CPCAB Level 5 Counselling Course (PC-L5) – Trauma-Informed | UK & Online
Develop the confidence and competence to work safely with trauma and more complex client presentations
You may be feeling or wondering…………
I’m scared of getting it wrong
I don’t feel confident with trauma
I don’t know if I’m ready for deeper work
This is normal and you can arrange an informal chat with us to help answer your questions.
Why Trauma-Informed Training Matters for Counsellors
Trauma and complex presentations can feel exposing as a practitioner.
You may find yourself:
Questioning whether you’re doing enough—or too much
Holding clients whose needs feel beyond your current training
Wanting to deepen your work, but unsure how to do so safely
This course is designed to support you in developing the knowledge, skills and grounded confidence needed to work more effectively, without losing yourself in the process.
Course Overview – CPCAB Level 5 Diploma
Duration: 12 months Study Mode: Part-time Course Fees £2,500
Delivery In Person Bexleyheath
Attendance: 1 weekend per month
Start Date: Sept 2026
2nd Weekend of the month
Delivery Online via Zoom
Attendance: Weekly
Start Date: Sept 2026
Thursday Eve’s 3pm - 9pm
Trauma-Informed CPCAB Level 5 Counselling Diploma in Bexleyheath, Online Across the UK
Who is this course for?
If you’re a qualified counsellor who is looking to set up your private practice and feels the weight of working with trauma, this course supports you to deepen your practice with clarity, safety and professional confidence.
Many counsellors reach a point where they know more is needed—but aren’t sure how to develop without risking getting it wrong. This training bridges that gap.
Career Progression After CPCAB Level 5
This qualification will enable you to work with greater confidence, autonomy and professional depth. It can open up opportunities to:
Work independently in private practice or within agency settings, holding more complex client work with confidence
Progress into more senior roles within counselling services, with increased responsibility and clinical depth
Develop your career into counselling education within further or higher education settings, where appropriate teaching experience or qualifications are in place
Course Structure and Content
CPCAB Level 5 Course
Develop clinical authority, work safely with complexity and lead with confidence
This is a clinically rigorous Level 5 Diploma that is designed for counsellors who are already working with clients and know that trauma is already in the room.
What you will learn on This Level 5 Counselling Course
Develop confidence working with complex trauma, risk, and safeguarding
Develop confidence in carrying out therapeutic assessments, making informed decisions about client suitability and risk, and establishing an ethical, professional, and trauma-informed private practice.
Develop a deeper understanding of trauma and its impact on the brain, body, emotions, relationships, and sense of self
.Learn to recognise emotional distress through a trauma-informed lens, understanding how experiences, relationships, and adversity can shape wellbeing.
Explore approaches that move beyond symptom management to support deeper understanding and recovery.
Gain confidence in working with trauma, complex presentations, and clients who may have experienced significant adversity.
Develop practical skills to create safety, stabilisation, emotional regulation, and therapeutic containment.
Understand the role of attachment, developmental experiences, and relational trauma in shaping human behaviour and emotional responses.
Explore dissociation, complex trauma, and the ways individuals adapt to overwhelming experiences.
Learn how therapeutic relationships can support recovery, resilience, growth, and lasting change.
Develop a holistic understanding of mental health that considers biological, psychological, social, relational, and trauma-related factors.
Critically explore different models of understanding distress, including medical, psychological, and trauma-informed perspectives.
This course introduces working somatically, helping you understand how the body and nervous system play a role in emotional processing.
Strengthen your ability to work ethically, safely, and effectively with trauma survivors.
Enhance your reflective practice, self-awareness, and professional resilience and reduce the impact of vicarious trauma and burnout.
By The End Of The Course You Will:
Feel more confident working with clients affected by trauma and adversity.
Have a deeper understanding of the root causes of emotional and psychological distress.
Be able to integrate trauma-informed principles into your existing counselling practice.
You will learn to recognise physical responses to trauma and support clients using body-aware techniques.
Recognise and respond appropriately to a wide range of trauma-related presentations.
Understand how to support recovery, resilience, and post-traumatic growth.
Have enhanced your therapeutic skills, professional competence, and clinical confidence at service level C
Leave with knowledge and skills that can immediately enhance your work with clients.
Who is the course for?
