How to become a self-employed counsellor upon leaving the NHS

Leaving the NHS and becoming a self-employed counsellor can be an exciting but daunting prospect. It involves a lot of planning, preparation, and hard work, but it can also be very rewarding and fulfilling. In this blog, we'll take a look at some of the steps you'll need to take to make the transition from the NHS to self-employment.

Step 1: Consider your motivations

Before you decide to leave the NHS and become a self-employed counsellor, it's essential to think carefully about your motivations. What is it that you hope to achieve by making this transition? Do you want more flexibility in your working hours? Do you want to be your own boss and have more control over your practice? Or do you want to work with a different client group or in a different environment?

It's important to consider these questions carefully and to be honest with yourself about your motivations. Leaving the NHS and becoming a self-employed counsellor can be challenging, and it's important to be clear about your reasons for making this change.

Step 2: Research your options

Once you've decided to leave the NHS and become a self-employed counsellor, it's important to research your options carefully. There are many different ways to work as a counsellor in the UK, and it's essential to find the right fit for you.

Some options to consider include:

• Setting up your own private practice
• Working for a counselling agency or clinic
• Working in a corporate or workplace environment
• Providing online counselling services.

It's important to research each of these options carefully and to consider which one is the best fit for you. You'll need to consider factors such as the type of clients you want to work with, the environment you want to work in, and the level of support and supervision you'll need.

Step 3: Get the right training and qualifications

To work as a counsellor in the UK, you'll need to have the right training and qualifications. The exact requirements can vary depending on the setting you want to work in, but in general, you'll need to have:

• A recognised counselling qualification, such as a diploma or degree
• Membership of a recognised professional body, such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
• Insurance to cover your practice.

It's essential to ensure you have the right training and qualifications before you start working as a self-employed counsellor. This will not only ensure you're able to provide the best possible service to your clients, but it will also help you to build a strong reputation and attract more clients in the long-run.

Step 4: Insurance

As a practising therapist, it’s important to choose the right insurance policy to ensure both you and your clients have adequate protection.  Insurance will cover you for things like:

• Complaints about the advice or services given.  A dissatisfied patient may complain for a number of reasons, in many cases, the therapist has failed to ensure their patient understood the therapeutic process, and what it would involve.
• Alleged breach of rules or regulations of the professional body. A patient might feel you have breached the rules and regulations of your professional body, or have not upheld standards expected by the profession.
• Breach of confidentiality.  Claims can arise from alleged breaches in confidentiality, or even the mishandling or loss of documents/personal sensitive information.

As a minimum requirement, your policy should include public liability and professional indemnity cover.

• Professional indemnity (sometimes also referred to as malpractice) insurance provides protection to professionals, including counsellors, in the event they are found to have made a mistake or error in their work that results in financial loss or harm to a client. In the UK, professional indemnity insurance is not legally required for counsellors, but it is highly recommended and often required by professional bodies and counselling organisations.
• Counsellors should also consider obtaining public liability insurance in addition to professional indemnity insurance. Public liability insurance provides protection to counsellors in case they cause accidental injury to a client or a third party, or damage to their property while working with them. For instance, if a counsellor spills hot coffee on a client's lap, causing burns, or if they accidentally knock over a valuable item in a client's home during a session, the cost of any resulting compensation claims can be covered by public liability insurance.

Step 5: Build your client base

Once you've got the right training and qualifications and have decided on the type of counselling work you want to do, it's time to start building your client base. This can be one of the most challenging aspects of becoming a self-employed counsellor, but it's also one of the most important.

Some tips for building your client base include:

• Networking with other professionals in your field
• Advertising your services through social media, online directories, and local advertising
• Offering free or discounted sessions to attract new clients
• Building a website to showcase your services and provide information to potential clients
• Asking for referrals from satisfied clients.

It's important to remember that building a client base takes time, and it may take several months or even years to build a successful practice. However, with patience, persistence, and a commitment to providing the best possible service to your clients, you can build a thriving counselling practice that brings you both professional and personal satisfaction.