NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING CERTIFICATE DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE
- Learn Human Nutrition at Home -Online course, or distance education
- Learn what food is healthy
- Start a business or find employment helping others manage their diet
- Recognised internationally through International Accreditation and Recognition Council
- Graduates qualify to join the Association of Coaching and /or Complimentary Medicine Association (UK)
- Pathways available to continue studies toward higher qualifications (including Advanced Diplomas with HSA and degrees)
- Graduates may find work in
- health support and complimentary medicine
- life coach or nutritional advisor
- weight management, health and fitness
- food service, processing and supply enterprises (everything from catering to health food shops)
Note: In some countries, and in some high level jobs (eg. Hospital dietician), you may need a university degree or higher. This course is equivalent to less than 20% of such a qualification
This is an excellent course for people who wish to advance or change their career into counselling with a focus on nutrition, or for those already working in the health industry who wish to enhance their knowledge!
Recent research in nutrition and health services indicates there is an increasing need for counsellors to have specialist knowledge in the area of nutrition, weight loss and children's nutrition whilst still maintaining professional counselling skills and practice. You should enrol in this course if you are genuinely seeking to develop counselling skills, understand counselling techniques and work with people who are focussed on improving their health through nutrition.
Health promotion in education is also another huge development area and requires people who know the facts about nutrition and also understand the importance of counselling...
COURSE STRUCTURE
This course is made up of 9 modules: 6 compulsory and 3 electives which you can choose to ensure the course is tailored to your needs or choice! (Click on each module below for more details)
6 Compulsory Modules include:
1. Human Nutrition I
2. Human Nutrition II
3. Human Nutrition III
4. Industry Project
5. Counselling Techniques
6. Counselling Skills I
Choose 3 Modules from the following electives - click on the links to help you decide which one you want to study:
Children's Nutrition
Sports Nutrition
Nutrition for Weight Loss
Theraputic Nutrition
Professional Practice in Counselling
Counselling Skills II
MODULE OUTLINES
Human Nutrition I
There are nine lessons in this course as follows:
- Introduction to Nutrition.
- The Digestive System
- Absorption and Enzymes
- Energy Value and Foods
- Carbohydrates and Fats
- Proteins
- Vitamins and Minerals
- Water
- Nutrient Disorders
Human Nutrition II
The content of each of the eight lessons is outlined below:
- Cooking And Its Affect On Nutrition
- Food Processing And Its Affect On Nutrition
- Recommended Daily Intake Of Nutrients
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Planning A Balanced Diet
- Assessing Nutritional Status And Needs
- Timing Of Meals, And Needs For Special Groups
Human Nutrition III
The content of each lesson is outlined below:‑
- Problems with Eating
- Dental Problems
- Fibre and Bowel Diseases
- Different Ways of Eating
- Food Toxicity
- Food Toxicity
- Detoxification/Body Cleansing
- Consulting/ Giving Advice
Industry Projects
For the course, you are required to complete an industry project. You can find more information on the industry projects at -
Counselling Skills I
This course involves 8 lessons:
- Learning Specific Skills - Learning methods; the counselling rold
- Listening and Bonding - Meeting and greeting; helping the client relax; listening with intent
- Reflection: Paraphrasing - Reflection of feeling; client responses to reflection of feelings; reflection of content and feeling
- Questioning - Open and closed questions; other types of questions; goals of questioning
- Interview Techniques - Summarising; confrontation; reframing
- Changing Beliefs and Normalising - Changing self-destructive beliefs; irrational beliefs; normalising
- Finding Solutions - Making choices; facilitating actions; gestalt awareness; psychological blocks
- Ending the Counselling - Terminating the session; closure; further meetings; dependency, confronting dependency.
Counselling Techniques
The course is divided into eight lessons as follows:
- Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy l: Freud (& Erikson); Jung
- Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy ll: Adler
- Humanistic/Existential Approaches I: Gestalt Therapy; Fritz Perls
- Humanistic/Existential Approaches II: Person-Centred Counselling; Carl Rogers
- Rational Behavioural Therapy: Albert Ellis
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Aaron Beck
- Behavioural Therapy.
- Solution-Focused Counselling.
