Counselling Certificate Online Course

Study a Level 4 accredited Advanced Counselling Certificate online to develop the essential skills to turn your natural affinity into a new career with ADL

There are two compulsory modules and two elective modules from a choice of nine. Please click on the links to see a detailed breakdown of what you will learn in each module:

The following modules are compulsory.

1  Counselling Techniques BPS206

Develop your repertoire of counselling techniques. Which theories have had a lasting affect on modern counselling and psychotherapy? Which techniques are best suited to different situations? Learn about the major theoretical approaches to counselling and their application. This course does not recommend one technique over another – it makes the student aware of different therapies that can be used to help clients. This is an indispensible part of training or professional development for counsellors. More….

2  Life Coaching BPS305

Learn how to encourage others to achieve maximal well-being. This course will enable people in health, fitness, counselling, social work, etc to help others set and achieve life goals. Develop an appreciation of how different perceptions of the world can be just as critical as knowledge, skill and opportunity in a person’s success or failure. Also covers coaching processes, coaching skills and goal setting; and is equally relevant to developing both physical and psychological well-being in the client. More….

Then choose two from the nine modules below:

1 Caring for Elderly People BPS212

Learn how to care for elderly people and improve your counselling skills. The course material covers international standards of care. Understand how to counsel the elderly and those suffering from dementia and other diseases. Learn what happens to a person’s state of mind as they age. Discover ways in which a counselor, carer or anyone else might interact with and support an older person and expand your knowledge and skills for professional development; or to better help those around you. More….

2  Bereavement and Grief Counselling BPS209

Learn to help and understand people suffering with grief. For those suffering the challenges of grief can be a very difficult and challenging time.
Observing someone suffering from grief and being unable to help them can be equally distressing. More….

3  Conflict Management BPS201

Learn strategies to manage conflict effectively. Age conflict can destroy relationships and lead to increased stress, or it can improve our relationships and give us a greater sense of control over ourselves and our environments. Explore the causes and effects of conflict. Learn how to manage it through effective communication, active listening, and problem solving. Develop your ability to use facilitation, negotiation or mediation in group situations to achieve win-win solutions. More….

4  Counselling Skills I BPS109

Gain basic counselling skills. Develop your ability to support or counsel others through the processes of personal growth and change. This course introduces you to the kinds of problems and issues that a person might face in overcoming stresses and limiting attitudes. Learn about the counsellor’s role and the counselling process, and gain basic practical counselling skills. Recommended for parents, teachers and others who want to communicate in a more supportive, empathetic manner. More….

5  Counselling Skills II BPS110

Enhance your existing counselling skills. Discover how to use counselling micro-skills including methods of telephone counselling and techniques for dealing with specific crisis situations – to improve your counselling. This course is ideal for those who have already gained the basic counselling skills in Counselling Skills I, and want to further develop their ability to counsel others. More….

6  Crisis Counselling BPS304

Learn to effectively counsel clients in times of crisis. This course will help you to develop your ability to effectively counsel and assist clients in times of crisis. This course provides those already in the counselling or helping industries with knowledge and skills to give specialised counselling, and will contribute to comprehensive counselling training for those wishing to work in this field. More….

7  Family Counselling BPS213

Develop a better understanding of family Dynamics. Learn to understand family problems better and analyze and facilitate solutions to problems that emerge in modern families. More….

8  Relationships & Communication Counselling BPS208

Understand communication problems in relationships. In this course, you will learn about the role communication plays in creating, maintaining or destroying relationships, and develop your ability to assist others to improve their communication in relationships. More….

9  Stress Management VPS100

Learn to manage stress successfully! Anxiety, tension, and mental and emotional strain are all common problems in modern society. This course introduces you to some practical approaches to understanding how it affects the body, dealing with the symptoms, and giving you tools to combat stress. More….

Please see lesson titles for your learning goals.

Your learning experience with ADL will not only depend on the quality of the course, but also the quality of the person teaching it. This course is taught by Iona Lister and your course fee includes unlimited tutorial support throughout. Here are Iona’s credentials:

Iona Lister
Licentiate, Speech and Language Therapy, UK, Diploma in Advanced Counselling Skills.

Iona has been a clinician and manager of health services for fifteen years, and a trainer for UK-based medical charities, focusing on psychosocial issues, mental health disorders, and also the promotion of communication skills for people in helping roles. She tutors and facilitates groups via workshops and teleconferences, and now specialises in Sight Loss. As a freelance writer, she contributes regular feature articles for magazines, has written five published books, as well as published courses relating to personal development and counselling skills.

Iona has also written published books, courses and articles across a wide range of subjects, mostly in the areas of health, counselling, psychology, crafts and wildlife.

She has drawn experience from clinical and managerial experience within the NHS as well as medical and humanitarian subjects. She has been a regular feature writer and expert panel member of a national magazine for six years.

