Expand+Mature Students

Participants need to be 21 years of age or over on 1st January of the year in which the course commences. As courses are delivered in keeping with adult education practice, participants will be expected to: be willing to engage wit...

Hide-Mature Students

Participants need to be 21 years of age or over on 1st January of the year in which the course commences. As courses are delivered in keeping with adult education practice, participants will be expected to: be willing to engage with group activities and group learning; be willing to learn through dialogue and reflection on experience; have a level of literacy that is sufficient to complete the assessment requirements.

Issues To Consider Before Applying Other than the age requirement stated above, there is no formal selection procedure. However, we strongly recommend that you seriously consider the following before applying:

On the course you will be expected to:

Have a satisfactory level of maturity and self-responsibility as evidenced by your capacity to reflect on relationships

Be willing to engage with group activities and group learning

Have a level of literacy that will enable you to complete the assignments (see under assessment procedure )

Have a commitment to learn through dialogue and reflection on experience

Have an openness to explore interpersonal challenge and conflict.

Expand+Introductory Module

Introductions

Course outline and course principles

Assessments and Assignments

Module 1 Skills and modules of counselling

Definitions of counselling skills and counselling

Difference between the exercise of couns...

Hide-Introductory Module

Introductions

Course outline and course principles

Assessments and Assignments

Module 1 Skills and modules of counselling

Definitions of counselling skills and counselling

Difference between the exercise of counselling skills, counselling and related activities

Principles of counselling and core conditions

Communication skills and blocks to communication

Module 2 A framework for counselling

Basic models of counselling

Interviews involving counselling skills: setting boundaries, confidentiality, contracts

Using counselling skills in nontherapeutic settings

Ethical issues in the use of counselling skills

Module 3 Special issues in counselling

This module will involve a group research project on topics such as Change and transition; Bereavement; Depression; Loss; Addiction

Module 4 Personal development

Awareness of self and listening skills; Values clarification; Prejudices; On-going negotiation of the impact of the course

Module 5 Groupwork

Patterns in groups; Group dynamics and process; Individual autonomy and collective responsibility;Awareness of oneself in groups; Encouraging ‘here and now’ dialogue;

Please note that the content may vary in response to participants’ needs

Course Duration: 100 hours part-time over one year which may include 3 - 4 Saturdays.

Expand+The course seeks to provide you with:a deeper appreciation of the emotional impact of life events on individuals.

an understanding of the importance of being present to others in their difficulties.

an understanding of the centrality of relatio...

Hide-The course seeks to provide you with:a deeper appreciation of the emotional impact of life events on individuals.

an understanding of the importance of being present to others in their difficulties.

an understanding of the centrality of relationships in human development.

a deeper appreciation of how you function, behave and reflect in relationships in a group setting.

an understanding of the notion of counselling skills and how they can enhance our communication.

the capacity to identify and to demonstrate key listening skills within appropriate models and frameworks.

It is important to emphasise that this is not a therapeutic course. It does not offer a professional qualification in counselling. The course will be of special interest to those who are involved (paid or unpaid) in working with people, especially those in the caring professions.