Certificate in Counselling Skills Course Guide

This course will provide an introduction to various methods of learning and identifying essential micro- skills. It will include but not be limited to the function and purpose of counselling, psychoanalytic techniques, key concepts of humanistic therapy and key counselling skills.

This course will provide an introduction to the skills of commencing the counselling process, including but not limited to the unique relationship between the counsellor and client, the role of listening in the counselling process and the importance of a good environment.

This course will provide an introduction to the notion of reflection of content and feelings, including but not limited to the five basic responses of non-directive counselling, paraphrasing, the process of reflection on thoughts and feelings and responses to reflection.

This course will provide an overview of different questioning techniques and their usefulness in the counselling process. It will include but not be limited to the importance of restricting questioning, the difference between open and closed questions, questions that should be avoided and the various ways questions are used in crisis counselling.

This course will take a look at various micro-skills such as summarising, confrontation and reframing. It will include but not be limited to the effects such micro-skills can have on the client, when it is appropriate or inappropriate for a counsellor to use each micro-skill and a look at Carl Rogers’s perspective on effective counselling.

This course will provide an introduction to the negative impact of self-destructive beliefs and the value of normalising in the counselling process. It will include but not be limited to the reasons for self-destructive beliefs, the components and benefits of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, case studies of normalising and the symptoms and treatment for depression.

This course will take a look at how a client can make choices, overcome psychological blocks and facilitate actions. It will include but not be limited to ways to find solutions, the process of creating, making and reviewing choices, the components of the Gestalt awareness circle and ways to overcome psychological blockages.

This course will provide an overview of effective ways to close the counselling session, arranging further meetings and overcoming dependency. It will include but not be limited to the three stages of a counselling session, the importance of time management in a counselling session and how dependency can be managed.