Thinking of working therapeutically with children and young people?

Young person wearing a hoodie that reads ‘It’s okay not to be perfect’, sitting at a table with friends – Kids Inspire.

A counselling placement with Kids Inspire is an invaluable opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a secure, supportive setting.

You’ll develop your skills and confidence while making a real difference to the lives of vulnerable children, young people and families.

We offer placements in schools across parts of Essex and Suffolk, or in our therapy rooms at our Chelmsford head office.

You’ll need to be able to commit up to one day a week during term time (with options to work in holiday periods as needed), for a full academic year or more.

We’ll match your caseload to your placement requirements, so you might start with fewer clients and build up over time.

We also welcome students who would like to deliver psychoeducation sessions to adults as part of their training.

Who can apply?

You’ll need to be working towards one of the following qualifications:

A degree or masters in counselling, psychotherapy or art/music/play therapy

A level 4 (or above) diploma in counselling (England and Wales)

Two teenage boys, dressed in grey and black hoodies, sitting down and smiling together while talking — What you can expect
We offer the following to all our students
**Accredited hours**: gain clinical hours that may count towards your course or professional accreditation (please check with your tutor, especially if your course doesn’t accept child counselling hours)
**Fortnightly case management**: one-to-one support from a qualified Kids Inspire therapy case manager
**Potential for career progression**: many of our former placement students have gone on to secure permanent roles at Kids Inspire

A therapist and client sitting at a table in a session using play therapy. — **Real-world experience**: provide one-to-one counselling support in a primary or secondary school
**Shadowing opportunities:** sit in on initial assessments and group work (where appropriate)
**Training and development**: access to development training in a weekly team meeting including group supervision, clinical consultation and other topics to support and enhance your training

What our students say

“I’ve been able to do everything I needed to do for my course — working with all different ages and settings, supported by really good case management. I felt part of the team from the start.”

“I’ve really appreciated the trust and freedom I was given during my placement. I felt fully supported while being encouraged to work in a way that suited me.”