Counsellors & Psychotherapists

Working with Hammock

At Hammock, we want to help take your professional practice to the next level. We offer an enriching, flexible, and supportive environment to ensure you and your practice thrive, and continue to do so into the future.

What sets us apart is our focus on your quality and potential, instead of how many clinical hours you may have already accrued. Many organisations require therapists to arrive with prior client hours, which can be a barrier for talented and high quality trainees who are starting out. At Hammock, we believe that if you’re good, you’re ready; your professional values, commitment, self-awareness, and evidence of personal growth speak louder than numbers.

Supervision offer

At Hammock, we understand that quality supervision is key to shaping your success as a highly effective and successful therapist, and that’s why we want to invest in your professional development. We provide weekly supervision with top supervisors, offering more clinical oversight than other placement providers.

We value the power of group supervision, which fosters a sense of community and collegiality amongst your supervisor, you, and other talented trainees. This professional, collaborative, and supportive environment elevates your practice, giving you the clinical depth and insight to take your counselling to the next level.

Supervision offer

We look for counsellors who are…

Committed and passionate about
their development

Self-aware
and reflective

Highly professional
and reliable

Self-motivated
and disciplined

Open and
collaborative with
other professionals

Becoming a counsellor
with Hammock

Hammock Counselling offers remote placements to trainee counsellors and psychotherapists who are passionate about offering open-ended mental health support to adults across the UK. Our trainees are integrative in their approach, and have passion, or growing appreciation for, psychodynamic therapy.

As you will be working with your clients online, you’ll have the flexibility to manage your own diary and work outside traditional office hours, including weekends. You’ll also engage with clients from diverse regions and backgrounds across the UK.

Upon qualification, we will support you to continue with your existing clients into private practice, should this be something you and your clients wish to do.

Your practice starts here

Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer placement counsellor at Hammock. Below outlines the application process. Please contact Hammock with any further questions you may have in the meantime.

1.

Complete your application form, including the email addresses of two referees and their relationship to you.

2.

The Hammock team will contact you to let you know whether or not you will be offered an interview and to arrange a date for this. The interview will be with the Head of Counselling and a Hammock supervisor and will last approximately 1 hour.

3.

On receipt of your references, a final decision is made on whether to offer you the placement or not. You will be informed of this as soon as possible, and feedback will be offered. You are also welcome to give feedback on your interview experience.

4.

Once you have accepted the placement, you will be invited to an induction session before starting your supervision group.

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Trainee counsellors
and psychotherapists
are expected to:

Be available to undertake at least three counselling sessions per week
Be accountable for their counselling work to their supervisor and the Clinical Manager
Attend group supervision with a Hammock supervisor in a group of up to three counsellors: supervision is for 90 minutes once a week
Keep records of all counselling work done and submit to Hammock in approved form
Abide by their relevant professional body’s ethical framework (e.g. BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions).

Trainee counsellors and psychotherapists can expect that Hammock will:

Provide you with regular, quality supervision
Support your professional development
Provide public liability and professional indemnity insurance to cover your work with Hammock
Be responsive to your professional needs and provide support as needed
Support you to continue your relationships with clients when leaving the service.

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Requirements for trainees

1.

Training enrollment

All trainees are required to be enrolled in a BACP, UKCP, NCPS, BABCP or vcBPS accredited training.

2.

Professional membership

All trainees are required to hold valid membership with their relevant professional body during their time with Hammock Counselling (e.g. BACP, UKCP, NCPS, BABCP or BPS).

3.

Insurance

All trainees are required to hold valid insurance during their time with Hammock Counselling.

4.

Personal therapy requirement

At Hammock, we believe in the importance of therapists experiencing for themselves, the significance and power of the therapeutic work you are providing for others. Therefore, and before being able to start your client work with Hammock, all trainees are required to have completed a minimum of six months’ personal therapy in one continuous piece of work, or 50 sessions over a number of therapists.

Ideally, some of this experience is with a psychodynamic therapist. We believe this helps develop the highest levels of self awareness and a deeper appreciation for the importance of the therapeutic relationship; something which is at the core of effective therapeutic work, and the centre of Hammock’s culture. See here for further details.

If, however, you have not yet completed these hours and you are in the process of completing them, we still encourage you to submit your application.

5.

Your approach and philosophy

First and foremost, Hammock looks for integrative trainees who are in the process of figuring out their own unique integrative approach and philosophy. We are, however, an organisation that deeply values the depth and rigour that psychodynamic practice can bring to our work with clients. Therefore, we look for trainees who already have a passion or growing curiosity for psychodynamic work, and who want to develop this aspect of their practice. See here for further details.

6.

Time commitment & supervision attendance

Becoming a counsellor with Hammock is a commitment of time and effort – as you increase your case load, counselling, record-keeping and supervision may take up to the equivalent of one day a week, although this might not all be on one day.

Quality supervision is at the centre of Hammock’s aim to support the counselling and psychotherapy profession. Therefore, attendance of weekly supervision is a requirement. However, we understand that people go on holiday and unexpected things happen.

We ask that trainees commit to at least 6 months with Hammock. This commitment allows supervision groups to work together at a deeper level, which in turn enables you to engage more deeply with your clients. This can foster more impactful therapeutic work for both you and your clients, and a more meaningful placement experience.

7.

IT proficiency

Trainees need to be able to effectively conduct their sessions online with suitable equipment and internet connection. Trainees are required to be able to use, or be willing to learn to use, Google suite and basic functions on ICT management software.

In order to proceed with applying for a placement with Hammock Counselling, please confirm that you have read and understood the above requirements for trainees. If you have any further questions, please contact Hammock and we will be happy to help where we can.

I confirm I have read and understood the above requirements for trainees.

Apply Now

Clients

Counsellors

Supervisors

Counsellors & Psychotherapists

Working with Hammock

Supervision offer

Supervision offer

We look for counsellors who are…

Becoming a counsellor
with Hammock

Your practice starts here

1.

2.

3.

4.

Trainee counsellors
and psychotherapists
are expected to:

Trainee counsellors and psychotherapists can expect that Hammock will:

Counsellors & Psychotherapists

Working with Hammock

Supervision offer

Supervision offer

We look for counsellors who are…

Becoming a counsellor with Hammock

Your practice starts here

1.

2.

3.

4.

Trainee counsellors and psychotherapists are expected to:

Trainee counsellors and psychotherapists can expect that Hammock will:

Requirements for trainees

1.

Training enrollment

2.

Professional membership

3.

Insurance

4.

Personal therapy requirement

5.

Your approach and philosophy

6.

Time commitment & supervision attendance

7.

IT proficiency

Psychodynamic councelling with Hammock

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Becoming a counsellor
with Hammock

Trainee counsellors
and psychotherapists
are expected to: