Certificate in Counselling Theory

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:

(a) to promote the training and development of counselling skills, (b) to provide opportunities for continuing professional development, (c) to produce and distribute counselling skills training resources and (d) to provide a counselling service for individuals needing counselling.

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.

Certificate in Counselling Theory

This Certificate course will appeal both to practising counsellors, and also to those who are presently studying counselling and have an interest in the development of modern counselling theories.

The course offers a solid theoretical grasp of the main schools of thought in psychotherapy and counselling, taking a look at their origins, and giving helpful insights into similarities and differences between them.

In particular, the course provides a broad base of understanding for the behavioural, cognitive, and person-centred counselling perspectives.

The course will:

1. Outline the main counselling theories2. Link theoretical approaches to modern practice3. Facilitate personal development through completing a journal4. Provide tutor assessment and feedback through 5 written assignments

Course Contents

• Historical Overview of Counselling Theory
• Psychodynamic Theory
• Behavioural Theory
• Person Centred Theory
• Cognitive Behavioural Theory
• Theories of Childhood Development
• Basic Concepts of Transactional Analysis
• Theories of Loss and Grief
• Group Theory
• Jungian Theory

Supplied with an additional textbook.

Students are required to successfully complete 5 Tutor marked assignments and a Personal Reflective Journal.