These are just a few examples of the type of counsellor working for charities all over the UK who give their time on a completely voluntary basis. These are counsellors who are highly trained, often to diploma or BA (hons) Degree level and are unable to find paid employment as the profession is reliant on volunteers and unpaid graduates providing this valuable service. As a student counsellor, we are required to obtain hundreds of hours of unpaid 'placement' experience. The lucky few get good placements, in charities who treat us well and offer to pay for our parking, or mileage and phone calls and our mandatory supervision each month. However, many of us are expected to pay for this our self. Monthly group supervision of around 3 hours costs between £35 - £60 a month. Students fund this for themselves. With tuition fees now at £9000 a year, full time degree students will leave University with debts of at least £27,000, and very little hope of finding paid employment.

Much publicity has been given to the plight of Fashion Graduates, who were expected to work in unpaid internships. This was deemed to be unacceptable and exploitative. Employment law states that anyone who offers regular, professional work that benefits the employer should be treated as a worker and paid at least minimum wage.

This does not apply to counselling graduates, who generally find placements within charities. Charities do not have the same obligations, and will find it almost impossible to pay their counsellors due to funding issues.

Counsellors can be subjected to horrific and graphic accounts of abuse and trauma, death and horror, sadness and heartbreak. Our work is challenging, emotive, heart wrenching and mentally exhausting. However it is also rewarding, uplifting, inspiring and positive. We work with children within schools, we work with adults in their own homes, we work in agencies and charities all over the country.

But we also work in shopping centers, care homes, offices and other businesses where we have a different set of skills and these are the ones that provide us with an income. Is it acceptable that the government is allowing counsellors to be exploited in this way? Is it ethical for universities to offer degrees with very little chance of employment at the end? Is it acceptable that we are NOT recognizing our counsellors as professionals who deserve a wage in their own right? Please, please sign this petition if you would like to see more regulation within the industry and say no to the exploitation of Graduate Counsellors in the UK. We need access to NHS funding to enable more counsellors to be employed in local communities, where we provide such a valuable service. Please support us, sign the petition and help us get this debated in Parliament. Thank you.