Counselling Skills
With an ever-increasing focus on mental health issues, counsellors are in high demand. If you’re interested in exploring counselling as a potential career or would just like to understand the essential skills of being a counsellor which can help both your life and career, two new courses at Richmond, The American International University in London, could be just what you’re looking for.
The courses, which are open to both students at Richmond and the general public, have been designed to provide an introduction to counselling theory, helping skills and the ethics of safely helping others through talking therapy.
These courses are designed to provide students with a Level 1 (September-November) and Level 2 training (January–July), which will provide a useful stepping stone for qualification as a counsellor in the UK (if students wish to progress), which can be achieved with a Level 4 Diploma.
Together, these programmes will provide an excellent introduction to counselling. This is what makes them stand out from others:
- The programmes are delivered in the Richmond Psychology department by lecturers who are experts in both psychology and counselling, providing students with a wealth of insights into the two disciplines
- The Foundations to Counselling Skills course, which is benchmarked to be taught at the Regulated Qualification Framework at Level 1, is unique to Richmond, it is not offered by any other institution in the country
- Most counselling skills courses only offer training in theory and communication skills, however, Richmond completes the training by offering real business skills to help students learn how to create and develop their own private practices.
Students are welcome to join the programme at either level (Foundations to Counselling Skills or Introduction to Counselling Skills). No counselling experience is required.
We are currently planning to provide in-person teaching at our Richmond campus from the start of September. We have all learnt that the situation with the virus can change, so we have put in place precautions and contingencies should circumstances change and a different approach be needed to keep everyone safe. This may include a blended approach to learning with a combination of in-person teaching and online learning, and we will take appropriate steps if certain countries have restrictions placed on travel by the UK government, and where necessary by other governments. Please contact us if you have any questions (see below for contact details).
Counselling Skills Courses
Foundation to Counselling Skills, Level 1 (September-November)
Date: 14 September – 16 November 2021(one semester)
Duration: 10 Week Programme
Venue: Richmond campus (in line with UK government guidance on Covid-19)
Time: Mondays, 16.00 – 19.00
Course level: Beginner
Type of Course: Late afternoon/early evening Short Course (not for credit)
Course Content
- The roles and responsibilities of working as a counsellor
- Basic communication skills
- The fundamental elements of creating, maintaining and ending a counselling relationship
- How to work ethically and with cultural sensitivity through reflective learning and counselling practice
Following a brief knowledge assessment, the final session will focus on career progression and training opportunities that will supporting learners to become professional counsellors. This course is benchmarked against a Level 1 Award in the Regulated Qualification Framework.
Introduction to Counselling Skills, Level 2 (January–July)
Date:
- Unit 1 (1st semester) – 25 January – 29 March 2022
- Unit 2 (2nd semester) – 17 May – 19 July 2022
Duration: 20 Week Programme over 2 semesters
Venue: Richmond campus (in line with UK government guidance on Covid-19) government guidance)
Time: Mondays, 16.00 – 19.00
Course level: Beginner
Type of Course: Late afternoon/early evening Short Course (not for credit)
Introduction to Counselling Skills consists of two units (1 unit/term)
Unit 1: The Counselling Toolkit: Skills for Building a Counselling Relationship
This unit teaches students in detail about the basic tools counsellors use for building trust and working through the problem situations of their clients. Skills to be learnt learned include paraphrasing, summarising, reflecting feelings, and challenging clients.
Unit 2: The Stages of Counselling, Issues & Theories
This unit teaches students how to use the skills gained in unit 1 to structure a counselling relationship made up of a beginning, middle, and ending. Students will also learn how to reflect on their cultural identity and ethical practice, as well as gain a basic introduction to psychodynamic, humanistic, and cognitive-behavioral theories of counselling.
This course is assessed by observation of counselling skills, creating a reflective portfolio, a short case study and a brief knowledge and skills assessment. This course is benchmarked against a Level 2 Certificate in the Regulated Qualification Framework.
Who should apply
Both short courses are ideal for people of all backgrounds who are interested in learning more about the role of a counsellor and how counselling skills and knowledge can be highly useful tools for life.
Entry Requirements
No prior knowledge of counselling is required.
Fees
£600 per term/semester (10 weeks)
Get in Touch
If you are interested in joining either course (or both courses), please contact:
Dr Ira Konstantinou,
Head of Psychology Department
konstai@richmond.ac.uk
Meet the Team
With the support of a highly renowned Psychology team at this international university, the academic faculty teaching this programme are experts in the fields of both psychology and counselling:
Tavis Ryan King
BA (Hons), MSc, MA, Couns.Dip, PhD Candidate
Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society Special Group for Independent Practitioners; Academics, Teachers and Researchers; Psychology of Sexualities; Psychotherapy Section
Fellow Member of Accredited Counsellors, Coaches, Psychotherapists and Hypnotherapists
George Berguño
BSc (Hons), MSc, DPhil
Chartered Member and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society
Full Member of the British Psychological Society Special Group for Independent Practitioners
