This qualification is for those who want to take the next step in training to become a counsellor, who have already acquired counselling skills, and are ready to learn more about counselling theory and agency work.
Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies
This is a Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) course. This qualification is intended for those who want to take the next step in training to become a counsellor, who have already acquired counselling skills, and learn more about counselling theory and agency work.
The course fee includes CPCAB registration fee.
What you'll learn
This course will give you some knowledge of various types counselling theory and how to apply it to client issues. You will also learn about ethics and mental health aspects which will prepare you for work as a professional counsellor within an agency setting.
- Prepare to work within an ethical framework for counselling
- Understand the counselling relationship
- Understand difference and diversity issues to develop empathic understanding
- Work within a user-centred approach to counselling
- Use counselling theory to develop self-awareness in counselling practice
- Understand theories of counselling and mental health
- Use feedback, reflection and supervision to support counselling studies
This course is validated by the CPCAB (Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body). CPCAB is an organisational member of the European Association for Counselling and their qualifications are internationally available. For more information, the CPCAB website can be accessed on www.cpcab.co.uk.
How you'll learn and be assessed
The classes are structured with a tutor led element followed by a skills element, where you will put into practice what you’ve learned.
You will receive one-to-one feedback from your tutor at key points during the course to help you develop your skills and assess areas for development.
Time commitment and independent study
There will be a minimum expectation set for the time spent completing homework tasks and independent study. This is likely to fluctuate at key points during the course, such as before the exam and when working on assignments.
To achieve the Counselling Studies Level 3 Certificate, learners must be assessed as proficient in all seven learning outcomes of the mandatory unit and must be assessed as proficient in both internal and external assessments.
The course has two formal assessment elements and candidates need to be proficient in both to pass the course:
- External exam
- Portfolio of evidence, which will involve a variety of documents including assignments, reviews of your learning and feedback
The expectation from CPCAB is that learners have a minimum of 80% attendance and it is essential learners are able to attend the first session.
Progression
After qualifying at Level 3, you can apply for the CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling which qualifies you as a Counselling Practitioner.
This qualification does not lead to employment. It is designed as pre-practitioner training for professional counselling qualifications, but it could also lead to employment in a related field.
Entry requirements
You will need a CPCAB level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills or a recognised face to face equivalent qualification of at least 75 Guided Learning Hours. Following application to the course candidates will be contacted by a member of the counselling team to ensure that those joining are able to meet the academic and emotional demands of the course.
