The Graduate Certificate in Counselling course is an ideal starting point for those who want to begin to train as counselors, but do not have traditional academic qualifications and/or previous experience in a helping role. The course is a one-year, part-time program of study which incorporates the three strands of counseling training – counseling theory, counseling practice, and personal development. Many students who complete this course progress on to Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy, which is professional training in counseling.
The program aims to develop students’ knowledge of the theory of person-centered counseling; to help them gain the skills inherent in forming and maintaining a facilitative counseling relationship, characterized by the ‘core conditions of empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard, and to help students develop personal and professional awareness. In addition, the program aims to equip students with an understanding of and respect for safe, ethical counseling practice, in line with BACP recommended standards and an awareness of difference and diversity.
