Certificate in Counselling

Year One: The Certificate in Counselling

The Certificate course runs over one academic year and students are required to complete two 30 credit modules (60 credits at level 6). Both modules must be passed for the Certificate in Counselling to be awarded. Progression onto Year Two of the Professional Counselling Training Route is dependent upon the successful completion of all Year One modules and is also subject to tutor recommendation.

The modules for the Certificate are:

• Core Counselling Competencies (30 credits)
• Personal Development and Professional Issues (30 credits)

Throughout the Certificate course students have tutor led training in counselling skills and will be engaged in counselling skills practice with peers. A counselling placement is not required for Year One of this training and students are not permitted to go out into placement until Year Two, subject to tutor assessment of the student’s counselling skills and competencies.

Year Two: The Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling

The course runs over one academic year. All students are required to take four 30-credit taught modules (120 credits at Level 7), and all modules must be passed for the Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling to be awarded. The taught modules are:

• Exploration in counselling (30 credits)
• Understanding in counselling (30 credits)
• Integration in counselling (30 credits)
• Practicum (30 credits)

In addition, all students have tutor led training in the practical skills of counselling, as well as access to DVD recording equipment for counselling practice with peers and for the production of case material for critical skills analysis.

Students must complete a minimum of 100 hours of supervised counselling practice and have a minimum of 8 hours of personal therapy in Year 1 and 20 hours of personal therapy in Year 2 (Subject to approval by Senate). Students may have to pay for their own counselling supervision and personal therapy and are required to arrange these for themselves. However, our Placement Officer will be happy to help and advise students with this. Some students find it difficult to complete their 100 hours of counselling within the academic year but are entitled to continue with this requirement until the September after the taught element of the programme is completed. The award is withheld until this requirement is met.
The programme begins with compulsory attendance at a residential weekend and a two week full-time induction. Attendance at the annual counselling conference is also compulsory.
Attendance requirement for the Part-Time, Professional Counselling Training Route is 90%.

Year Three: MSc Counselling Psychology

Students who successfully complete the Professional Counselling Training Route may proceed to the Masters year which comprises of two modules.

The Research Methods Module (15 credits) helps students through presentations and seminars to establish their research interests and create an appropriate design for their study. It is assessed on the basis of a 3,000 word essay in which the student must demonstrate knowledge of research principles, theories and methods. The Dissertation module (60 credits) requires the writing of a dissertation of not less than 15,000 words and no more than 20,000 words on a topic related to counselling psychology which is of interest to the student.
Further information about the programme commencing September 2016 can be found by reading the Programme Specification‌