ELECTIVES
Children’s Nutrition
There are 10 lessons in this module as follows:
- Introduction to Child Nutrition
- Nutrition for Pre-Pregnancy
- Nutrition in Pregnancy
- Nutrition in Infants
- Nutrition in Childhood
- Nutritional Concerns
- Healthy Eating Behaviours
- Issues in Child Nutrition
- Childhood Obesity
- Diet Plans
Sports Nutrition
There are 9 lessons as follows:
- Introduction to Human and Sports Nutrition
- Energy
- Energy in the Athlete’s Body
- The Training Diet
- The Competition Diet
- Fluids
- The Athlete’s Body Composition
- Weight Management
- Training for Size and the Use of Sports Supplements
Nutrition for Weight Loss
- Understanding Obesity
- Nutrition Basics
- Diets
- Preventing Obesity
- Treating Obesity
- Modifying Eating Behaviour
- Restricting Calorie Intake
- Medical Conditions: Hormones, Drugs, Eating Disorders
- Planning a Diet
Therapeutic Nutrition
There are 9 lessons in this course:
1. Introduction to Therapeutic Nutrition
-
· What is Therapeutic Nutrition
-
· Where is it Applied
-
· Oral Nutrition
-
· Nausea and Vomiting
-
· Swallowing Problems
-
· Weight Loss & Reduced Appetite
-
· Nutritional Supplement
-
· Artifical Nutrition
-
· Enteral Nutrition
-
· Parenteral Nutrition (Hyperalimentation)
2. Allergies and Intolerances
3. Diabetes
-
· What is Diabetes?
-
· Types of Diabetes
-
· Complications Associated with Diabetes
-
· Prevention and Treatment
-
· Monitoring of Diabetes
-
· Therapeutic Nutrition & Diabetes
4. Heart Disease, Hyperlipidemia and Arteriosclerosis
5. Renal/Kidney Conditions
-
· Glomerulonephritis, Acute & Chronic
-
· Nephrotic Syndrome
-
· Nephrosclerosis
-
· Acute Renal Failure (ARF)
-
· Chronic Renal Failure (CRF)
-
· Eating the right amount of Energy
-
· Fluid Restrictions
-
· Sodium Restrictions
-
· Diet & Kidney Stones
6. Cancer
7. Digestive Disorders & Diet - Oesophagus, Small Intestine, Colon
-
· Introduction
-
· Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
-
· Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD): Crohn's Disease, Diverticulitis & Ulcerative Colitis
8. Other Metabolic Conditions (eg. Liver, Gall bladder, Pancreas, etc)
-
· The Liver
-
· Hepatitis
-
· Cirrhosis
-
· The Gallbladder
-
· Gall Stones
-
· The Pancreas
-
· Acute Pancreatitis
-
· Chronic Pancreatitis
9. Strategic Diet planning for a medical condition
Introduction to Psychology
There are seven lessons in this course -
- Nature and Scope of Psychology
- Neurological Basis of Behaviour
- Environmental Effects of Behaviour
- Consciousness and Perception
- Personality
- Psychological Development
- Needs, Drive and Motivation
Counselling Skills II
The course is divided into eight lessons as follows:
- The Counselling Session
- Focus on the Present
- Telephone Counselling
- Dealing with Crises
- Problem-Solving Techniques I: Anger
- Problem-Solving Techniques II: Depression
- Problem-Solving Techniques III: Grief and Loss
- Problem-Solving Techniques IV: Suicide
Professional Practice in Counselling
The course is divided into seven lessons as follows:
- Understanding Counselling: The client-counsellor relationship; Effective counselling; Counselling the counsellor; Counsellor’s values; Multicultural counselling
- Ethics & Confidentiality: Needs; A code of ethics; Informed consent; Right to privacy; Legal requirements; Use of psychometric tests; Ethics and multiple relationships; Keeping records.
- Understanding the Self: Self-awareness; Self-monitoring; Self-concept; Social Perception; Attribution theory; Implicit personality theory; Relationships; Social exchange; Love and intimacy.
- Personality: What is a healthy personality?; Trait approach; Psychodynamic approach; Humanistic approach; Social learning and cognitive approaches.
- Emotions & Behaviour: What are emotions?; Emotions and Counselling; Effect on communication, Aspects of emotions, Emotional expression and counselling.
- Supervision: Why supervision?; Working with others; Quantity and effectiveness of supervision; Personal counselling; Dependency; Types of supervision.
- Referral Practice: Counselling v mental health issues; Secondary care counsellors; Abnormal psychology; Anxiety; Depression; Schizophrenia; Personality disorders.
