Course Fee: $459 (Canadian currency)
This certificate course in Depression Counselling will equip you with the concepts and skills required for working more effectively in this field. It is ideal for professionals such as nurses, doctors, teachers, pastors, social workers and counsellors – or for those with an interest in depression counselling.
Specifically, this course is designed to enrich your understanding of the following: a basic introduction to counselling depressed clients; understanding depression; acquiring and using basic microskills; the role of medicine and other strategies; CBT and depression; the relationship between shame and depression; practising self compassion; acceptance and commitment therapy; and ethics in depression counselling.
There is no prior knowledge or experience required to embark on this useful certificate course. You are free to commence at a time that suits your schedule – and to continue at your pace for a period of six months. Full tutor support is provided for this course.
Note: The Online Counselling College uses a Rogerian person-centred approach, and Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model.
SYLLABUS
Module 1: Introduction to Counselling Depressed Clients
Topics Studied
• Defining counselling
• The decision to embark on counselling
• Trust and the counselling relationship
• What is a therapeutic relationship?
• Communicating understanding through validating feelings
• Helping clients to identify their feelings
• The Johari window
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Summarise the essential qualities in a therapeutic relationship.
• Communicate effective understanding to the client.
• Describe the Johari window.
Module 2: Understanding Depression
Topics Studied
• The role of diagnosis
• The role of paradigms in diagnosis and treatment
• Major depressive disorder/ clinical depression
• The worst things to say to a person who’s depressed
• Bipolar depression
• Being alert to the potential risk of suicide
• What you should do when a client’s suicidal
• Advice on how to handle a suicidal caller
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• List the main categories of major depressive disorder/ clinical depression.
• Outline the key symptoms associated with bipolar depression.
• Suggest techniques for handing a suicidal caller.
Module 3: Essential Counselling Skills
Topics Studied
• The central importance of active listening
• The role of skilled questioning
• Guidelines for effective questioning
• Examples of poor listening
• A brief look at counselling microskills
• Medication and depression
• Some practical approaches to dealing with depression
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Describe the key components of active listening.
• Apply basic counselling microskills.
• Suggest some practical approaches for dealing with depression.
Module 4: CBT and Depression
Topics Studied
• The basic premises of CBT
• Differentiating between thoughts and beliefs
• Tracking the client’s automatic thoughts
• Common cognitive errors
• The daily record of dysfunctional thoughts (DRDT)
• Schemata or core beliefs
• The dysfunctional attitude scale (DAS)
• Depression and loss
• The depressive chain reaction
• Some additional CBT techniques
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Outline the basic premises of CBT.
• List and give examples of common errors in thinking.
• Describe and apply popular CBT tools (such as the DRDT).
Module 5: Shame, Self-Compassion, and Action and Commitment Therapy
Topics Studied
• Exploring shame
• Developing shame resilience
• The fundamental importance of self-compassion
• Self-compassion exercises for depressed clients
• Introducing action and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Applying action and commitment therapy
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
• Discuss strategies for building shame resilience.
• Explain what is meant by “self compassion”.
• Describe action and commitment therapy.
Module 6: Ethics in Depression Counselling
Topics Studied
• Developing an 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
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.
Suggested textbook for the course (to be purchased by the student)
Sanders. P. & Hill, A. (Eds.) (2014). Counselling for Depression A Person-centred and Experiential Approach to Practice. London: Sage.