EMPATHY
Counselling CV · Person-Centred & CBT-Informed

Mark Plaice

Trainee Counsellor & Psychotherapist. I always remember what it's like to sit in the client's chair.

BACP Registration Pending  |  Training Placements Completed  |  DBS Cleared  |  115 Hours Supervised Hours
Salford University (BACP Accredited)

Mark Plaice
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Personal Summary

Pre-registration trainee therapist (placements completed) in the third year of an MSc in Counselling & Psychotherapy at Salford University, BACP student member (pending upgrade to Registered Member on confirmation of PG Diploma results). Career changer drawing on over 20 years' experience supporting young adults in the education sector. Trained in Person-Centred Therapy — I love the way it helps me understand the client's point of view and follow alongside them in their process.

I also know what it is like to be in therapy, having benefited from about four years of individual and group therapy of different modalities. Broad personal life experience — unemployment, depression, queer identity, neurodivergence, harassment, migration — helps me think through how clients might feel in a variety of situations.

I have now completed 115 hours of fully supervised placement work across three placements, working with a wide range of adult and young clients. I am seeking a voluntary placement in the Manchester area. I am particularly keen to gain further experience with young people in FE/HE settings, LGBTQ+ clients, and neurodiverse/ADHD clients, but am happy to work with any client group.

Availability
Free Wednesdays Free Fridays Free Saturdays Most Evenings Online Face to Face
Up to 1 hour by public transport, Manchester area · Better in person — why not invite me to talk?
115

Hours of Fully Supervised Placement Experience

Completed across three placements — telephone long-term counselling, community face-to-face, and student mental health. Adult and young clients across a wide range of presenting issues.

Counselling Placements
Trainee Counselling Placement — Telephone Counsellor
February 2025 – December 2025
Colne Open Door Centre Limited, Colne
Provided telephone-based long-term counselling (16+ sessions per client) to adult clients. Maintained a consistent, safe therapeutic relationship across extended telephone engagements using a Person-Centred approach.
Anxiety (GAD)Panic AttacksBipolar Disorder Late-Diagnosed AutismSocial IsolationLong-Term Antipsychotic Treatment
Trainee Counselling Placement — Person-Centred Counsellor
March 2025 – November 2025
Family Welfare, Leigh, Lancashire
Provided Person-Centred counselling to a diverse group of adult clients. Administered standard psychometric assessments (GAD-7 and PHQ-9) and maintained detailed session notes. Trained in safeguarding procedures and pre-court session record-taking.
Complex GriefDepressionGADAddiction Recovery GAD-7 & PHQ-9Pre-Court Record-Keeping
Student Mental Health Counsellor — Placement
April 2025 – July 2025
Oldham College
Provided counselling sessions for adult students and 16–17 year olds. Liaised with the Safeguarding team to ensure client needs were well supported. Conducted client risk assessments and worked collaboratively with students to agree personal safety plans.
Young People (16–17)Adult Students Risk AssessmentsPersonal Safety PlansSafeguarding Liaison
Core Qualifications
2023–present
MSc / PG Dip Counselling and Psychotherapy (3rd year, in progress)
University of Salford (BACP Accredited)
Training in Person-Centred Therapy, CBT, and mental health studies. Top marks in Person-Centred Counselling Skills class. Upgrade to Registered Member pending PG Diploma confirmation.
2024
Autism and ADHD in Higher Education: NMH Mentoring & Study Skills
Optimum E-Learning
DfE-approved Non-Medical Helper Study Skills Support Coach for autistic and ADHD students at university.
2023
Graduate Skills in Counselling Course (Level 3 Certificate equivalent)
University of Salford
Professional
Professional Credentials
● Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Clearance
● Student Membership, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
● 115 hours of fully supervised placement counselling experience
Key Skills
Therapeutic Relationship
  • Proven ability to put people at ease; create a warm, accepting environment
  • Great empathy and listening skills; seeing things from the client's perspective
  • Highly skilled in helping people clarify and express thoughts and feelings meaningfully
  • Extensive experience building 1:1 client relationships across mentoring, pastoral care, and counselling
Specialist Client Groups
  • LGBTQ+ clients — lived experience and research expertise in queer identities
  • Neurodiverse and ADHD clients — late-diagnosed ADHD; qualified NMH coach
  • Young people in FE/HE settings (16+)
  • Clients from diverse cultural and international backgrounds (bilingual EN/KO)
Clinical & Administrative
  • Psychometric assessment administration (GAD-7 and PHQ-9)
  • Detailed clinical session note-keeping
  • Trained in safeguarding, risk assessment, and personal safety planning
  • Trained in pre-court session record-taking
Personal Qualities
  • Patience, sensitivity, and cultural understanding
  • Calm under pressure; reliable and consistent
  • Reflexive practitioner; actively engages supervision and seeks feedback
  • Picks up new systems and environments quickly
Lived Experience

Broad personal life experience informs my therapeutic work and helps me think through how clients might feel in a variety of situations. This includes navigating unemployment, depression, queer identity, late-diagnosed neurodivergence (ADHD), harassment, and the experience of being a migrant in multiple countries. I have also benefited personally from approximately four years of individual and group therapy across different modalities — giving me genuine insight into the experience of being a client.

Academic Qualifications
2019
PhD Film Studies — King's College London
2017
PG Diploma Academic Practice in Higher Education — King's College London
2008
MA Korean Studies — School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
1991
BA (Hons) Humanities — Greenwich University
Also: A Levels — Economics, History, Politics; GCSE English, Maths, eight in total
Other Work Experience (Selected)
Lecturer in Korean Studies
University of Central Lancashire · 2017–2024
Led large undergraduate modules (250+ students); pastoral tutor to 25 students per year; ADHD/Autism student coach; Co-Chair, Staff Neurodiversity Network.
Teaching Fellow, Film/Media Studies
SOAS / King's College London · 2014–2017
Seminar teaching, individual tutorials, student support across diverse international cohorts.
Visiting Lecturer, Film Studies
National University of the Arts, Seoul · 2012–2013
Designed and delivered bilingual courses to degree and master's level students in Korean.
EFL Teacher — Self-employed
Seoul / London · 1997–2014
One-to-one and small group specialist support for Korean nationals; academic writing, IELTS, pastoral coaching.
References available on request

69 Alder Street, Salford, Manchester, M6 5ND  ·  [email protected]  ·  07940 983 084