Begin a rewarding journey by learning how to improve people's lives with our part-time Graduate Certificate in Counselling. Blending theory and practice, you will focus on the three strands of counselling training, namely counselling theory, counselling practice and personal development. This programme is ideal if you are looking to start training as a Counsellor or Psychotherapist but lack traditional academic qualifications and/or previous experience in a helping role. Successful completion of this course meets the academic criteria to apply for our BACP Accredited - MSc Counselling & Psychotherapy.

The philosophy of our Graduate Certificate in Counselling is humanistic with person-centred practice placed at the heart of the programme. The core theoretical model of the course is derived from an acceptance of Carl Rogers’ belief in the self-therapeutic capacity and wisdom of clients (1967).

You will be encouraged to examine and question your own beliefs and assumptions and develop a personal, integrated theory of human development, based upon humanistic phenomenological philosophy and principles.

To enable you to build and maintain strong therapeutic alliances with clients you will develop a suite of skills required to not only build relationships but to understand the barriers that may prevent or impact these relationships. The course is designed to support your development through intensive skills and personal development training.

Knowledge and skills

We place a strong emphasis on the acquisition of counselling specific skills and academic learning. You will study a range of underpinning themes including

Active, reflective listening, working in the ‘here and now’ and following the client’s agenda

Development of key professional and personal qualities and attributes in line with the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions

Analysing and discussing person-centred counselling theory and applying this theory to counselling practice

Self-knowledge and self-awareness

Evaluating counselling skills practice

Devising, developing and sustaining arguments, and/or solving problems, using ideas and techniques, some of which are at the forefront of the counselling discipline

Making informed decisions in complex situations, and sometimes with incomplete information

Effective use of scholarly reviews and primary sources (for example, research articles and/or original materials appropriate to the counselling discipline)

Development of person-centred therapeutic skills

Identifying and evaluating person-centred counselling skills

Your career

Keele counselling students go on to work in a wide range of counselling and mental health fields in the UK and internationally as well as progressing on to further study, research or specialist training.

Many students who complete this course progress on to our MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy, which is a professional training in counselling, accredited by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP).