A unique course aimed at providing counselling skills to care professionals
Suitable for anyone working in the care field, or who would like to gain employment in this area.- Understand more about human behaviour and how it is influenced.
- Learn about communication and barriers to communication.
- Learn about the psychology of balance, perceptions, and perceptual barriers.
- Learn about theories and principles in counselling.
- Learn about different counselling techniques, solution finding an more.
COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT
The Certificate In Counselling can be started at any time and requires approximately 600 hours of study. To pass the course, students need to pass assignments in all of the modules, and pass 6 exams (each exam is usually taken at the end of each module). Exams are arranged at a time and location to suit the student.
The course comprises FOUR Core Modules plus TWO Elective Modules.
The Core Modules are: Introduction to Psychology, Psychology and Counselling, Counselling Skills I, Life Coaching.
Students then select two Elective Modules from: Counselling Skills II, Crisis Counselling, Counselling Techniques, Grief Counselling, Crisis Counselling, Aged Care & Counselling, Professional Practice in Counselling, Biopsychology I, Stress Management, Careers Counselling.
THE CORE MODULES
The Core Modules are summarised, below. For further information, please follow the link in the Module title.
Module 1. Introduction to Psychology
This module will help you to analyse aspects of a person's psychological state and apply derived knowledge to motivate that person. There are seven lessons to complete:
1. The Nature and Scope of Psychology.
2. Neurological basis of behaviour.
3. Environmental effects on behaviour.
4. Consciousness and perception.
5. Personality.
6. Psychological development.
7. Needs, drives and motivation.
Module 2. Psychology and Counselling
A module that develops your ability to analyse psychological conditions and to apply that knowledge in counselling or advisory situations. There are seven lessons in this module:
1. Stress.
2. Abnormal Behaviour.
3. Individual Behaviour.
4. Group Behaviour.
5. Methods of Dealing with Abnormalities.
6. Conflict Resolution.
7. Interpersonal Communication Skills.
Module 3. Counselling Skills I
This module comprises 8 lessons:
1. Learning Specific Skills - Learning methods; the counselling role.
2. Listening and Bonding - Meeting and greeting; helping the client relax; listening with intent.
3. Reflection: Paraphrasing - Reflection of feeling; client responses to reflection of feelings; reflection of content and feeling.
4. Questioning - Open and closed questions; other types of questions; goals of questioning.
5. Interview Techniques - Summarising; confrontation; reframing.
6. Changing Beliefs and Normalising - Changing self-destructive beliefs; irrational beliefs; normalising.
7. Finding Solutions - Making choices; facilitating actions; gestalt awareness; psychological blocks.
8. Ending the Counselling - Terminating the session; closure; further meetings; dependency, confronting dependency.
Module 4. Life Coaching
This module is aimed at students with experience or training in health, counselling, social work, natural therapies etc. It will develop your skills in setting and achieving goals, for yourself or for those who seek your assistance. There are ten lessons:
1. Introduction: Nature and scope of life coaching.
2. Individual perceptions.
3. A well-balanced life.
4. Coaching skills.
5. Coaching models.
6. Coaching and physical well-being.
7. Coaching and psychological well-being.
8. Coaching success.
9. Goal-setting.
10. Review and adjustment.
THE ELECTIVE MODULES
Students are to select two modules from the following. Click on the Module title for further details on each.
Counselling Skills II
Crisis Counselling
Counselling Techniques
Grief Counselling
Aged Care & Counselling
Professional Practice in Counselling
Biopsychology I
Stress Management
Careers Counselling
Developing a Career in Counselling
If you consider the counselling profession in more detail, it is possible to see how counselling skills can also be useful in many careers.
Counsellors use a range of what are called “micro skills” when they interact with clients and help them to work through and find resolutions to their problems. These counselling skills are the specific skills a counsellor is trained to use and they include such things as active listening, paraphrasing, summarising, feedback, and confrontational skills.
Counsellors are able to gauge when to use particular skills, how long to use them for, and whether they are working or not.
Some of these skills can be used in other situations to good effect. For instance, ‘active listening’ can be used to demonstrate to someone that they are being heard. With active listening, the listener pays full attention to what the person is saying with the intention of being able to provide feedback and summarise what they have said. As such, it is possible to ensure we are clear about what they have said.
This is a valuable skill to have in any people profession. For example, consider someone working in customer service. If a customer visits their store and asks for a certain product, the sales person will quickly endear themselves to the customer if they carefully listen to what the customer requires and they can provide feedback which shows they have understood them.
The interpretation of body language and non-verbal cues also provides useful information to counsellors and psychologists about how someone might be thinking or feeling. Outside of a therapeutic relationship this information might help inform decisions for police officers, customs officers, lawyers, or even managers about when or how to instigate particular company policies.
It is probably becoming clear to you just how useful knowledge of psychology and counselling skills can be in many different professions.
Other Roles in Psychology and Counselling
Counsellors can work in a range of fields including working with private clients, working in larger organisations, or in most developed countries the health service employs counsellors.
Counsellors may also work in specialised fields such as school counselling, trauma counselling, career counselling, or crisis counselling. Psychologists may also work in a variety of settings. They may work with children, adults, people with disabilities, people with mental health issues, or people with learning disabilities and they have a range of skills which they use to assess individuals and devise treatment interventions.
However, many people who obtain qualifications and experience in psychology and/or counselling may end up working in other areas. This is often because they have chosen to study courses in these fields out of interest but didn't choose to follow it further as a career. A background in psychology is useful for work in other areas, such as marketing psychology, industrial psychology, child psychology, ergonomics, or sales and marketing.
THE ADVANTAGES OF STUDYING WITH ACS
- You can start the course at any time and study at your own pace.
- Fit your studies around your own busy lifestyle - we provide full tutor support for all the time you are studying.
- Study where you want to - online and eLearning study options offer the flexibility for you to determine where and when you study.
WHY SHOULD YOU STUDY THIS COURSE?
Study Psychology and Counselling Skills in this useful course for care professionals.
- Specifically designed to suit the needs of care professionals.
- Learn more about counselling skills, psychology and more - choose elective modules to focus specifically on your particular requirements.
WHAT NEXT?
You can enrol today - just go to the box at the top right-hand side of this page and select your study method and payment options.
If you have any questions, or want to know more about any aspect of the course or studying with ACS then please get in touch with us today.
Submit your questions to our specialist Psychology and Counselling tutors, or phone us on -
(UK) 01384 442752, or
(International) +44 (0) 1384 442752.