Certificate in Counselling skills: 60 credits at Level 1 (FHEQ level 4)or Post-graduate Certificate in Continuing Professional Development: 60 credits at Level 4 (FHEQ level 7)
These one year part-time Certificate courses provides students with an opportunity to acquire both the practical experience and the theoretical understanding required to use person-centred counselling skills with confidence and competence. The courses are offered at undergraduate level for those who have no previous experience of Higher Education and at post-graduate level for those who already hold a Higher Education qualification.
“The initial Certificate courses at UEA have often proved to be life-changing events for participants. For many, too, they have been the vital first stage in a process which has led ultimately to qualification as a professional counsellor. I am proud to have been associated with these courses since their inception.”
Brian Thorne
Emeritus Professor of Counselling at the University of East Anglia, Professor of Education in the College of Teachers and best-selling author of 'Person Centred Counselling in Action' and 'Carl Rogers', both recommended texts for students on our person centred courses.
Course Content
Course members meet weekly; there are also a number of full-day weekend workshops and a residential weekend. Sessions will include structured and unstructured group work; skills practice; the use of audio recording with peer group and tutor feedback; role play; written analysis and reflection. Through the experience of working within a facilitated group and by keeping a reflective learning journal, we can create a safe environment making possible self disclosure, constructive feedback and a high level of interpersonal and intra-personal learning.
Students on the post-graduate pathway will be required to engage in greater depth with the course content. They will be expected to critically evaluate current research and new developments in the person centred approach and to engage in research into their own use of counselling skills and the wider application of the approach.
There are three main areas of emphasis, which are interrelated throughout the course so that sessions will contain elements of each:
1. Theory and Professional Issues
- An introduction to the work of Carl Rogers and the Person-Centred approach
- Person-Centred Personality Theory
- The therapeutic conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard
- Professional issues of confidentiality and ethics for practitioners of counselling skills
- Specialist topics such as bereavement may be discussed and there will be many opportunities for understanding the development and application of counselling skills
2. Counselling Skills
- Developing the ability to offer the core conditions of empathic understanding, unconditional acceptance and congruence within a helping relationship
- Building confidence in responding to a wide variety of people in different situations
- Extending students’ ability to relate to others in depth
3. Personal Development
- Developing an understanding of our own thoughts, feelings and behavioural
- Developing our own self-awareness including awareness of personal prejudices, boundaries and limitations
- Developing an understanding of the way behavioural is perceived and understood
- Identifying and enhancing inter-personal styles of communication and relating
- Experiencing the process of establishing, developing and maintaining relationships with others including fellow students and those we listen to in our work roles
Click here for the latest Postgraduate Certificate course handbook [PDF, 341KB]
Click here for the latest Undergraduate Certificate course handbook [PDF, 343 KB]
Coursework and Assessment
All three areas will be assessed throughout the course using a variety of written and practical assignments and will involve self, peer and tutor assessment.
Entry requirements
Prospective students will need to demonstrate the following in their application and personal statements:
- Evidence of previous study of Counselling Skills. This will ordinarily be demonstrated by satisfactorily completing UEA’s Introduction to Counselling Skills or suitable alternative course*.
- Evidence of good understanding of the theory of person-centred counselling. This will ordinarily be demonstrated by satisfactorily completing UEA’s Introduction to Person Centred Theory and Practice or suitable alternative course*. Alternative qualifications may also be considered; in these cases, documentary evidence of courses completed etc may be required.
*Please contact admissions at edu.cce.admiss@uea.ac.uk or on 01603 593252 for details of suitable alternative courses in Norwich.
- Some experience of a helping role in which counselling skills are used;
- That you have opportunities to use your developing counselling skills during the course (for example, in a voluntary placement or professional role);
- That you have sufficient time for private study. Students should expect to spend at least 8 hours a week for the January-July Certificate and 6 hours a week for the November-July Certificate courses. This study time will include guided reading, keeping a reflective learning journal, using counselling skills in work or voluntary work and completing coursework assignments.
Following an application for this course a tutor may contact you to discuss your application.
Course Fees for 2012/13
Undergraduate certificate: For UK/EU students, £4500; for International students, £5850
Postgraduate certificate: For UK/EU students, £1665; for International students, £3967
See below for details of which course to apply for.
There may be a residential weekend as part of this course for which an additional fee in the region of £150 will apply; full details will be made available when they are confirmed.
If you are not sure whether you are a UK/EU student or an International student, please email edu.cce.admiss@uea.ac.uk. We will send you a Fee Status form to complete.
Fees can be paid in instalments by arrangement with our Finance office. You should contact them after you have been invoiced, usually just after the start of the course.
Provisional course dates for 2012/13
For BOTH undergraduate and postgraduate students, you have a choice of three courses (please note, dates are subject to change):
16 November 2012 – 12 July 2013
Fridays 9am – 1pm unless otherwise stated
November: 16, 23, 30
December: 7, 14
January: 4, 11, 18, 25
February: 1, 8
March: 1, 8, 15, 22
April: 12, 19, 26
May: 3, 11 (Saturdays 10am-4pm), 12 (Sunday, 10am-4pm), 17, 24
June: 14, 28
July 5, 12
24 November 2012 - 13 July 2013
Saturdays 10.00am - 4.00pm unless otherwise stated
November: 24
December: 1, 8, 15
January: 5, 12, 19, 26
February: 2, 9
March: 2, 23
April: 13, 20, 27
May: 18, 19 (Sunday, 10-4), 25 J
une: 15, 29
July: 13
Thursdays 6.30pm - 9.30pm unless otherwise stated
January: 3, 10, 17, 19 (Saturday, 10am-4pm), 24, 31
February: 7, 9 (Saturday, 10am-4pm), 14, 21, 28
March: 7, 14, 21
April: 11, 18, 25
May: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
June: 3, 20, 22 (Saturday 10am-4pm), 23 (Sunday, 10am-4pm), 27
July: 4, 11, 18
NOTE
There may be a residential weekend element to all of these courses, in which case details will be sent to successful students in due course.
All dates are subject to change.
Which certificate course shall I apply for?
We recommend all students apply for the Postgraduate Certificate. If you have concerns about your ability to succeed academically at postgraduate level, however, you can apply for the undergraduate certificate, but please contact the admissions office for advice first: 01603 593252 or email edu.cce.admiss@uea.ac.uk.
Applications
Please note that the course commencing 3 January is full and we cannot accept further applications.
If you wish to apply for a place on the Undergraduate Certificate in Counselling Skills, please contact the admissions team first (details below).
For any questions about the course or application process, please email the admissions team at edu.cce.admiss@uea.ac.uk or telephone (01603) 593252.
See also
For postgraduate courses in counselling (including the BACP accredited PG Diploma) here at UEA, see www.uea.ac.uk/edu/counselling
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy: www.bacp.co.uk
Last updated: 6 December 2012
