FAQ's
Which Counselling Course Is The Right One For Me?
This is probably the most asked question that people new to college ask us. As with so many questions that isn’t a straightforward black and white answer, and we always recommend that we have a chat with you before you sign up to see which course would feel like the best fit for you. Many people choose to start at Level 2 and use this 10 week course as a way of dipping their toe in the water and exploring not just the ideas of counselling but also how they feel about being back in education.
Some people leap straight into our Advance Certificate (Level 3 Eq) and immerse themselves into six months of study. Occasionally students will start at Diploma Level (we work closely with these students to ensure that this is the right step for them to take) many people who start at the Diploma stage have either previously studied elsewhere or have life/work experience that enable them to navigate the needs of this course.
Navigating the different pathways to becoming a counsellor can be daunting, we are here to help.
We are always happy to initially have a phone conversation, and a face to face meeting so that you can decide if the course (and college) are the right fit for you.
Can you support my special requirements?
We will do whatever we can to support all of our students in their learning. Part of our work is to teach an awareness of diversity and inclusion and we take this work seriously. We have clients with a range of specific needs on our courses and are more than happy to discuss ways in which we can support everyone in their learning. If this is a concern for you please do get in touch and we can discuss your individual requirements.
Like a lot of people I am finding money tight at the moment do you offer payment options?
For all our courses we offer a range of payment options – if you feel that finances may be a barrier to you being able to join a course please do get in touch and we can talk through different options with you. We also offer discounts for certain courses and students on our Diploma courses can sign up to Totum and receive a range of benefits.
Why is there a Bowie room at the college?
All of the rooms at college are named after people who have been inspirational to us. Becky named our main teaching room Yalom after the American existential psychiatrist and author Irvin Yalom. “Whenever people ask me for a book recommendation, Yalom is always top of the list” says Becky, “he writes with such passion and insight about his clients”. Becky also named the Orbach room; this is the room that most closely reflects the essence of a typical counselling room and is named after Susie Orbach, psychotherapist and author of Fat is a Feminist Issue, Susie is also a campaigner against media pressure on girls to feel dissatisfied with their physical appearance.
Simon named the two others rooms after two David’s – the Attenborough Room is a great space that can be used for teaching, tutorials, skills practice or any other creative past times. “David Attenborough had a massive influence on my childhood and is partly ‘responsible’ for my love of working outside as an ecotherapist.” The final room (and second David) is a breakout room, with a selection of books that students can borrow, a table to work at and a load of art materials to help spark creativity.
Do I run the risk of death by powerpoint?
Every session of every course is different – even the classes that we have run before! We use a range of tried and tested training techniques (including powerpoint presentations), with discussion, debate and experiential learning at the forefront. We use games (see the Facebook question below!) and activities, roleplay, real life scenarios, drawing, objects, video and audio tools. As well as being informative we aim for each session to be engaging and creative.
What is the image on your Facebook cover?
It is a photograph of a game that we have created called What Would You Do?. The aim of the game is to move your piece (either Carl Rogers, Fritz Perls, Aaron Beck or Abraham Maslow) to the centre of the board and achieve Self Actualisation before the opposing team. On the way you might land on a life card that will send you in a different direction or possibly stumble upon an ethical dilemma and decide what you would do in that circumstance….
…the game is a great icebreaker and one we use for groups starting their diploma course on the Keep in Touch Evenings.
What is a Keep in Touch Evening?
Many of the students who join us for the Level 4 Diploma will have completed their Advance Certificate months before, or will be joining us from other colleges. The Keep in Touch evenings run once a month for three months before the diploma starts so that they can keep their hand in with skills practice, discuss their concerns and hopes for the course and meet up with old friends. These sessions are free and are lovely way for students to get to know one another before the course begins.
What are guided learning hours? (GLH)
Guided Learning hours (GLH) are the number of taught classroom hours required for future accreditation by either the BACP or the NCPS. It is not at time of writing compulsory for qualified counsellors to become accredited, but some organisations may require their counsellors to be accredited. If you are only wanting to work in private practice this is not something you need to be concerned about, however for those looking to work for an organisation in the future it is important to have enough GLH from your training. In the case of our courses, for those undertaking both the Advanced Certificate in Counselling (L3 Equivalent) and our Level 4 Diploma in Counselling you would have the required number of GLH with the two courses combined.
What does your Logo symbolise?
Our logo is based on the Japanese concept referring to something that gives a person a sense of purpose. The image depicts four interlocking circles each representing an area of life that we look for fulfil in a career. What we are good at, What we love, What we can be paid for and What the word needs. Where the circles combine in the middle – this is the Ikigai – the sense of purpose.
