Counselling Courses

What does it mean to be a professional counsellor?

Unlike other therapists, counsellors do not aim to give clients specific advice or prescribe a given treatment, but rather focus on helping them develop their own insights by building trust and allowing them to talk through their problems.

A professional counsellor is a trained individual who has the ability to apply various approaches to help clients in solving their personal problems. The counsellor’s main goal is to enable a client to see an issue from a different angle and more clearly. Another important objective of counselling that determines success is the development of trust that allows the client to feel able to share feelings and experiences.

Choose between many different types of counselling courses

Over the years, counselling has come to be recognised as a highly important profession. The demand for skilled counsellors has been rising steadily both within and outside of the UK. Due to the increased popularity within the profession, counsellors can specialise in specific areas.

One of the most favoured categories for counselling courses is career counselling; aimed at helping individuals to choose the right job and focus on personal career development. Child and adolescent counselling is a great fit for someone who wants to work with children and help young people who struggle with the transition to adulthood. Alcohol and drug abuse counselling focusses on assisting individuals who are addicted to substances.

Some counsellors may choose to work with patients who are struggling with illness and difficult diagnoses. As these issues complicate a patient's life significantly, specialised counselling courses are required to fully understand how a counsellor can provide effective support. In the case of patients with terminal diagnoses, a course in end of life care can provide an understanding of how to speak to and care for patients struggling with the palliative care process.

Candidates interested in getting a general overview of the discipline can attend introductory counselling courses which do not require any previous knowledge and help candidates to decide if they want to make a full commitment to counselling as a career.

What will you learn during a counselling course?

Throughout counselling courses, candidates will develop crucial personal skills needed to become a professional counsellor. These are qualities that employers are actively looking for when hiring potential candidates.

One of the most important skills is empathy.  A counsellor needs empathy in order to see the problem from the client’s perspective. Counselling also requires active listening skills. A counsellor must also be able to effectively question the client to understand the root of the problem without emotionally connecting with the client.

In addition, counsellors have learned to understand mental health and have the knowledge to develop and support the mental health of their patients. Courses in mental health are available in tailored formats, specific to the needs of professionals working in counselling.

Who are counselling courses suitable for?

You don't necessarily need prior experience in order to participate in counselling courses. Whether you are already a counsellor or are looking to become one, counselling courses are offered at a variety of levels, meaning you can build a foundational understanding of counselling as well as delving into more advanced theoretical approaches.