Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

January 2026 Start (Monthly Weekend)

About this course

We believe that our National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) Accredited Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling is an innovative course where you will feel inspired, nurtured, challenged and supported.

Our aim is to provide a safe learning environment where you will encounter a balance of experiential and theoretical learning with experienced tutors who are knowledgeable and passionate about what they do. We believe that counsellors, like clients, are all unique individuals, and one model or way of working does not fit all, so throughout the course, we will encourage you to discover and develop your own unique style of counselling that will enable you to work confidently and ethically with your clients.

Self-awareness is a vital part of being a counsellor, so regular self-reflection, exploration and discovery play an integral part of this training. This will help to prepare you for working safely, mindful of your limitations and boundaries. As part of your training, you will also engage with a counsellor or psychotherapist for a minimum of 20 sessions.

Our Accredited Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling will help you develop and demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and understanding of counselling to enable you to practice as a professional therapeutic counsellor. We place great importance on building effective and respectful relationships with each other on the course (learners and tutors), and this will help prepare you to build those important therapeutic relationships with your clients.

The course is delivered by enthusiastic, motivated educators, fluent in their chosen modalities, including (but not limited to) Person Centred Theory, Gestalt, Body Process, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Ecotherapy, Shinrin Yoku (Forest Bathing), NLP and Mindfulness. Our tutors are all experienced practising counsellors and supervisors.

Our commitment to you is to provide a safe and challenging learning environment where you can develop a Pluralistic, integrative counselling approach by incorporating those theories that you can understand and relate to and, therefore, most enjoy.

This is not just a training course where you learn the skills and theory required to obtain the qualification; it will encourage you to draw on and use your own life experiences and develop your own unique way of working therapeutically with clients. You really get to know who you are.

Structure & Content of the Qualification

Course Modules

Counselling Theory

In this module, we will introduce and explore the main modalities studied at Devon Counselling College, Person-Centred Theory and Gestalt, enabling students to become proficient and confident in their practice.

We will also introduce other modalities and theories, including Nature therapy (Ecotherapy and Shinrin Yoku), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Transactional Analysis and others. Part of this module includes how to integrate the modalities.

The course is presented within a pluralistic framework, which means that as well as learning counselling skills, theories and modalities, you will learn how to be in a collaborative relationship with your client (and your fellow students) to support them to discover the best way forward for them.

Practicing as a Counsellor

This module includes developing existing counselling skills and introducing new ones. You will learn about developing a contract with your clients for safe and ethical work, structuring counselling sessions, how to use assessment tools and outcome measures, the best ways to work online as a counsellor, as well as other important aspects, including how to write client notes and how to get the best out of supervision.

We will explore how to work ethically as a counsellor, working within the limits of your proficiency and how to create a safe, effective and suitable environment for counselling.

The Therapeutic Relationship

The main focus of this module is to explore how to develop good therapeutic relationships, including a focus on how to work at relational depth. We will look at working ethically as a counsellor, including exploring the NCPS Code of Ethical Practice.

You will also learn about attachment, transference, countertransference and projection.

Self-Awareness

In this module, students will explore how to develop and use self-awareness. We will look at several self-awareness concepts, including:

• Giving and receiving feedback
• Burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and self-care
• Who am I (as a counsellor)

Understanding the Client

This module will prepare you for counselling clients whose presenting issues include depression, anxiety, trauma, anger, suicidal thoughts, self-harm and who have experienced loss.

We will highlight the importance of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and how this affects the client. This also includes exploring working with Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity.

In the second year, you will learn about Neurobiology and Polyvagal theory, Psychopharmacology and Psychopathology.

Research in Counselling

You will learn about the importance of research in the counselling profession, and in the second year of the course, you will be introduced to the research assignment, where you will complete your own research on a subject of your choice (relating to well-being and/or mental health).

Counselling Praxis

This module prepares you for your 100-hour counselling placement, which will take place in the second year of your course.

The aim of this unit is to fully prepare you to practise as a confident, safe, and capable counsellor once you have qualified.

Residential Weekend

This course includes a residential weekend during the second year of training, which is a compulsory part of the course and is held in a local venue. The residential weekend includes Nature therapy (Eco-therapy and Shinrin Yoku), transpersonal work, personal development and lots of fun! The cost of the weekend is included in the course fees.

Course Entry

As a pre-requisite for admission to the Accredited Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, you will have passed a Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Level 3 equivalent) or other equivalent qualification.

After completing the online application form and deposit payment, you will be asked to fill out a further form reflecting on why you wish to undertake this course. You will then be invited to an interview at the college.

Applicants will be aged 19 and over, willing to engage in personal development, complete the written work, and be computer literate. Entry is at the discretion of Devon Counselling College.

