Distance Learning - Home Study Counselling Skills
Expand your knowledge of counselling skills and dealing with crisis situations.
I have done several counselling courses in the past and the coaching course fitted in well with the learning experiences I had encountered previously. The reading material was detailed and interesting and the feedback was detailed and constructive.
- Sarah, Life Coaching
" The online courses are very easy to use and follow. Prompt friendly replies from tutor to any queries. Course structure flows freely. Very satisfied with course and results..."
- Diana (completed ACS Online course in Intro to Psych and Psych & Counselling)
Course Duration: 100 hours
Course Structure
The course is divided into eight lessons as follows:
- The Counselling Session:
How Micro-Skills come together
- Focus on the Present:
Present experiences; Feedback; Transference; Projection; Resistance
- Telephone Counselling:
Visual v non-visual contact; Preparation; Initial contact; Use of micro-skills; Overall Process; Debriefing; Types of Problem Callers
- Dealing with Crises:
What is a crisis?; Types of crisis; Dangers of Crises; Counsellor’s Responses and Intervention; Post-Traumatic Stress
- Problem-Solving Techniques I, Aggression;
Assisting the Client to Express Anger; Encouraging Change; Role-Play; Externalising Anger
- Problem-Solving Techniques II, Depression;
Counselling Depression; Blocked Anger; Referral Practice; Chronic Depression; Setting Goals; Promoting Action
- Problem-Solving Techniques III, Grief and Loss;
Loss of Relationships; Assisting the Grieving Client; Stages of Grief
- Problem-Solving Techniques IV, Suicide;
Ethics; Reasons for Suicide; Perceived Risk; Counselling Strategies; Counselling Skills; Alternative Approach
What qualification will I achieve for completing this course?
This is an individual module course. The individual module courses are 100 hour long usually and can be taken on their own or as part of a larger program of study.
If you wish to take an individual module course as a stand alone course, you can elect to sit an optional exam at the end of it.
If you successfully pass the exam and all assignments, you will receive a Statement of Attainment. You can take examinations at a time and location to suit you. If you enrol, you will be sent further information on how to arrange examinations at the end of the course.
If you do not wish to take the exam, you will receive a Course Completion letter when you have passed all assignments.
There is an assignment at the end of each lesson. So for example, if an individual module course contains ten lessons, you will need to complete ten assignments. Assignments can be sent to us via email, post or fax.
Other qualifications, such as certificates, diplomas etc may require examinations to be taken as part of the overall assessment process.
You can find further information on the examinations process by clicking on the “Enrolment” link above.
You can find further information on other courses by clicking on the “Courses” link above.
AIMS
Demonstrate the application of micro skills to different stages of the counselling process.Role-play the dynamics of the counselling process including such phenomenon as present experiences, feedback, transference, counter-transference, projection and resistance.Demonstrate telephone counselling techniques.Develop appropriate responses to crises, both emotional and practical.Show ways of encouraging the client to deal with aggression.Demonstrate different ways of encouraging the client to cope with depression.Discuss strategies for dealing with grief.Develop different strategies of helping suicidal clients.
WHAT YOU WILL DO IN THIS COURSE
• Identify clearly the stages in the counselling process
• Explain how a counsellor might encourage the client to relax in the first session
• Demonstrate at what stage the counsellor should bring in micro-skills other than those of minimal responses and reflection of content and feeling
• Demonstrate at what stage the counsellor should focus attention on the client’s thoughts and why
• Demonstrate control techniques in conversation, in a role play
• Correlate certain types of non-visual cues with feelings in a case study
• Show how a counsellor could assist a client to consider the present and how this could facilitate the counselling process
• Demonstrate appropriate use of feedback in the counselling situation
• Demonstrate inappropriate use of feedback in the counselling situation
• Distinguish between transference and counter-transference
• Demonstrate telephone counselling techniques in a role play.
• Describe how to deal with a distressed client (male/female) through telephone counselling
• Show how to terminate a telephone counselling session
• Explain the main advantages of telephone counselling.
