ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

Everything you need to know about training as a humanistic counsellor and psychotherapist at Homa in central London: where the training takes place, dates, fees, BACP accreditation status and the professional pathway, how the four-year training is structured, what it asks of you, bursaries and how to apply.

Training at a Glance

Training: Four-year part-time humanistic psychotherapy training, with an optional stand-alone Foundation Year
Location: Homa Psychotherapy Practice, 26 Lloyd Baker Street, London WC1X 9AW (near Angel and King's Cross)
Next intake: January 2027
Schedule: Usually one weekday and one weekend day (typically Friday and Saturday), 9.30am to 4.30pm, over three terms a year
Total training: 124 training days, 744 tuition hours
Fees (2027 entry): Foundation Year £7,500; Year 2 £7,500; Year 3 £6,500; Year 4 £5,500
BACP: The course is not currently BACP accredited. It is designed to meet BACP's criteria, graduates can apply individually for BACP accredited membership, and Homa is applying for BACP course accreditation in 2026
Bursaries: Two bursaries a year of up to 75% of fees
Cohort size: Maximum 22 trainees
Application: Attend an introductory workshop first, then apply (applications open in March)

Training Pathways: Four-Year Programme or Foundation Year

Option 1: The Homa four-year psychotherapy training programme

If you already know that you want to train and practise as a humanistic psychotherapist, you can apply to join the four-year Homa Training Programme.

Option 2: The Foundation Year only

If you are not sure yet, you can apply for the Foundation Year only. This one-year course is an opportunity to find out more about yourself and what it might mean for you to become a psychotherapist. If you then decide to train, you can apply to join the full programme and continue into Years 2 to 4.

You can also join the Foundation Year for personal or professional development without being a trainee. At the end of the Foundation Year you will receive a certificate of attendance. The depth of training and number of hours completed can support progression into the second year of other therapy trainings.

BACP Accreditation and Professional Pathway

Homa is applying for BACP course accreditation in 2026. We have designed the four-year training to meet BACP's criteria, so that graduates are well placed to apply individually to BACP for accredited membership once they have graduated.

After you graduate, you can apply to BACP individually for accredited membership once you have completed 450 supervised client hours. Your Training Advisor can mentor you through the application.

Where and When the Training Takes Place

The training takes place in the heart of London at the Homa Psychotherapy Practice, which is both a working therapy practice and a training centre.

The practice is a short walk from Angel Underground Station and King's Cross.

Address: 26 Lloyd Baker Street, London WC1X 9AW

Training Dates

Foundation Year training dates 2027

Training days run from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

Term 1: January 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (non-residential); January 22, 23; February 5, 6, 19, 20; March 5, 6, 19, 20
Term 2: April 30; May 1, 14, 15, 28, 29; June 11, 12, 25, 26
Term 3: September 10, 11, 24, 25; October 8, 9; October 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 (residential); November 12, 13

Years 2 to 4 training days

The dates below show a typical year's pattern. Specific dates and days are subject to change.

Year 2 (38 days)

Term 1: January 10, 11, 17, 18, 31; February 1, 21, 22; March 7, 8, 21 and 22 (Ecotherapy)
Term 2: May 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 30 and 31 (Ecotherapy); June 13, 14, 27, 28; July 4 (until 9.30pm)
Term 3: September 5, 6, 19, 20; October 3 and 4 (Ecotherapy); November 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 28, 29

Year 3 (27 days)

Term 1: January 24, 25, 26; February 28; March 1, 2; April 4, 5, 6
Term 2: May 9, 10, 11; June 20, 21, 22; July 18, 19, 20
Term 3: September 26, 27, 28; October 31 and November 1 (Ecotherapy); November 2, 28, 29, 30

Year 4 (21 days)

Term 1: February 7, 8, 9; March 14, 15, 16
Term 2: June 1, 2, 3; July 11, 12, 13
Term 3: September 12, 13, 14; October 17, 18, 19; November 22 and 23 (graduation interviews); December 5, 6, 7

Residential module

There is one four-night residential module in the Foundation Year, at a venue outside London. Tuition, accommodation, materials, meals and refreshments are included in the course fee. Travel and other personal costs are not included.

Training Fees & Bursaries

Fees for entry in January 2027

Foundation Year: £7,500
Year 2: £7,500
Year 3: £6,500
Year 4: £5,500

All fees include VAT at the applicable rate.