We take equality, diversity and inclusion very seriously at Devon Counselling College. As well as integrating the concepts of equality, diversity and inclusion into all of our courses, we welcome students from diverse backgrounds in the spirit of integration, non-oppressive practice and safety.

Outcomes

The Accredited Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling aims to:

• Further develop your knowledge, skills and self-development from the Foundation Certificate (or equivalent)
• Develop an understanding of different therapeutic models
• Increase self-awareness
• Enable you to use a range of counselling skills to initiate, carry out, conclude and end counselling skills sessions
• Accept and work with the NCPS Code of Ethical Practice
• Develop your own philosophical approach to counselling
• Further, develop your skills in triad and small group situations
• Reflect constructively on your counselling practice, your own life experiences, your interactions with others and your personal and professional growth processes
• Explain and demonstrate the purposes of research in the practice of counselling
• Support you to gain experience in a 100-hour supervised placement
• Manage your own caseload, particularly relating to organisational policies and practices, working within a team setting or a multi-disciplinary environment
• Meet the training contact hours requirement for core training at a professional level for recognition as a qualified counsellor with the NCPS or other Professional Counselling Bodies
• Respect other people’s views, attitudes, belief structures, and cultures
• Demonstrate a commitment to anti-oppressive practices and non-discriminatory use of counselling skills
• Prepare you to be a safe, effective, professional and unique counsellor

Assessment

Assignments

There are four assignments in the first year of this course, which your tutors mark. There is also a self-awareness presentation. In the second year, there is a research assignment and related presentation.

Journals

You will need to write a reflective learning journal after each session to show your learning, which will be looked at periodically by your tutors. Your tutors will give you more guidance on this at the start of the course.

Placement

In the second year of your training, you will complete a 100-hour supervised placement. As part of this, you will obtain reports from your placement and your clinical supervisor, and you will also write a case study about your work with a client.

Attendance

To be awarded this qualification, you must maintain as close to 100% attendance as possible. If attendance drops below 80%, a tutorial will be arranged to discuss this.

Related/Extra Costs

Books

We have a small library of books that are available for students to borrow on a short-term basis whilst they are on the course. You may wish to purchase your own books as well.

Personal counselling

Counselling costs for a minimum of 20 hours over the two-year course.

Supervision

During your placement, you may have to pay for your own supervision. Some placements include free supervision.

NCPS student membership

As a student on our Advanced Diploma it is highly recommended that you join the NCPS as a student member. As our course is accredited by the NCPS, membership can be obtained by our students for a vastly reduced cost.

Progression

Successful completion of the Accredited Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling will qualify you to practice as a professional counsellor, whether this is in private practice or in a paid position for an organisation or company. You will be entitled to join the NCPS as an Accredited Member, become insured, and advertise on one of the various counsellor directories.

You may also wish to consider enrolling on one of our post-qualifying Advanced Specialist Diplomas, which are designed to enhance the practice, skills and knowledge of practising counsellors.

The Open University has created a new degree, a BSc (Honours) in Counselling. When you have qualified with our NCPS Accredited Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling, you may be eligible to ‘top up’ your qualification by completing a couple of Open University courses and evidencing supervised practice. This degree can also help you to meet the SCoPEd column B requirements.

NCPS Accredited Training

The NCPS accredits our NCPS Accredited Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. This means that the course has been through a full assessment and inspection and meets the NCPS Standards of Training and Education for Accredited Courses. Graduates from Accredited Courses have fulfilled the training requirements for the NCPS Accredited Register of Counsellors.

Dates

January 2026 Start

17 January 2026 – 19 December 2027
Monthly Weekend 10:00 – 17:00
41 Sessions

Course fees

Option 1
Early Payment Fee £5200 for the 2-year course
Pay £500 deposit to secure your place on the course, followed by one payment of £4700 made by BACS one month prior to course start date.

Option 2
Course Fee £5300 for the 2-year course
Pay £500 deposit to secure your place on the course, followed by 20 monthly standing order payments of £240.

Costs included in course fees

• Registration and Certification fee
• Residential costs
• Refreshments
• Tuition and assessment
• Individual tutorial support
• Additional group assessment support (if needed) after the two-year course programme finishes
• Short term loan access to a selection of books including those on the reading list
• Access to wi-fi for research and presentations from your own tablets, mobiles and laptops etc.
• Access to college for group skills practices/small group presentation preparations etc. between teaching sessions (room needs to be booked in advance)
• Access to online student folder

Costs not included in the course fees

• Individual personal therapy. Applicants will need to show evidence of having completed a minimum of twenty sessions over the two-year course, ten of these before being accepted onto year 2 of the course
• Purchase of reading books (it is recommended that you obtain the core reading books for your use during the course)
• Some Placement agencies we work with provide in-house supervision, some don’t have that facility and so there may be a fee for supervision
• Re-submission costs of externally marked assessment

For information about dates of future courses please contact us.