• Describe techniques to effectively deal with nuisance callers in telephone counselling
• Evaluate how a crisis was managed by a person, in a case study
• Outline the main crisis categories
• Demonstrate different practical responses that might be applied to a crisis
• Show when it is appropriate for a counsellor to conclude crisis counselling
• Analyse an aggressive/violent outburst (physical/mental) by an individual; in a case study
• Explain an aggressive/violent outburst (physical/mental) by an individual; in a case study
• Demonstrate how a counsellor might encourage a client to appropriately express their anger
• Explain why it is important that clients become aware of the physiological effects of anger
• Identify the origin of depression in a case study• Explain the origin of depression in a case study
• Explain the relationship between depression and blocked anger
• Demonstrate how a counsellor could encourage a client to explore their anger
• Identify risks involved in dealing with someone with chronic depression.
• Explain the benefits of goal-setting to the counselling process.
• Identify when depressed clients should be referred on to other professionals
• Evaluate the grieving process in a case study
• Compare the grieving process in a case study, with the 7 classic stages of grieving
• Determine which stage of grieving was most difficult in a case study
• Explain the significance of denial in the grieving process
• Demonstrate how a counsellor could combat feelings of denial in grieving.
• Explain why it is important for both the client and the counsellor to understand the grieving process.
• Research into suicide, to determine attitudes, information and support services available in the student’s country
• Discuss a variety of different people’s views on suicide
• Describe high risk factors to be looked for when assessing the likelihood of a person committing suicide
• Demonstrate alternative strategies that a counsellor might use to become more aware of a depressed client’s risk of suicide
• Explain how a counsellor might learn to challenge their own irrational beliefs in order to help a suicidal client
• Compare working with and working in opposition to a client.
If you're interested in improving your counselling skills, then why not take Counselling Skills II? This course will give you more understanding of the counselling process and the skills an effective counsellor needs to develop. To give you an idea of what the course entails, have a look at the notes below taken from the lesson on telephone counselling -
"Clearly the fundamental difference between telephone counselling and face-to-face counselling is the lack of visual information available to the counsellor. This visual information provides many subtle clues, but most importantly enables the counsellor to send and receive non-verbal messages. Another significant effect of having visual information is that it makes it a lot easier to establish a relationship with the client.
Telephone counselling can be as productive and supportive as face-to-face counselling. The main different being that body language is not a factor when working on the phone. This should not detract from the process can prove supportive, as distractions are kept to a minimum, which can help increase concentration and focus. Therefore, telephone counselling can work faster than traditional therapeutic encounters. Also, working with a telephone counsellor can enable some clients to express themselves more freely, as they have a sense of anonymity.
There are many different telephone counselling services available. For example, The Samaritans, Child Line and so on. Phone lines may specialise in certain problems, such as bereavement, domestic violence, addictions, mental health problems, rape, and victim support. They offer anonymity and can be a good source for information about other services that can help the client. Calls may be one-off or regular sessions. Some people find telephone counselling safer than seeing a counsellor face-to-face.
Online counselling is also becoming more and more available." (taken from our Counselling Skills II course).
Suggested Reading
Our staff have written a useful e book, packed with easy to read, practical information about counselling.
It's title is "Counselling Handbook".
See
http://www.acsebook.com/products/2249-counselling-handbook.aspx
You can upload some sample pages for free to see what it looks like.
If you are unsure about studying this course, another option is to buy and read the book first, to see if Counselling is really your thing. Buy as a download now and read on an ipad, computer, laptop or book reader
More Information on ACS Distance Education and our courses
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.”
Home Study - Learn Counselling Skills Training
Develop an improved understanding of counselling skills and their use in a crisis situation.
*Further develop existing counselling skills
Learn how to improve your counselling skills in a range of settings
Learn about online counselling, telephone counselling, counselling in crisis situations and much more...
Study with our expert tutors in your own home.
Already have some counselling skills, but would like to be able to improve on them? Want to learn more counselling skills? Improve your counselling abilities? This may be the course for you. Counselling Skills II covers telephone counselling, online counselling, techniques for dealing with crisis situations and much more. Learn to demonstrate how micro-skills can be combined in the counselling process. Learn about the grief process, how we can support clients, the ethical issues of counselling and much more. Pre-requisite: Introduction to Psychology
