Counselling Level 4 Advanced Certificate

There are two compulsory modules and two elective modules from a choice of nine. Please click on the links to see a detailed breakdown of what you will learn in each module:

The following modules are compulsory.

1 Counselling Techniques BPS206

Develop your repertoire of counselling techniques. Which theories have had a lasting affect on modern counselling and psychotherapy? Which techniques are best suited to different situations? Learn about the major theoretical approaches to counselling and their application. This course does not recommend one technique over another - it makes the student aware of different therapies that can be used to help clients. This is an indispensible part of training or professional development for counsellors. More....

2 Life Coaching BPS305

Learn how to encourage others to achieve maximal well-being. This course will enable people in health, fitness, counselling, social work, etc to help others set and achieve life goals. Develop an appreciation of how different perceptions of the world can be just as critical as knowledge, skill and opportunity in a person's success or failure. Also covers coaching processes, coaching skills and goal setting; and is equally relevant to developing both physical and psychological well-being in the client. More....

Then choose two from the nine modules below:

1 Caring for Elderly People BPS212

Learn how to care for elderly people and improve your counselling skills. The course material covers international standards of care. Understand how to counsel the elderly and those suffering from dementia and other diseases. Learn what happens to a person's state of mind as they age. Discover ways in which a counselor, carer or anyone else might interact with and support an older person and expand your knowledge and skills for professional development; or to better help those around you. More....

2 Bereavement and Grief Counselling BPS209

Learn to help and understand people suffering with grief. For those suffering the challenges of grief can be a very difficult and challenging time.
Observing someone suffering from grief and being unable to help them can be equally distressing. More....

3 Conflict Management BPS201

Learn strategies to manage conflict effectively. Age conflict can destroy relationships and lead to increased stress, or it can improve our relationships and give us a greater sense of control over ourselves and our environments. Explore the causes and effects of conflict. Learn how to manage it through effective communication, active listening, and problem solving. Develop your ability to use facilitation, negotiation or mediation in group situations to achieve win-win solutions. More....

4 Counselling Skills I BPS109

Gain basic counselling skills. Develop your ability to support or counsel others through the processes of personal growth and change. This course introduces you to the kinds of problems and issues that a person might face in overcoming stresses and limiting attitudes. Learn about the counsellor's role and the counselling process, and gain basic practical counselling skills. Recommended for parents, teachers and others who want to communicate in a more supportive, empathetic manner. More....

5 Counselling Skills II BPS110

Enhance your existing counselling skills. Discover how to use counselling micro-skills including methods of telephone counselling and techniques for dealing with specific crisis situations - to improve your counselling. This course is ideal for those who have already gained the basic counselling skills in Counselling Skills I, and want to further develop their ability to counsel others. More....

6 Crisis Counselling BPS304

Learn to effectively counsel clients in times of crisis. This course will help you to develop your ability to effectively counsel and assist clients in times of crisis. This course provides those already in the counselling or helping industries with knowledge and skills to give specialised counselling, and will contribute to comprehensive counselling training for those wishing to work in this field. More....

7 Family Counselling BPS213

Develop a better understanding of family Dynamics. Learn to understand family problems better and analyze and facilitate solutions to problems that emerge in modern families. More....

8 Relationships & Communication Counselling BPS208

Understand communication problems in relationships. In this course, you will learn about the role communication plays in creating, maintaining or destroying relationships, and develop your ability to assist others to improve their communication in relationships. More....

9 Stress Management VPS100

Learn to manage stress successfully! Anxiety, tension, and mental and emotional strain are all common problems in modern society. This course introduces you to some practical approaches to understanding how it affects the body, dealing with the symptoms, and giving you tools to combat stress.More....

Your learning experience with ADL will not only depend on the quality of the course, but also the quality of the person teaching it. This course is taught by Iona Lister and your course fee includes unlimited tutorial support throughout. Here are Iona's credentials:

Iona Lister
Licentiate, Speech and Language Therapy, UK, Diploma in Advanced Counselling Skills.

Iona has been a clinician and manager of health services for fifteen years, and a trainer for UK-based medical charities, focusing on psychosocial issues, mental health disorders, and also the promotion of communication skills for people in helping roles. She tutors and facilitates groups via workshops and teleconferences, and now specialises in Sight Loss. As a freelance writer, she contributes regular feature articles for magazines, has written five published books, as well as published courses relating to personal development and counselling skills.

Iona has also written published books, courses and articles across a wide range of subjects, mostly in the areas of health, counselling, psychology, crafts and wildlife.

She has drawn experience from clinical and managerial experience within the NHS as well as medical and humanitarian subjects. She has been a regular feature writer and expert panel member of a national magazine for six years.

Books include: A Guide to Living with Alzheimer's Disease (and associated dementias), The Psychology of Facial Disfigurement; a Guide for Health and Social Care Professionals, When a Medical Skin Condition Affects the Way you Look; A Guide to Managing Your Future, Facing Disfigurement with Confidence, Cross Stitch: A Guide to Creativity and Success for Beginners.
Courses written include: Mental Health and Social Work, Counselling Skills, Understanding and Responding to Substance Misuse, Journalling for Personal Development, Guided Imagery, Stress Management.

Current work includes: Tutor: Courses associated with Creative Writing, Counselling Skills, Psychology, Holistic Therapy, Certified Hypnotherapist and Hypnotension Practitioner.

Facilitator of Teleconference Groups: Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

Trainer (Skills for Seeing): Macular Society

Reviewer of Books/Information: Macmillan Cancer Support

Fundraiser: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Embroidery/Art Groups Facilitator, Board Member

Website Manager: The Strathcarron Project, Coordinator (Delaware & Tennessee) Human Writes.