Counselling courses (A guide)

In this brief article, we will be discussing counselling courses, the contents covered in counselling courses, the benefits of counselling courses, and more information about counselling courses.

The process of counselling courses

Most psychological organisations are suggesting that a three-step process to learn about counselling.

Some organisations or centers will need the counsellor to have other requirements and personal therapy in some.

Some centers, like The Counselling Foundation also provides with a few counselling courses

Step 1 (Introduction to counselling)

This introductory course can help you know if counselling is the appropriate job for you.

This will help you gain basic counselling skills and give you an overview of what the training involves before you commit fully. 

These kinds of courses can be administered in local Further Education colleges or local colleges which can take the student to learn for 8 to 12 weeks.


Step 2 (Certificate in counselling skills for the completion of the course)

This part of the counselling course will start with the deeper understanding of what entails this career.

You can go further in this kind of college course even if you don’t plan to become a counsellor since you are already in another helping job.

This part of this course is offered in colleges and it can last for a year.


Step 3 (Core practitioner training for the student)


The core practitioner training that you will be applying for should be something akin to what most students in the bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctorate degree have done.

This can help you get some perspective of what it means to be a counsellor.

In this case, this stage in this course should include the following:

  • knowledge-based learning – for instance, psychological theories and their application to the counselling practice, philosophy, human development, typical psychotropic medications, ethics and the law, functioning of groups and supervision as topics of this part of the course
  • therapeutic competencies – for instance, monitoring and evaluation, relationship building, communications, strategies and interventions, self-awareness, reflective practice and use of supervision as needed by a counsellor
  • research awareness – for instance, critical awareness of research findings, methodology and application as needed by the counsellor


This part of the course should be last for a year to make sure that you have enough experience in this practice.

This could also include having 100 hours of supervision placement counselling a client.

Different kinds of counselling courses

Institutes like The Wright Institute provides with counselling degrees to people who take up it’s counseling courses.

The following are the different kinds of counselling courses that are available online:

Diploma of Counselling and Psychology (Online counselling course)

This counselling course can bring you to opportunities for meeting new people that could lead you to deal with difficult people.

You can use your learnings in this course to help the people you love when they are in trouble.

Course Outline:

  • Module 1 (Introducing Counselling Skills) as a module
  • Module 2 (Personal Development) as a module
  • Module 3 (Taking Care of Yourself) as a module
  • Module 4 (Maintaining Good Practice) as a module
  • Module 5 (Being a Listening Helper) as a module
  • Module 6 (Qualities, Skills, and Knowledge for Listening) as a module
  • Module 7 (Recognising Your Own Barriers to Listening) as a module
  • Module 8 (Establishing a Helping Relationship) as a module
  • Module 9 (Counselling Practise 1: Beginning the Discussion) as a module
  • Module 10 (Counselling Practise 2: Deepening Understanding) as a module
  • Module 11 (Counselling Practise 3: Working with Action and Endings) as a module
  • Module 12 (Being Prepared for Common Personal Problems) as a module
  • Module 13 (Understanding People from a Social Perspective) as a module
  • Module 14 (Understanding Individuals from a Psychological Perspective) as a module
  • Module 15 (Dealing with Different Forms of Helping Conversations) as a module
  • Module 16 (Coping with Difficulties) as a module
  • Module 17 (Key Counselling Skills) as a module

Career Prospects:

There has been a huge demand for counsellors recently.

This can be a great opportunity for you to work as a counsellor in the world today.

The graduates of this course have been successful in the following careers:

  •  Counsellors (family or grief or education or conflict whichever you prefer)
  •  Welfare and social workers as helping careers
  •  Educators
  •  Sports coaches
  •  Life coaches
  •  Personal trainers
  •  Rehabilitation and health care administrators as careers
  •  Mental health institute staff as careers
  • Sales and marketing associates as careers
  •  Industrial relations and management staff as careers



Study Mode

This course is available in a distance learning platform.

This can have a lot of advantages on your part such as being able to spend more time with your family while you are doing this course.

Advantages

• Free up valuable time, don’t waste time and money travelling to classes as observed
• Study at your own pace whenever and wherever you are to keep you comfortable
• Study a course that was designed in consultation with the organisation you want to work with
• Have access to a tutor who works in the industry you are training for thanks to this course
• Easy interest-free payment plans from as low as £25 per week as observed

How to get more information & register?

You can get an enquiry form on the website for this course.

Requirements

This course doesn’t need any requirements. Anyone in different backgrounds can take this course.

