Learn more about counselling skills and techniques

Learn more about counselling with this foundation diploma. 

• Suitable for anyone interested in learning more about counselling or counselling skills and techniques.

• Course Duration: 1000 hours of self paced study.  Start at any time and study at your own pace.

The Foundation Diploma in Counselling consists of 9 Core (compulsory) Modules plus 1 Elective Module which students select from the list of options.

CORE MODULES

The Core Modules are listed below.  Click on the modules for further information on each.  A summary of the lessons for each module are shown further down this page.

Counselling Skills I BPS109

Counselling Skills II BPS110

Counselling Techniques BPS206

Professional Practice in Counselling BPS207

Grief Counselling BPS209

Life Coaching BPS305

Relationship and Communication Counselling BPS208

Family Counselling BPS213

Professional Supervision BPS301

ELECTIVE MODULES

Students are to select 1 Module from the following list.  Click on the module title for further information.  A summary of lessons for each module is shown further down this page.

Managing Mental Health in Adults BPS216

Child and Adolescent Mental Health BPS214

HOW THE COURSE WORKS

You can start the course at any time.

It is studied by distance learning, so you can study in the comfort of your own home. But this doesn't mean you are all alone in your studies.  Our highly qualified and friendly tutors are there to help you every step of the way.  If you have any questions at all, they are always happy to help.

To complete the course, you are required to study 10 modules.  Each module takes approximately 100 hours to complete.

There are nine core modules and then you choose one core module to suit you and your interests.

There is an assignment at the end of each lesson. For example, in the Counselling Skills I module, there are eight lessons, so eight assignments.

At the end of each module, there is also an examination which you can take at a time and location to suit you.

To pass the course you are required to pass all assignments and 10 exams.

If you are not sure about going straight to the diploma, you can study each of the modules mentioned as a standalone course. Please click on the links for more information.

CORE MODULES - STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

Counselling Skills I BPS109

The module is divided into 8 lessons, as follows:

1. Learning specific skills

• What is Counselling?
• Perceptions of Counselling.
• Differences between Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Clinical Psychologists and Psychiatrists.
  
• Counselling Theories.
• Empathy.
• Transference.
• Directiveness, non directiveness.
• Behavioural Therapies.
• Systematic Desensitisation.
• Positive Reinforcement and Extinction.
• Goals of Psychoanalytical Approach.
• Defence Mechanisms (Repression, Displacement, Rationalisation, Projection, Reaction Formulation, Intellectualisation, Denial, Sublimation).
• Use of Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy.
• Psychoanalytic Techniques.
• Analytic Framework.
• Free Associations.
• Interpretation.
• Dream Analysis.
• Resistance & Transference.
• Humanistic Therapy.
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Therapies and Counsellors.
• Case Studies.
• Methods of Learning.
• Micro Skills.
• Triads.
• Modelling.
• Online and Telephone Counselling.
• Telemental Health.
• Clinical Considerations.

2. Listening and bonding

• Scope of Listening and Bonding.
• Meeting and greeting.
• Creating a Safe Environment.
• Location.
• Time and Duration of Sessions.
• Privacy in Telephone and online counselling.
• Showing warmth on the phone.
• The contract.
• Helping the client relax.
• Listening with intent.
• Minimal Responses.
• Non Verbal Behaviour.
• Use of Voice.
• Use of Silence.
• Case Studies.
• Active Listening.
• Dealing with Silent Phone Calls.

3. Reflection

• Non Directive Counselling.
• Paraphrasing.
• Feelings.
• Reflection of Feeling.
• Client Responses to Reflection of Feelings.
• Reflection of Content and Feeling.
• Case Studies.

4. Questioning

• Open & Closed Questions.
• Other types of Questions (Linear, Information seeking, Strategic, Reflective, Clarification, etc).
• Questions to Avoid.
• Goals of Questioning.
• Identification.
• Assessment.
• Intervention.
• Case Studies.

5. Interview techniques

• Summarising.
• Application.
• Confrontation.
• Reframing.
• Case Studies.
• Perspective.
• Summary.

6. Changing beliefs and normalising

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
• Changing Self-Destructive Beliefs.
• Irrational Beliefs.
• Normalising.
• Case Studies.
• Designing a Questionnaire.

7. Finding solutions

• Moving Forward.
• Choices (Reviewing, Creating, Making choices).
• Facilitating Actions.
• Gestalt Awareness Circle.
• Psychological Blocks.
• Case Study.

