Counsellor CV Guide

What to include in a Counsellor CV

Knowing where to start when putting a CV together and what you need to include can be tricky. One of the most important things is to ensure that your CV is specific to your unique academic and professional history and not just a generic document downloaded from a website. It should also be thoughtfully prepared to reflect your attention to detail and professionalism, indicating that you take your career seriously and are committed to presenting yourself in the best possible light.

Counsellors require specific qualifications and core skills, so it is crucial to emphasise these, along with relevant experiences, in your CV to really stand out to potential employers and demonstrate to them that you are their ideal candidate. Here are some things to consider including in your CV:

Contact information

At the very top of your CV is your contact information. You should include relevant, accurate and current contact details, as it enables potential employers to reach you promptly and professionally. It also creates a seamless connection, enhancing your chances of securing an interview and the desired position.

What to include:

• Full name – use your first and last name. Do not worry about titles such as Miss, Mr, Ms and Mrs, or your middle name.
• Professional title – if relevant, include your professional title, like “Licensed Counsellor” or “Mental Health Therapist”.
• Address – your town, city or county is enough. Full home addresses are not necessary and could be considered a privacy concern.
• Phone number – a personal phone number that you regularly check.
• Email address – use a professional email address (e.g. yourname@example.com). Avoid using nicknames and aliases, as they can come across as unprofessional.
• Links to professional networking profiles – where relevant, add links to your LinkedIn profile, own website or online portfolio.

What to avoid:

• Date of birth – is typically unnecessary and could be used to discriminate based on age.
• Photo – unless specifically requested, including a photo can lead to bias and is often discouraged.
• Personal information – do not include personal details like marital status, gender, nationality or religion, as they are irrelevant to your professional qualifications and can detract from the key elements in your CV.

Always try to keep your CV concise and focused on the essentials to capture the attention of recruiters. Also, remember to keep your contact information up-to-date, as outdated contact details might lead to missed opportunities.

Professional summary (career objective statement)

This section is where you can grab the recruiter’s attention, and what you include can encourage them to read on or switch off entirely. It should be punchy, brief and tailored to the counselling position you are applying for. The summary sets the tone for your whole CV, hence why it is crucial to ensure it is well-crafted.

Your summary should ideally be a maximum of five lines, positioned at the top of your CV, underneath your contact information. It is sometimes also known as a career objective statement, personal statement or professional profile, and it is a brief overview of your key qualifications, skills, experiences, career goals and attributes. You are informing the person reviewing your application why you are the best candidate for the counselling role.

Here are some things to consider when you are crafting your statement to make a strong impression:

• Start your summary with your professional title or the title you want to achieve, which informs the employer of your suited role, e.g. “Qualified Counsellor” or “Licensed Professional Counsellor”.
• Detail your years of experience to provide recruiters with information on your experience level. For example, “with 5 years of experience”.
• Highlight any areas in which you specialise, which can be types of therapy, particular issues you address or demographic groups you work with. For example, “specialising in cognitive behavioural therapy and trauma recovery”.
• Identify a few key skills most relevant to the job and essential for a counsellor. For example, “adept at active listening, empathy and crisis intervention”.
• Include notable achievements or recognitions, such as leading support groups, conducting workshops or publishing research. For example, “Successfully led multiple support groups and published research on anxiety disorders”.
• Briefly mention your qualifications, such as degrees, certifications and any relevant training. For example, “Holding a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and certified by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)”.
• Conclude with a sentence about your counselling philosophy or approach to give a sense of your professional ethos. For example, “Committed to a client-centred approach, focusing on holistic mental health”.

Combine all the elements into a clear, concise and cohesive summary, for example:

“Qualified Counsellor with 10+ years of experience in cognitive behavioural therapy and trauma recovery. Adept at active listening, empathy and crisis intervention. Successfully led multiple support groups and published research on anxiety disorders. Holding a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology and certified by the BACP. Committed to a client-centred approach, focusing on holistic mental health.”

Education

The next section of your CV will typically be the education section, although some may put their work experience first. It is really down to personal preference.

Adding your education to your CV demonstrates to employers that you have the necessary academic background and foundational knowledge to practice as a counsellor. It also adds credibility to your application and shows how you meet the criteria detailed in the job description.

When adding your education to your CV, you should clearly outline your academic qualifications and any relevant certifications or additional training highlighting your suitability for the counsellor position.

It is important to list your qualifications in reverse chronological order, i.e. the most recent first, and you should include the following information:

• Degree – start with the highest degree you have earned. Include the full name of the degree, the field of study, the institution where you obtained it, graduation date (or expected date if you are still studying) and grades (where applicable). For example:
  • MSc in Counselling. University of Worcester. Graduated: 2020.
  • BSc (Hons) Psychology and Counselling. Birmingham City University. Graduated: 2019. 2:1.
• Other formal education – you can include your A/AS levels and GCSEs (or equivalent) if you have sufficient space and/or the job description details them. For example:
  • A-levels in Psychology (A), Sociology (A) and Biology (B): Warwick School, 2016.
  • 10 GCSEs, grades A*-B, including maths, English, and science: Warwick School, 2014. Remember to use the new GCSE grading system where applicable.
• Relevant certifications – include any professional certifications or specialised training relating to counselling. Example: Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
• Additional training – highlight any other training or workshops relevant to your career as a counsellor. It could include short courses, seminars or conferences attended. Give the course name, location of training and date of completion.
• Academic achievements – if you have any noteworthy academic achievements, such as awards, honours or scholarships, mention them briefly.

