TC-L4 – Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

Course Description

The CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling is concerned with the training of counsellors to a professional level of competency. Learners will build on the knowledge, skills and self-development gained from their Level 3 experience. It is required that learners will be involved in placement with rigorous and qualified casework supervision.

This should enable an integration of placement practice and classroom experience and allow students to reflect on their role in the therapeutic relationship as well as their clients presenting and on-going needs.  The course is part-time, however, it does require a great deal of commitment, in terms of time, cost and openness to on-going personal development.

This will include full attendance at in-person and online sessions, 100 placement hours, regular supervision, engagement in and openness to personal development, as well as, about 10 hours personal study time per week (engaging in assignments, journal reflections and wider reading).

Successful completion of the Level 4 Diploma means you will be able to provide a therapeutic counselling service – initially within the context of an agency’s service framework but later (with experience and support from the supervisor, or by completing PC-L5 or its equivalent) may progress to independent practice.

This two year part-time qualification gives learners the knowledge, skills and competencies to work as a therapeutic counsellor in an agency context in both health care and non-medical settings.: 

• Those wishing to continue their training as a professional counsellor to qualified status

• Those who want to improve their professional and personal relationships as part of personal development 

Teaching Schedule: there will be monthly residential blocks of 2 days over the 2 years and a 4-day summer school each year, with 3 evening sessions between blocks of 3 hours each.

Credit value: 120
Minimum Age: 19

Entry Requirements: CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills and CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills or their Recognised Prior Learning Equivalent.

Delivery Method

• In person and online, with residential blocks of 2 days, a 4-day summer school each year and 3 hour evening sessions in between blocks

Assessment Method

• See CPCAB Specification for details of internal and external assessment:

Please note:
The qualification is not suitable for those who are currently in a state of severe emotional difficulty and/or severe psychological confusion, for example those:

• Currently experiencing – without ongoing and appropriate professional support – a recent, major life crisis such as marital breakdown or a close bereavement.

• Currently experiencing moderate to severe mental health problems including, for example, clinical depression, severe anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders or any form of psychosis.

• Currently involved in substance misuse.

Please also be aware that the course involves experiential elements that will involve some personal disclosure and associated personal development activities.

Objectives

• Help students to competently use core counselling skills

• Support students to begin to work in an integrative way underpinned by counselling theory

• Underpin their practice with knowledge about diversity and ethics and the competence to use them safely in the counselling relationship

• Have knowledge of common mental health and other psychological problems and be able to work with presenting issues

• Reflection on personal development and identify the potential need for support, particularly in relation to addressing client need in the therapeutic relationship

• Understand how to use supervision and professional development to continually improve and inform counselling practice

• Use understanding of personality and psychopathology to inform counselling practice and integration

Learning Outcomes

This course will support the student to be able to work:

• Ethically, safely and professionally as a counsellor

• Within a counselling relationship

• With client diversity in counselling work

• Within a user-centred approach to counselling

• With self-awareness in the counselling process

• Within a coherent framework of counselling theory and skills

• Self-reflectively as a counsellor.