Counselling: an introduction

- Reflect on what you have learnt about yourself and how you relate to others
- Define counselling
- Identify the core qualities of a counsellor
- Use listening and a range of other counselling skills
- Begin and end a helping dialogue
- Describe the core conditions of the person-centred approach
- Identify the importance of cultural differences in the helping relationship
- Identify future learning goals
- Describe some ethical issues in counselling.

You will be given some handouts but you will need to bring your own pen and notebook. Prior to the course, you may wish to read Sanders, P (2002) First Steps in Counselling, Ross-on-Wye; PCCS Books. During the course, material will be drawn from the following texts: Mearns, D & Thorne, B (2007) Person-Centred Counselling in Action, 3rd Edition, London: Sage; Rogers, C (1980) A Way of Being, Houghton Mifflin.

The emphasis is on learning through experience. There will be exercises in pairs and in threes, small groups and the large group (max 18 students). There will also be tutor input and handouts provided. You'll be asked to keep a journal as a way of reflecting on yourself and your learning throughout the course. Towards the end of the course, you will be asked to produce a short piece of writing which summarises your learning.