Who can apply for a placement at THT? 

We welcome applications from students undertaking an appropriately accredited counselling or psychotherapy qualification, such as an HND or MSc. Please note that a COSCA Certificate on its own does not meet our placement requirements.

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What stage of my counselling training do I need to be at? 

The stage at which you can apply will depend on your training providers’ requirements. Before beginning a placement with us, you must have been signed off by your training provider as fit to practice. 

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Do I need previous counselling experience? 

No. You do not need to have completed previous client hours before applying to THT. 

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As we specialise in trauma-informed practice, we do look for trainees who have an awareness of the complexities of trauma work and feel ready to work within this area. For some students, this may be their first placement, while others may benefit from gaining experience elsewhere before joining us. We consider each application individually. 

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Do I need my own insurance or a PVG before applying? 

No. Trainees are covered under the charities’ professional insurance while on placement. If you are offered a placement, we will arrange a PVG check as part of the onboarding process. 

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Is there a cost for the mandatory training? 

No. All mandatory training required before you begin client work is provided free of charge. You will also receive Atholl Academy points for completing the training. 

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How are clients allocated? 

We carefully match clients with counsellors based on several factors, including your strengths, experience, and developing practice, alongside each client's needs and preferred way of working. Our aim is to create the best possible therapeutic match for both client and counsellor for optimum client experience.

 

Is the placement face-to-face, online, or both? 

At present, all counselling sessions are delivered face-to-face and on a one-to-one basis. We do not currently offer remote counselling services.

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Do you provide clinical supervision?

At present, trainees arrange their own clinical supervision in line with their course and professional body requirements.

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We recognise the value of in-house supervision and have offered this previously. It is something we hope to introduce again in the future when circumstances allow.

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Is there a minimum client hours commitment for trainee placements?

As a trainee with us, you'll commit to completing a minimum of 144 client hours during your placement. This reflects our commitment to developing a community of well-trained practitioners. A longer-term placement also helps create consistency and continuity for the people we support.  

If the time commitment is something that can’t be honoured, we may look to charge for the acquired training.

 

Why does your recruitment process take longer than most placement providers?

We take great care in selecting the trainees who join our team because the work we do requires more than clinical knowledge alone. We are looking for individuals who demonstrate the emotional readiness to work with trauma, alongside strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to work resourcefully and compassionately with clients.

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We recognise that every trainee comes from a different training background, and not all courses provide the same level of preparation for trauma-informed practice. For this reason, all successful applicants complete our in-house training before beginning client work. This ensures every trainee starts with a shared foundation of knowledge, skills, and confidence, enabling us to provide a consistent, high-quality service.

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Our priority is to ensure that both our trainees and our clients are well supported. Taking the time to find the right people and prepare them thoroughly is an important part of achieving that.