Introduction to Counselling Skills

If you are considering joining a Counselling skills course, without previous experience or having completed similar qualifications at level 2, this short course will help you to be sure it is the correct choice for you before committing to longer term study. Counselling skills qualifications are an intense learning experience and require a substantial amount of written assignments. Therefore, this short course is a valuable opportunity to reduce the risk of losing your government funding for the Level 2 qualification should you end up withdrawing from the course without completing it.

You will be introduced to counselling skills that can be used in everyday life and work, along with some of the approaches that underpin the use of these skills. You will also learn to appreciate the importance of self-development and gain a clearer understanding of the qualification route into counselling profession as well as how the qualifications can be valuable in a range of careers. The tutor will adapt the learning activities to suit all abilities and needs. This non accredited qualification also gives you the opportunity to investigate the knowledge and skills needed to progress onto an accredited level 2 course.

There are no exams as you your achievement of learning will assessed on a small portfolio of evidence and practical activities. You will also be asked to complete some homework as well as what you learn in class. This will cover the knowledge aspect of the course and will involve you writing short but detailed assignments as a method of assessment about your capacity to continue onto a qualification course, if you decide it is right for you. Your tutor will give you feedback on your work and suggest ways in which you can improve.

You will be required to complete the initial assessment for the level 2 course prior to joining this introduction course. There are no specific entry requirements for this course but you will need to have English skills at Level 1 functional skill (GCSE) in order to progress to the Level 2 course. If you do not have proof of English qualification at this Level, we may ask you to complete an English assessment to confirm this.

Successful completion of the course will allow you to progress onto the Level 2 certificate in Counselling Skills. This can also be considered as the first step on the ladder in starting to explore the opportunity in becoming employed in the counselling sector. Continuing studies in this area will require you to have English Functional Skills at Level 2 (higher GCSE) to be able to complete the assignments at the required level. Therefore, if you are not working at this level already, you will be encouraged to gain English qualifications prior to joining this pathway if you do not have the capacity to study this alongside the Counselling qualification.