The course is for those who wish to train as Professional Counsellors and the core counselling model taught on the course is the Person-Centred Approach. Therefore, the course is designed for those who wish to become Person-Centred Practitioners on qualification. However, candidates will also become familiar with the theory and skills used in 2 other counselling models; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (an approach which is favoured by NHS employers) and The Existential Approach; as well as less extensively exploring models such as TA and Gestalt.

• You will need to be at least 21 years of age.
• You will need Level 5 English communication skills (oral and written).
• You must hold a Level 3 BTEC National Diploma in Counselling Skills or its equivalent (180 Awarded Hours of Counselling Skills Training), and/or currently employed in a related professional capacity.
• Internal Applicants: Must have tutor recommendation to progress and complete both an Internal Progression Form and an Initial Assessment Form which must be submitted with your Internal Progression Form.
• External Applicants: Must complete both an Application Form and an Initial Assessment Form which must be submitted with your Application Form and are required to attend an interview with the HPD tutors.
• Successful applicants must be willing to attend a group Induction & Enrolment Day which is held in July before the start of the course in September.

Late Applications: Will be considered in some circumstances.

This is a Level 5 qualification.

The course engages you in a vigorous experiential and self-explorative learning process and you must be willing to commit yourself fully to the personal, professional, theoretical understanding and academic developmental process. The course is highly life changing and enhancing but such transition can be difficult and emotionally painful. The course will equip you with the skills, insight, knowledge, attitudes and self-awareness required to become an effective and ethical practitioner who can support clients with a wide range of difficulties and issues and who are often vulnerable and may be facing a life crisis. There is a very strong transcultural and transracial dimension present throughout the duration of the course which will enable you to work with diversity and with clients from all walks of life.

The Course consists of 12 Units, which are:

• Counselling Theory 
• Counselling Skills & Triads (OPT and Person:Person
• A Specific Portfolio of additional CPD Counselling Skills/Client Work
• Personal Development
• Professional Development
• Clinical Supervision
• Client Work
• The Person-Centred Approach (The Course Core Model and Unit of Practice)
• Existential Counselling (Unit of study not practice)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Unit of study not practice)
• Counselling and Mental Health Issues
• Counselling Research

Additionally, diversity and equality considerations are embedded in each unit of the course, and you will need to be open to experientially exploring your biases, prejudices and stereotypical views. 

£ 5920.00 (year 1). A full break down of payment options will be provided to Candidates at Interview.

Year 1: £5,920.00: A deposit of £2,500.00 is payable by 7 July 2025, then an initial non-refundable enrolment deposit of £420.00 followed by 10 monthly instalments of £300.00 from 1 September '24 to 1 June '25.
Year 2: £5,920.00: 2nd Year fees are due by the end of your 1st year and you will be duly notified of any increase in the annual course fees by June 1st (during your 1st year of study).
The Registration Fee provides you with access to all College facilities and student services such as the Reference Library and the Lending Library.
The fee for the course offers you a package which includes:

• 30 hours of Personal Counselling during your 1st year with a Qualified Counsellor; confidential and external to the course
• The opportunity to work in RH UK CiC Counselling Community Agency as a Volunteer Counsellor.
• External and Internal Supervision during the course with a qualified and experienced Supervisor, which will ensure coverage of your practice to BACP requirements.
• The 1st year compulsory Residential Weekend.
• The 2nd year compulsory 1 Day Workshop
• With tutor support, the opportunity to apply to present your Group Research Project at the Annual BACP Research Conference (sub-groups of our students have successfully applied to present at the conference every year since 2006; an additional bonus to their CVs).
• BACP Course Accreditation, which makes BACP Practitioner Registration automatic on qualification, and personal practitioner Accreditation an easier process and assures you of the quality of our training.
• A course which meets the current expected standards for ‘Self-Regulation’ of the Counselling Profession.
• External Course Moderation by FE College Head of School; Health & Social Care Provision.
• Annual Quality Assurance Inspection.
• Professional development opportunities while on the course through our Study Buddy Scheme.
• Ongoing career and professional development opportunities with us on qualification.

Assessment is continuous throughout the course and you build an extensive portfolio of evidence which includes case studies, essays, client and supervision logs, video recordings, a group research project and personal and professional development work.

The course is accredited by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy and is externally verified by an independent quality control educationalist.

Qualification leads  directly to BACP Registration as a Qualified Counsellor who is proficient in offering both OPT and Person to Person provisions to clients.