Professional and short courses
Counselling Skills Certificate
Develop your knowledge and skills working with individuals in a variety of contexts and helping roles.
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The Counselling Skills Certificate is for those who want to learn counselling skills for use in professional and helping roles, those who want to improve their professional and personal relationships as part of personal development, and those wanting to progress with training as a professional counsellor. A Certificate is a pre-requisite for entry onto our Postgraduate Diploma in Humanistic Counselling.
York campus
- Course leader – Course leader: Jenny Collyer | Co-tutors: Sue Jewitt, Grace Holland
- Duration – 24 weeks
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Dates and times
Starting 1 October 2025
Wednesdays 3.30pm to 8pm
Course Fees
£950 per person. Can be paid in 2 instalments of £475.
Course overview
On this course you will develop your interpersonal and communication skills to work with individuals in a variety of support and helping roles. You will be introduced to humanistic theory and a range of professional counselling skills.
The course includes the following elements:
- Understanding theories of counselling
- Working in triads to develop your counselling and helping skills
- Engagement in groups to support your understanding of, and enable you to develop, self awareness
- Introduction to the ethics which underpin the helping relationship
The certificate is built on our extensive experience of delivering a range of humanistic courses. From the PG diploma in Humanistic Counselling, our work with experienced counsellors in the NHS and our successful Counselling and Mental Health BA (Hons). The York St John Communities Centre is part of the Counselling subject area. As a result, we are able to draw on a wide range of expertise, experience and knowledge in counselling.
This course is an introduction to humanistic theory and a range of counselling-based skills and will enable you to build on and develop your interpersonal, intrapersonal and communication skills.
These include:
- Active listening
- Attending to verbal and non-verbal communication
- Empathy
- Acceptance
- Being real and genuine in a helping relationship
Course structure
This short course will be delivered over 24 weeks. Sessions will run from 3.30pm to 8.00pm on Wednesdays.
The course is made up of 2 modules.
Modules
This module introduces you to the theory and practice of humanistic helping. You will develop your knowledge and understanding of the conceptual underpinnings of humanistic practice. Skills workshops will enable you to practise and evaluate the use of key facilitative micro skills. You will engage with structured activities which aim to foster self awareness and personal development. Throughout the module you will also be invited to reflect on your personal values and your ways of relating to others through group discussions and peer feedback.
This module forms a pair with Introduction to Counselling Skills. Its purpose is to further develop your theoretical understanding and practical application of the humanistic approach to helping. The lectures on this module will introduce you to concepts which extend your knowledge and understanding of the helping process. Skills workshops will extend your repertoire of micro-skills, enhancing your ability to facilitate a process which privileges the client’s experiencing. Group discussions and peer feedback will further develop your self- and other-awareness.
Course leader biographies
Jenny Collyer
Course Lead, Counselling Skills Certificate
Jenny has worked at York St John University since 2020, and is currently the Course Lead for the Counselling Skills Certificate course. She trained as a humanistic counsellor after a career in primary education, much of which as a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). She a part time lecturer as well as a practising British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited humanistic counsellor, working within the charitable sector. Jenny teaches on the Counselling and Mental Health BA (Hons) as well as the Counselling Skills Certificate course.
Sue Jewitt
Co-tutor, Counselling Skills Certificate
Sue has worked part time at York St John University since 2020 and is a practising humanistic counsellor. She teaches on the Counselling and Mental Health BA (Hons) and Counselling PG Diploma, and is course lead on Person-Centred Experiential Counselling for Depression training for counsellors working in NHS Talking Therapies.
Sue trained as a humanistic counsellor at York St John University after working in TV and Theatre production. She has previously worked in the charitable sector.
Entry Requirements
No specific training or experience is required to undertake this course. However, applicants need to be motivated towards developing as a helper and should be aware that there will be some written assignments. It is not suitable for individuals who are currently experiencing emotional distress or difficulty.
Enquire now
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To express an interest in this course, please fill in the form below with your details and we will be in touch soon.