Pay the fees in instalments

You can arrange an instalment plan to pay monthly by direct debit, by agreement with Homa. There are no additional fees or interest, as long as payments are made in line with the agreement.

Additional costs for trainees

Training Advisor meetings: at least three one-hour meetings a year, one per term, at £75 per meeting. You or your Training Advisor may request additional meetings.
Personal psychotherapy: forty sessions a year for the duration of your training. The cost of individual therapy varies.
Professional supervision (from Year 3): the number of hours depends on your client hours and costs vary. Most organisations offer supervision free of charge to their volunteer practitioners.
Graduation interview: £250, at the end of your training.

Bursaries and Financial Support

Each year Homa offers two bursaries of up to 75% of the training fees for applicants who would otherwise be unable to train because of financial barriers.

Psychotherapy training can be financially inaccessible for many people, and access to professional education is shaped by family background, wealth, access to opportunity, systemic inequality and experiences of marginalisation. The bursary scheme aims to widen access to the profession.

Bursaries are awarded primarily on financial need, while taking into account the broader context of an applicant's life and access to opportunity.

Who the bursary is for

We consider the difference the bursary would make to your ability to undertake the training. You may wish to apply if:

your life circumstances have included barriers to opportunity or long-term limits on access to economic resources
you have experienced marginalisation related to social class, race, disability, sexuality, migration history, gender or other structural inequalities
you do not have access to family support, assets, borrowing or savings that would allow you to finance the training
your financial situation reflects a lack of financial safety nets rather than a temporary change in income

The bursary is intended for people with limited or no access to financial support overall, not for those experiencing a short-term drop in income. Because only two bursaries are available each year, please apply only if the training would not otherwise be financially possible for you, now or in the future.

Not everyone who shows financial need will receive an award.

You do not have to disclose protected characteristics to apply. If you choose to share contextual information about your life experience, it may be considered as part of understanding the circumstances that have shaped your access to education, employment and financial stability.

How the bursary process works

Apply for the training in the usual way. Once you have been offered a place, you can complete a separate bursary application form. Applications are reviewed by a small panel using a structured framework, and shortlisted applicants may be invited to a conversation with the panel if clarification is needed.

How bursary decisions are made

Financial need: priority is given to applicants for whom the training would not realistically be possible without financial help.
Access to financial resources: savings, family support, loans or other safety nets.
Context and access to opportunity: how life circumstances may have shaped access to education, employment or financial stability.
Impact: the difference the bursary would make to your ability to train.

Equality and fairness

In line with the Equality Act 2010, bursaries are awarded on the basis of financial need and contextual factors that may have limited access to opportunity. Receiving a bursary does not change the professional standards expected of trainees, and all applicants must meet the same readiness criteria.

How to Apply

Our application process is relational, thoughtful and transparent. It helps you sense whether the training is right for you while allowing us to understand your readiness. Decisions are made holistically, considering both the individual and the cohort. We actively encourage applications from people of the Global Majority.

Application timeline for the January 2027 training

March to November: introductory workshops and applications open
May to November: interviews (rolling)
July and November: offers made
January 2027: training begins

Step 1: Attend an introductory workshop

Attending an introductory workshop is required before applying. It gives you a direct experience of Homa's approach, and it is not assessed. After attending, you will be invited to apply.

Step 2: Apply and attend an interview

Applications open in March. The interview process is conversational and reflective. We consider your readiness for training, capacity for reflection, engagement with difference and openness to learning. Some applicants may be invited to a second stage.

Step 3: Selection and offers

Cohorts are limited to 22 trainees. Offers are made in stages, and decisions consider both individual readiness and the group. Being in the process does not guarantee an offer.

Diversity, social justice and inclusion

Homa takes responsibility for ensuring that all its tutors and staff educate themselves about racism, sexism and discrimination on the basis of ability, gender, sexual orientation, body size, class, economic status, age, religious belief, culture and nationality, and address their own privilege, biases and prejudice wherever they show up.

We want to encourage more diversity in the psychotherapy profession. We welcome applications from people of colour and anyone who does not identify as white, and from people of diverse sexualities, genders and identities. You are welcome whatever your learning style, body size, faith, cultural background or relationship choices. If you would like to talk to us about our approach to social justice and equality, please get in touch.

How the Four-Year Training Is Structured

Part-time training

Many trainees continue in their main employment, parent alongside training or manage other family commitments. Part-time training can work very well, and it is important to consider all the demands the training will make on your time.

