Certificate in Counselling Skills

A one-year, part-time course (foundation or stand-alone)

Aims of the course

To learn the basic counselling skills of actively listening, paraphrasing, mirroring, reflecting back, listening and responding in order to facilitate client's own problem solving and development.
To undertake self-exploration and development in order to foster attitudes that will facilitate the aims of the course.
To learn some basic counselling skills theory in order to provide a framework for the choice of actions and to learn some basic developmental theory based on psychodynamic ideas.
To learn the importance of boundary setting in using counselling skills.
To develop an understanding of the difference between using counselling skills and other helping activities.
To recognise the impact of how belonging to a different social group or family group affects individual development.
To be aware of working and living in a multicultural society where issues of differences are acknowledged and worked with.
To understand ethical issues and to work within the BACP Ethical Framework

Course outline

The theoretical components of the course will be presented as lecture, video, discussion papers and reading material. The experiential elements, 'learning by doing', will include exercises, role-plays, working in pairs, threesomes and working on/by yourself.

Topics covered

Your seminar leader will provide you with a reading list and a term by term programme which you may be asked to contribute towards shaping.

Term One

Basic counselling skills of active listening, responding, empathy etc which will be explored and practised until students are able to use such skills without having to be consciously aware of their efforts
The nature of counselling and how it differs from other forms of work 'Helping' and how it can be unhelpful and why students are interested in counselling others
Ourselves, our values and our prejudices which may influence how we respond to others
Clients and what they may bring to the counselling relationship and how they may resist and challenge
Cultural or other differences between ourselves and our clients and how a counsellor recognises and respects these differences

Term Two

Human growth and development beginning with life in the womb early infancy and issues of trust and dependency - the work of D.W.Winnicott
The toddler with issues of control and authority
Early childhood with issues of sexuality and rivalry
Attachment, separation and loss - the work of John Bowlby
Middle childhood and the school years
Adolescence-a time of transition
Adulthood-parenting and the world of work
Mid-life, looking forward or looking back?
Old age-issues of aging
Death and dying-bereavement and stages of grief

Term Three

Clients and the groups they belong to, such as the family, and the influences of group on the individual - group theory
Beginnings - the first session, setting a contract, money issues
The middle phase of counselling - resistance and defences
Working with the counselling relationship and how it is 'dynamic' and changes
The importance of breaks and endings and how counsellors work with this The importance of supervision and how it works
Evaluation and ending of the course

Seminars

Seminars take place in the first part of the evening for an hour and a half. Students will be expected to take part in experiential exercises and to take turns to present a pracis of a set piece of reading for a particular discussion.

Experiential group

The second part of the evening students meet with the experiential group conductor for an hour and a half.

The purpose of the group is to explore what is of concern to individual members and the group as a whole in the here and now. It is part of the group's task to identify these concerns and discover how to work with them with the help of the group conductor.

This work provides a source of learning about oneself and about group dynamics. The work of the group and the material revealed by individuals is strictly confidential to the group.

The experiential group leader may give an opinion about a student to the Course Tutor/ Training Coordinator if it is felt that it would be helpful to do so but will not reveal personal material.

As with seminars, regular attendance is very important and a requirement of the course.

Students are asked to send a message to the group via the experiential group conductor if they are unavoidably absent.

Fees

£1,200 per year* – this includes the cost of supervision. It can be paid in three installments. In addition to this you will need to fund your personal therapy.

How to Apply

Certificate in Counselling Skills Application Form [PDF 60KB]

Return your completed application form to:

Enfield Counselling Service (ECS)
St Paul's Centre
102a Church Street
Enfield
Middlesex.
EN2 6AR
Email: ecs@onetel.com

Please note the following, additional fees:

Application fee: £15
Selection interview: £40

*Fees are subject to annual review.

Important information about our terms of payment

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