PgCert Counselling Skills
Course Overview
If you already have an honours degree and want to specialise as a counsellor or refine your counselling skills for another helping role, our Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Skills is an ideal next step. By studying with the University of Bolton, you can develop essential knowledge and understanding of counselling and psychotherapy while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus.Throughout this course, we focus on the theoretical underpinnings of person-centred counselling and core counselling skills. In particular, we’ll explore some of ‘the tribes in person-centred counselling’ developed from Carl Roger's work, including the classical non-directive approach, emotion-focused therapy, directives of person-centred practices, motivational interviewing, relational approaches, and integrative/pluralistic perspectives. We'll also introduce you to various research methods and measures used in the mental health field, ensuring you have the background understanding essential for your career development.
Our experienced, practising, and enthusiastic teaching staff possess an excellent knowledge base. Under their supervision and guidance, you can develop and practice your counselling and psychotherapy skills independently. Our supportive and passionate team offers expert training in counselling skills and techniques, helping you conceptualise, design, and implement theory in practice.
Successfully completing the University of Bolton's Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Skills can lead to the highly desired MSc Counselling and Positive Psychology course (Professional Practice) or other similar courses.
Highlights
- On successful completion of this course, you’ll be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Skills.
- We’ll support you as you develop your application of counselling skills and theoretical comprehension of the person-centred approach.
- This programme's teaching staff are involved in therapeutic practice and ongoing research in this field.
- We'll support you throughout the programme. You'll receive help to develop your skills and prepare for your next steps, whether you wish to proceed to the MSc Counselling and Positive Psychology or another pathway.
- You’ll have plenty of opportunities to develop highly sought-after skills in practice, critical evaluation, and reflection related to counselling.
Key Features
- An enthusiastic, dedicated and supportive teaching team delivers this exciting programme.
- The course curriculum allows you to practice counselling skills in simulated situations under tutor supervision.
- Learning and teaching are student-centred, with small group sessions and one-to-one tutorials. This is supported by the University’s virtual learning environment.
- You can enjoy contributions from expert guest speakers on a range of subjects covered in this exciting postgraduate programme.
- The programme is designed to enhance your employability, particularly in counselling and psychotherapy, or to help you progress to further studies in psychology or counselling.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- You should have at least a lower second class (2.2) honours degree (or equivalent) in psychology or a relevant professional area such as teaching, nursing, social work, or health and social care.
- You'll be invited to an interview, during which you'll evidence examples of your experiences working in a helping role.
- You'll also need to provide two satisfactory references (one for academic capacity and one for work/voluntary experience).
- We may also ask you to provide a portfolio of your work as part of the application process.
- This course does not confer Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the British Psychological Society (BPS). If you seek to achieve GBR, please consider applying for our MSc Psychology (Conversion) programme.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
The Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Skills focuses on the core counselling skills, counselling theories, and applications in practice. It looks at the impact of counselling and psychotherapy on a person’s wellbeing and what creates therapeutic change.
The course is designed to develop your employability skills, including intellectual and thinking skills, problem-solving, interpersonal awareness, communication skills, the ability to develop arguments supported by relevant evidence, teamwork, IT, and data handling skills.
What can I do with this qualification?
If you aim to become an assistant psychologist, clinical psychologist, counsellor, counselling psychologist, life skills coach, wellbeing practitioner, or psychotherapist, this course's theory and transferable skills should also benefit your clinical work. You'll also find counselling expertise valuable if you're a teacher, youth worker or educator.
After completing this course, you may choose to continue your education to the master's and doctorate levels. This would give you the opportunity to develop your skills further and research your area of interest.
Alternative career options
You can use the qualification as a stepping stone into various other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Some possibilities include:
- Teaching and education
- Prison service counsellor
- Probation services
- Family mediation and support
- Child protection
- Social work
- Police
- Youth work
- Communications
- Sport and recreation
- Careers guidance
- Human resources
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
International Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Partner Organisation Applicants
Course application details are unavailable at present
Teaching & Assessment
We use a diverse range of teaching methods designed to complement each other and help you achieve the course's intended learning outcomes. Our expert team offers lectures, seminars, workshops, group supervision and one-to-one sessions. You'll also need to undertake significant independent reading and investigation, complete seminar-related work, and prepare for workshops, presentations and group discussions. Some modules require you to follow up on taught sessions by using online resources and completing complementary tasks.
Assessment methods are also varied, allowing you to demonstrate your learning in a range of ways. For example, module assessments may require you to complete reports, essays, and presentations, deliver counselling sessions, portfolios, literature reviews, or review journal articles, write up case interventions and treatment evaluations, complete short questions and present reflective journals.
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
