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Diploma in Counselling

This course is accredited by the National Counselling Society who holds a PSA (government) voluntary approved register  for counsellors and psychotherapists. This course is for those wanting to gain and Diploma in Counselling to work with a range of client presentations.

This course is designed to facilitate students in becoming professional, ethical and competent counsellors with sound theoretical knowledge and high level of skill and good personal awareness. The course includes taught elements, discussion, case presentation, experiential exercises, skills practice, feedback and coaching. On Saturdays we cover theory and Sundays are used to practice and develop skills for applying the theory.

In the first year the tutors will assess student’s level of skill and students will receive a letter of endorsement when two tutors agree they are at a level of competence to begin a voluntary placement seeing clients. Students are required to secure their own placement and we have a placement officer and placement directory to support link centre students in this process.

Pre Course Requirements: Attendance of TA101, Successful completion of Foundation Certificate in TA Theory, 40 hours personal therapy, minimum of 30 hours counselling skills training (strongly recommended ), tutor endorsement to continue training.

Sample Content: Clinical Year 1

• Week 1. Developing the therapeutic relationship
• Week 2. Contracting, diagnosis and treatment planning
• Week 3. How our past experience affects us now
• Week 4. Treatment planning for effective work
• Week 5. Unconscious relational patterns
• Week 6. Professional practice, ethics and research
• Week 7. Stuck-ness and making new decisions
• Week 8. Techniques for working with clients
• Week 9. Understanding relationships and providing a reparative experience
• Week10. Blind spots and the impact of culture

Sample Content: Clinical Year 2 – specialist applications year

• Week 1. Working with Personality Disorders
• Week 2. Understanding Research and Assessing Practice
• Week 3. Working with Phobias, Anxiety and Panic attacks
• Week 4. Working with Addictions
• Week 5. Working with Groups
• Week 6. Working with Grief, Depression and Medication
• Week 7. Working with Couples
• Week 8. Working with Sexual Issues
• Week 9. Working with Trauma
• Week 10. Working in Private Practice

Course Dates (Clinical Year 1 and Clinical Year 2 – Academic Year 2017/2018)

• September 30 / October 1
• November 4/5
• December 2/3
• January 6/7 (2018)
• February 3/4 (2018)
• March 3/4 (2018)
• April 14/15 (2018)
• May 26/27 (2018)
• June 9/10 (2018)
• July 14/15 (2018)

Assessment: Assessment is ongoing on the course and involves theory knowledge, self-awareness, and willingness to hear feedback, skills competency, and formal assessments as below

• Clinical year 1 – Learning journal, short questionnaires after each weekend, one 2000-word essays, one skills assessment
• Clinical year 2 – Learning journal, two written pieces of 2000 words

Counselling Skills: To be eligible to take our Diploma in Counselling exam students must also have completed 90 hours of counselling skills training  this can be with us or elsewhere or combination of both.

Personal Therapy: Personal therapy (min 40 sessions P/A) is a requirement for this course

Exam Criteria: On successful completion of the Foundation Year, plus two Clinical Years, a minimum of 200 supervised practice hours, and 90 hours counselling skills training and personal therapy hours, students are eligible to take our Counselling Diploma Exam. This exam consists of a written exam and an oral exam presentation of their work.

Qualifications: Diploma in Counselling (NCS Accredited)

This qualification is accredited by the NCS (National Counselling Society) who hold a PSA (government) voluntary approved register.

APL (Accreditation of Prior Learning) : For those who have completed training elsewhere it may be possible to APL you on to this course.

Available Dates

Please contact us to make a date enquiry

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