Angela Sweeney 2008

HPD in Counselling, Qualified 2008

What is it like to be trained by LC&CTA? In a nutshell, it is CHALLENGING! From day one I have been challenged to examine myself - to unpeel layer upon layer to reveal who I am, to shed labels, to shed prejudices, to look at myself and others differently. There is no place to hide at LC&CTA! For me this has been an extremely challenging process of becoming and a real journey toward self-acceptance. LC&CTA tutors are truly committed to turning out counsellors who reflect the diversity of the world in which we live. This is a huge strength and I am immensely grateful for my group - a wonderful bunch of colleagues from all walks of life who challenge and support me week to week.

Carol Gordon

As a former student of LC&CTA I have found that the material provided i.e. tutorial information, guidance and support quite dynamic, structured, informative and concise. It has enabled me to recognise and understand in terms of theory and skills the importance of re-evaluating my beliefs, values, morality, sex, religion, race, gender, motives, barriers and my conditionings; which has facilitated me in gaining new insights of self as well as being able to work more effectively and ethically with my clients. My initial thoughts when reflecting back on my experience on the course is just how surprised I am by the depth of information and learning of the theories and concepts covered; and in being congruent, many of these issues would have never occurred to me at all in advance of the course, hence I am very grateful to have been able to grow within the diverse dynamics of LC&CTA. Thank you LC&CTA.

Dominic Kemp

I have been at and LC&CTA since last September and I am currently on my Intermediate Person Centred Approach course. This is a great place to study. We're treated as individuals and gain not only a qualification but greater insight into self and others. I look foward to doing the Level 3 course starting in September 2012.

Winsome Pryce

HPD in Counselling Student

I didn't quite know what I was letting myself in for when I decided to study again and become a mature student at LC&CTA, I was fearful and lacked confidence. I soon learned that my fears were something of the past and my Course Tutors were helping me to develop my confidence. I have had to work hard at putting in what I want to get out of the Course and this has definitely not been an easy thing for me to do, in fact, quite difficult at times. LC&CTA have always encouraged me to do more than I thought I was capable of in both my personal and professional life and supported me in times of difficulty.

Selina Jane Brown

I chose to study at LC&CTA to complete my professional training as a Person-Centred practitioner. For me the journey of in-depth self reflection has been a process that has changed and enhanced my lived experience. During my study one of the most important decisions I made was to opt to work as a Study Supporter; to have the chance to work directly alongside LC&CTA's highly experienced teaching team was not only valuable in terms of my own academic learning, but it enhanced my personal and professional development. However, more importantly for me I have felt humbled to be included in the journeys of self-exploration and discovery that other students went through; whether their journey was one of pure self-development to support an existing professional role, or whether their journey was being taken with the intention of pursuing the qualifications needed to practice as a professional counsellor. My journey of self-development at LC&CTA has been one that has filled my life with many potentials and continues to do so. I have decided to take my teacher training on LC&CTA's new Teacher training Programme that starts in January 2013 so that I may continue to be part of the courageous journeys LC&CTA's students undertake.

Jyoti Joshi

HPD in Counselling Student

I have been on an incredible journey since I began my Counsellor Training. I have cherished every moment of the process. I have been able to get in touch with my true self and become whole and able to appreciate what life brings my way. On my journey I have been supported well by my tutors and my student group on the HPD course. I have been challenged but have also been emotionally held by my peers which encouraged me to go further into self exploration. I have learnt a whole new way of appreciating the positives and negatives in life. All this would not have been possible without the unique training offered by LC&CTA.

Siobhan McCalla

Doing the Diploma in Person Centred Counselling at LC&CTA has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. This course is tough, it's life changing and I can not recommend it highly enough.

Joy Blake

Making the decision to join an LC&CTA counselling course was a life changing experience for me. I cannot imagine my life now without the additional knowledge I have gained since starting from Introductory level to Diploma level. I have experienced a long and challenging journey towards finding myself and at times I struggled against my being, but I was able to receive the support to meet my needs from the LC&CTA Team. I know I am in a place today where I feel good about myself and how I interact with others, through the process of self awareness and reflection on self.

Lyla Smith-Abbas 2009

Qualified 2009

I was introduced to person centred theory by a work college who was undertaking LC&CTA’s HPD course, he swore it would change my perspective on life … and it has. I didn’t know what I was letting myself in for! It has NOT been easy to explore who I am - and why I am the way that I am; facing myself and exposing myself to others (metaphorically speaking!) has been hard. I have definitely been challenged and my growth has exceeded my expectations; I have grown much closer to understanding, knowing and really loving myself. The support of the LC&CTA Tutor Team has been invaluable - I have felt fully held throughout this course and felt safe knowing there was always someone willing to listen when things got tough. I have experienced a roller coaster of emotions I’ve laughed, cried, felt alone, felt love and expressed great anger! However, this has helped me develop an inner strength and gain an awareness of myself that I didn’t have before. I’ve also had the great privilege of working with a group of amazing peers who have made my journey incredibly special and unforgettable.

Wesley Freeman Smith

Put simply, it has been an incredible journey. The Diploma course under leadership of Juanita and Chris was deeply involving, challenging, and enriching. I look back in awe at where I was when I began in comparison with where I am now. Change is not always easy, and change is not always fun; throughout the course I have come up against things which are difficult. But in a reflection of the theory that underpins the whole experience, even at it's most challenging there is an eventual understanding that the direction all along has been toward personal growth and higher awareness. The tutors possess great insight into people - insight that at critical moments on the course has proved invaluable. In my experience person-centred counselling is the opposite of the caricatured 'nodding dog therapist'; it is a deeply relational process that requires the therapist to extend his/her whole being in response to the client, and is far from passive in this pursuit. The real learning for me as been here, in fostering a trust in and rapport with my own visceral, emotional, and organismic experiencing to the service of the therapeutic work. Needless to say I am now on wider journey that I am only just beginning, but LC&CTA has helped lay the foundations - by showing me all I can achieve and facilitating the confidence in me that I can do it.