@font-face {
font-family: Wingdings;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Wingdings;
}
@page WordSection1 {size: 595.3pt 841.9pt; margin: 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin: 35.4pt; mso-footer-margin: 35.4pt; mso-paper-source: 0; }
P.MsoNormal {
MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-style-unhide: no; mso-style-qformat: yes; mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU
}
LI.MsoNormal {
MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-style-unhide: no; mso-style-qformat: yes; mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU
}
DIV.MsoNormal {
MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Arial","sans-serif"; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-style-unhide: no; mso-style-qformat: yes; mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-AU; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU
}
A:link {
COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99; mso-themecolor: hyperlink; text-underline: single
}
SPAN.MsoHyperlink {
COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99; mso-themecolor: hyperlink; text-underline: single
}
A:visited {
COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99; mso-themecolor: followedhyperlink; text-underline: single; mso-style-noshow: yes
}
SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {
COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99; mso-themecolor: followedhyperlink; text-underline: single; mso-style-noshow: yes
}
.MsoChpDefault {
FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-style-type: export-only; mso-default-props: yes; mso-ansi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt
}
DIV.WordSection1 {
page: WordSection1
}
OL {
MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0cm
}
UL {
MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0cm
}
@font-face {
font-family: Cambria Math;
}
@font-face {
font-family: Calibri;
}
@page WordSection1 {size: 595.3pt 841.9pt; margin: 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin: 35.4pt; mso-footer-margin: 35.4pt; mso-paper-source: 0; }
P.MsoNormal {
LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-style-unhide: no; mso-style-qformat: yes; mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi
}
LI.MsoNormal {
LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-style-unhide: no; mso-style-qformat: yes; mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi
}
DIV.MsoNormal {
LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri","sans-serif"; FONT-SIZE: 11pt; mso-style-unhide: no; mso-style-qformat: yes; mso-style-parent: ""; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi
}
A:link {
COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99; mso-themecolor: hyperlink; text-underline: single; mso-style-noshow: yes
}
SPAN.MsoHyperlink {
COLOR: blue; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99; mso-themecolor: hyperlink; text-underline: single; mso-style-noshow: yes
}
A:visited {
COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99; mso-themecolor: followedhyperlink; text-underline: single; mso-style-noshow: yes
}
SPAN.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {
COLOR: purple; TEXT-DECORATION: underline; mso-style-priority: 99; mso-themecolor: followedhyperlink; text-underline: single; mso-style-noshow: yes
}
.MsoChpDefault {
mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-style-type: export-only; mso-default-props: yes; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi
}
.MsoPapDefault {
LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10pt; mso-style-type: export-only
}
DIV.WordSection1 {
page: WordSection1
}
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are our tutors?
Our tutors are all highly experienced and professional, knowledgeable in their field of study. We have staff from around the world, enabling us to gain a wide variety of perspectives. We have a school in the UK and in Australia. If you would like to have a look at our tutors, then click on the “The School” in the boxes above and choose “The Staff” option.
Sample Course Notes
Our courses are all written by highly qualified tutors and writers, who also teach on the courses, so know them well. We strive to update our courses and improve them with new information, methods and knowledge on an ongoing basis. If you would like to see examples of some of our courses, then choose the “Enrolment” option above, and then click on “Sample Course Notes”.
What learning method should I choose?
We offer three learning methods – e-learning, correspondence and online. If you are not sure which is the right choose for you, then click on the “Enrolment” box above, then “Learning Methods.”
How Long will it take to complete the course?
This obviously varies from student to student. Some students will have more time for study than others. Some students may work quicker than others, so it is an individual thing. We estimate that most students will take, for example, 4 – 6 months to complete a 100 hour individual module, but we allow up to 12 months for you to complete it.
Longer courses will obviously take longer. You can find more information on the length of time required and so on the “Enrolment” box, then selecting “Terms and Conditions of Enrolment.”
What Do Our Students think of us?
If you would like to read comments from our previous students, then choose the “Enrolment” option above, then “Student Testimonials”.
I don’t think this is the right course for me.
If you’re not sure about this course, then why not look at our wide range of other courses. Click on the “Courses” box above.
You may also wish to design your own course to fit in with exactly what YOU want. To do so, click on the “Enrolment” box, then “Design your Own Course”.
If you would like more advice on a course, then you can contact us and ask a tutor about the courses. You can contact us by calling 0800 328 4723 or +44(0) 384 442752 or emailing info@acsedu.co.uk
Recognition and Accreditation
For more information on our recognition and accreditation, click on “The School”, then “Recognition”.
Who is ACS Distance Education?
If you want to know more about ACS and our history, then please click on “The School”, then “About us.”
NUTRITIONAL COUNSELLING CORRESPONDENCE COURSE
Become a counsellor with specialist knowledge in nutrition!
This is an excellent course to enrol in if you are interested in working with people in a counselling capacity where you need knowledge of general human nutrition, children's nutrition (including expectant mothers and infants), therapeutic nutrition, nutrition for weight loss and weight maintenance or even sports nutrition.

Counsellors provide guidance for clients and a support system, rather than working with the deeper levels of the psyche. Many people need guidance on nutrition for example during pregnancy or support during a weight loss program. Others may like to find out about how to support people throughout a disease when nutritional knowledge and emotional support go hand in hand. Coeliac Disease is an example of a medical condition related to diet and nutrition which if not treated can result in patients who have a high probability of being diagnosed with infertility, autism, depression and migraine headaches where counselling would be beneficial to support people and help them cope with any such diagnosis.