Training in Counselling &
Psychotherapy
“Where do I start?”
Counselling
► Introductory/Basic skills courses
Usually 3 hrs pw . . 10 to 17 weeks
► Include background in basic theory,
interpersonal/communication skills and some
group sharing of personal experiences.
► Useful even if you’ve trained already as a nurse,
social worker or similar as it will give a taste of
what is particular to this professional field
► “What next?”
Certificate level courses
►Usually
1 yr , c.4 hrs pw. (N.B. Some
places offer a two year Certificate
instead of Introductory + 1yr.Cert.)
►Require trainees to have a regular
setting where can practice skills – may
be voluntary work as a befriender or
integral to current employment (such
as personal tutoring if you are a
lecturer or talking/listening to patients
if you are a nurse).
Certificate level courses
► More
theory; more skills development; some
issues-based teaching; increasing emphasis
on developing personal awareness (e.g.
impact of self on others, understanding of
own emotional baggage).
► FE & HE certificates available. HE level will
usually include more academic assignments
and, if you have no previous HE experience,
this can be invaluable in reaching the
standard required by most courses at the
next level…
“I think I want to become a Counsellor”
Professional Training as a Counsellor
►2
yrs, 6 – 7 hrs pw
► Mandatory placement for 1 to 1 casework
► Mandatory supervision of casework
► May require personal therapy
► Will usually include a weekly Personal
Development group
► Require good levels of written English and of
academic skills.
► Usually FE or HE institution with some private
training bodies too. In near future a switch to
university-validated courses will impact all training
providers.
“How much time should I allow ?”
► Placements
require a serious investment of time;
you will be doing 2-3 client hours per week plus
whatever is required in terms of training
meetings/internal supervision.
► Supervision will be between 1.5 & 2hrs per month
while you are seeing clients.
► Personal therapy (if required) will be 1hr. per week
► And don’t forget travelling time for all of these!
► It
is probably wise to regard this as an
additional day’s worth of work to put
alongside of your Diploma/Psychotherapy
training. So you will be fitting in two extra
days of stuff whilst you are in training. You
will have to plan in advance and be clear
about what you will give up to
accommodate this.
Post-professional academic trainings
► Build
on Diploma but are academic rather
than experiential
► One-year top-up degrees (e.g. BSc at
Leedsmet)
► Masters programmes; can be modular (e.g.
Leedsmet, Salford) or group-based (e.g.
York St. John)
► Doctorates (PhD)
► All are university based
“I want to be a psychotherapist”
► For
those who wish to specialise in longer term/indepth work
► Usually 4yrs pt, usually in private institution
validated by a university
► Mandatory placement which will also include a
psychiatric placement
► Mandatory supervision of casework
► Mandatory personal therapy usually throughout
the training
► Usually lead to MA; although some trainings stand
outside of this there is an increasing trend for
psychotherapy trainings to seek university
validation
Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy
NHS Improving Access to Psychological
Therapies (IAPT) growth in 1 y full time
training at University in CBT/P
► In-post training at post grad level
►
► For
those with a professional qual in social
worK – counselling – mental health nursing.
“What about FT undergraduate
programmes?”
► First
appeared during late 1990s as a way of
responding to demand at 18+
► FT 3yr courses
► Not a practitioner training for counsellors or
psychotherapists but a generic background
(hence titles like “Counselling Studies”)
► Traditional academic entry filter to what is,
in effect, a vocational preparation for many
careers involving ‘people skills’.
“What personal qualities will I
need?”. . . .
► Integrity.
► Assertiveness.
► Emotional resilience.
► Good thinking skills and an enquiring mind.
► Organised, punctual and generally well boundaried.
► Compassion and respectfulness
► A capacity for experiencing intense emotions
without acting them out
► This is not a complete list!
► Useful website for more info
► www.bacp.co.uk
or www.ukcp.org.uk
New course at Leeds Metropolitan University
level
Award
Award post grad route
Cert Interpersonal &
Counselling Skills 1 Y
PG Cert Counselling Skills
1Y
5/7
Diploma Therapeutic
Counselling HE 2Y
2Y P Grad Dip
Therapeutic Counselling
6/7
BSc Therapeutic
Counselling
MA Psychotherapy
7
MA Psychological
Therapies
Old
new
4/7
(need 7 modules to progress
MA Psychotherapy)
Centred on mental health treatment
& diagnosis
Summer
►
►
art therapy Sheffield NHS 4 days
MA Mod or stand alone cert
3 day Counselling skills as a taster/CPD