Finding Our Place: Student Voices on the Work Based Learning Project

Work Based Learning (WBL) is a core part of our BA (Hons) in Integrative Counselling, but for many students—particularly those already running their own private practice—it can initially raise questions. Why step into another organisation when you already have your own practice? What value does this module add when you're already working therapeutically with clients? 

The answer often unfolds in unexpected and meaningful ways. WBL isn’t about repeating what you already do—it’s about widening your scope and experiencing contextual and organisational systems that surround clinical work. It offers space to reflect on your identity as a practitioner, collaborate with others, and innovate in response to real-world challenges. 

In this blog, three students share powerful accounts of their WBL journeys. From developing emotional communication tools for children, to strengthening local partnerships, to improving client assessment processes, their stories reveal how stepping outside the familiar can open doors to professional and personal transformation. 

What emerges across these stories is a shared sense of initiative, resilience, and ethical awareness. Whether facing logistical setbacks, negotiating organisational expectations, or rethinking how clients are best supported, each student has shown what it means to step into a practitioner identity with curiosity and integrity. 

Work Based Learning isn’t always straightforward—but it is always formative. For these students, it has been a space to test values, stretch skills, and discover where their work can truly make a difference. As they move forward in their careers, these early experiences of co-creating, adapting, and advocating will continue to shape the kind of counsellors they become. 

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