The New Curiosity Shop

Counselling is a growing profession, and for many counselling practitioners a course such as this is a first step to becoming a counsellor.

As well as providing you with an opportunity to increase your understanding of counselling, this course will also enable you to develop some important skills which you might be able to apply in your work context and in the wider aspect of your life.

The concepts and skills learnt during this course are potentially life changing, as they can help to enhance relationships and communication.

Although this is not a training course, and does not qualify you to practise as a counsellor, it is an important step in that direction, and is an opportunity to discover more about counselling as a profession, and most importantly to learn more about yourself.

Outline

Topic 1: The Nature of Counselling

• Understand the key boundaries of counselling as confidentiality, time, supervision, referral and competence, and ethics;
• Know the key aims of counselling; and
• Understand essential factors which define counselling as relationship, choice, awareness, self-help, and process.

Topic 2: Styles & Core Conditions of Counselling

• Know that counselling styles range from to directive to non-directive;
• Understand the Core Conditions of counselling as developed by Carl Rogers; and
• Understand the Core Condition of Empathic Understanding and key challenges to this.

Topic 3: More About Core Conditions

• Understand key ways in which Empathic Understanding is communicated;
• Understand Acceptance as a Core Condition of counselling; and
• Understand Congruence as a Core Condition of counselling
• Optional written assessment.

Topic 4: Bringing It Together

• Know three key stages of counselling;
• Understand the development of the three stages in practice;
• Know different theoretical approaches to counselling; and
• Understand more about yourself.

Topic 5: Trying It Out

• Demonstrate the essential skills for effective counselling.

Who should take this course?

This course provides a solid foundation for anyone interested in pursuing counselling in greater depth.

It is also relevant if you are interested in increasing self-awareness, or in increasing your effectiveness in a helping role, such as support worker, nurse or carer. You might think about developing your skills further in further, accredited training, by enrolling on a counselling course in your own locality, for instance at college or university,

Alternatively you might wish to continue with your personal development by enrolling on the Dreams: Theatre of the Soul course with the New Curiosity Shop.

You will need

All materials are provided online, although the tutor does recommend books for additional reading.

For the practical aspect you will need some way of recording audio.

Entry Requirements

There are no entry requirements.

How long is this course?

About 35 hours, and we suggest you set aside about 4 hours a week - but it's up to you. You will have tutor support for 3 months. You will have access to your course for a year.

Your tutor

Your tutor for this course is Mike Wilson. You can find out more about him on the Tutors page.

Further information

Please note: we need a minimum number of 5 students for this course to run. Please contact us if you need to find out more.

ILA Scotland Funding

This course is eligible for ILA Scotland Funding. To find out more and to book a place using your ILA Account, go to: ILA Scotland Funding - Book a Course

Do you have any further questions? Visit our Contact Us page and ask away.