Venues

Sighthill Campus

Content

If you are looking to develop a career in the voluntary and mental health sectors this introductory course is designed for you. The aim is to introduce you to some of the concepts and skills required to offer support through the use of listening and responding skills. You will learn about the counselling relationship by exploring different models of counselling and learning how to apply the skills of active listening in helping roles.

This course aims to teach you skills to be with people in a listening role and to develop your self-awareness and understanding but this is not a therapy or self-help group. Students must have sufficient emotional maturity and psychological resilience to undertake self-learning.

Your learning will be based on non-directive counselling although the mention is made of other counselling models to broaden your understanding. The emphasis is on practical skills and group exercises with a certain amount of written work necessary to achieve certification from SQA. You will participate in listening exercises working with peers to develop your counselling skills in a highly participative practical way. Assignments will mostly be group work and group presentation based.

This course is not a substitute for personal therapy and students are always encouraged to participate in therapy whilst undertaking counselling training courses. Counselling courses place strong emotional demands on students and you must be prepared for this and also, have the resilience to meet them.

Entry Requirements

No formal entry requirements. Personal statement indicating why you want to do the course.

Progression Routes

Further study in counselling