Books include: A Guide to Living with Alzheimer’s Disease (and associated dementias), The Psychology of Facial Disfigurement; a Guide for Health and Social Care Professionals, When a Medical Skin Condition Affects the Way you Look; A Guide to Managing Your Future, Facing Disfigurement with Confidence, Cross Stitch: A Guide to Creativity and Success for Beginners.
Courses written include: Mental Health and Social Work, Counselling Skills, Understanding and Responding to Substance Misuse, Journalling for Personal Development, Guided Imagery, Stress Management.

Current work includes: Tutor: Courses associated with Creative Writing, Counselling Skills, Psychology, Holistic Therapy, Certified Hypnotherapist and Hypnotension Practitioner.

Facilitator of Teleconference Groups: Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

Trainer (Skills for Seeing): Macular Society

Reviewer of Books/Information: Macmillan Cancer Support

Fundraiser: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Embroidery/Art Groups Facilitator, Board Member

Website Manager: The Strathcarron Project, Coordinator (Delaware & Tennessee) Human Writes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Here is a list of the most often asked FAQ’s.

General

Q. Why should I enrol with the Academy for Distance Learning?
A. Here at ADL, our students are our priority – we treat everyone as a unique individual.

Q. Do I need to buy text books?
A. No, as each module has been written by highly qualified industry professionals. The content of the material is presented in such a way that text books are not required. However, if you require additional reading your tutor will be able to supply a list.

Q. What happens if I have to stop studying for a while? (eg. become sick, go on holidays, have a baby, move house, etc)
A. It’s OK to take a break and start up your study at a later point in time. Just let us know.

Q. Is there an age limit?
A. There is no maximum age limit. We do however, have a minimum age limit of 18 years. Below that age parental consent would be required.

Q. Are your courses up-to date?
A. Our courses are revised and updated on a rotation system.

Q. Do you have a Cancellation policy?
A. Yes. We have a cancellation policy that is fair and equitable. For further details please click here.

Q. Will I have any opportunity to engage with other students?
A. We have a Student Community group based on facebook! If you don’t have a facebook account already, you could make one just for talking with fellow students on the group.

Enrolment

Q. When can I enrol/start?
A. You may enrol and start at any time of the year – it’s all self- paced.

Q. Can I study from anywhere in the world?
A. Our courses are available to anyone, anywhere in the world from the comfort of your own home. The course content is relevant to any country, culture or economy.

Q. How long do I have to complete the course?
A. You complete the course at any time that is convenient for you.

Q. Completing a 100 hour module – how long will it take?
A. For some students a 100 hour module will take approximately to 3- 6 months to complete. Others take less time and some even longer.

Assessment

Q. Assessment – how does it work?
A. For each 100 hour module you are assessed by assignments (at the end of each lesson) and a final one and a half hour exam (or you may elect to complete a Project, instead of sitting the exam) – the choice is yours – you sit for the exam in your own location.

Q. I don’t cope well with exams – what can I do?
A. You may elect to undertake a Project (set by your tutor) instead of sitting the exam. Projects are completed from your home and can usually take a couple of weeks to complete.

Q. If my assignment is not up to standard is there an opportunity to resubmit my work?
A. Yes –

Q. How many assignments do I need to complete for each module?
A. At the end of each lesson, there is an assignment – so if a course has say, 10 lessons, there would be 10 assignments.

Q. I am having difficulty attending workshops/industry meetings, what can be done?
A. If your course requires attendance at workshops, conferences, or industry meetings; alternative arrangements can be made in your country.

Qualifications

Q. What qualification will I receive?
A. For individual modules, you would be awarded a Certificate endorsed by TQUK (Training Qualifications, UK), providing you complete all assignments and the exam. If you just want to complete only the assignments and not sit for the exam or finish a Project, then a Letter of Achievement would be awarded. For more details on qualifications available please click here.

Q. Can I customize my diploma/higher qualification?
A. Not all educational institution’s certificates /diplomas meet everyone’s needs. The opportunity to Design Your Own Diploma at the Academy (subject to our approval) is an added bonus, not found at other colleges. You choose modules that you think will help you in achieving your goal.

Q. What do I get when I complete the course? Will I receive a transcript?
A. At the completion of all courses and providing all assignments and exam requirements have been met, you will receive your Award and a Transcript.

Tutors

Q. Our tutors – who are they?
A. We appoint Tutors and require that they must be currently active in their industry, with at least 5 years’ experience in their chosen profession.

Q. Can I contact my tutor at any time?
A. Yes – you have unlimited access to your tutor via email through our Online Classroom. You can always leave a message with ADL requesting your tutor to contact you. You decide on how much or how little contact you wish to have.

Q. Practical work – How is this done?
A. To find out more about this part of the course please visit the section on How Our Courses Work here.