You can include any additional certifications or training in a separate section further down your CV if you have a larger education history.

Work experience/employment history

The next section of your CV should be the work experience section, although you can also name this as your employment history. It is a crucial part of your CV, especially for a counsellor position, as it demonstrates your practical expertise and the specific techniques you have used in an academic and/or professional setting. Employers want to see evidence of your ability to build rapport with clients, handle confidential and sensitive information and apply therapeutic strategies effectively.

Highlighting relevant roles also underscores your commitment to helping others and your growth in the field, showcasing your ability to support clients through various challenges. By detailing your work history, you provide concrete examples of your skills, experience and accomplishments, making you a more compelling candidate for the counsellor role.

When you add your work experience to your CV, it should be in reverse chronological order (most recent first), like the education section, to allow employers to see your most relevant experience first. For each position, include the following:

• Job title: Clearly state your official job title, e.g. “Counsellor,” “Mental Health Therapist”.
• Employer/organisation name: Name of the organisation, practice or other place you worked.
• Location: Town, city or county.
• Dates of employment: Clearly indicate employment start and end dates (month and year).
• Responsibilities: Highlight key duties and tasks you performed (aim for three to five bullet points and use action verbs to describe your tasks), e.g.:
  • Conducted individual and group therapy sessions for clients with a range of mental health issues.
  • Developed and implemented personalised treatment plans.
  • Maintained confidential client records in compliance with legal and ethical standards.
  • Collaborated with other healthcare professionals to ensure comprehensive client care.
  • Implemented cognitive-behavioural therapy techniques, resulting in a 30% reduction in client relapse rates.

Key skills and achievements

Next, you want a section in your CV headed “Key Skills and Achievements”, which comes under your work experience. It shows potential employers how you have successfully applied your skills in previous positions, what your accomplishments were and that you have the required competencies for the role. A well-written skills section can make a difference in a successful or unsuccessful application.

Most job advertisements will detail the hard and soft skills they want applicants to possess. Therefore, it is important to include relevant ones in your CV, for example:

• Hard skills – are specific, teachable abilities or knowledge that are typically easy to quantify. These are often learned through education, training programs or on-the-job experience. Examples of hard skills for a counsellor might include specific therapeutic techniques, client assessment, cultural competence, crisis intervention, ethical standards and maintaining client records.
• Soft skills – are personal attributes and interpersonal skills that are often harder to measure but are crucial for building relationships, adapting to different situations and achieving success in the workplace. Soft skills for a counsellor might include communication, interpersonal, empathy, patience, active listening, problem-solving, adaptability and resilience.

Before beginning your skill and achievement section, refer to the job description to see what key skills they want in a counsellor and how your current skill set aligns. If applying for your first counsellor role and have limited direct experience, focus on transferable, soft skills as above.

You can also add your achievements to this or the work experience section; it is your choice. If you add them, ensure they are relevant to the counsellor role and quantify them where possible. We will look at showcasing your achievements later.

Some employers use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which pick up keywords, so using these in your CV can help demonstrate your skills and increase your chances of passing through the ATS filter and a successful application. Keywords that may help include those covered in the hard skill section above. Again, look at the job description to identify the words they use.

Other information

The main focus of your CV for the counsellor position should be qualifications, experience, skills and attributes, which we have already covered. If you have space on your CV and have additional information to increase your chances of a successful application, you could add other sections. Ensure the additional sections are relevant, and you do not go over two pages, as it can make your CV difficult to read.

Some other sections you may consider on your CV are as follows:

• Certifications, accreditations and licenses – you can add this information to the education section or detail it separately. If you include it, add the name of the training, provider and date, and ensure that your certifications are current.
• Professional development – mention any workshops, seminars, courses, programs or training sessions you have attended or completed that are relevant to counselling, e.g. therapeutic modalities.
• Volunteer work – include any volunteer work demonstrating your commitment to the field, e.g. volunteering with a mental health charity or in hospices, youth service, shelters, community services, etc. You can add this to the work experience section if preferred. If you do include it, detail the name of the organisation, the dates you volunteered and your key duties and contributions.
• Publications and research – list articles, papers or research published related to counselling or your specialism. You could also mention any presentations given at conferences or workshops.
• Professional associations – include memberships in professional organisations related to counselling, such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
• Languages – list any additional languages spoken and proficiency levels.
• Interests and hobbies – include relevant interests and hobbies showcasing your personality and potential contributions to the field.

You want to ensure you stand out from other applicants, so include any relevant information that will really make your CV shine.

References

Including a references section in a CV provides potential employers with a way to verify your qualifications, experience and skills and gives you credibility. It also serves as a personal endorsement from professionals who can vouch for your abilities, work ethic and character, which reassures recruiters about your suitability for the role.

The references section is typically the last of your CV. If the job advert does not stipulate that you have to provide details of references and you do not want to add them directly to your CV, you can indicate that references are available upon request. If the employer asks for details of references at the application stage, you should provide the following information:

• Contact information for each reference (referee), e.g. full name, professional title, organisation, phone number and email address.
• A brief description of the professional relationship with the reference, e.g. supervisor, colleague, mentor, etc.

Always obtain consent from your references before including their details on your CV, and choose individuals who can vouch for your qualifications, skills, experience and character. Strong references can differentiate you from other candidates and increase your chances of securing the position.