8. Ending the counselling

• Terminating the session.
• Closure.
• Further Meetings.
• Dependency.
• Confronting Dependency.
• Chronic Callers.
• Terminating Silent Phone Calls.
• Silent Endings.
• Case Study.
• Other Services.

Counselling Skills II BPS110

The module is divided into 8 lessons, as follows:

1. The Counselling Session
   How Micro-Skills come together.
2. Focus on the Present
   Present experiences; Feedback; Transference; Projection; Resistance.
3. Telephone Counselling
   Visual versus non-visual contact; Preparation; Initial contact; Use of micro-skills; Overall Process; Debriefing; Types of Problem Callers.
4. Dealing with Crises
   What is a crisis?; Types of crisis; Dangers of Crises; Counsellor’s Responses and Intervention; Post-Traumatic Stress.
5. Problem-Solving Techniques I
   Aggression; Assisting the Client to Express Anger; Encouraging Change; Role-Play; Externalising Anger.
6. Problem-Solving Techniques II
   Depression; Counselling Depression; Blocked Anger; Referral Practice; Chronic Depression; Setting Goals; Promoting Action.
7. Problem-Solving Techniques III
   Grief and Loss; Loss of Relationships; Assisting the Grieving Client; Stages of Grief.
8. Problem-Solving Techniques IV
   Suicide; Ethics; Reasons for Suicide; Perceived Risk; Counselling Strategies; Counselling Skills; Alternative Approach.

Counselling Techniques BPS206

1. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy l - Freud, Erikson, Jung

• Value and relevance of psychotherapy.
• Emergence of psychoanalytical theory.
• Principles of psychoanalytical theory.
• Elements of the personality.
• The notion of conscious and unconscious.
• Anxiety and psychoanalysis.
• Inbuilt psychological coping and damage repair mechanisms.
• Defense mechanisms.
• Freuds psychosexual theory and Eriksons psychosocial theory.
• Jung's perspective on personality.
• Archetypes.
• Recent developments in psychoanalytical theory.
• Goals of psychoanalytical approach.
• Psychoanalytic techniques.
• Analytic framework.
• Free associations.
• Interpretation.
• Dream analysis.
• Resistance.
• Transference.
• Psychoanalytic approach and counselling.
• Personality disorders.
• Critique for psychoanalytic theory.
  

2.  Psychoanalytical Psychotherapy ll - Adler

• Alfred Adler.
• Adler's key concepts.
• Inferiority vs superiority.
• What makes people self interested.
• Social interest and community feeling.
• Individual psychology.
• Psychological types: ruling type, leaning type, avoiding type.
• Sibling relationships.
• Only child.
• First child, second child, youngest child.
• Use of adlerian theory.
• Applications to counselling.
• Freud and Adler.
• Critique.

3. Humanistic/Existential Approaches I - Gestalt Therapy; Fritz Perls

• Introduction.
• Human nature.
• Holistic approach.
• Field theory.
• Figure-formation process.
• Organismic self regulation.
• Focus on the present.
• Resolving dilemmas.
• Personal maturity.
• The effect of contact.
• Effect of energy.
• The experiment.
• Confrontation.
• Gestalt techniques: Internal dialogue, reversal, rehersal, exaggeration, dream work, etc.
• Critique.

4. Humanistic/Existential Approaches II - Person-Centred Counselling; Carl Rogers

• Humanistic therapy.
• Principles of person centred approach.
• Personal attitude of the counsellor.
• Goals of therapt.
• Assessment techniques.
• Areas of application.
• Critique.

5. Rational Behavioural Therapy - Albert Ellis

• Rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT).
• Ellis's view of human nature.
• Personality theory.
• Goals and techniques of therapy.
• Therapeutic techniques.
• Cognitive techniques.
• Emotive techniques.
• Use of REBT.
• Critique.

6. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - Aaron Beck

• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and REBT.
• Premises of CBT.
• Cognitive distortions.
• Use of cognitive therapy.
• Family therapy.
• Modifications to CBT.
• Stress innoculation training program (SIT).
• Stages of SIT.
• Constructivist modification.

7. Behavioural Therapy

• Contempory behavioural therapy.
• Behavioural approach.
• Goals ant techniques.
• Goals of therapy.
• Use of behaviour therapy.
• Basic ID.
• Critique.

