Introduction to Counselling Children and Young People

Who is this course for?

• Counsellors in training, who are enrolled on an adult course (at least Level 4 qualification) and are considering working with children and young people.
• Counsellors in training, who are enrolled on an adult course (at least Level 4 qualification) and are about to start a counselling placement working with children and young people.
• Qualified adult counsellors, who are thinking about working with children and young people.

What will I learn?

You will learn the skills needed to communicate with clients of different ages and developmental stages. You will also gain a new self awareness in relation to counselling children and young people.

Some of the additional skills you will gain include the ability to:

• Identify and assess potential risk, and know how to act if a child or young person is at risk
• Demonstrate an understanding of how mental health difficulties can emerge and present in children and young people
• Critically appraise the impact that different organisational contexts can have on children and young people’s counselling services, and know how to manage any ethical tensions
• Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of working collaboratively with other professionals

How will I learn?

This course will take place across 4 days, with teaching from 9.30am to 4.30pm each day.

The content is based on the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy's (BACP) counselling children and young people (4 to 18 years old) curriculum.

Day 1

• Child and adolescent development and transitions
• Communication with young people

Day 2

• Mental health and young people
• Risk assessments

Day 3

• Ethical and professional practice
• Child protection and safeguarding

Day 4

• Working within the context of the counselling setting
• Beginnings and endings with young people

How will I be assessed? 

During the course you will be assessed through a skills practice session where you will receive feedback from the course facilitator. You will also be asked to submit a video discussing the following topics with other course participants. These topics include: 

• Child Protection and Safeguarding 
• Ethical and Professional Practice
• Risk Assessment

John Bradley

John Bradley is a person-centred counsellor, supervisor and trainer. He is a BACP Senior Accredited Counsellor / Psychotherapist (Children and Young People) and BACP Senior Accredited Supervisor.

John has been offering counselling to children and young people since 1998, previously working for Youth Counselling Projects for Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council. He has also been offering supervision since 2008, and counselling children and young people training (courses and workshops) since 2013.

John currently works in private practice as a counsellor, supervisor and trainer in Hull. He also offers counselling in a secondary school.

To find out more about this course, please email the Business Development Office at business@yorksj.ac.uk or get in touch using our enquiry form.

Apply now