Psychotherapeutic Counsellor

Psychotherapeutic Counsellor

The closing date is 08 February 2026

The NHS Talking Therapies Service in North Hertfordshire is looking to employ a full time Psychotherapeutic Counsellor.

Hertfordshire was one of the original 11 Pathfinder sites for the development of Talking Therapies Services, commencing in 2007/8 and has since developed through 1st and 2nd wave expansion sites to provide a well‑resourced and innovative Talking Therapies service across the whole of the county. Our Trust has been awarded Outstanding status by the Care Quality Commission and our Talking Therapies Service is APPS accredited.

To provide a comprehensive assessment and therapeutic service for adult patients with common mental health problems referred to the Talking Therapies service based on the Talking Therapies counselling for depression modality, working within the context of primary care services. To identify the nature, severity and complexity of patients mental health problems, the associated level of risk and to advise both patients and their GP on appropriate management of those problems, including a referral to secondary care specialist mental health services if appropriate.

To work closely with the wider Talking Therapies Team to increase their awareness and understanding of the therapy that you offer.

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from Care Quality Commission.

Our family of over 4,000 members of staff provide health and social care for people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. Everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:

Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.

To provide specialist psychological therapy assessments with clients referred to the NHS Talking Therapies service, based upon the appropriate use, interpretation, and integration of complex data from a variety of sources including psychological tests, self‑report measures, rating scales, direct and indirect structured observations and semi‑structured interviews with clients, family members and others involved in the clients care.

To provide at least one NICE recommended psychological therapy for anxiety disorders and/or depression.

To formulate and implement plans for the formal psychological treatment and/or management of a clients mental health problems, based upon an appropriate conceptual framework of the clients problems, and employing methods based upon evidence of efficacy.

To be responsible for implementing psychological interventions for individuals, carers, families and groups, adjusting and refining psychological formulations and drawing upon relevant explanatory models. To be able to use a specific psychological therapy for anxiety and/or depression, in line with NICE guidance, at a specialist level in assessments and interventions.

To evaluate and make decisions about treatment options taking into account both theoretical and therapeutic models and highly complex factors concerning historical and developmental processes that have shaped the individual.

To exercise autonomous professional responsibility for the assessment, treatment and discharge of clients whose problems are managed by psychologically based standard care plans.

To provide specialist psychological advice, guidance and consultation to other professionals contributing directly to clients formulation, diagnosis and treatment plan.

To contribute directly and indirectly to a psychologically based framework of understanding and care to the benefit of all clients of the service, across all settings and agencies serving the client group.

To undertake risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and to provide advice to other professions on psychological aspects of risk assessment and risk management. To work with clients who are at current risk of suicide or self‑harm.

To…