Developing effective skills in counselling is not just about your academic ability; it's about learning how to engage in helpful interactions with a person who needs assistance and support. That's why this course focusses on teaching you practical counselling skills, and developing your personal qualities and self-awareness.
Your study sessions will be highly-practical, and will include exercises and role play, often in groups of three to recreate a helper, helpee and observer situation; developing self-awareness; learning about skills; listening blocks; empathy; body language; ethics and boundaries; prejudice and stereotypes; giving and receiving feedback; and group work and discussions. Your course work will also include keeping a weekly learning review.
This course focusses on the development of intermediate counselling skills, and provides a framework for helping, as applicable to different types of helping support work; such as mentoring, key working, care planning, teaching, and pastoral work. You'll also gain an understanding of counselling theory and the different approaches that can be taken, such as the Person-Centred approach, and the Gerard Egan skilled helper model.
The Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills is perfect for anyone who wants to become competent in the use of counselling skills to help others, either in a voluntary or an employed situation; or if you want to take your first step in training to become a qualified counsellor.
Although this course will not teach you to be a counsellor, it provides you with the counselling skills you'll need for a variety of roles in a number of sectors. Roles include key working, care assistant, support worker or teaching assistant, and areas of work could include mental health, the homeless, substance misuse, education, and health and social care. This programme can also help you decide whether a future career in counselling is right for you.This is a part-time course, with classes held every Thursday for 18 weeks. With a choice of two study times, either 9am-3.10pm, or 3.30pm-9pm, this course is ideally-suited to those of you with existing work, study, or family commitments.
What experience and skills will you gain?
- Use counselling skills ethically and safely
- Establish and sustain the boundaries of the helping role
- Work empathetically 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
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Campus
This course will be delivered at London South Bank Technical College - Nine elms
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What do you need to apply?
GCSE English (or equivalent) at grade C/4 or above, or Level 2 English
and
GCSE Maths (or equivalent) at grade E/2 or above, or Level 1 Maths
It is recommended that you:
- are at least 22yrs old with four years independent adult life experience
- are open to working on your self-awareness in relation to others
- have completed an introductory course in counselling (30 hours duration), or have relevant occupational experience (in either an employed or voluntary role)
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How will you be assessed?
You will be assessed via a number of methods, in each of the seven key modules. These assessment methods can include tutor and peer feedback on counselling skills practice; weekly learning reviews and summaries; written essays; and an external assessment.
Your external assessment will consist of watching a short DVD of a helper using counselling skills, and then complete a written Candidate Feedback Paper under exam conditions. To successfully pass this course, you have to be assessed as Proficient in both your tutor assessment and external CPCAB assessment.
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Where can this course take you?
This course could lead to employment in a variety of roles where counselling skills are an advantage, such as key working, care assistant, support worker, or teaching assistant. Continued study and additional qualifications can lead you to becoming a fully-qualified counsellor.
After successfully passing the Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills, you may wish to consider progressing on to the following Level 3 course:
- Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies (CPCAB)
Once you have achieved Level 3, you could then progress to the following Level 4 qualification:
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (CPCAB)
