Diploma in Youth Counselling

The Institute of Counselling was founded in 1985 as a Christian based, not for profit independent educational body. It is committed to promoting pastoral care throughout the services it provides.

The Aims of the Institute of Counselling are:

The Institute provides a wide range of counselling and related courses. Students enrol with assurance and confidence on our quality courses, which are fully backed by the experience and resources of the Institute of Counselling.

In its early years the Institute offered only courses in Clinical and Pastoral Counselling, within a pastoral context. Since 1985, over 18,000 students from the UK and overseas have enrolled on these courses.

In recent years, has also produced a selection of further courses which follow the clinical person-centred approach developed by Carl Rogers and others.

The Institute is committed to providing counselling skills training to all who will benefit from the courses. On this basis a non-discriminatory policy is operated with regard to students' background, culture, ethnic origin, gender, age or creed.

Diploma in Youth Counselling

One of the fastest growth areas in counselling in the UK is youth counselling. Our Diploma in Youth Counselling course is designed to help you to counsel young people of various ages. This course will give you a unique in-depth skilled approach to counselling young persons.

This course consists of two modules:
1. Certificate in Counselling (see course 121)
2. Youth Counselling

After each module you are awarded a Certificate and on successful completion of the course you are awarded the Diploma in Youth Counselling. The Diploma in Youth Counselling is professionally recognised by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (CPS).

Counselling a teenager can be a challenge. Where the youth is deeply troubled, or struggling with important issues, this can be even more demanding. The wrong approach can quickly backfire and cause the young client to walk away from the counselling relationship. The long-term effects can be devastating for both the youth and their family. It is therefore important to be informed and trained to support the client well.

This unique counselling course will take you step by step through the knowledge, skills and attitudes counsellors use to effectively counsel young people. We will help you to understand how ‘things look’ through the young person’s eyes. These insights will help you to build a bridge so the young client can take a risk, be open and share their concerns with you – a counsellor and ‘authority figure’.

Module 1 – Certificate in Counselling
This part of the course will provide you with a comprehensive and practical understanding of counselling knowledge and skills. Using Gerard Egan’s renowned three stage model outlined in ‘The Skilled Helper’, the syllabus takes a problem management and opportunity development approach to helping.

Module 2 – Youth Counselling
Throughout the course you will systematically explore the following topics and issues:
• Educational & Vocational Issues
• Emotional Issues
• Relational Issues
• Family Issues
• Counselling Abused Young People
• Sexual Issues
• Theories and Research on Human Growth and Development

Key Course Subject Insights:
• Adolescents are less self-aware and less objective in their view of themselves, their situation, other people and the world in general. They tend to be more self-absorbed and egotistical in their approach to life and relationships.
• In terms of brain development, the young person’s brain is still maturing. As a result, the young person’s thinking is less well informed, and less logical, than his adult counterpart’s will be.
• Related to this, the younger client is often less articulate – and less able to express his/her thoughts and feelings well.
• The motivations that drive the young person will be different from those of an adult. For example, the affirmation of their peers is the force that drives most teenagers. This may be true for adults too, but to a lesser degree.
• Feelings are strong, hard to understand, contain and manage in the youth.
• Hormones affect their feelings too, and hence their thinking and their behaviour.

The Diploma in Youth Counselling course is ideal for people who work with youth in schools, colleges, universities, youth clubs, social work, hospitals, family centres, holiday camps, church youth groups, youth organisations, private practice, sports centres, recreational camps, etc.

This course consists of 2 modules: 20 lessons, 2 textbooks, 3 CD-ROMs. There are 10 tutor marked assignments.