Counselling Skills

This course is taught by a specialist who knows counselling inside and out.

You can take this course if you are interested in knowing the challenges in counselling and stuff that could make you a good counsellor.

Are you new to online learning and online courses?

If you are new, you don’t need to be too concerned.

You can be trained to make sure that you have the necessary skills to help you learn using this platform and know what to do when you have to do assignments for this course.

Course Benefits

The following benefits are available in the academy that offers this course.

  • Courses or Training that best apply to Work Experience, Knowledge and Skills of a counsellor
  • Self-paced Training or Courses to continue working while studying counselling
  • Self-Paced Courses to get free from the deadlines that are inherent in these courses
  • Course materials that include Training Manual, Mock Quizzes and Case Studies that challenge you to practice your knowledge that can be in PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint format whatever you’re comfortable with.
  • Assessment resources accessible through the academy’s online learning platform 24/7 for your needs.
  • A professional one-to-one tutor to provide all-inclusive assistance throughout the course by online platforms for your convenience.

Course Outline:

This is a diploma course where you have to earn 100 points to get the accredited diploma.

Modules Outline

Module 1 (Life Coaching Essentials) for students

  • Identify the objective of life coaching in practice
  • Define the advantages of life coaching in practice
  • Know the tools and strategies for life coaching necessary for practice
  • Outline a life coaching session to practice
  • Know the various areas of life coaching in practice


Module 2 (Basics of Body Language) for students

  • Define body language in people
  • Comprehend the advantages and the objective of interpreting body language in people.
  • Learn to interpret basic body language movements in people.
  • Recognize typical mistakes when interpreting body language in people.
  • Comprehend your own body language and what you are communicating to people.
  • Practice your body language skills to help you interpret better.

Module 3 (Coaching and Mentoring) for students

  • Define coaching, mentoring and the GROW model for the understanding of the concept.
  • Determine and set appropriate objectives using the SMART strategy of goal setting.
  • Determine the steps appropriate in defining the current state or reality of your employee’s situation to help your employee.
  • Determine the steps needed in defining options for your employee and turn them into a preliminary plan to help them.
  • Determine the steps in building a finalised plan or wrapping it up and getting your employees motivated to achieve those plans that they have set up.
  • Determine the advantages of establishing and fostering trust with your employees.
  • Determine the steps in giving effective feedback while maintaining trust with your employees.
  • Determine and overcoming typical obstacles to the growth and development of your employees in the organisation.
  • Determine when the coaching is at an end and transitioning your employee to other growth opportunities as he or she needed.

Module 4 (Communication Strategies) for students

  • Comprehend what communication is
  • Determine ways that communication can occur in a situation
  • Determine barriers to communication and how to overcome them in one’s life
  • Build their non-verbal and par verbal communication skills for life
  • Use the STAR method to speak on the spot in a situation
  • Listen actively and effectively in communication situations
  • Ask good questions in communication situations
  • Use appreciative inquiry as a communication tool in communication situations
  • Adeptly converse and network with others in communication situations


Module 5 (Developing Lunch and Learn) for students

  • Comprehend what lunch and learn is and is not for students
  • Be able to set up and break down in situations
  • Create new content for projects
  • Address complicated situations and people in different ways
  • Create useful takeaways in situations
  • Use feedback to enhance future lunch and learns in situations

Module 6 (Emotional Intelligence) for students

  • Define and practise self-management, self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, and empathy in the practice.
  • Comprehend, use and manage your emotions in counselling situations.
  • Verbally communicate with others when you are troubled.
  • Successfully communicate with others in a non-verbal manner in communication situations.
  • Determine the advantages of emotional intelligence.
  • Relate emotional intelligence to the workplace as needed.
  • Balance optimism and pessimism in situations.
  • Effectively impact others in a good way.

Module 7 (Facilitation Skills) for students

  • Define facilitation and determine its objective and advantages.
  • Clarify the role and focus of a facilitator in situations.
  • Distinguish between process and content in the context of a group discussion with people.
  • Offer tips in choosing and preparing for facilitation in a situation.
  • Determine a facilitator’s role when managing groups in each of Tuckman and Jensen’s stages of group development: forming, storming, norming, and performing in group situations
  • Determine ways a facilitator can help a group reach a consensus such as from encouraging participation to choosing a solution in group situations.
  • Offer guidelines in dealing with disruptions, dysfunctions, and difficult people in groups to alleviate conflict.
  • Define what interventions are, when they are appropriate, and how to implement them in group situations.

