Program Overview

Certificate Counselling Skills

The Certificate in Counselling Skills is a level 4 programme, equivalent to 60 credits of a first-year undergraduate degree. This course is designed for people who work in a setting that involves offering help, support, or guidance to others.

About

This course is an excellent first step to become a practising counsellor and is useful as a standalone course applicable to a range of roles. There are no pre-requisite formal qualifications, but applicants must be working in a paid or voluntary setting where counselling skills can be used. The course introduces counselling skills through student-centred and experiential learning techniques, covering various counselling-related subjects, such as different models of counselling, client-counsellor contracts, and the safe and ethical use of counselling skills.

Entry Requirements

Applicants should have a minimum of one year of experience working or volunteering in a suitable helping/support role and must be working in a paid or voluntary setting where basic counselling skills can be used at the time of application. It is essential that applicants are currently in a suitable role, working with individuals (or groups) who are over 16 years of age. A short introductory counselling taster course and personal experience of counselling or therapy are also advantageous.

Careers / Further Study

This qualification is invaluable for developing counselling skills and enhancing career prospects in existing employment in education, the NHS, voluntary agencies, social services, government schemes, or the private sector. It can also help those wishing to become professional counsellors to progress onto further study, such as the MA Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Structure

The course comprises several elements to help develop counselling skills, along with a firm background knowledge and understanding of its approaches, theories, and disciplines. These elements include:

• Peer support: pairing up with a fellow student for weekly peer support to develop self-awareness and listening skills.
• Introduction to counselling: training in basic listening skills, giving and receiving feedback, and the use of different types of questions.
• Person-centered, Psychodynamic, and Gestalt approaches to counselling: covering the person-centered approach and either Psychodynamic or Gestalt counselling skills.
• Group work: sessions focusing on the theory of group work and the processes of the group.
• Practical work: developing counselling skills with feedback from tutors and assessing and self-assessing skills.
• Reading: a reading list suggesting key texts and other reading set by course tutors.

Learning and Teaching

The course encourages active involvement in learning through group work, practising counselling skills, completing written assignments, video work, and discussions. Some teaching and learning are personal, using personal material in skills practice sessions instead of role-play.

Study Time

The course is one year part-time, held in the evenings, consisting of 24 three-hour sessions, one a week, and two one-day workshops. The total contact time amounts to 108 hours, and applicants should also set aside time for private study, recommended at around 8 hours per week.

Prices and Dates

The home/EU part-time award fee is ｣2,250. A Certificate in Counselling Skills Scholarship is available, covering 50% of the tuition fees, for home (UK) students with an offer of an unconditional place on the course, belonging to under-represented groups such as Global Majority students, students from low-income households, or students with disabilities.

Features

Applicants will have access to a range of on-campus and online facilities to support learning, including the University library, which is open 24 hours a day. The Department of Health and Social Sciences has an excellent reputation for the quality of its teaching and facilities.