Accredited Courses

Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills

CSK-L2

If you want to become a counsellor the Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills is the foundation for professional counselling practice as well as providing the essential listening and communicating skills used by helping professionals.

It equals 17 credits and includes 90 guided learning hours.  It is the first compulsory qualification in the CPCAB award framework on your progression to becoming a qualified counsellor.

The course covers seven core units, each of which is broken down into several distinct learning criteria.

The core units will enable students to:

• Use counselling skills ethically and safely.
• Establish and sustain the boundaries of the helping role.
• Work empathically as a helper.
• Focus on the client’s needs and concerns.
• Use self-awareness in helping work.
• Use a range of counselling skills.
• Use feedback and reflection to enhance counselling skills.

A typical course session will be as follows:

• Check-in to help students focus, practice listening to others and articulate feelings and thoughts in a group without interruption.
• Teaching of specific topic which will be introduced by the tutor.
• Activities relating to the topic in small groups or pairs, occasionally individually with group discussion and contributions from all students to embed new knowledge.
• Skills practice in triads, taking turns being client, counsellor (helper) and observer.
• Reflections on the session’s new learning and relevant criteria focus.
• Check-out to ensure all students are good to go.

Purpose Statement

This qualification is designed to give learners the underpinning knowledge, skills and competencies to use counselling skills ethically and safely in a variety of contexts.

This qualification is for:

• Those starting the first level of training as a professional counsellor.
• Those who want to learn how to use counselling skills in other professional or helping roles.
• Those who want to improve their professional and personal relationships as part of personal development.

This qualification could lead to employment or increase employability for those whose role is to support others in e.g. health and social care work, teaching and learning, advocacy and mediation, support and project work and other helping roles.

 Tutors

Principal Tutor: Victoria Okocha CPCAB approved tutor, L4 DIP. Therapeutic Counselling. Post Graduate Certificate in Education/ PGCE Post Compulsory Education IOE) Transformational Life Coach.

Reserve Tutor: Novena-Chanel Davies (CPCAB accredited tutor, registered integrative counsellor/Psychotherapist, Counsellor Supervisor, Wellbeing/Life Coach) Nutritional Advisor, Reiki Master, Acupressure Body Therapist, and Yoga Teacher.

Internal Moderator: John Mccomack BACP Registered Therapeutic Counsellor/Person centred Counsellor.

 Delivery

Online Deliver

Dates

 Entry Requirements

All students must be 18 years or over.

No previous training is required to undertake this qualification however we must state that this course is not suitable for anyone who is currently in emotional or psychological difficulty.

The course will involve experiential elements and personal disclosure as well as willingness for personal development.

The practical element of the course will require you to bring your ‘real life’ issues for counselling, not role play.

You will be invited for an informal interview where we can discuss the specific elements of this course and your suitability to engage with this type of learning.

Details

Fees for L2 Courses

2024-2025 – £780 payable in instalments of 3 x £260.

There is also a registration fee payable to the awarding body, CPCAB of £174 for Level 2 courses.

The registration fee and first instalment is payable on the first day of the course.

The second and third instalments will be payable on the 10th and 15th week of the course. You will be given notice of these dates.

Except for the Registration Fee payable to CPCAB you will be fully refunded if you withdraw from the course in the first 2 weeks.

Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies

CST -L3

Awele’s Olive Tree Counselling and Training are looking forward to delivering a progression route to their learners on completion of Level 2.

Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies (CST L-3).     The awarding body is CPCAB (Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body).   The CPCAB is the UK’s leading awarding body specialised in counselling, offering vocational qualifications in over 300 centres throughout the UK and overseas.  The CPCAB is the only awarding body run by counsellors for counsellors.

 

Time and Venue:   Deliver online via Teams.

We are expecting to deliver at least three face to face session for each cohort.

Thursday 5.30-9.00pm.   We will begin and end promptly.

 Dates of Sessions:  September ‘24 – January ‘25

External Assessment Exam Date:  TBC

Please note that there is a minimum attendance requirement of 80% on the course.

