Counselling Course (CPCAB)
Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body
CSK-L2 – Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
Course Description
This training is designed to give learners the underpinning knowledge, skills and competence to use counselling skills ethically and safely in a variety of contexts and roles.
The qualification is for:
- Those starting the first level of training as a professional counsellor
- Those who want to learn counselling skills in other professional or helping roles
- Those who want to improve their professional and personal relationships as part of personal development
Course Duration: 6hrs x 15 weeks
Guided Learning Hours (GLH): 90hrs (minimum)
Total Qualification Time: 170hrs
Teaching Schedule: 15 weeks. 3hrs midweek (Wednesday evening) and 3 hours contact time Saturday morning. In addition to the scheduled teaching times, students will be asked to do some reading and reflection as part of their learning hours.
Credit value: 17
Minimum Age: 18
Entry Requirements: None. No previous training or experience required.
Assessment Method
Internal Assessment
- Documents – 1 written assignment, 1 self-review and a learning review ( a learning journal).
- Tutor observation – 2 tutor-observed counselling skills practice sessions (1 via audio/ video recording)
- Testimony – Peer feedback
External Assessment
Candidates watch a 15-minute CPCAB DVD of a “helping” session and complete a 1-hour candidate feedback paper in relation to the DVD. This is sent to CPCAB for assessment.
Please note:
The qualification is not suitable for those who are currently in a state of severe emotional difficulty and/or severe psychological confusion, for example those:
- Currently experiencing – without ongoing and appropriate professional support – a recent, major life crisis such as marital breakdown or a close bereavement.
- Currently experiencing moderate to severe mental health problems including, for example, clinical depression, severe anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders or any form of psychosis.
- Currently involved in substance misuse.
Please also be aware that the course involves experiential elements that will involve some personal disclosure and associated personal development activities.
Objectives
- Help students to identify core counselling skills
- Acquire knowledge about diversity and ethics and the competence to use them safely in a variety of counselling contexts
- Have knowledge of common mental health and other psychological problems
- Reflection on personal development and identify the potential need for support.
- Understand and have the competence to use the seven helping and Counselling processes
- Learn the difference between character and personality and how this drives behaviour
Learning Outcomes
- Use counselling skills ethically and safely
- Establish and sustain the boundaries of the helping role
- Work empathically as a helper
- Focus on the helpee’s needs and concerns
- Use self-awareness in helping work
- Use a range of counselling skills to facilitate the helping interaction
- Use feedback and reflection to enhance counselling skills.
Learner will be able to
- Use counselling skills within an ethical framework
- Work within personal limit
- Enable the helpee to find additional sources of support where appropriate
- Establish boundaries as a helper in a particular setting and within the limits of time available
- Establish the nature and limits of confidentiality for helping work
- Maintain the boundaries of the helping role throughout the session
- Identify and explore differences between self and others
- Identify ones own feelings in order to set them aside and focus on the helpee
- Work with the helpee to meet their objectives
- Describe how reflecting on own pattern of relating increases self-awareness
- Demonstrate appropriate use of range of listening and responding skills to facilitate the helping interaction
- Demonstrate appropriate use of questions
- Use feedback skills to provide constructive feedback to other learners
Course Content
For information about the modules included in this course please click here.
Course Fees
For course fees please click here.
How to Apply
Find out how to begin the application process and access the online application form here.
CSK-L3 – Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills
Course Description
Level 3 Qualification is designed for candidates who have undertaken counselling skills training, e.g. our Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills or equivalent.
Guided Learning Hours (GLH): 90hrs (minimum)
Total Qualification Time: 196hrs
Number of teaching weeks: 20
Credit value: 20
Minimum Age: 19
Entry Requirements – CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills or equivalent from a recognised learning institution. See above under entry requirements.
Assessment Method
Internal Assessment
- Tutor observation – 1 tutor-observed counselling practice session and 1 practice case study
- Documents – 2 assignments, 1 self-review and a learning review (a learning journal)
- Testimony – Peer feedback
External Assessment
Candidate will watch a CPCAB DVD of a “counselling” session and complete 75 minutes Candidate Feedback Paper in relation to the DVD. This is sent to CPCAB.
Learning Outcomes
- Prepare to work within an ethical framework for counselling
- Understand the counselling relationship
- Understand difference and diversity issues to develop an empathic understanding
- Work within a user-centred approach to counselling
- Use counselling theory to develop self-awareness in counselling practice
- Understand theories of counselling and mental health
- Use feedback, reflection and supervision to support counselling studies.
Learner will be able to
- Apply understanding of an ethical framework to counselling practice sessions
- Demonstrate understanding of client assessment and referral in an agency setting
- Establish and sustain the boundaries of the counsellor’s role in counselling practice sessions
- Explain how the counselling relationship contributes to the counselling work
- Manage the stages of the counselling relationship
- Identify and reflect on a range of diversity issues in the wider social context
- Apply awareness of diversity issues to enhance empathic understanding
- Establish the client’s needs and expectations when agreeing to work together
- Maintain the focus on the client’s agenda and needs
- Use counselling theory to understand own personality and own relationships
- Describe the main theoretical approaches to counselling
- Use counselling theory to understand the client
- Explain the nature of common mental health problems and how counselling can promote positive mental health
- Give constructive feedback to other counselling trainees.
Course Content
For information about the modules included in this course please click here.
Course Fees
For course fees please click here.
How to Apply
Find out how to begin the application process and access the online application form here.