Psychology, Counselling & Mental Health

Counselling and Psychotherapy Courses: Learn How to Help People

Considering a Counselling and Psychotherapy Course? 

If the idea of helping people alleviate their difficulties by speaking to them candidly about their issues sounds exciting to you, a counselling and psychotherapy course may be ideal for you. The course will teach you all you need to know about counselling and psychotherapy. It can be an incredibly fulfilling career since you get to help people navigate their problems and feel overall better about life. Not to mention, there are tons of career opportunities and vacancies available for those who decide to follow this career path. The good news is there are tons of counselling and psychotherapy courses currently.  

About Counselling and Psychotherapy 

Counselling and psychotherapy can be of great support in times of change or crisis. It involves the provision of professional assistance to people who are experiencing person issues, in order to help alleviate those difficulties. Almost everyone faces difficulties and challenges in their life at some point in time. However, sometimes they can be overwhelming and we feel as though we are helpless. Anxiety caused by uncertainty over the future, stress over a job, problems over addiction, loss because of bereavement or difficulties in a relationship are just some of the reasons why people feel they can benefit from speaking to a professional Counsellor or Psychotherapist.  

Counselling and psychotherapy offer the opportunity to speak in one’s own terms in a means to articulate the difficulties and the questions in one’s life. They provide the opportunity of clarifying the direction, or its lack, in one’s life. In recent decades counselling and psychotherapy have made a huge contribution to the alleviation of suffering and distress in the everyday human experience of bereavement, loss, depression, trauma, choice and relationships. Skills adapted from the fields of psychotherapy and counselling are now a crucial part of many work roles and an expertise in this area can be the basis of professional development. Psychotherapy and counselling have enjoyed significant growth that has seen incredible social change in recent years.  

Who is the Course For? 

Counselling and psychotherapy courses are intended for individuals who are interested in becoming professional psychotherapists and counsellors and want to gain a professional qualification in this field. The course will also meet the needs of those who have an opportunity to use counselling skills as part of their work, either in a voluntary or paid capacity or to simply broaden their qualifications. 

What Will I Learn? 

You will explore counselling skills, gaining an introduction to stress and how to respond to it. Students will learn about the approaches to counselling and psychotherapy and developmental psychology. Learners will explore contemporary issues, the family system, human sexuality and gain an introduction to the work of freud. Psychotherapy skills, Freud’s case histories, psychopathology, approached to addiction and research methodology will also be covered. Cognitive behaviour theory, the body in psychotherapy, ethics and group psychology will be explored. 

Career Opportunities and Progression 

After completing your counselling and psychotherapy course, you will be able to work as a professional counsellor or psychotherapy. You can work in private practices, but there are also roles on the phone for mental health organisations and charities. Colleges, universities and schools also require counsellors, as do children’s centres, youth services and agencies. Hospitals and clinics generally have their own counsellors at hand too, for genetic, sexual health, bereavement and oncology counselling. Areas of expertise you may encounter through your profession in counselling and psychotherapy include addiction, high intensity therapy, eating disorders, group therapy, mental health, bereavement, family therapy, trauma therapy and more.  

If you’re good with children, you could even become a play therapist, while those who prefer to work with adults may become a mediator. Alternatively, if you cope well under pressure, you could become a support worker in the likes of a crisis centre or similar setting. Rehabilitation roles are also great for those with qualifications in counselling, such as in the probation service, in prisons, or with young offenders. If you want something closer to an office job, working within occupational health and HR could be just the thing. Your qualification in counselling and psychotherapy can develop your skills of effective communication, listening and responding and empathy, all of which can be highly desirable in PR, marketing, advertising, journalism, customer relations and fundraising careers. There is also room to progress since you can follow on with a level 8 or level 9 course in counselling and psychotherapy. 

If you’re serious about doing a counselling and psychotherapy course, check out courses near you in the Nightcourses.co.uk national course finder.