Work for Us
Sunderland Counselling Service is a is a dynamic and diverse workplace where we are committed to delivering our charitable aims.
If you want to make a real difference and be part of our amazing team check out our latest job vacancies.
"An ethical organisation who cares equally about the staff and the service users. I feel the provisions are brilliant, management are very approachable, they make you feel your opinions matter. I find it a lovely place to be employed"
Feedback from our staff survey 2023
Sunderland Counselling Service is currently recruiting the following positions:
Sunderland Counselling Service - Trainee High Intensity CBT Therapist
Employer: Sunderland Counselling Service
Department: Sunderland Talking Therapies
Location: Monkwearmouth Hospital, Sunderland, SR5 1NB
Salary: £39,959 (Comparable to Agenda for Change Band 6)
Contract Type: Permanent (subject to 12-month probation)
Working Pattern: Full-time
Closing Date: 28/06/2026
Interview Date: 09/07/2026 & 10/07/2026
NHS Sunderland Talking Therapies Service for anxiety and depression (STT), is provided in partnership between Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) and Sunderland Counselling Service (SCS) and aims to develop and enhance the high intensity service provision across Sunderland.
Sunderland Counselling Service is seeking to recruit four enthusiastic and competent mental health practitioners into training posts within the NHS Talking Therapies Service in Sunderland. The post holder will work to provide High Intensity interventions whilst undertaking a programme of training for this role provided by Newcastle University. Training will focus on the delivery of evidence based psychological therapy on a one year full-time Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Intervention (CBT) starting in October 2026.
We are seeking post holders with at least two years full time experience working in mental health who possess great interpersonal skills and the desire to develop while becoming a therapist.
The successful postholders will undertake training with Newcastle University from October 2026 two days per week whilst also working within Sunderland Talking Therapies for the remaining three days.
Please see the link below for further information on the course:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy PGDip | Postgraduate | Newcastle University
Further information regarding Sunderland Talking Therapies can also be found at:
Sunderland Talking Therapies – For anxiety and depression
Applications will be accepted until 28th June but we reserve the right to close the application process early if we receive a high volume of submissions. Interviews will take place on the 9th and 10th July and we ask applicants to be mindful that alternative interview dates can unfortunately not be offered.
These roles are funded by Health Education England for home fees and not suitable for international fees. The University requires you either need to have a UK passport, or have settled status in the UK. Only applicants that have the right to work in the UK without time limits and working restrictions and are eligible for Home Fees status, are able to access the training needed for this role.
We appreciate potential postholders may use Artificial Intelligence to support their application, but we are keen to hear peoples individual skills, knowledge and competencies. All applicants will therefore be required to confirm the content of their application is their own work and has not been generated by artificial intelligence tools beyond basic editing or proofreading.
Sunderland Counselling Service and Sunderland Talking Therapies are proud to offer high quality Continuing Professional Development, weekly 1-2-1 supervision, group supervision and reflective practice. The successful postholder will be part of a supportive team of highly experienced practitioners and leaders, who are passionate about making a difference to people's lives.
In addition, this exciting opportunity includes an NHS funded Postgraduate Diploma course which will give you the skills to assess and deliver NICE recommended CBT interventions in community settings, for people suffering with symptoms of anxiety and depression.
As an employee of SCS, successful candidates will receive a salary comparable to a band 6 AfC salary (£39,959) and will be entitled to our employee benefits including 30 days annual leave plus a pro-rata bank holiday entitlement, generous maternity / paternity and adoption leave, pension scheme and have access to our free 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme, Bike2Work Scheme and critical illness cover.
Please send completed applications to: [email protected]
Please download below:
Job Description
Application Form
GDPR Privacy Notice for Applicants
Equal Opportunity and Diversity Monitoring Document
Sunderland Counselling Service - Children and Young People Link Worker
Children and Young People Link Worker
Contract Type: Fixed term for one year
Contract Hours: 15 hours p/w
Salary: AfC Band 5 comparable (£32,073) Pro rata
Application deadline: 10th July 2026
Sunderland Counselling Service (SCS) is seeking to appoint link workers to work in our CYP Link Work service. The service will be set within a unique independent mental health charity, which is acknowledged for its contribution to the community by mental health professionals, health practitioners and local and regional voluntary and statutory agencies.
The post holder will respond to the unmet needs of children and young people in Sunderland and South Tyneside via the implementation of a CYP social prescribing model. The Link Worker will connect children and young people into a broad range of services and interventions in their local area in a timely and effective way, led by the wants and needs of the young person themselves.
This activity provides additional emotional, social and practical support to wrap around existing Primary Care and child and adolescent mental health services, to support young people while they are waiting for formal treatment, prevent deterioration, maximising treatment outcomes and support independence. It is NOT intended to operate as a crisis service or an alternative to crisis services, nor as a clinical intervention and would not take on care planning or case management functions which clearly must be provided by clinical staff.
To allow flexibility and to respond to client need, services may be delivered confidentially from home as well as from GP surgeries and other community venues in Sunderland and South Tyneside. The post holder will be called upon to use personal means of transport while engaged in the work of the service for which travel expenses will be available.
The post holder will be employed on a fixed term contract of one year which will be subject to a probationary period of 6 months. Continued employment is subject to obtaining ongoing project related funding.
Please use your application to tell us how your skills and experience align to the role. Sunderland Counselling Service may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) detection tools to identify whether an application has been completed using AI. We expect that AI may be used to enhance your application such as refining and clarifying your ideas and thoughts and checking for grammar and spelling. However, applications where AI has been used to invent or inflate your skills and experiences or create generic responses will be rejected. To verify you have written your application please add the following to the bottom of your application 'I confirm that the content of this application is my own work and has not been generated by artificial intelligence tools beyond basic editing or proofreading’.
If you have any questions about this role, please contact Alicia Harris (Senior Mental Health Link Worker) on 0191 514 7007.
Further information can be found below.
Please note applications for this post must be submitted to [email protected] by 11.59pm on 10th July 2026 alongside a completed equal opportunity and diversity form. Applications after this time will not be considered.
Please download below:
- Job Description
- Application Form
- GDPR Privacy Notice for Applicants
- Equal Opportunity and Diversity Monitoring Document