What is the course about?
The course is based on Carl Rogers' person centered approach to counselling and will help you to develop your counselling skills for use within the speech and language therapy context.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
The following topics will be covered:
- Boundaries
- Hearing the story
- Ways of responding including paraphrasing, reflecting and questioning
- Loss
- Practice counselling skills session
- Developing the therapeutic relationship
- Boundaries
- Hearing the story
- Ways of responding including paraphrasing, reflecting and questioning
- Loss
- Practice counselling skills session
- Developing the therapeutic relationship
- Active listening
- Empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence
- Challenge and support
- Self care
- Self-awareness
- Immediacy
- Relevance of counselling skills for different client groups
- Endings.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
1. distinguish counselling skills from counselling
2. identify the core conditions
3. demonstrate unconditional positive regard, congruence and empathy
4. use paraphrasing, reflecting and questioning effectively.
5. practise a range of counselling skills and be more confident about using these within your work.
6. explain why self-awareness is important for therapists and how self-awareness can be developed
7. identify the stages of grief and bereavement and relate these to your client group.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
To access the course you will be a qualified speech and language therapist. You will have an adequate level of English to:
- Express your opinions and feelings
- Follow discussions and make relevant contributions
- Make use of handouts with some assistance if necessary
It is most suitable for therapists who have done little or no previous counselling training.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
There will be a large experiential component to the course as well as some theoretical input and practical sessions.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
There are no additional costs although you might choose to purchase books from the suggested reading list.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You may choose to go on to do further counselling training either at the City Lit or elsewhere.