Accredited by the National Counselling Society

LEVEL 4 DIPLOMA IN COUNSELLING PRACTICE

SYLLABUS: YEAR 1 UNIT 1: FOUNDATION UNIT CORE THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY (90 HOURS) Person-centred/Humanistic Counselling

•   Maslow- hierarchy of human needs •   Carl Rogers and the person-centred approach •   Contemporary developments and theorists of the humanistic approach. •   Therapeutic alliance •   Congruence/Incongruence •   Psychological contact •   The Counselling Process Model •   Empathy / Advanced Empathy •   Humanistic Existential view of the human condition •   Self-actualisation •   Core Conditions •   Conditions of worth •   Unconditional Positive Regard •   True self/Ideal Self •   Working with levels of competence •   Self-Awareness •   Phenomenology and Existentialism

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

•   Personality theory of Aaron Beck •   Faulty thinking and maladaptive interpretations •   Albert Ellis and REBT •   The ABCDE Framework •   Behaviour and Cognitive Restructuring •   Contemporary Developments and CBT theory •   Language and terminology in CBT •   Conditioning •   Irrational Beliefs - Debating/Disputing Irrational Beliefs •   Setting homework and other CBT techniques •   Goals/target •   Structuring endings and contracting •   Referring Ethically

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

 

Accredited by the National Counselling Society

•   Freud and Freud’s model of the mind •   Id, Ego, Super Ego •   Functions of the Ego •   Psychosexual stages of development •   Defence Mechanisms •   Transference/Countertransference •   Making interpretations •   Resistance and bringing to awareness •   Strengths and weaknesses of psych.D counselling •   Erickson’s theory of psychosocial development •   Carl Jung’s Collective Unconscious •   Melanie Klein’s Projective Identification and Splitting •   Winnicott – the nursing triad •   Triangle of Insight •   The hidden self and unfulfilled self •   Risks in relation to competence •   Margaret Mahler, Bowlby and Ainsworth •   Attachment theory •   Transactional Analysis •   Psychoanalytic Theory •   Object Relations Theory •   Social Learning Theory

Unit Assessment:

•   Reflective Journal (800 words per learning day) •   Essay (3,000 words) •   Practical Skills Role Play (Formal assessment in Therapist, Client and Observer

Roles)

UNIT SUPERVISION SKILLS (50 HOURS) (OPTION UNIT)  •   Models of Supervision:

o   Hawkins and Shohet - formative, normative, restorative) o   Inskipp and Proctor o   Kadushin o   Carroll

•   Supervision as a developmental model •   Key issues model •   Training model •   Case material for supervision •   Skills for presenting material in supervision •   Model specific supervision (Psych D, CBT, PC, ST) •   Purposes of supervision •   Tasks of Supervision

 

Accredited by the National Counselling Society

•   Review challenges to ethical practice when presenting case material in supervision (individual and group)

•   Confidentiality [especially in regard to suicidal client, drug trafficking, terrorism]

•   Dual Relationships •   Contracting – •   Mental Health Act •   Develop an action plan from 3 recent supervision sessions •   Responsibility of client work •   Responsibilities of supervisor ; responsibilities of supervisee •   Ethical Framework for Supervision •   Health and Safety in regard to aggressive or violent clients: risk assessment, anger in

the therapy room, de-escalation •   Health and Safety in the counselling premises/ working in high risk areas

Unit Assessment

Reflective Journal Action Plan Professional Development Plan

UNIT: APPROACHES TO BRIEF THERAPY (50 HOURS) (OPTION UNIT)

•   Clarify the term brief therapy •   Key components of models of brief therapy

o   Depth Orientated o   Transference Focused o   Solution Focused o   Strategic Focused

•   Key ideas that the major schools of counselling and psychotherapy hold in relation to brief therapy

•   Counselling skills for brief therapy •   Key challenges to ethical practice when working in a time-limited way •   Key risks to the:(a) counsellor (b) clients •   Self-awareness in working with brief therapy

Assessment:

•   Reflective Journal •   Presentation •   Practical Role -play Assessment (Observer, Therapist, Client roles)

UNIT: APPROACHES TO COUPLES COUNSELLING (50 HRS) (OPTION UNIT)

•   Clarify the term couples counselling •   Key components of models of couples therapy

 

Accredited by the National Counselling Society

•   Key ideas that the major schools of counselling and psychotherapy hold in relation to couples counselling

•   Counselling skills for couples counselling •   Assess the use and application of counselling skills for couples counselling •   Key challenges to ethical practice when working with couples •   Assess potential key risks to the:(a) counsellor (b) clients •   Self-awareness in working with couples

Assessment:

•   Journals •   Practical Role -play

UNIT: APPROACHES TO COUNSELLING WITH CHILDREN AND ADOLECENTS (50 HOURS) (OPTION UNIT)

•   Theoretical models of developmental stages and transition with respect to childhood and adolescence

