Authentic Counselling Training

Certificate in Counselling

Course Information: September 2005 to July 2006

[Under construction: 21 April 2005]

This document in all parts is copyright © Peter Hughes from the date of construction given above. Please feel free to make use of it for solely personal purposes. However, should you wish to use it for teaching, training, commercial or other purposes, you are required first to obtain my permission.

Certificate in Counselling: introduction

The Certificate in Counselling course gives participants a thorough basic grounding in counselling. Course participants are recruited from a diverse range of backgrounds. The course is aimed at several categories of people:

·      People who wish to train to work as a counsellor (for which purpose the Diploma in Counselling course follows the Certificate in Counselling course);

·      People who wish to enhance their ability to work with service users, such as nurses, doctors, social workers, teachers, teaching assistants, clergy, police officers and probation officers;

·      People who wish to enhance their ability to interact with other people by improving their communication skills and by getting to know themselves more fully.

In keeping with the humanistic philosophy of the course, each participant is seen as a valuable resource, bringing with them unique personal and work experiences that contribute to the shared learning of the group.

Within this supportive, challenging and stimulating environment, the three integral strands of the course - knowledge, practice and self-awareness - can develop for each person and for the group as a whole. The course orientation is person-centred, and based within the approach of Carl Rogers and a selection of other person-centred practitioners / writers. Emphasis is also given to the micro-skills of counselling, and to the use of imagery as a tool for personal development. Other counselling models are addressed briefly to offer both perspective and broader practice. Course participants who complete the course successfully will be eligible to apply for the Diploma in Counselling.

Certificate in Counselling: tutor team

Certificate in Counselling: counselling practice development

Developing competence and effectiveness in a person-centred counselling approach requires that the course focuses on the communication of attitudes and values associated with the core conditions of Carl Rogers. Utilising the attention to micro-skills identified by Gerard Egan, the teaching of counselling include:

·        Skills used in communicating the core conditions of respect, empathy and genuineness.

·        Rapport building skills, and skills that support the building of rapport.

·        Challenging skills, such as immediacy, confrontation and accurate advanced empathy.

·        Skills necessary outside the counselling interview, e.g. contracting, report writing, etc.

·        Giving personal feedback

At least one third of class contact time will be devoted to counselling practice development. The rationale for this is that live counselling practice interviews (with other course participants) most closely, though safely, replicate the counsellor/client interview. In addition, there is an expectation that course participants will find opportunities outside class to practise aspects of their counselling development, but not formally to be counselling.

The counselling practice development of each course participant will be assessed on the basis of a number of recorded counselling practice interviews and their associated analytical commentaries. In professional life, counsellors are required to process and analyse their own work (through counselling supervision) for client safety and to ensure the best working practices. The assessment methods used on this course correspond to professional accreditation requirements and to the professional practice of clinical supervision and case discussion.

Certificate in Counselling: counselling knowledge/understanding

This module closely matches professional accreditation requirements, and encourages a research approach to learning. The kind of material covered is likely to include:

·      Person-centred counselling (Rogers, Thorne, Mearns, Merry).

·      Verbal and non-verbal communication, micro-skills of counselling.

·      Ethical issues in counselling (e.g. confidentiality, contracting, record-keeping).

·      Exploring other counselling approaches: gestalt; cognitive therapy, use of imagery.

·      Thematic issues in counselling, e.g. bereavement, anger; sub-personalities.

·      Anti-discriminatory practice / awareness of culture, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

About one third of class contact time will be concerned with knowledge / understanding, and the material will be delivered in a variety of ways, and is usually interactive with course participants. This more theoretical material will be assessed on the basis of two written assignments.

Certificate in Counselling: personal development / self understanding

Self-reflection encourages safe and ethical counselling practice. This material is relevant to the professional practice of counselling supervision, and closely matches professional accreditation requirements.

Themes explored include:

·      Exploring and deepening one's sense of self and self in relationship

·      Personal processing of events on the course

·      Learning about group process

This aspect of the course will be assessed on the basis of a written assignment, to be submitted before the end of the course, comprising an analytical review, incorporating theory, of the course participant’s own personal development during the programme.

Certificate in Counselling: course schedule

The Certificate in Counselling course runs over two terms, approximately following school terms. The class will meet on Monday evenings (17:15-21:45), starting in September 2005, and running until July 2005. Dates of all meetings during 2005/2006 will be available prior to the start of the course. Course participants are asked to avoid taking vacations that coincide with course dates. Class meetings are held at the Castlegate Centre, Melbourne Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

As well as attending and participating in the course, course participants are required to spend at least as much time again in study outside class contact time. Course participants also need to allocate time for recording of observed practice with other course participants at times outside class counselling practice sessions. Applicants should give thought to how they will find the time to undertake the necessary work.

Certificate in Counselling: course fee and other costs

The course fee for the year 2005/2006 is £800.00.

Course participants paying for themselves are required to pay the course fee in termly instalments in advance of the start of each term. Any course participant who is paying the course fee themselves is encouraged to seek out grant funding from grant making trusts.

Recognising the professional development offered by the course, some course participants ask their employer to pay the course fee. An employer can be invoiced directly for the full course fee which must be received in advance of the start of the course.

Other financial costs to consider:

·      text books (these can be bought second-hand, including from e-bay and from Barter Books in Alnwick)

·      fees for personal counselling (discretionary: personal counselling is not a course requirement)

·      travel expenses

·      car parking charges (Manors car park 17:00-22:00: £1.00 [made up of: 17:00-18:00: 50p; 18:00-22:00: 50p)

Certificate in Counselling: what to do next

If you have no experience of counselling training, then you are encouraged to consider attending an Introduction to Counselling course. This is not a formal pre-requisite, but will increase your chances of being offered a place on the Certificate in Counselling course.

Entry to the course is by application form and interview. If you do not have a copy of the Certificate in Counselling application form, then you may request one from: Peter Hughes, Authentic Counselling Training, Path End House, 15 Meldon Way, High Shincliffe, Durham DH1 2PZ

Having completed and submitted a Certificate in Counselling application form, you will receive a letter either proposing an interview date or else explaining why you are not being invited for interview. A decision about whether to offer you a place on the course will be made subsequent to the interview.

  p.g.h@btinternet.com 

This document in all parts is copyright © Peter Hughes from the date of construction given above. Please feel free to make use of it for solely personal purposes. However, should you wish to use it for teaching, training, commercial or other purposes, you are required first to obtain my permission.