Most training takes place on one weekday and one weekend day (usually Friday and Saturday) from 9.30am to 4.30pm, over three terms a year. Over the four years there are some longer weekend modules and some modules spread over consecutive weeks.

Tuition hours by year

Foundation Year: 38 days (228 tuition hours)
Year 2: 38 days (228 tuition hours)
Year 3: 27 days (162 tuition hours)
Year 4: 21 days (126 tuition hours)
Total: 124 days (744 hours)

Other time commitments

Training Advisor meetings: approximately one hour per term, with more time in your final year.
Individual therapy: 40 sessions a year with a Homa-approved psychotherapist, for the duration of the training.
Working with clients: from Year 3 you will need time for a voluntary placement, usually around three or four client hours a week.
Professional supervision: from Year 3, allow approximately three to four hours a month for individual or group supervision.

Assessment

There are no exams or recorded client sessions. Your learning is assessed continually through termly Training Advisor meetings, self, peer and Course Tutor feedback and termly assignments. Your Training Advisor gives feedback on your assignments and checks that you are completing everything required for the Diploma.

At the end of the four years you are invited to a graduation interview with [a Course Tutor and an external moderator / two tutors]. It reviews and acknowledges your personal and professional learning and development over the training, and is based on your Life Story. If Tutors feel a trainee is not yet ready to graduate, the additional work and steps needed are agreed between the Course Tutors, the Training Advisor and the trainee.

Assignments and non-academic learning

Throughout the training you keep a Reflective Learning Journal and complete regular assignments reflecting your personal and professional learning in the group and in your practice. These are not formal academic essays. You will be asked to reference or annotate your work, but not in a university style. In Year 4 you produce a biographical assignment, your Life Story, which draws together all your work.

At Homa you can submit reflective journals, assignments and coursework in different formats unless the brief specifies otherwise, and you do not have to use the same format every time. We do not value written work above other media; there is no hierarchy. Whatever format you choose, the brief stays the same: you are expected to demonstrate your understanding and learning with the same level of detail and reflection. If you have difficulties with written work, the journal and assignments can be submitted as audio recordings or as a recorded interview with your Training Advisor.

Accepted formats include:

written work: prose, poetry or story
recorded video or audio
a recorded interview in which you speak with someone about the topic
diagrams, charts and mind maps, by hand or electronically
art in any medium: song, storytelling, mark making, drawing, painting, collage, sculpture or photography
any other media

Your Training Advisor

Every trainee is assigned a Training Advisor, whom you meet once a term. Your Training Advisor guides and supports you through the training, gives feedback on your assignments and other work, and makes sure you complete every step required for the Diploma. Meetings are compulsory and take place in person at the Training Advisor's place of work in London.

After you graduate, your Training Advisor can also mentor you through an application for BACP accredited membership.

What the Training Requires of You

Attendance

Trainees on the Homa Training Programme and the Foundation Year are expected to attend every training day (100% attendance). Absence is only accepted for medical or extraordinary reasons. In those cases you will be asked to catch up on what you missed with a colleague or a Course Tutor, and there may be a fee for a catch-up session with a Tutor. If you miss a day or more for any reason other than illness, you may be asked to leave the course.

Personal psychotherapy

Throughout the training you will be in your own individual psychotherapy: forty one-to-one sessions each year with an approved BACP or UKCP accredited psychotherapist. Sessions can be 50 minutes rather than a full hour. At least 70% of sessions must be in person, not online. Your Training Advisor can help you find a therapist whose way of working is compatible with the Homa approach. Personal therapy is also required if you start with the Foundation Year without being enrolled as a trainee.

Supervised client work and placement

You begin a voluntary placement in Year 3. To be awarded the Homa Diploma you must complete 120 supervised client hours. If you have not completed them by the end of Year 4, you can continue to meet your Training Advisor until you do, without attending further training days.

Placement guidelines:

Your placement must be with genuine clients, not peers from your course, in an appropriate setting such as a counselling service that assesses whether clients are suitable for your level of competence.
You will work with adults only. You may not work with children or young people, couples, groups or clients with complex mental health needs.
Placement hours cannot be completed through private practice.
Your placement is assessed as an integral part of your training.
Most sessions must be face to face. The rest can be online, or a combination of online and phone, in an environment suitable for remote delivery.
Your placement must be supervised, with one hour of supervision for every eight hours of counselling, in the same mode of delivery as your placement hours. We recommend seeing your supervisor fortnightly.

