Course Fee: $855 (Canadian currency)
This practical, informative and stimulating course will introduce the student to essential counselling theories, qualities, techniques and skills. It will help you better understand the counselling process, and will help you to develop a relationship with clients that is helpful, therapeutic and transformative.
In addition to developing effective listening skills, you will learn how to use basic counselling microskills to convey empathy, and to support, the client. These will also assist with the exploration process so the client is able to better understand, and effectively deal with, the challenges of life.
You will also have the chance to study in more depth one of two popular counselling approaches: cognitive behavioural therapy or solution focused brief therapy. You will learn about the theory, techniques and skills associated with this theoretical approach, and learn how to apply it in a way that is meaningful to clients.
SYLLABUS
Part 1
Module 1: Introduction to Counselling Skills
Topics Studied
• What is counselling?
• The therapeutic relationship
• The therapeutic communication process
• The shadow side of counselling
• The counsellor’s emotional world
• The Johari Window
• Using non-verbal skills to manage aggression
• Counselling skills practice
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Describe the essential qualities in a therapeutic relationship.
• Communicate effective understanding.
• Appraise their emotional world.
Module 2: Exploring Effective Listening Skills
Topics Studied
• Effective Listening Skills
• Active Listening
• Questions to Consider
• Poor Listening
• Faulty Listening
• Responding Skills
• Reflective Skills Practice
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Describe what is meant by active listening.
• Illustrate what is meant by poor and faulty listening.
• Analyse effective responding skills.
Module 3: Acquiring and Using Microskills
Topics Studied
• Reflection
• Paraphrasing
• Summarising
• Challenging
• Confronting
• Immediacy
• Counsellor Self-Disclosure
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Employ reflecting, paraphrasing and summarising.
• Justify the use of challenging and confronting.
• Assess the use of immediacy and appropriate counsellor self-disclosure.
Module 4: Introducing Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model
Topics Studied
• Introducing Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model
• Stage 1: The Present Scenario
• Stage 2: The Preferred Scenario
• Stage 3: Strategies
• The Shadow Side of the Skilled Helper Model
• Focus on the Counsellor
• Brushing up on Communication Skills: Effective Listening
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Connect Stages 1,2 & 3 of Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model.
• Predict the influence of the shadow side of Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model.
• Examine the skill of tuning into, or attending to, the client.
Module 5: Applying Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model
Topics Studied
• Reviewing the Counselling Relationship
• Solution-Focused Helping
• Facilitating Perseverance
• Reviewing Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model
• Applying Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model
• Some Final Thoughts on Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Relate Egan’s the Skilled Helper Model to a Solution-Focused Approach.
• Produce guidelines to facilitate perseverance in the client.
• Illustrate how to effectively use Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model.
Module 6: Ethics in Counselling
Topics Studied
• Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling
• Ethical Principles for Good Practice in Counselling
• Counsellor Personal Moral Qualities
• Providing a Good Standard of Practice and Care
• Counselling Supervision
• Brushing up on Key Counselling Skills: Confronting Prejudice
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Defend the ethical principles associated with good practice.
• Describe the personal moral qualities associated with good practice.
• Critique what is meant by a good standard of practice and care in counselling.
Part 2
Students can either choose to study cognitive behavioural therapy OR solution focused brief therapy for Part 2 of the course. The syllabi for each is included below.
Module 1 (CBT): Introduction to CBT
Topics Studied
• The basic premises of CBT
• Differentiating between thoughts and beliefs
• How automatic thoughts develop
• Tracking our automatic thoughts
• Common cognitive errors
• Schemata, or core beliefs
• Playing by the rules
• Introducing the ABC model
• Correcting thought distortions
• Distancing and decentring
• CBT’s triadic structure
• Brushing up skills: Confronting prejudice
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• List common cognitive errors.
• Describe the ABC model.
• Distinguish between automatic thoughts and core beliefs.
Module 2 (CBT): Cognitive Techniques and Skills
Topics Studied
• CBT and the counselling relationship
• Key counselling microskills
• Understanding and applying cognitive techniques
• The Daily Record of Dysfunctional Thoughts (DRDT)
• The Downward Arrow Technique
• The Dysfunctional Attitude Scale
• Socratic questioning and guided discovery
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Identify the key counselling microskills.
• Explain how to use a DRDT.
• Apply the Downward Arrow Technique.
