Psychotherapeutic Counsellor
The closing date is 08 February 2026
The NHS Talking Therapies Service in North Hertfordshire is looking to employ a full time Psychotherapeutic Counsellor.
Hertfordshire was one of the original 11 Pathfinder sites for the development of Talking Therapies Services, commencing in 2007/8 and has since developed through 1st and 2nd wave expansion sites to provide a well‑resourced and innovative Talking Therapies service across the whole of the county. Our Trust has been awarded Outstanding status by the Care Quality Commission and our Talking Therapies Service is APPS accredited.
Main duties of the job
To provide a comprehensive assessment and therapeutic service for adult patients with common mental health problems referred to the Talking Therapies service based on the Talking Therapies counselling for depression modality, working within the context of primary care services. To identify the nature, severity and complexity of patients mental health problems, the associated level of risk and to advise both patients and their GP on appropriate management of those problems, including a referral to secondary care specialist mental health services if appropriate.
To work closely with the wider Talking Therapies Team to increase their awareness and understanding of the therapy that you offer.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from Care Quality Commission.
Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
Job responsibilities
To provide specialist psychological therapy assessments with clients referred to the NHS Talking Therapies service, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation, and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological tests, self‑report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi‑structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.
To provide at least one NICE recommended psychological therapy for anxiety disorders and/or depression.
To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.
To be responsible for implementing psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations and drawing upon relevant explanatory models. To be able to use a specific psychological therapy for anxiety and/or depression, in line with NICE guidance, at a specialist level in assessments and interventions.
To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual.
To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.
To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.
To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.
To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management. To work with clients who are at current risk of suicide or self‑harm.
To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor progress during the course of both uni‑ and multi‑disciplinary care.
To communicate in a skilled and sensitive manner, information concerning the assessment, formulation and treatment plans of clients under their care and to monitor and evaluate progress during the course of both uni‑ and multi‑disciplinary care. To assess and deliver highly complex, sensitive and contentious information.
To provide expertise, advice and support to facilitate the effective and appropriate provision of psychological care by all members of the treatment team.
To provide medico‑legal and other reports where appropriate.
To attend serious incident (SI) meetings as needed.
To work clinically with interpreters.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* A minimum two‑year post‑graduate (or equivalent) qualification in Psychotherapeutic Counselling, Psychotherapy, Counselling, or Counselling Psychology, comprising no less than 450 hours programme contact AND no less than 450 hours supervised counselling or psychotherapy practice (including hours gained after core training)
* One or more NHS Talking Therapies specified counselling or psychotherapy accreditations (as detailed in the NHS Talking Therapies Manual): British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Accredited; United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Registered as a Psychotherapist or Psychotherapeutic Counsellor; Association of Christian Counsellors Accreditation; National x A Counselling Society Accredited Professional registrants, British Psychoanalytic Council Registered
* Evidence of successful completion of training in one or more of the following specialist trainings in NICE‑recommended time limited psychological therapies for depression (Counselling for Depression, Couple Therapy for Depression, Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy, or Interpersonal Psychotherapy) or Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, with the required training and individual accreditation to deliver the modality as specified by the NHS Talking Therapies Manual.
* Evidence of relevant continuing professional development.
* A Bachelor’s degree and/or professional training in a health practitioner field (e.g. nursing, occupational therapy)
* Evidence of post qualification training in clinical supervision
Experience
* Experience of specialist psychological assessment and treatment of clients within an NHS Talking Therapies service
* Experience of working with a variety of client groups and presenting problems that reflect a range of clinical severity including maintaining a high degree of professionalism in the face of highly emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
* Experience of teaching, training and/or supervision
* Experience of specialist psychological therapy assessment and treatment of clients across a range of care settings relevant to an NHS Talking Therapies service, including outpatient, community, and primary care settings
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Saffron Ground, Ditchmore Lane, Stevenage, SG1 3LJ
£47,810 to £54,710 a yearper annum, pro rata
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Full‑time
Reference number
367-ACMS-10019
Job locations
Saffron Ground, Ditchmore Lane, Stevenage, SG1 3LJ
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