Overview
This online Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills course is endorsed by ACCPH and provides you with the understanding, knowledge and skills to become an effective practitioner. You'll learn what it takes to become a great counsellor, explore the theory that underpins the valuable work that counsellors do, and understand how to form a relationship with clients based on mutual trust and understanding.
In addition to equipping you with the knowledge needed to practice as a counsellor, this course will also develop the key skills required in a wide range of roles and careers such as health and care support, community care roles, nursing, teaching, the allied professions, team leadership and human resources.
What you'll learn
During this first unit, you’ll understand and evaluate the key elements of the main theoretical approaches to counselling. You’ll explore humanistic, psychodynamic, and cognitive behavioural therapy, appreciate what is meant by the ‘integrative model’, and demonstrate how to apply core theories when using counselling skills in practise.
Within this unit, you’ll study ethical frameworks within the counselling environment. When we think of counselling, often our mind goes to a room with a patient talking through their problems with a counsellor. However, this qualification will provide you with a wide range of opportunities, and in this unit we’ll explore them all. Next, you’ll look at some issues you’ll need to be mindful of as a counsellor, as well as the confidentiality and boundaries you need to consider.
In unit three you’ll reflect on discrimination in a legal sense, and how to maintain an anti-discriminatory practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Do you know what characteristics are protected? If not, this unit will tell you. You’ll also look at the legal boundaries surrounding counselling, and learn what is meant by “power differential” when maintaining a professional relationship with a client.
Next, you’ll look at the process of building a professional relationship with a client, covering everything from the skills needed, to self-evaluation at the final stage. You’ll learn how to use Socratic questions, and establish objectives and potential boundaries. Additionally, you’ll consider the best ways to ‘respond’, and how to use core skills of ‘reflecting’ when developing a relationship. Finally, you’ll consider the importance of conducting a final review, and learn how to end sessions sensitively.
In this final unit, you’ll reflect on personal development, learning the importance of self-awareness, feedback, and understanding your goals and objectives to feed into this development plan. You’ll learn how to set goals, tips to develop your self-awareness, and what barriers may arise. Lastly, you’ll be able to identify where group therapy can be of benefit, and understand group dynamics.
Extra info
Awarding Body
CACHE stands for the Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education, and are the leading specialist Awarding Organisation for the Care and Education Sector.
Endorsed by
ACCPH is an independent, self-regulated UK professional body for qualified counsellors, coaches, psychotherapists and hypnotherapists. They serve people with nationally recognised qualifications from home study or distance learning students. Accepting members from all six modalities, including those ‘non-standard’ techniques such as Spiritual Coaching and Neuroscience amongst other approaches.
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Course Outcome
At the end of this course, successful learners will receive the following qualification: NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills. This means that it is independently accredited at a level of learning equivalent to Level 3 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This course alone doesn't include a license to practice but is used as a progression route to further study.
How is this course assessed or examined?
To be awarded the Level 3 Diploma in Counselling Skills, learners are required to successfully complete five mandatory units.
Throughout this course, you may be expected to complete assignments, essays, research projects, presentations, video/audio recordings, and practical learning sessions to meet the requirements of your course. This information will be included in your study pack detailing exactly what you need to do to accomplish your goals as a student.
Oxbridge will assist in creating the correct environment suitable for role-playing a one-to-one helping session, to support the delivery of this qualification.
This is a regulated qualification that is internally assessed and externally quality assured. Staff involved in the assessment of this qualification are able to demonstrate that they have the relevant occupational knowledge and competence, at the same level or higher as the units being evaluated.
Entry requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this course, however, it is recommended that you have an intermediate ability to read and write English. There is a minimum study age of 16.