8. Solution-Focused Counselling

• Generating creative solutions.
• Critique.

Professional Practice in Counselling BPS207

The module is divided into 7 lessons, as follows:

Grief Counselling BPS209

There are 8 lessons in this module:

1. Nature and Scope of Grief and Bereavement
   • Understanding loss.
   • Society's views on loss.
   • Coping with loss.
   • Knowing what to expect.
   • Mourning.
   • Living with grief.
   • Terminology.
   • Types of grief.
2. Stages of Grief
   • Common stages.
   • Duration of grief.
   • Denial.
   • Anger.
   • Bargaining.
   • Depression.
   • Acceptance.
   • Tasks of mourning.
   • Criticism.
   • Mourning process in Judaism (case study).
   • Response to loss and grieving.
   • Not coping.
3. Grief and Children
   • Grief for children up to three years old.
   • Grief for 3 to 6 year old.
   • Grief for 7 - 8 year old.
   • Grief for children 9 years and older.
   • Preparing a child for death.
   • Sudden death.
   • After a death.
   • Funerals.
   • Typical child responses to grief.
   • Case studies.
   • Feelings about suicide.
   • Supporting a grieving child.
   • Help from family and friends.
   • Guidelines for letting children know what is and is not acceptable.
   • Children with serious problems with loss and grief.
4. Grief and Adolescents
   • Grief as a unique adolescent experience.
   • Adolescent responses: remoteness, anger, abuse, tears, egocentrism, sense of universality, etc.
   • Helping the grieving adolescent.
   • Difference between adolecent and adult grief experience.
5. Adjustment to Bereavement
   • What is grief.
   • Accept the loss.
   • Feel the pain.
   • Adjust, Adapt, etc.
   • Grief counselling.
   • Counsellor's response and intervention.
6. Abnormal Grief
   • Complicated grief reactions.
   • Worden's categories of complicated grief reactions.
   • Causes of abnormal grief.
   • Post traumatic stress disorder.
   • Symptoms and treatment of PTSD.
   • Loss of children in pregnancy: ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage.
   • Supporting people with complicated grief.
   • Managing grief after a disaster.
   • The course of bereavement.
   • Complications of bereavement.
   • Traumatic grief.
   • Risk factors for complications of bereavement.
   • Treating bereaved individuals.
   • Role of the professional in early stages of disaster bereavement.
7. Preparing for Grief and Bereavement
   • Sociocultural influences on the grief process.
   • Grief and terminal illness.
   • Preparing for an approaching death.
   • Practical preparations.
   • Emotional responses of the dying.
   • Responses of family and friends.
8. Future Outlook and Long-Term Grief
   • Psychological aspects of long term grief.
   • Chronic illness and grief case study.
   • Disabled child case study.
   • Strategies for handling long term grief: guided mourning, support groups, medication, etc.

Life Coaching BPS305

The module comprises 10 lessons, as follows:-

Lesson 1.  Introduction: Nature & scope of Life Coaching
Nature of life coaching, cognitive behaviour therapy, different approaches, the scope of life coaching.

Lesson 2. Individual Perception
Psychology of self-perception, perceptual barriers, motivating clients to challenge their perceptions.

Lesson 3. A Well Balanced Life
The inter-relationship between psychology and physiology, stress, the psychology of balance.

Lesson 4. Coaching Processes
Key coaching processes, assessment of the client's situation, dealing with emotions, setting goals, replacing negative habits with positive ones, leadership qualities in a life coach, imagination and enthusiasm, clarifying goals, recognition of limitations.

Lesson 5. Coaching Skills
Understanding the communication process, body language, communication barriers, listening skills, assessing learning styles.

Lesson 6. Coaching and Physical Well-Being
Human nutrition, important factors in nutrition, physical well-being.

Lesson 7. Coaching and Psychological Well-Being
The psychology of self-esteem, stress management programme, identifying stressors.

Lesson 8. Coaching Success
High achievement, coaching success, career guidance, managing your money, beginning a business.

Lesson 9. Goal Setting
Values, aims and goals,  types of goals, planning, future goals, steps for successful goal achievement, effort and attribution.

Lesson 10. Review and Adjustment
Indications that a programme needs to be reassessed,  client's lack of confidence, personality clash, over-achievers, health and safety issues.

Relationship and Communication Counselling BPS208

There are 6 lessons in this module, as outlined below:

1. Communication in Emerging Relationships

• Introduction.
• Problems in relationships.
• Stages in relationships.
• Interpersonal communication.
• The communication process.
• Principles of communication.
• Communication filtered through perceptions.
• Verbal communication.
• Non verbal communication.
• Communication responsibility.
• Ineffective communication.
• Signs of relationship breakdown.
• Effective communication.
• Abuse and violence in relationships.
  
  

2. Self-Awareness and Communication Goals

• Introduction.
• Negative communication.
• Self awareness.
• Setting the stage for change.
• Good communication is thoughtful.
• Intent.
• Awareness.
• Recognising reactive patterns.
• Relationship goals.

3. Communication Patterns in Relationships

• Negative patterns of communication.
• Aggressive patterns.
• Victim patterns.
• Avoidance patterns.
• Thought, feeling and action cycle.
• Thoughts and feelings differentiated.
• Emotions (feelings).
• Patterns of thought.
• Behaviour (Actions).
• Action skills.
• Communicating intent.

4. Influences on Relating Behaviour and PBL

• Influences on communication.
• Environmental influences; family, culture, social, other.
• Global factors.
• Communicating and changing interpersonal needs.
• Changing expectations and needs.
• Adult psychological development.
• Erikson's psycho social stages.
• PBL (problem based learning project) to create and plan a counselling intervention for a couple who are experiencing relationship difficulties. 

5. Communication Techniques and Skills

• Introduction.
• Triads.
• Listening.
• Paraphrasing.
• Reflective responses; emotions.
• Reflective responses; content.
• Guidelines to prevent inauthentic listening.
• Open questions.
• Message statements or requests.
• Self disclosure.
• Encouraging clients to learn communication.

6. Maintaining Relationships

• Introduction.
• Kinds of, and stages in relationships.
• Factors to help maintain relationships.
• Agreements or contracts.
• Praise and gifts for service.
• Relationship nurturing communication.
• Straight talk.

Family Counselling BPS213

There are 10 lessons in this module:

1. Nature & Scope of Families
   • Different types of families.
   • Traditional Family Structures.
   • Family Systems.
   • Cultural variations.
   • Family Lifecycles.
2. Family Dynamics
   • Crises.
   • Changing cultures (immigrant families).
   • Evolving Structures (Religion, new siblings, departing siblings, changing parents, incoming grandparents).
   • Breakdowns.
   • Merging two families.
   • Abuse.
   • Violence.
   • Death.
   • Illness.
   • Changing location (losing friends etc).
   • Changing income (loss of job etc).
   • Disintegration & Reintegration.
3. History
   • How are dynamics different & similar today to in the past.
   • How did we cope with family problems in the past in different places, cultures etc.
   • What can we learn from this? How can we draw strength from knowing all this is not new.
4. Identifying Problems
   • Patterns.
   • Critical incidents.
   • Long standing incidents.
   • Common problems for families.
   • Common problems for couples.
5. Support Structures
   • What support services might be accessed.
   • Extended family.
   • Community services.
   • Social networks.
   • Religion.
   • Types of counselling, -individual, Group Work etc (incl. problems with Group work) etc.
6. Approaches to Family Therapy I.
7. Approaches to Family Therapy II.
8. Conducting Initial Interviews/Sessions.
9. Considering Solutions:
   • Determining Roles.
   • Establishing Rules.
10. Case Study
    • Consider a situation establish & consider alternative strategies & select a strategy.

Professional Supervision BPS301

The module is divided into 7 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction to Professional Supervision

• Introduction.
• Nature and scope of counselling.
• Defining supervision.
• Benefits of being supervised.
• Personal moral qualities of a counsellor.
• Case study.
• Your strengths and weaknesses.
• SWOT analysis.
• Qualities of a professional supervisor.
• Case study.

2. Models of Supervision

• Beginning the super vision process.
• Contracts.
• Models of supervision.
• Mentoring.
• Proctors interactive model of supervision.
• Use of reflection in the theoretical framework.
• Forms of supervision: individual, group, self, agency.
• Reporting and record keeping.
• PBL: Create and present a plan with specific strategies for improving the supervision of employee’s work related skills, attitudes, and knowledge in the workplace, based on a clear understanding of the person’s needs, values, and situation.

3. Professionalism, Ethics, and Legal Concerns

• Introduction and ethical codes.
• Supervisor professional standards.
• Ethical decisions.
• Responsibilities of supervisors to other professionals.
• Confidentiality.
• Informed consent.
• Multicultural counselling.
• Dual relationships.
• Professional boundaries.
• Complaints.
• Professional misconduct.
• Bringing the profession into disrepute.
• Sanctions.

4. Different Approaches to Supervision

• Relevant theories or models.
• Developmental models.
• The Professional Development Model (PDM).
• Discrimination model.
• Issues in supervision.
• What is burnout.
• What causes burnout.
• Is stress the same as burn out.
• Online counselling and supervision.
• Telephone counselling.
• E mail or online counselling.
• How does online supervision work.
• International perspectives on counselling supervision.

5. Supervision for Different Professions

• Introduction.
• What to look for in an effective supervisor.
• Foundations of supervision.
• Supervision policy statement.
• Case study: Supervision in social work.
• Case study: supervision in occupational health nursing.
• Case study: supervision in the coaching profession.
• Case study: supervision for child safety.
• Case study: supervision in youth work.

6. Organisational Considerations

• Introduction.
• Self governance, awareness and supervision.
• Defining requirements.
• Organisational dynamics.
• Team dynamics.
• Supervision and outside contractors.
• Benefits of supervision in an organisation.
• Education.

7. Managing Supervision

• Issues in managing the process.
• Frequency and duration of supervision.
• Finance.
• Other elements.
• Motivating factors.
• Transference and counter transference.
• Power abuse.
• Selection of supervisors and supervision.
• Standardised and open methods of supervision.

ELECTIVE MODULES - STRUCTURE AND CONTENT

Managing Mental Health in Adults BPS216

There are 9 lessons in this module:
1. Introduction to mental health issues
2. Depression in men and women
3. Anxiety, phobias and OCD
4. Schizophrenia
5. Antisocial personality disorders
6. Eating disorders
7. Dementias
8. Helping yourself in mental health issues
9. Services for mental health issues

Child and Adolescent Mental Health BPS214

There are 10 lessons in this module:

1. Nature and Scope of Mental Health.  This lesson looks at the difference between adult and child mental health, what we mean by mental health and mental wellbeing. It also considers normal childhood development, child mental illness, the prevalence of mental health issues in children and adolescents, the mental health industry. looking at difference between adult and child and adolescent mental health. What we mean by mental health? Mental wellness etc.
2. Childhood Depression.  This lesson looks at the different types of depression in children, how it is diagnosed, the causes of childhood depression, assessing the risk of suicide
3. Anxiety Disorders.  Covering topics such as separation disorders, generalised anxiety, school phobias, social phobias, the signs, symptoms and treatment of anxiety disorders, anxiety disorders in adolescence.
4. Tic Disorders.  The topics covered in this lesson include an introduction to tic disorders, different types of tics, Gilles De La Tourette Syndrome (Tourette's Syndrome), Transient Tic Disorder, Chronic Tic Disorder and Tic Disorder (NOS)
5. Brain Disorders (Injury & Disease).  This lesson introduces brain disorders and considers the differences between adults and children with this sort of condition, traumatic brain injury, congenital malformations, genetic disorders, tumours, infectious diseases, cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy and the impact of environmental toxins on brain disorders.
6. Other Disorders.  Covering topics such as  motor disorders, elimination disorders - Encopresis, Enuresis, feeding & eating disorders; Reactive Attachment Disorder, Selective Mutism and Stereotypic Movement Disorder.
   
7. The Impact of Environmental Problems on Child and Adolescent Mental Health.  Covering abuse and neglect, the effects of abuse,  relationship problems,  factitious disorders by proxy, attachment disorders and lifestyle.
   
8. Problems of Adolescence.  Includes anorexia, bulimia, substance use, family conflict.
9. Holistic and Alternative Approaches to Treatment.  The lesson looks at drug treatments, food and mental health, alternative therapies such as homeopathy, art therapy, music therapy, counselling/psychotherapy, craniosacral/biodynamic osteopathy, kinesiology, aromatherapy, sensory integration, behavioural optometry, hearing and mental health, movement therapies.
10. Special Project.  You choose something of interest to you in relation to child and adolescent mental health and carry out a project on this, guided by your tutor.

Any Questions?

If you have any questions about the course, our psychology tutors are more than happy to help.

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