Counselling

Syllabus

1. Setting up as a counsellor
How to get started
What skills should you develop?
We also help to assess your strengths and weaknesses
2. Stress, depression and suicide
Stress
Getting the right level of stress
Identifying stress
Conquering stress
Getting in control
Other ways a client can conquer stress
Depression
Symptoms of depression
Treating the depressed client
Self image
Endogenous depression
Anti-depressants
Panic attacks
Getting more sleep
Techniques for getting sleep
Suicide
3. Interviewing skills
Responding to a prospect's enquiry
The initial session
Ending the initial session
The client who wants to start straightaway
The counselling process
A note about medical conditions
Your goal
Don't offer solutions
When the client asks for advice
Helping the client reach a conclusion
Psychosomatic illness
Many problems don't have a solution
When counselling fails
Listening skills
Become an expert listener
The value of silence
Questions
The 'Presenting Problem' Challenging the client
'Treat me like I'm a six year old'
Understand yourself
The right attributes
4. Life and love, sexuality and partnerships
Understanding the client's goals
Self assertiveness
Role play
Marriage guidance and divorce
Attitudes towards the relationship
Adultery
Loss of libido (sex drive)
Problems in the relationship
Infertility
Sexual difficulty
Discussing money matters
5. Counselling young people
Children's problems
Children who bully or are bullied
Disruptive or attention-seeking children
Phobias
Eating problems
Separated parents
Child abuse
Dealing with physical child abuse
The adult abuse victim
Adoption
Getting work from schools
Your first meeting with the young person
Shoplifting
Discussion Weekends
Family Therapy
Issues in family therapy
6. Substance abuse: alcohol and drugs
The counsellor's attitude towards drugs
Smoking
Smoking and the counsellor
Drinking
Tranquillisers
Solvent abuse
Illegal drugs
Cocaine
Heroin
LSD
Amphetamines
Ecstasy
Cannabis
Gambling
Children's gambling
Food
Dealing with the addict
In an emergency
7. The elderly. Death and bereavement counselling
Reminiscence therapy
Getting reminiscence therapy work
Counselling the dying
Talking about pain
Talking about death
Counselling the bereaved
Responding to emotion
Physical comforting
What you must not do
The practical aspects of death
About other organisations
Getting paid
Post-traumatic stress syndrome
8. Counselling at work
Getting into a company
Watching for signs of stress
Get it down on paper
Vulnerable people
Helping people become more successful at work
Becoming independent
Improving the relationship with the boss
Time management
Body language
Eight ways to make the right impression
Four ways to use body language
Getting success away from work
A one day course on workplace counselling
Structure for a workplace course on counselling
A stress management course
9. How to find clients
The types of clients
How will you position yourself?
Types of counselling
Source of work
Getting clients from advertising, publicity and networking
The media
Writing an ad
PR
Mailshot
A leaflet
Getting referrals from an organisation
Client referrals
How to find companies and professional organisations
Local companies
Response rates
Talking about counselling
Competition
Responding to a client's question about competitors
Product-based solutions
10. The advanced counsellor
How much should you charge?
Putting up your charges
Premiums
Discounts
Payment
Terminating the sessions
The counselling business
Keeping clients and the bank manager happy
Client files
Handling clients you don't like
Your business name
Keeping books
Tax
Liaising with other professionals
Using Transactional Analysis
11. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?
Basic concepts of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
What is the goal of therapy?
What are the common signs of faulty thinking?
Applying CBT in the client/therapist setting
Client follow-up