•   Bowlby, Erikson, Klein, Winnicott •   Key Ideas That the Major Schools of Counselling and Psychotherapy (Cognitive-

Behavioural, Humanistic, Psychodynamic) Hold in Relation to Childhood and Adolescence

•   Issues Affecting the use and Application of Counselling Skills for Children and Young People

•   Skills to use in a Helping Interview •   Ethical practice when working with children and young •   Issues of Consent •   Healthy and Safety Issues for Counsellor and Client •   The Children Act 1999 •   Confidentiality (especially as it applied to minors) and Disclosure (NCS Guidelines)

Ethical Framework •   Impact of Socio-Cultural Factors in Development •   Issues of Power •   Role Conflict (e.g. for self; with other supporting agencies) •   Concept of Life Transitions •   Transition in Relation to Counselling •   Particular Transitions of Childhood and Adolescence •   Stresses of These •   Implications for Practice •   Counselling Skills (especially contracting) •   Communication (appropriate levels) •   Conflict •   Supervision •   Operate Referral Procedures •   Ensure a Structured Counselling Setting •   Develop the Counselling Relationship •   Monitor Self within the Counselling Process

 

Accredited by the National Counselling Society

•   Making use of Supervision •   Enable Clients to Access and Use Information •   Assist Clients to Decide on Options for Meeting their Requirements •   Provide Support for Clients in Planning a Course of Action

Assessment

•   Reflective Journal •   Case study •   Practical skills role-play assessment

   UNIT: COUNSELLING IN CONTEXT FOUNDATION UNIT 2 (50 HOURS)    

•   • Trans-cultural perspectives in counselling practice •   • Identity, culture and ethnicity •   • Counselling in healthcare settings •   • Educational counselling •   • Gender counselling •   • Sexual orientation counselling •   • Anti-discrimination practice •   • Counselling in the workplace •   • Bereavement and grief counselling •   • Counselling in the voluntary sector •   • Counselling victims of major disasters •   • Economic, social and political issues •   • Group counselling •   • Counselling the elderly •   • Drugs and substance abuse •   • Ethical dilemmas inherent in the practice of counselling within a multiplicity of

contextual settings •   • Health and Safety

 Assessment

•   Reflective Journal •   Essay •   Discussion Group

YEAR 2 UNIT: INTEGRATING THEORY AND PRACTICE FOUNDATION UNIT 3 CORE THEORY MODEL: E.G. SCHEMA THERAPY (60 HOURS)

•   Summarise key concepts of Core theory (Schema Therapy) •   Contributions of the different theorists associated with Schema Therapy •   Self-awareness in relation to Schema Therapy •   Describe & evaluate the interventions of Schema Therapy

 

Accredited by the National Counselling Society

•   The key strengths, challenges to & limitations of Schema Therapy •   Skills required to establish the counselling relationship within Schema Therapy •   Evaluate the skills required for evaluating and concluding the counselling

relationship within Schema Therapy Assessment

•   Reflective Journal •   Structured Writing Assignment •   Case Presentation

UNIT: EVALUATING COUNSELLING PRACTICE FOUNDATION UNIT 4 (50 HOURS)

•   Research methods •   Process recording •   Conducting a meaningful enquiry into candidates’ own counselling practice, through

work-based learning •   Outcomes evaluations – process, self-report, value of outcomes to imp •   Reflecting on practice •   UK and EU business systems, procedures •   UK and EU requirements for counselling practices and practitioners

   

Assessment •   Project 2000-2500 words presenting findings which analyse your practice in terms

of problems and issues arising from your core theoretical approach to counselling •   Peer presentation to describe the business and legal considerations for counselling

practices in general, and for your own practice in particular. UNIT: THERAPEUTIC PRACTICE FOUNDATION UNIT 5) (50) HOURS)

•   Ethical considerations and decision-making •   Healthy & Safety issues •   Client contracting •   Legal issues e.g. record-keeping, data protection •   Role of Supervision & Ethical Practice •   Supervisor – Counsellor working alliance •   Contribution & effectiveness of supervision with regard to counsellors’ & clients’

needs. •   How development of self-awareness contributes to the effectiveness of the

therapeutic relationship & process

Assessment •   Study of Supervised Practice

 

 

Accredited by the National Counselling Society

   UNIT: COUNSELLING PRACTICUM FOUNDATION UNIT 6 (50 HOURS)

•   Working within legal & ethical requirements as a counselling practitioner •   Knowledge & understanding of a professional ethical framework & its application

to counselling practice •   Respond effectively to complex client issues & ethical dilemmas •   Professional issues for the candidate in regard to counselling placement •   Potential areas of conflict between the candidate & counselling placement •   Effects of using supervision on own practice

Assessment

•   Reflective Journal •   Supervision log •   Supervisor’s Report •   Portfolio of evidence

 Notes: Total number of guided learning hours = 450 hours This course is delivered over two years.