Module 8 (Interpersonal Skills) for students

  • Comprehend the difference between hearing and listening in communication
  • Know some ways to enhance the verbal skills of asking questions and communicating with power in group situations.
  • Comprehend what non-verbal communication is and how it can improve interpersonal relationships in your life.
  • Determine the skills needed in starting a conversation, moving a conversation along, and progressing to higher levels of conversation in communication situations.
  • Determine ways of creating a powerful introduction, remembering names, and managing situations when you’ve forgotten someone’s name in communication situations.
  • Comprehend how seeing the other side, building bridges and giving in without giving up can improve skills in influencing other people in group situations.
  • Comprehend how the use of facts and emotions can help bring people to your side in group situations.

Module 9 (Negotiation Skills) for students

  • Comprehend the basic types of negotiations, the phases of negotiations, and the skills needed for successful negotiating in negotiation situations
  • Comprehend and practice basic negotiating concepts such as WATNA, BATNA, WAP, and ZOPA for practice
  • Lay the groundwork for negotiation for practice
  • Determine what information to share and what to keep to yourself in negotiation situations
  • Comprehend basic bargaining strategies
  • Practice techniques for determining mutual gain
  • Comprehend how to reach consensus and set the terms of agreement in negotiation situations
  • Cope with personal attacks and other difficult concerns
  • Use the negotiating process to solve daily complications
  • Negotiate on behalf of someone else in negotiation situations


Module 10 (Organisational Skills) for students

  • Examine recent habits and routines that are not organised in organisations
  • Learn to prioritise your time schedule and everyday tasks in organisations
  • Know ways of storing information and supplies in organisations
  • Learn to organise personal and workspace in organisations
  • Learn to resist procrastination in organisations
  • Make plans to stay organised in the future in organisations


Course or Training Format of Counselling Skills Course

You will get to access training resources that can be vital in your learning in this course.

This can help you pass your assessment as needed in this course.

Assessment

The tests are given after each module and you need to get a passing grade of 75% to pass.

You are given 2 attempts before you can pass this test to move to the next module.

Duration

The minimum time period is 4 weeks but this course is self-paced. You can take this course for 12 months if you wish.

CPD Accredited Certificate by the Counselling Skills Course:

You will be able to get this certificate once you complete this course and paid for it with the following expenses.

  • CPD Accredited Certificate of Completion (PDF format) – £42 for students
  • CPD Accredited Certificate of Completion (Hard-copy) – £65 + postage charges Local £9, International £14 for students

Who is this counselling skills course for?

This course is for people who don’t have too much background in the counselling area.

The only thing that matters is that you are genuinely interested in this course.

Requirements

There are no specific requirements you need to take this course. You only need the following basic requirements:

  • Basic knowledge of English Language & Basic Computer Skills for students
  • Be age 16 years or above to understand the material

Career path

When you are done with this course, you will be able to get some skills that needed to get employed as a counsellor.

You can also become a LCSW-R if you have an interest and urge to work for the society and or community without taking part in counselling sessions.

Conclusion 

In this brief article, we have discussed counselling courses, the contents covered in counselling courses, the benefits of counselling courses, and more information about counselling courses.

If you have any questions about counselling courses, please let us know and the team will gladly answer your queries.

FAQs: counselling courses

How do I become a counsellor without university?

You can become a counsellor without university by going through postgraduate study.

This kind of qualification is now typically expected for those graduates who do not hold an accredited undergraduate degree.

This kind of education is followed by a specialised professional training which is accessible in a number of centres.

What are the disadvantages of a counsellor?

The disadvantages of a counsellor of difficult patients, stress, difficult colleagues, physical demands, and emotional strain.

These are typical advantages of working as this kind of mental health professional but positive results are promising to be fulfilling. 

Is a guidance counsellor a good job?

Yes, a guidance counsellor is a good job.

This is according to a recent statistics where this is one of the best social services jobs in the world where school counsellors are top-rated. 

Is it hard to get a job as a guidance counsellor?

Yes, it is hard to get a job as a guidance counsellor.

You get to work in various settings when you become this kind of counsellor.

When you are able to work with other people, you are gaining more experiences as this kind of mental health professional. 

Who makes more money teacher or counsellor?

The counsellor makes more money than the teacher.

There are some statistics that have justified this kind of conclusion which is the fact that counsellors earn $61,190 on average while teachers only earn $53,550 or $55,150. 

Citations

Bacp. Training to become a counsellor or psychotherapist.

Reed.co.uk. Counselling Skills.

Reed.co.uk. Diploma of Counselling and Psychology (Online).