Level 4 CPCAB Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

You must have completed a face to face Level 3 Certificate in Counselling to apply. You will also need to supply the names of two referees, one from an academic source. Every applicant is invited to an interview to assess their suitability for the course. At interview you will need to declare and discuss previous convictions, reprimands, cautions or final warnings. A satisfactory DBS will need to be obtained to enable you to undertake your placement, which is a requirement of the course.

Entry requirements include passes at GCSE for English and Maths at grade 4 or above however equivalent qualifications and/or work experience will be taken into consideration. Applicants without GCSEs will be required to complete initial assessments and may wish to consider the part-time GCSE courses that the College offers both during the evening and daytime.

The course will equip you with the knowledge, skills and competencies to work as a therapeutic counsellor in an agency context. It is designed to lead to an employed or voluntary role in a counselling agency in both health care and non-medical settings. Students with sufficient experience can also begin working as independent practitioners in private practice. You will study seven mandatory units:

Unit 1 Working ethically, safely and professionally as a counsellor

• Work within an ethical and legal framework
• Work within a counselling service
• Use supervision to work within own limits of proficiency
  
  

Unit 2 Working within a counselling relationship

• Establish and sustain the boundaries of the counselling relationship
• Establish and develop the therapeutic relationship
  
  

Unit 3 Working with client diversity in counselling work

• Understand and work with diversity
• Challenge own issues, fears and prejudices
• Understand how diversity issues affect client access to counselling
  
  

Unit 4 Working within a user centred approach to counselling

• Work within a user-centred agreement for the counselling work
• Maintain a user-centred focus throughout the counselling work
  
  

Unit 5 Working with self-awareness in the counselling process

• Use counselling theory to understand own self
• Work on personal issues that resonate with client work
• Use self-awareness to enhance counselling work
  
  

Unit 6 Working within a coherent framework of counselling theory and skills

• Use a coherent framework of theory and skills to inform and enhance counselling work
• Understand and work with client problems at different service levels
  
  

Unit 7 Working Self reflectively as a counsellor

• Manage own development as a counsellor
• Reflect on and evaluate own counselling work within agency settings
  
  

Successful completion of this course means that the candidates will be able to provide a therapeutic counselling service, initially within the context of an agency's service framework, but later (with experience and support from the supervisor, or by completing PC-L5 or its equivalent), they may progress to independent practice.

You will need to undertake a 100-hour placement as part of the course, which must be secured prior to progressing on to year two.

Assessment is based on practical and written assignments, presentations, an exam in year two and a placement portfolio.

Successful completion can be used as evidence towards applying for full membership of BACP and NCS accreditations and could lead on to further professional development in counselling e.g. Masters.

You can apply online by clicking the apply button above, where you will need to create an account as a new user. If after reading this factsheet, you are still undecided about the course most suitable for you, please drop into one of our advice events, ring the Admissions Team on 01743 653333 or email parttimecourses@scg.ac.uk