Qualified counsellors (Level 4 or equivalent) ready to deepen their trauma work and work independently.Work safely with high-risk trauma
“Develop your practice with confidence, depth and purpose”
Professional Progression and Accreditation
This qualification is designed to provide learners with the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to work as self-employed counsellors in independent practice. It also prepares practitioners to take on senior counselling roles within organisational settings, where responsibilities may include client assessment, referral processes, and routine evaluation of therapeutic work.
Aligned with the competencies outlined in the SCoPEd Framework Column B, this course supports practitioners in developing a higher level of professional capability and ethical practice.
With sufficient supervised practice hours, this qualification also offers a clear progression route toward membership and accreditation with professional bodies recognised by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), including BACP, NCPS, and ACC.
This ensures that your training not only enhances your clinical skills but also supports your ongoing professional recognition and career progression within the counselling field.
You can book a free 25 minute Q&A appointment to discuss with us about whether this course is the right next step for you.
Entry Requirements for CPCAB Level 5
Our CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling (PC-L5) is designed for qualified counsellors ready to deepen their practice, including working safely and effectively with trauma.
You should hold a recognised Level 4 counselling qualification (or equivalent), with evidence of supervised client work and a solid foundation in counselling theory. You will need to demonstrate emotional readiness, self-awareness, and the capacity to engage with complex and sensitive material.
All applicants will be invited to attend an interview and provide references to ensure they are well-prepared for the demands of advanced therapeutic training.
Candidates must be Proficient in the internal assessment and meet all the qualification requirements including all placement hours to achieve the qualification.
Course Fees and Payment Options
The cost of the CPCAB Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling is £2,500, which includes your registration fee with CPCAB.
To secure your place, a £500 deposit is required upon enrolment.
We are committed to making training as accessible as possible, so flexible payment plans are available. Please talk to us to discuss the options that may work best for you.
Accessibility & Inclusion
We recognise that financial barriers can impact access to training. Where possible, we will:
Offer flexible payment arrangements
Provide signposting to external funding opportunities or support
Work with you to explore options that support your participation
Our aim is to make training as accessible and inclusive as possible, while maintaining the professional and ethical standards required for safe therapeutic practice.
Refunds & Withdrawals
The £500 deposit is non-refundable, as it secures your place on the course.
If you withdraw before the course start date, any additional fees paid (excluding the deposit) may be refundable at our discretion.
Once the course has started, fees are non-refundable, and you remain responsible for any outstanding balance unless otherwise agreed.
We understand that circumstances can change, and we encourage all learners to communicate with us as early as possible should they experience any financial difficulties. Wherever appropriate, we will seek to discuss supportive and reasonable options to help maintain access to training.
Failure to maintain agreed payments without prior communication or an approved alternative arrangement may result in the outstanding balance becoming immediately due and payable.
L&M Counselling Training reserves the right to suspend access to training, course materials, and associated learning platforms where payments fall into arrears.
Where all reasonable attempts to resolve outstanding balances have been unsuccessful, L&M Counselling Training reserves the right to recover unpaid course fees through formal debt recovery procedures, including legal action via the Small Claims Court where necessary.
Additional Qualification Requirements
Personal counselling: a minimum of 40 hours of personal counselling by the end of the course.
Client work: a minimum of 60 hours formally contracted counselling (one-to-one), including client assessment.
Clinical Supervision: either group or one-to-one supervision – as per the supervision ratio requirements of their chosen ethical framework or professional membership association.
Course Delivery Options – In Person and Online
In-Person Delivery
This course is delivered face-to-face in Bexleyheath, one weekend per month, starting September 2026.
Sessions run over a one-year period, providing an immersive and supportive learning environment.
Online Delivery
The online option is delivered on Thursdays from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
This pathway runs over one year, across 20 structured sessions, beginning September 2026.
Duration & Investment
This course provides 120 Guided Learning Hours (GLH) over a one-year period, meeting the requirements set by CPCAB.
The programme is structured across 20 sessions, supporting steady, in-depth learning and integration.
Course Fee: £2,500
Commitment to Training
By enrolling, you are committing to:
Attending all scheduled sessions where possible and meeting the required attendance to pass the course.
Engaging with coursework, skills practice, and assessments
Upholding professional and ethical standards in line with CPCAB expectations
We are enroling now for September 2026
How to Apply
Complete the enrolement form and we will then seek to arrange an interview with you at a mutually convenient time.
