Course overview

Due to high demand, new applicants are placed on a waiting list and will be contacted in mid to late August if places become available. There are still places available on our full-time HNC Course.

Before applying to this course, you must have undertaken our Level 6 o for Practice. (or other equivalent training in counselling) These are essential steps in our counselling training pathway, which culminates in our new Higher National Diploma, which we hope to launch in August 2026 and which, if completed, enables students to apply to become a Registered Counsellor with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Counselling is a unique way of helping people to become a more authentic and complete version of themselves. This requires enhancing our communication and listening skills, and a broad understanding of theories around human psychological and personality development.

Our HNC aims to offer you a transformative experience in which you will learn to recognise, confront and challenge your inner process, identify your psychological and emotional strengths and identify the parts of you that most require development and growth.

The HNC is aimed at those working in or seeking to work in a variety of counselling settings. It may also be attractive to workers in the wider care, advice or guidance settings where counselling skills are becoming increasingly important. The course is the gateway to the Higher National Diploma in Counselling, which, after successful completion, students can apply to the British Association of Counselling & Psychotherapy for registration as fully qualified counsellors. The course is also sufficient to equip students to apply for post-graduate studies at the university level in counselling or other related fields, and many of our students progress to Edinburgh University, Abertay University and Strathclyde University.

The course recognises and responds to changes in the provision of counselling throughout the profession and provides a flexible framework to meet the changing needs of employers in the sector.

The course has an emphasis on your personal development and, over the year (or two years part-time), you will work on building strong self-awareness, assertiveness, challenging skills and learning how to work with confrontation. The course will direct you towards reflective practice and facilitate the emergence of your unique style of listening and helping.

How the course is assessed

A Graded Unit. This equates to approx. 480 hours of study (or an alternative Unit if directed by the SQA).

Practical and experiential work is an essential component of the course and students are assessed on their participation, attendance and ability to reflect on their practice.

This course is also assessed through reports, essays, practical sessions and SQA national assessments.