Home Courses Psychology and Counselling Certificate in Counselling Skills

Certificate in Counselling Skills

Your first step to becoming a counsellor

Your first step to becoming a counsellor

The February 2024 course is now full.
Applications for September 2024 entry are now open.

20 weeks (2x10 weeks) Part Time
Bishop Otter Campus (Chichester)
  • Discover humanistic theory, values and ethical practice
  • Use University facilities
  • Start your journey to become a qualified counsellor 
  • Learn to improve your personal and professional relationships
Student smiling in a Counselling class

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5th

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WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2020

14th

for teaching quality

Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021

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Overview

Counselling is rapidly growing as a profession and is increasingly valued in education, medicine, the caring field and most workplaces.

If you’re looking to become a professional counsellor, our Certificate in Counselling is the ideal first step to start your training.

With this Level 4 course, you’ll begin to develop your counselling skills and understanding. After completing this programme we offer the next stage in counselling training: BA (Hons) Humanistic Counselling. During this BA (Hons) degree you will become a fully qualified counsellor after completing all practical and academic requirements of the second year.

Who is this qualification for?

This course is ideal if you:

  • Want to begin your training as a professional counsellor.
  • Want to change your current career to become a counsellor.
  • Wish to understand and adopt counselling skills to your current role.
  • Or would simply like to improve personal and professional relationships.

The Course

What you will study

You will study a range of topics during the course. The topics you will study could include:

Indicative Course Content Phase 1:

  • Philosophy of Humanistic Practice
  • Carl Rogers Core Conditions
  • Acceptance
  • Empathy
  • Genuineness
  • Presence
  • Effective Listening
  • Non-verbal and Para-verbal Communication
  • Giving and Receiving Constructive Feedback
  • Introduction to Transactional Analysis
  • Introduction to Transference
  • Loss and Change
  • Perceptions and Attitudes towards Diverse Cultural Forms

Indicative Course Content Phase 2:

  • Exercises to Continue Self Awareness
  • Resistance and Reluctance
  • Immediacy
  • Defences
  • Challenges (Self and Others)
  • Johari Window
  • Appreciation of Difference
  • Hierarchy of Human Need
  • Group Process and Dynamics
  • Practice in Small Groups
  • Peer Assessment of Taped Interaction
  • Core Conditions of Humanistic Practice Accentuated
  • Transactional Analysis
  • Transference
  • Feedback

Teaching and Assessment

How you will learn

The Certificate in Counselling Skills is a free-standing course that has two modules, Phase 1 and Phase 2. There’s a total of 20 sessions (10 in each phase) with two entry points for Phase 1 (September and January) and Phase 2 (January and April).

Both phases combine humanistic theory, values and ethical practice to counselling skills used in one-to-one, face-to-face situations and wider social contexts at work as well as in the community.

The sessions at the University are delivered on weekday evenings and Saturdays to give you flexibility around your current commitments.

Facilities

Use University resources, equipment and study spaces

Use facilities including the Brain Imaging Unit, VR Immersive Suite, Psychological Test Centre, Interview and Observation Suite and individual fully equipped testing cubicles and use industry standard equipment and software throughout your studies.

Careers

Where you could go after your studies

You can apply for progression onto the BA (Hons) Humanistic Counselling once you complete this Certificate.

Students with additional qualifications/credit can progress from Certificate level to degree level in five years. The BA (Hons) in Humanistic Counselling is also an excellent development for students already holding a Diploma in Counselling.

As a student in the department, you will also have access to a range of opportunities, including:

  • Study abroad
  • Erasmus
  • Internships
  • Placements
  • Voluntary research assistance

Student

BA (Hons) Humanistic Counselling
"Chichester came highly recommended for this course. It is the only course I have ever participated in my lifetime that has changed my life and given me a direct route into my chosen career, it has essentially created that career for me. I am working in a private counselling practice, and this course has not only given me the skills to be successful and additionally the confidence and courage to step out of employment into self employment. I think the changes people have seen in me personally, as well as the success in my new career is the biggest recommendation that can me made."

Course Costs

Course Fees 2024/25

UK fee
£1,377
Cost per module

Part time fees are calculated based on sum of module credits taken per annum.

For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fee page.

For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.

To find out about any additional costs on this course, please see our Additional Costs page.

Entry Requirements

This course is open entry for student by application and reference.

Teaching Dates

September 2023 starters

Phase 1 – September 2023

  • Saturday 30 September
  • Monday 2 October
  • Monday 9 October
  • Monday 16 October
  • Monday 23 October
  • Monday 30 October
  • Saturday 4 November
  • Monday 13 November
  • Monday 20 November
  • Saturday 25 November

September 2023 starters

Phase 2 – February 2024

  • Saturday 17 February
  • Monday 19 February
  • Monday 26 February
  • Monday 4 March
  • Monday 11 March
  • Saturday 16 March
  • Monday 18 March
  • Monday 8 April
  • Monday 15 April
  • Saturday 20 April

February 2024 starters

Phase 1 – February 2024

  • Saturday 17 February
  • Thursday 22 February
  • Thursday 29 February
  • Thursday 7 March
  • Thursday 14 March
  • Saturday 16 March
  • Thursday 21 March
  • Thursday 11 April
  • Thursday 18 April
  • Thursday 20 April

February 2024 starters

Phase 2 – May 2024

  • Saturday 11 May
  • Thursday 16 May
  • Thursday 23 May
  • Thursday 30 May
  • Thursday 6 June
  • Thursday 8 June
  • Thursday 13 June
  • Thursday 20 June
  • Thursday 27 June
  • Saturday 29 June

Apply

February 2024 entry

Applications for February 2024 entry are now closed.

September 2024 entry

To apply for the September 2024 entry route for this course, please click the button below.

Please note that when applying you will need to complete the full online application form, which includes a supporting personal statement and a reference.

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