Certificate in Counselling & Psychotherapy

Certificate in Counselling & Psychotherapy — by Institute of Professional Counseling and Psychotherapy. Price £299. Online, self-paced, open to learners in the UK, Canada, USA and Australia. Enrol from this page.

LESSON 1 — Foundations: Person-Centred, Psychodynamic and CBT
Compare the three traditions: person-centred trust in growth, psychodynamic focus on unconscious patterns and early relationships, and CBT focus on thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Learn when each lens helps most.

LESSON 2 — The Therapeutic Relationship and Alliance
Alliance is built on agreement about goals, tasks and bond. Learn rupture and repair, transference and countertransference in plain language, and how to keep the work collaborative.

LESSON 3 — Assessment, Formulation and Planning
Assessment covers presenting issues, history, risk, strengths and support. Formulation links past, present and maintaining factors into a shared understanding, which then guides a realistic treatment plan.

LESSON 4 — Working with Emotion, Anxiety and Low Mood
Teach grounding, breathing and behavioural activation at a basic educational level, alongside listening and validation. Know referral routes when symptoms are severe or risk is present.

LESSON 5 — Ethics, Boundaries and Safeguarding
Contracting, confidentiality and its limits, record-keeping, supervision and safeguarding are covered with anonymised case examples. Follow the law and ethical code in your own country.

LESSON 6 — Endings, Evaluation and Next Steps
Plan endings, review progress against goals, and write a reflective summary. Next steps include Diploma in Counselling (£679) and Professional Diploma in Counselling & CBT (£479).

READING AND RESOURCES
Read: McLeod, An Introduction to Counselling; Rogers, On Becoming a Person; Beck, Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders (introductory chapters); Yalom, The Gift of Therapy. Use BACP and local safeguarding guidance.

QUIZ — WITH ANSWERS
1. What is formulation? Answer: A shared explanation linking history, triggers and maintaining factors to guide treatment.
2. Name a person-centred core condition. Answer: Empathy, congruence or unconditional positive regard.
3. What is transference? Answer: Feelings from earlier relationships brought into the therapeutic relationship.
4. Why assess risk at the start? Answer: To keep the client safe and plan support and referral.
5. What does CBT link? Answer: Thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and behaviour.
6. When should you refer on? Answer: When needs exceed your competence, risk is high, or specialist care is needed.
7. What is a therapeutic rupture? Answer: A strain in the alliance that, if repaired, can deepen trust.
8. What makes a good ending? Answer: Planned review, acknowledgement of change, and clear next steps.

CERTIFICATE
On completion you receive a certificate from the Institute. For help, use the site chatbot or the contact/admissions form.