Course Entry Requirements:

All students must be 19 years or over.  It is intended for candidates who have already acquired a recognised counselling skills qualification at L2 with a minimum of 75 guided learning hours and evidence of assessed skills practice.  We must state that this course is not suitable for anyone who is currently in emotional or psychological difficulty.  The course will involve experiential elements and personal disclosure as well as willingness for personal development. The practical element of the course will require you to bring your ‘real life’ issues for counselling, not role play.  You will be invited for an informal interview where we can discuss the specific elements of this course and your suitability to engage with this type of learning.

 About the Qualification:   

The Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies is intended for candidates who have already acquired a recognised qualification in counselling skills and want to take the next step in training towards becoming a counsellor.  It is designed as a pre -practitioner training for professional counselling qualifications but can also lead to employment in a related field and prepares the candidate for working as a counsellor in an agency setting.  On the Level 3 course you will learn about theories of counselling practice, ethics and mental health.  It equals 20 credits and includes 90 guided learning hours.  It is the second compulsory qualification in the CPCAB award framework on your progression to becoming a qualified counsellor.

Progression Opportunities:

Awele’s Olive Tree Counselling and Training are looking forward to providing a progression route to their learners in the years to come.  Successful candidates from any CST-L3 course can progress to a Level 4 Course in Counselling Studies – TC-L4 at any CPCAB centre running this course.

This qualification is intended for candidates who have already acquired a recognised qualification in counselling skills and want to:

• Take the next step in training to become a counsellor.
• Learn more about counselling theory, ethics and mental health.
• Be prepared for work as a professional counsellor in an agency setting.

This qualification does not lead to employment.  It is designed as a pre-practitioner training for professional counselling qualifications, but it could also lead to employment in a related field.

Course Fee Structure:

The course fee for 2024-2025 is £960 payable in instalments of 3 x £320

There is also a registration fee payable to the awarding body, CPCAB of £171 for Level 3 courses.

The registration fee and first instalment is payable on the first day of the course.   The second and third instalments will be payable on the 10th and 15th week of the course.  You will be given notice of these dates.

September 2024:  Registration fee:  £176

1St Instalment due Sept 7th           £330

2nd Instalment due Oct. 3rd:        £330

3rd Instalment due Nov. 7th:        £330

Course textbook: Counselling Skills and Studies 2nd Edition.   Fiona Ballantine Dykes.

Suggested reading list:  Counselling Skills and Theory 4th Edition.  Margaret Hough

Internal Assessment:

At Awele’s Olive Tree Counselling and Training assessment is an ongoing process with students encouraged to monitor their own developments as learners and in the area of self-awareness that is so vital for skills development.

Students will be required to keep a journal of their reflections on their learning journey. The Reflective Learning Journal (RLJ) is a vital part of the course as it develops self-awareness and self-reflection.  The RLJ will be subject to assessment by the tutors and moderator and our confidentiality is assured at all times with regard to its content.

The RLJ will also be available to view by the external assessor.  Students will also be required to submit:

Two Assignments

Assignment 1:  Group presentation to prepare and present a theory of your choice starting from week 5 (11/10/24)

Assignment 2: Outline the key principles of two theories studied on the course. Describe how you apply key theoretical concepts to the counselling process and reflect on how you relate theory to your own self-awareness (due back week 13 (08/12/24)

Oneself Review (set 24/01/25, due 31/01/25) The self-review is an account of the new learning, personal development, and insights that the student has experienced on the course.  Areas of interest and difficulty can be highlighted here, and a clearer picture of the student’s future path can emerge.

Case study:  An exploration of all aspects of students working therapeutically with a peer for six sessions, with reference to ethics, theory, stages of the counselling relationship, diversity etc. (starts 18/10/24, due 06/12/24)

12 learning Journals (LJ) completed by 17.01.25.  One per session containing reflections on students learning, thoughts and feelings and how they apply the knowledge into skills work.

To gain the qualification you will need to evidence your learning through set criteria.  These criteria will be set out in the Candidate Learning Record as learning outcomes.  Each learning outcome will require two pieces of evidence that the learning has been achieved.  This can come from the students’ reflections in their Reflective Learning Journal, or from paper-based activities during the session, e.g. tutor and peer feedback forms, topic-based activities, tutor feedback on assignments and presentations.

External Assessment

The External Assessment (EA) is scheduled for March/April 2025 and will be marked by the CPCAB. The assessment involves candidates written paper completed by the candidates.  This is done under exam conditions and there will be a mock exam in the weeks prior to the EA to prepare students for this.