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Year 1 - The Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling

The programme runs on Tuesdays, 9.30am – 5pm, over three 10 week terms beginning in September. It is designed for those who work with young people in educational or related settings who have either satisfactorily completed the Introduction to Child and Adolescent Counselling Skills (60-hour course) or have equivalent relevant professional, academic experience and/or training. Applicants must be able to demonstrate a knowledge and use of basic counselling skills and theory, an awareness of self and its impact on their communication.

The programme is designed to enable participants to:

  • work towards an accredited training
  • develop the skills of counselling in one-to-one and group settings through the use of practicums, experiential, active learning methods and practical work with students
  • gain a grounding in the theoretical base of counselling and group work
  • Increase their understanding of the development of young people personally, socially and emotionally
  • explore the ethical and professional aspects of working in a school or other setting
  • focus particularly on working therapeutically with children and young people.

It also aims to develop the emotional understanding and personal growth of participants and there will be a personal development group for an hour each week when course members should be prepared to explore personal experience.

The three units are:

  1. Counselling Theory and Skills: practicum
  2. Communication through Images: the use of the creative arts in counselling and affective education
  3. Working with and Understanding Groups

Term 1: Counselling: theory and skills

Three main areas will be explored:

1. Counselling theory and psychology

This will include a detailed look at the main approaches to counselling, the theory of human development and motivation and the psychology of change.

2. Counselling skills and their application

Course members will study and practise the skills of listening, reflecting, questioning, communicating empathy, challenging, and working on action. This will involve the use of a practicum (working on skills in the group) and will require work in the course member's institution/setting. Video is also used. Videos are reviewed and explored with the aid of a supervisor.

3. The social and professional content of counselling

This will involve exploring the social issues for clients and for counsellors. It will include the ethical and professional issues of working in organisations and will involve exploration of issues such as confidentiality and working with colleagues.

Term 2: Communication through Images: the use of the creative arts in counselling and affective education

This unit aims to work in an experiential way and to explore the following:

  1. The use of non-verbal methods in counselling and affective education (this is important because many course members will be working with students who are either young or unable to express themselves with ease verbally).
  2. The theory behind the use of play and arts media in counselling.
  3. The satisfactory expression of an experience through metaphor.
  4. The use of the creative arts in counselling and affective education in schools/colleges.

Term 3: Working with and Understanding Groups

The final unit aims to provide an opportunity for participants to: develop an understanding and awareness of how they experience and behave in a group; increase their knowledge and understanding of the theory of group psychology and psychotherapy; apply the above to their work situation. It will be structured around four components:

  1. The theory of group and group processes.
  2. Application in the workplace. This element looks at ways of integrating knowledge and awareness of groups and group processes into the work setting.
  3. Personal growth and awareness. Activities will be used to engage participants in reflection on themselves and their communication.
  4. The personal development group offers course members the opportunity to develop self-awareness by sharing their thoughts and feelings with each other and the effect they have on each other. This is an essential process for future counsellors as otherwise their own pre-conceptions, anxiety and distress may distort their attempts to help the client.

Entry qualifications and how to apply

The programme is designed for those who work with young people in educational or related settings who have either satisfactorily completed the Introduction to Child and Adolescent Counselling Skills (60-hour course) or have equivalent relevant professional, academic experience and/or training.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate:

  • a knowledge and use of basic counselling skills and theory
  • the capacity for self-reflection and self-awareness
  • the potential to develop a therapeutic relationship
  • the capacity to undertake academic study
  • the capacity to receive and work with feedback
  • the capacity to work with others
  • an awareness of emotion and sufficient robustness to undertake the training
  • enthusiasm for and commitment to learning

Interviews will take place with the Course Director when further information about the requirements of the course and the expected demands will be given. The interview is an opportunity to discuss candidates' suitability for the course. Tutors have a limited capacity to engage in pre-interview discussions. We will not be able to offer candidates feedback after interview.

We operate staggered application dates and these are: 31st January; 30th March and 30th June 2010. Priority will be given to early applications.

For more information on the Postgraduate diploma and an application form please contact Christine Zwierzanski (cz215@cam.ac.uk) or download the application form here.