Course Fee: $855 (Canadian currency)
This diploma course in Trauma Counselling & Mindfulness 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 trauma counselling.
Specifically, this course is designed to enrich your understanding of the following important areas: An introduction to trauma; the footprints of trauma; trauma-related disorders; the road to healing; trauma recovery models; working with traumatized children and youth; moral and ethical issues in trauma counselling; an introduction to mindfulness; the mindful counsellor; mindfulness meditation and mindful movement; mindfulness-based cognitive coaching; mindfulness, self-compassion, and acceptance and commitment therapy; interpersonal mindfulness, and ethical practice in counselling.
There is no prior knowledge or experience required to embark on this diploma course. You are free to commence at a time that suits your schedule – and to continue at your pace for a period of 12 months. Full tutor support is provided for this course.
Note: The Online Counselling College uses a person-centred approach, and Egan’s The Skilled Helper Model.
SYLLABUS
Diploma in Trauma Counselling & Mindfulness
Part 1
Module 1: Introduction to Trauma
Topics Studied
- What is a trauma?
- What leads to trauma?
- Trauma and the brain
- Risk factors increasing the likelihood of trauma
- Factors which increase resilience
- The role of triggers
- Important points about remembering a trauma
- Essential counsellor qualities
- Basic counselling skills
- Effective listening
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Explain what trauma is
- List risk factors which might increase the likelihood of trauma
- Suggest factors which may enhance resilience, and help protect against being traumatized
Module 2: The Footprints of Trauma
Topics Studied
- The biology of stress and trauma
- A bias against what is good and nurturing
- Understanding dissociation
- Understanding numbing
- Trauma and feelings of guilt and shame
- A focus on incest and sexual abuse
- Typical feelings experienced by survivors of sexual abuse
- Some thoughts on feeling broken …
- Reactions to trauma across the life span
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Describe the biology of stress and trauma
- List five forms of dissociation
- Explain the relationship between trauma, guilt and shame
Module 3: Trauma Related Disorders
Topics Studied
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Acute stress disorder
- Panic disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Major depressive disorder
- Dissociative disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Addictions and trauma
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Distinguish between Acute Stress Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Describe the symptoms associated with major depressive disorder
- Suggest tips for dealing with flashbacks
Module 4: The Road to Healing
Topics Studied
- The ten tasks of healing
- The journey towards healing
- The trauma vortex
- Reducing your arousal (or activation) level
- The role of relaxation
- The role of CBT and challenging our thinking
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
- Some additional interventions and therapies
- Trauma, grief and loss
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Summarise the ten tasks of healing
- Describe the trauma vortex
- Explain the value of CBT in challenging and changing thoughts related to a trauma
Module 5: Trauma Recovery Models; and Working with Traumatized Children and Youth
Topics Studied
- The stage specific model
- The self trauma model
- The phase-oriented treatment model
- Counselling traumatized children
- What is play therapy?
- Basic play therapy skills
- Teenagers and group work
- Therapeutic activities for children and teenagers
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Describe the stage specific model
- List basic play therapy skills
- Suggest therapeutic activities that are helpful when working with children and youth
Module 6: Morals and Ethics in Trauma 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
- What if my Client is Suicidal?
- Ambivalent Clients
- Protection Against Future Suicide Attempts
- Structuring a Crisis Counselling Session
- 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:
- Defend the ethical principles associated with good practice
- List the personal moral qualities associated with good practice
- Suggest ways of dealing with a suicidal caller
Part 2
Module 1: An Introduction to Mindfulness
Topics Studied
- Mindlessness
- What does it mean to be mindful?
- Mindfulness: Two key strategies
- The neuroscience of mindfulness
- Mindfulness: What the research shows
- Nine essential qualities of mindfulness
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Explain what it means to be mindful
- Discuss the neuroscience of mindfulness
- List nine qualities of mindfulness
Module 2: The Mindful Counsellor
Topics Studied
- The mindful counsellor
- Being mindful of our personal narrative
- Windows of tolerance
- Transference and counter-transference
- Non-attachment in counselling
- Letting go and letting be
- Cultivating compassion for the client
- Mindfulness-based supervision
- The need for self-care
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Explain what it means to be mindful of our personal narrative
- Discuss non-attachment in counselling
- Differentiate between letting go and letting be
Module 3: Mindfulness Meditation and Mindful Movement
Topics Studied
- Getting started
- Possible hindrances to mindfulness practice
- The body scan
- The 3-minute breathing space
- Sound meditation
- Sight meditation
- Sitting with difficult thoughts meditation
- The lake meditation
- The raisin exercise
- Taking a mindful walk
- The value of journaling
- The value of developing a feelings vocabulary
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- List some possible hindrances to mindfulness meditation
- Describe some popular mindfulness exercises
- Discuss the value of journaling
Module 4: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Coaching
Topics Studied
- The importance of remaining present
- Negative automatic thoughts (NATS)
- How automatic thoughts develop
- Playing by the rules
- Inferences and evaluations
- The value of homework
- Mindfulness exercise: Using the acronym “STOP”
- Incorporating mindfulness exercises into your therapy
- Incorporating mindfulness into your day
- Sitting meditation
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Describe how NATs develop
- Explain what is meant by playing by the rules
- Suggest ways of incorporating mindfulness into your day
Module 5: Mindfulness, Self-Compassion, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Topics Studied
- The importance of self-compassion
- The three key elements of self-compassion
- Self-compassion exercises
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Applying ACT
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Discuss the importance of self-compassion
- List the three key elements of self-compassion
- Apply acceptance and commitment therapy exercises and techniques
Module 6: Interpersonal Mindfulness and Ethical Practice in Counselling
Topics Studied
- The mindful counsellor
- Going back to our roots
- What are some of the qualities of interpersonal mindfulness
- Mindful communication
- Mindful listening
- The Aikido of communication
- Ethical mindfulness
- An ethical framework for good practice in counselling
- The counsellor’s personal moral qualities
Learning Outcomes and Summary of Objectives
Upon successful completion of this learning module, the student should be able to:
- Describe some of the key elements associated with interpersonal mindfulness
- Summarize what is meant by the aikido of communication
- List the key counselling ethical principles and counsellor moral qualities
Suggested Reading for the Course (To be Purchased by the Student)
Part 1: Van der Kolk, B. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. London: Penguin.
Cori, J.L. (2007). Healing from trauma: A survivor’s guide to understanding your symptoms and reclaiming your life. Cambridge, MA: Marlowe & Co.
Part 2: Germer, C., Siegal, R.D., & Fulton, P.R. (Eds.) (2016). Mindfulness and psychotherapy. (2nd Ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Duration of the Course
The course consists of 12 knowledge and practice-based learning modules (comprehensive course notes), supplemented with suggested background reading, reflection activities and the submission of 6 tutor-marked assignments and 2 final papers (one for Part 1 and one for Part 2.) Courses are offered on a part-time basis and are designed to be completed within 12 months. Many students prefer to complete their studies in a shorter time frame.