (child & adult) and ability to assess and respond to risk appropriately. Essential Understanding of confidentiality and professional boundaries (including in remote work). Essential Experience Experience of working with diverse client groups and ability to deliver culturally competent counselling. Essential Strong empathic responding skills. Essential Accredited status (BACP/UKCP/COSRT) or working towards accreditation. Desirable Skills Ability to work effectively within a short-term therapy model (6–12 sessions) and adapt interventions accordingly. Essential Good communication skills – ability to engage with challenging clients, adapt therapy approaches, and collaborate with colleagues and external professionals. Essential Ability and commitment to work as part of a team. Essential IT skills – ability to maintain electronic records and use client databases. Essential Organisational skills – ability to manage a small caseload and keep documentation up to date. Essential Values Commitment to professionalism (punctuality, reliability, attendance, boundaries). Essential A firm belief that all people matter and deserve respect Assessment Essential An evidenced belief that everyone can change Assessment Essential A track record of delivering on your commitments Assessment Essential A personal commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion Assessment Essential