Curious about studying Counselling Theory and Practice - FdScat University of Staffordshire? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Foundation Degree in Science - FdSc
Shrewsbury College
Full Time
Sep 2026
2 Year
This is a two-year course and is designed to meet the evolving markets and increasing uptake of the listening therapies across a breadth of employment areas. As well as areas typically anticipated within the province of Health and Social Care, the programme may interest those within management and human resources. In essence the programme provides the opportunity for individuals from a wide range of background to develop their counselling knowledge and skills to establish the basic foundations for entering the counselling profession or to augment their existing professional practice. It leads to a professional counselling qualification and can be included towards BACP Accreditation.
In this module you will have the opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of a number of perspectives/approaches in counselling such as Person-Centred, Gestalt, Existential, Transactional Analysis and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, including the theory, practice and philosophy that underpins each approach.
Developing Counselling Skills: In this module you will be develop your counselling practice in relation to the core model. Practice and development groups (PAD) involve triad work with peers to enhance counselling practice, and engagement in a wider group context, in order to critique practice for development purposes. The environment will create opportunities for constructive feedback whilst simultaneously recognising and respecting the autonomy of each individual and their particular style, to support, encourage and enable professional development.
Personal development is a fundamental component of Counsellor training facilitated through exercises/activities and group process and forms a central ethos throughout the whole programme. Group process (PD groups) create a safe, experiential space with the aim of enhancing your self-awareness with particular attention to self in relation to others, whilst embodying the core conditions of Empathy, Unconditional Positive Regard and Congruence in order to create a climate for growth.
Preparation for Counselling Placement: In this module you will be introduced to the professional, legal and ethical frameworks that will support your counselling practice.¿ You will develop a comprehensive understanding of the BACPs Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy and relevant legal requirements in order to practice competently.
Research Skills for Counselling: You will be introduced to the research skills necessary for the study of counselling at HE level.¿ These skills will include: Conducting a literature search to include accessing texts, journals, research publications and the internet Constructing a bibliography and referencing using the Harvard system Developing presentation skills Developing oral presentation skills Planning and presentation of written documentation including a range of reports, essays, reflective journals Developing appropriate critical thinking skills by examining issues from a range of professional, work based and theoretical perspectives Reflective writing
Counselling Skills in Practice: This module builds on the previous Developing Counselling Skills module studied in Year 1 and aims to support you in the development of your counselling practice in placement. You will consider ethical practice, referral procedures and the use of supervision. You will be required to submit audio-tapes of your client work to the PAD group for peer feedback, this will support a continuous development of a professional attitude towards your work.
Personal Development in Counselling 2: As with the previous module, personal development continues to be a key component of your journey.¿¿ Experiential group process is the medium through which you will have the opportunity to increase your self-awareness and become more conscious of the underlying processes that are present between you and group members.¿ It is expected that you will allow the emergence of more sensitive material that will facilitate a deeper acceptance of difference and diversity and an ability to be more congruent and immediate in your relationships. Your learning journal will aid the process of reflection and analysis.
This module introduces you to contemporary methodologies in counselling research and aims to develop the skills needed for the effective appraisal of findings from research and evaluation studies.
This module introduces you to the major theories of development across the lifespan. You will have the opportunity to explore the main physical and psychological factors affecting human growth and development, including cultural influences and how they need to be understood in a counselling context.
Working with Loss & Grief: Experiences of grief and loss occur for a wide variety of reasons from changes in life roles, loss of employment to the death of a loved one and affect both clients and counsellors. Working through grief and loss is affected by a number of factors such as personality, family and cultural values and previous experiences.¿ In this module you will be introduced to the key theories related to grief and loss that will support your developing practice.
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