The Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies is designed for those of you who have already acquired practical counselling skills and theoretical knowledge at Level 2, and now wish to continue your training at an advanced level.
This qualification has a strong focus on experiential areas such as professional discussion and workshops; seminars; projects and presentations; learning reviews; simulated counselling practice; case studies; and simulated group training supervision. The course seeks to recreate real-life counselling scenarios, and will involve some personal disclosure and associated personal developmental activities.
You'll be introduced to the three main counselling theories, these being the Person-Centred approach, the Psychodynamic approach, and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT); providing you with a broad base of knowledge to help advance your future career.
You'll be required to take part in six sessions of personal counselling during the course, in order to aid your personal development, and these will need to be self-funded (typically costing £25 to £40 per session). There's also an independent study requirement of at least 2 hours per week, in order to complete your weekly reflective learning review and other coursework.
Successfully passing this course will not qualify you as a counsellor, but will further develop your knowledge and skills in order to take your next steps towards becoming fully-qualified. It'll prepare you for undertaking workplace experience as a trainee counsellor, and provide a gateway to further qualifications and training. This is a part-time course lasting 18 weeks; and with a choice of two study times, either 9am-3.10pm, or 3.30pm-9pm, is ideally-suited to those of you with existing work, study, or family commitments.
What experience and skills will you gain?
- Prepare to work within an ethical framework for counselling
- Understand the counselling relationship
- Understand difference and diversity issues to develop empathic understanding
- Work within a user-centred approach to counselling
- Use counselling theory to develop self-awareness in counselling practice
- Understand theories of counselling and mental health
- Use feedback, reflection and supervision to support counselling studies
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Campus
This course will be delivered at Lambeth College - Clapham
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What do you need to apply?
You are required to have undertaken previous classroom-based counselling skills training, such as the Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CPCAB), or achieved equivalent units/qualifications consisting of at least 75 guided learning hours (GLH).
GCSE English (or equivalent) at grade C/4 or above, or Level 2 English
and
GCSE Maths (or equivalent) at grade E/2 or above, or Level 1 Maths
It is recommended that you:
- are at least 23yrs old with three years independent adult life experience
- are open to working on your self-awareness in relation to others
Places on this course are subject to a tutor reference and an interview.
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How will you be assessed?
You will be assessed via a number of methods, in each of the seven key modules. These assessment methods can include tutor and peer feedback on counselling skills practice; weekly learning reviews and summaries; written essays; presentations on theory; six peer counselling sessions; a case study; and an external assessment.
Your external assessment will consist of watching a short DVD of a counselling session, and then completing a 75-minute written Candidate Feedback Paper under exam conditions.
To achieve the qualification, you will have to be assessed as Proficient in both your tutor assessment and external CPCAB assessment.
There is a qualification requirement for at least six sessions of person-centred or integrative counselling while on the course, which you will have to self-fund.
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Where can this course take you?
This course could lead to work as a helper or a trainee counsellor, in areas such as mental health, the homeless, substance misuse, education, health, and social care.
Further training can lead to becoming a fully-qualified counsellor.
After successfully passing the Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies, you may wish to consider progressing on to the following Level 4 course:
- Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (CPCAB)