Module 3 (CBT): Behavioural Techniques and Skills
Topics Studied
• Understanding and applying active listening skills
• Teaching clients problem-solving skills
• The therapeutic use of behavioural tasks
• The value of self-monitoring
• The use of homework assignments
• Reviewing homework: Blocks and failures
• Graded Task Performance
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Outline the steps involved in self-monitoring.
• Explain the purpose of homework assignments.
• Describe Graded Task Performance.
Module 4 (CBT): CBT and Relationships
Topics Studied
• A cognitive perspective on relationships
• Mind reading in relationships
• Misreading the signals
• The role of expectations in relationships
• Symbolism in relationships
• The negative effects of prejudicial thinking
• Changing our perspective
• Brushing up on skills: Effective listening
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Discuss mind reading in relationships.
• Describe how we “misread the signals”.
• Explain the role of symbols in relationships.
Module 5 (CBT): CBT and Depression
Topics Studied
• Depression and loss
• Cognitive responses to loss
• The depressive chain reaction
• Working towards cognitive reorganisation
• Applying CBT techniques and strategies in your work with depressed clients
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Outline the relationship between depression and loss.
• List common cognitive responses to loss.
• Describe the depressive chain reaction.
Module 6 (CBT): CBT, Anxiety and Hostility
Topics Studied
• The symptoms of anxiety
• Phobias
• Psychosocial fears
• Generalised anxiety disorder
• The problem of egocentric thinking
• The hostility sequence
• Self-esteem, self-image and CBT
• Self-esteem, anger and hostility
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Explain the relationship between thinking and psychosocial fears.
• Describe the hostility sequence.
• Outline the relationship between self-esteem, anger and hostility.
Module 1 (SFBT): Introducing Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Topics Studied
• The importance of relationship building
• Conveying understanding
• The counsellor’s emotional world
• Learning to lead from behind
• The key elements in solution building
• Skills practice
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Outline the importance of relationship building in SFBT.
• Explain what is meant by “learning to lead from behind.”
• Summarise the key elements in solution building.
Module 2 (SFBT): The Beginnings of Solution Building
Topics Studied
• Our first meeting with clients
• Helping clients envision what they want their life to look like
• Changing abstract ideas into well-formed goals
• Some positive effects of encouraging the client to find, and work towards, their own solutions
• What are the advantages of brief therapy?
• Skills practice
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Describe how the counsellor can help the client envisage how he would like his life to be.
• Summarise the process of changing abstract ideas into well-formed goals.
• List some advantages of well-formed goals.
Module 3 (SFBT): The Miracle Question
Topics Studied
• What is the miracle question?
• Variations on the miracle question
• Applying the miracle question
• Some considerations when using the miracle question
• Skills practice
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Describe the miracle question.
• Propose some variations on the miracle question.
• Apply the miracle question.
Module 4 (SFBT): Building on Clients’ Strengths
Topics Studied
• Exceptions
• Scaling questions
• Additional solution-focused questions and techniques
• Formulating feedback
• Skills practice
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Describe what is meant by “exceptions” in solution-focused brief therapy.
• Demonstrate how to use scaling questions.
• List additional solution-focused questions and techniques.
Module 5 (SFBT): Later Sessions and Termination
Topics Studied
• Exploring “what’s better?”
• Applying the “EARS” acronym
• The value of adopting a systemic perspective
• Scaling in later sessions
• Reviewing clients’ goals
• Terminating counselling
• Some final thoughts on setbacks and relapses
• Skills practice
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Outline the importance of exploring “what’s better?”
• Summarise the importance of reviewing clients’ goals.
• Discuss the process involved in deciding when to terminate counselling.
Module 6 (SFBT): Crisis Counselling, and Working with Dyads and Groups
Topics Studied
• Crisis counselling
• Working with dyads and groups
• Solution-focused supervision
• Skills practice
• What have you learned? Reviewing the course
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Apply solution-focused brief therapy to crisis situations.
• Outline some principles for working with dyads and groups.
• Review solution-focused supervision.
Suggested textbooks for the course (to be purchased by the student)
Part 1:Egan, G. (2018). The skilled helper: A problem management and opportunity development approach to helping (11th Ed.). Brooks Cole/ Thomson: London.
Part 2 (CBT option): Trower, P., Jones, J., & Dryden, W. (2015). Cognitive behavioural counselling in action. (3rd Ed.). SAGE: London.
Part 2 (SFBT option): De Shazer, S., Dolan, Y., Korman, H., McCollom, E., & Berg, I.K. (2021). More than miracles: The state of the art of solution-focused brief therapy. Abingdon: Routledge.