An introduction to child and adolescent counselling
A 60-hour course aimed at adults working with young people and children, who want to begin to develop some counselling skills and knowledge. It is particularly appropriate for those working with children in a pastoral or care role. It is also the entry course for those wishing to pursue the Postgraduate Diploma and Masters Courses in counselling which, together, constitute a national accredited psychotherapeutic counsellor training.
This course aims to explore counselling with children and adolescents and develop the skills and theoretical base for such work. Course members will be supported to use these skills in their own work setting during the course.
The course will examine concepts from different counselling approaches and the application of these concepts and skills, to work with individual students and groups. It will also explore the area of interpersonal work with other adults. The course is taught through an active learning approach, including experiential work, interactive workshops, as well as lectures, discussion, practice sessions, feedback and video work. There will be a focus on working therapeutically with the arts and with play. This will include practical sessions making and working with art images, sand tray work, as well as exploring the value of therapeutic story work.
The course adopts and integrative approach. Developmental approaches to and the skills of counselling will be considered, including assessing the contributions of different models of counselling. The course aims to explore counselling in a school environment. Consideration will also be given to specific areas, e.g. safeguarding and child protection, bereavement, practical and ethical issues such as confidentiality and parental contact.
ALL COURSE MEMBERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO DO AT LEAST 5 SESSIONS OF COUNSELLING SKILLS PRACTICE OUTSIDE OF THE COURSE TIME AND TO WRITE THIS UP FOR PRESENTATION. THESE SESSIONS MAY BE WITH A CHILD IN THE PARTICIPANT'S WORK SETTING OR WITH AN ADULT.
For more information on when this course is being run next please see the CPD/PPD Courses Pages.