Expected workload outside training days

You will need time for learning outside the training days. These are minimum estimates, and some trainees will need longer.

Foundation Year: about 434.5 hours

In-person, tutor-led training: 228 hours (38 days)
Training Advisor meetings: 2.5 hours (3 x 50 minutes)
Personal psychotherapy: 40 hours
Spring holiday assignment, equivalent to a 3,000-word piece: up to 36 hours
Summer holiday collaborative project with other trainees: up to 36 hours
Reflective journalling after each training weekend: 36 hours
Independent learning on the Homa training portal: 36 hours
Holiday reading and preparation before Year 2: 10 to 20 hours

Year 2: about 594.5 hours

In-person, tutor-led training: 228 hours (38 days)
Training Advisor meetings: 2.5 hours
Personal psychotherapy: 40 hours
Coursework: 5 to 10 hours a week in term time, about 205 hours
Winter holiday assignment: 15 hours
Spring and summer holiday assignments, each equivalent to a 3,000-word piece: up to 36 hours each
Ecotherapy practice and project: 2 hours (continues into Year 3)
Holiday reading and watching: 20 hours
Art exhibition preparation: up to 10 hours

Year 3: about 463.5 hours

In-person, tutor-led training: 162 hours (27 days)
Training Advisor meetings: 2.5 hours
Personal psychotherapy: 40 hours
Four assignments (recordings or written pieces, including a photographic assignment): up to 128 hours in total
Additional resources on the Homa training portal: 75 hours
Ecotherapy assignment, nine one-hour outdoor practices plus a project: up to 36 hours
Holiday reading and watching: 20 hours

Year 4: about 507 hours

In-person, tutor-led training: 126 hours (21 days)
Training Advisor meetings: 2 x 50 minutes
Portfolio interview: 1.5 hours
Graduation interview: 1 hour
Personal psychotherapy: 40 hours
Portfolio group meetings online with peers: 16.5 hours
Graduation portfolio: about 8 hours a week, 320 hours in total

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Homa training BACP accredited?

Not currently. Homa is applying for BACP course accreditation in 2026. The training is designed to meet BACP's criteria, and graduates can apply individually to BACP for accredited membership once they have completed 450 supervised client hours.

Where is the Homa training based?

At the Homa Psychotherapy Practice, 26 Lloyd Baker Street, London WC1X 9AW, a short walk from Angel Underground Station and King's Cross.

How long is the training?

Four years part-time: 124 training days and 744 tuition hours, usually one weekday and one weekend day (typically Friday and Saturday), 9.30am to 4.30pm, over three terms a year.

How much does the training cost?

For January 2027 entry: Foundation Year £7,500, Year 2 £7,500, Year 3 £6,500 and Year 4 £5,500, including VAT at the applicable rate. Trainees also pay for personal psychotherapy, Training Advisor meetings (£75 each) and a £250 graduation interview.

Can I pay in instalments?

Yes. Monthly direct debit instalments can be arranged by agreement, with no additional fees or interest.

Is there financial help?

Yes. Homa offers two bursaries a year of up to 75% of the fees, awarded mainly on financial need and access to opportunity.

Can I do just the Foundation Year?

Yes. You can take the Foundation Year for personal or professional development, or to find out whether you want to train. You will receive a certificate of attendance, and you can apply to continue into Year 2 if you decide to train.

Do I need to attend an introductory workshop before applying?

Yes. It is required, it is not assessed, and you will be invited to apply afterwards.

Are there exams?

No. There are no exams or recorded client sessions. Learning is assessed continually through assignments, feedback and Training Advisor meetings.

Do I have to write academic essays?

No. Assignments are not formal academic essays, and you can submit work as writing, audio, video, art or other formats.

How many trainees are in each cohort?

Cohorts are limited to 22 trainees.

Do I need to be in therapy myself?

Yes. You will have forty individual sessions a year throughout the training with an approved BACP or UKCP accredited psychotherapist, and at least 70% must be in person.

How many client hours do I need to complete?

120 supervised client hours to be awarded the Homa Diploma. Placements begin in Year 3.

Can I train while working or parenting?

Many trainees do. The training is part-time, but plan carefully for the time it needs, including study, therapy, placement and supervision.

Homa Diploma in Humanistic Counselling & Psychotherapy, London - Essential Information: