NEW TREE & SHRUB EBOOK Written by John Mason as a guide for gardeners everywhere.

This ebook is an ideal reference to be used by students in the first year of a horticulture certificate, diploma or degree. It provides the sort of information that they need to begin developing a professional level of plant knowledge. It is equally useful for the tradesman already working in the field, or the home gardener who needs a quick reference when choosing plants for a garden.

Check out the bookshops: www.acsebook.com or www.acsbookshop.com

Sharon Alsop

I am currently working on my Diploma in Psychology and Counselling via ACS. I have always wanted to do a course in this field and finally decided to take the plunge about two years ago. I was interested in the subjects ACS offered and liked the idea of being able to study via long distance and at my own pace. I have learnt a lot from this course and have enjoyed it immensely.

I left my job in the Telco industry in 2010 in order to pursue my passion in counselling. I have been doing some volunteer work to complement my studies, and I am loving it! I am a volunteer counsellor with a particular project in local schools, as well as a helpline volunteer for GetConnected (helpline for under 25 year olds). These volunteer roles have enabled me to practice some of what I have learnt from the course and the experience has been invaluable. I am still learning a great deal! Just when I think I understand what counselling is all about, something new comes up and I am put right back into student mode. Being a counsellor (or studying to be one), isn't as easy as I first thought but is definitely enjoyable and something that I am passionate about.

ACS is very flexible in their approach which I have found extremely helpful when it came to some of my assignments. For example, in my Child Psychology module where I didn't always have access to interviewing children, my tutor mentioned that I could do alternative research instead to answer the questions, which is great. I really like learning about all the different schools of Psychology and Counselling. I feel particularly drawn to Brief Solution Focused Therapy and did some training in it with the BRIEF Institute (London). I would probably like to use this method (amongst others) of Counselling when I later practice as a counsellor.

To view the course outline of the Diploma in Counselling and Psychology, click here.
To find out more about the GetConnected Helpline for under 25 year olds, please visit their website.

We have recently added a new feature on to our www.acsedu.com site which allows our students or people browsing through our site to like each individual page through Facebook, or Tweet it. Some pages are fast becoming popular, so we're pleased at the reaction so far! If you find a course you like, please 'like' or 'tweet' it!

We are considering developing certain courses, and would like to know which are most popular. If you are interested in any of the following, or perhaps have a suggestion that we have not yet considered, please email denise@acs.edu.au and let us know.
Courses we are considering for development:
Dog Care
Urban Farming
Horticultural Therapy
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Primates
Goat Husbandry
Equine Conformation and Movement
Botany III
Carpentry
Graphic Art/ Digital Imaging
Party Planning

Aromatherapy - 100 hour course - has been updated and expanded
Seed Propagation is now online

Most popular courses this week:
Biopsychology I
Zoo Keeping
Farm Management
Wildlife Management