Counsellor and Holistic Therapies Hub Manager
Permanent - Full Time £48,000 - £55,000 / yearJob Overview
The Counsellor will deliver specialist domestic abuse counselling, three or four days a week, to survivors of domestic abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
The role is integral to Freeda’s therapeutic service, offering both direct client support and service development contributions, under the leadership of the Clinical Lead.
In addition, in their capacity as Holistic Therapies Hub Manager, the post-holder will dedicate one or two days per week to designing, implementing and coordinating Freeda’s Holistic Therapies Hub in conjunction with the CEO.
The counselling service is a new service line for Freeda and we intend to grow it slowly and safely over the next 12 months, starting initially with clients already onboarded to Freeda’s services, in order to ensure a world class service for our clients. We anticipate that demand across the Island will be high though and will strive to meet it. As such, this is a wonderful opportunity for a qualified and experienced Counsellor to grow with us in their own experience and capability as a specialist counsellor and Hub manager, as we grow our vital new service for survivors.
Key Responsibilities
1. Clinical Delivery
1.1 Provide specialist one-to-one counselling to survivors of domestic abuse (largely women, but it is anticipated that the service may grow to include men), using trauma-informed approaches.
1.2 Hold and manage a client caseload, maintaining accurate and confidential records in line with ethical and organisational requirements.
1.3 Conduct client assessments, set therapeutic goals collaboratively, and review progress.
1.4 Manage disclosures, trauma presentations and complex safeguarding concerns appropriately.
1.5 Build and maintain trust, establishing the therapeutic alliance at the client’s pace.
1.6 Work flexibly with a range of therapeutic approaches, including person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic, to suit client needs.
1.7 Deliver counselling that is culturally competent, inclusive, and sensitive to gendered and diverse experiences of abuse.
1.1 Provide specialist one-to-one counselling to survivors of domestic abuse (largely women, but it is anticipated that the service may grow to include men), using trauma-informed approaches.
1.2 Hold and manage a client caseload, maintaining accurate and confidential records in line with ethical and organisational requirements.
1.3 Conduct client assessments, set therapeutic goals collaboratively, and review progress.
1.4 Manage disclosures, trauma presentations and complex safeguarding concerns appropriately.
1.5 Build and maintain trust, establishing the therapeutic alliance at the client’s pace.
1.6 Work flexibly with a range of therapeutic approaches, including person-centred, CBT and psychodynamic, to suit client needs.
1.7 Deliver counselling that is culturally competent, inclusive, and sensitive to gendered and diverse experiences of abuse.
2. Service Development Support
2.1 Support the Clinical Lead in the development, monitoring and evaluation of the counselling service.
2.2 Provide practitioner insight to inform service design and policy development.
2.3 Contribute to the induction, peer support and reflective practice culture of the counselling team.
2.4 Assist in creating a learning environment for trainee placement counsellors if required.
2.1 Support the Clinical Lead in the development, monitoring and evaluation of the counselling service.
2.2 Provide practitioner insight to inform service design and policy development.
2.3 Contribute to the induction, peer support and reflective practice culture of the counselling team.
2.4 Assist in creating a learning environment for trainee placement counsellors if required.
3. Holistic Therapies Hub
3.1 Design and develop Freeda’s Holistic Therapies Hub in partnership with the CEO.
3.2 Research, coordinate and oversee delivery of complementary therapies (e.g., mindfulness, art therapy, body-based trauma support).
3.3 Build relationships with external practitioners and coordinate therapy schedules.
3.4 Monitor effectiveness and impact of holistic interventions and report findings.
3.1 Design and develop Freeda’s Holistic Therapies Hub in partnership with the CEO.
3.2 Research, coordinate and oversee delivery of complementary therapies (e.g., mindfulness, art therapy, body-based trauma support).
3.3 Build relationships with external practitioners and coordinate therapy schedules.
3.4 Monitor effectiveness and impact of holistic interventions and report findings.
4. Professional Practice & Collaboration
4.1 Adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework (or equivalent professional body standards).
4.2 Engage fully in external supervision, reflective practice and self-care.
4.3 Maintain professional registration and a commitment to working towards accreditation if not yet accredited.
4.4 Work collaboratively with Freeda colleagues, contributing to a trauma-informed and supportive team culture.
4.5 Liaise with external agencies where appropriate to support integrated client care.
We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace that reflects the communities that we serve.
4.1 Adhere to the BACP Ethical Framework (or equivalent professional body standards).
4.2 Engage fully in external supervision, reflective practice and self-care.
4.3 Maintain professional registration and a commitment to working towards accreditation if not yet accredited.
4.4 Work collaboratively with Freeda colleagues, contributing to a trauma-informed and supportive team culture.
4.5 Liaise with external agencies where appropriate to support integrated client care.
We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive workplace that reflects the communities that we serve.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Qualifications & Training
- CPCAB Diploma Level 4 in Counselling (or equivalent) – Essential
- Current membership of BACP/NCPS/UKCP (or equivalent) – Essential
- Willingness to work towards professional accreditation – Essential
- Training in trauma-informed practice or domestic abuse-specific approaches – Desirable
- Training in/good understanding of complementary/holistic therapies – Desirable
Knowledge & Understanding
- Strong understanding of domestic abuse (types, dynamics, perpetration, and effects) – Essential
- Knowledge of trauma and its psychological impacts, including dissociation, insecure attachment, and childhood abuse – Essential
- Familiarity with CBT, person-centred and psychodynamic modalities – Essential
- Understanding safeguarding legislation, procedures and limits of confidentiality – Essential
- Awareness of cultural and gender differences in experiences of domestic abuse – Essential
- Knowledge of advanced counselling concepts such as transference, counter-transference and endings – Desirable
Experience
- Minimum 2 years’ post-qualification counselling experience – Essential
- Experience of working directly with survivors of domestic abuse and/or trauma – Essential
- Experience in managing a counselling caseload – Essential
- Experience in holistic or complementary therapy coordination – Desirable
- Experience of multidisciplinary or partnership working – Desirable
Skills & Competencies (drawn from framework)
- Ability to build and maintain trust with clients – Essential
- Capacity to contain and support clients experiencing difficult emotions – Essential
- Skilled in working with silence, disclosure and boundaries – Essential
- Advanced empathy and ability to facilitate client-led change – Essential
- Ability to manage risk and know when to access supervision – Essential
- Skilled at working with anxiety, trauma responses and dissociation – Essential
- Ability to manage therapeutic endings appropriately – Essential
Personal Characteristics
- Compassionate, empathic and authentic – Essential
- Warm, calm, non-judgemental and accepting – Essential
- Resilient and able to hold hope for clients, the process and themselves – Essential
- Confident yet self-aware, with commitment to self-care and professional boundaries – Essential
- Creative and flexible in therapeutic practice – Desirable