Counselling is becoming increasingly professionalised in the United Kingdom and will be regulated by the HPC in the near future. There are now several levels of counselling activities which are recognised and validated by the Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA) and the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) from certificate to degree status.
The first level of these is the Certificate in Counselling Skills which recognises advanced communication and personal skills for use within another profession or helping role.
Among those who would benefit from the course are:-
• Addiction Counsellors
• Career Officers
• Community Workers
• Doctors
• Guidance Teachers
• Human Resource Officers
• Managers
• Nurses
• Occupational Therapists
• Prison Officers
• Social Workers
• Solicitors
• Student Advisors
• Supervisors
• Voluntary Workers
• Welfare Workers
The Aims
The aims of the programme are to enable students to:-
1.Identify the skills leading to the successful promotion of the helping relationship via self awareness, exploration and constructive action
2.Understand the fundamentals of the counselling relationship and process, together with the composite stages
3.Recognise and monitor the issues and boundaries relevant to the counselling process
4.Work to a professional code of ethics

There are four modules comprising 12 units each. Each module includes a minimum of 10 evening sessions of 3 hours duration (1 unit per evening) and one Saturday or Sunday of 6 hours duration (2 units). The programme fundamentally adheres to a person-centred approach, however in modules 3 and 4 students are introduced to other major approaches used in the counselling field.
There are two intakes per year: First week in February and the first week in September.

The modules are assessed by means of written assignments, presentations, and skills-recording.

It should be noted that this is currently a fully self funded programme and financial arrangements will need to be made prior to commencing the programme. Current fee is £950 and is exempt from VAT. All fees are subject to inflation.

For specific questions about the applying and the course please contact:
Programme Organiser, Kay Kennedy: E: k.kennedy@gcu.ac.uk, T: 0141 331 8390
Programme Administrator, Jeanette Napier: E:j.napier2@gcu.ac.uk, T: 0141 331 8391