• Introduction to telephone counselling
• Using Zoom and other online platforms for counselling
• Outline of the counselling call
• The seven core principles of telephone counselling
• Feelin are key
• Active listening
• Minimal encourages
• Reflextion of content
• Exploration of feelings
• Open and closed questions
• Guidelings for summarising
• Basic telephone counselling communication guidelines
• Barriers to effective communication
• Listening skills
• Self-care
• Warnings and contras – When not to use telephone counselling
• Domestic violence and suicidal clients
• Role play exercises

Required Reading:

The telephone counsellor’s role play handbook by Kerry Doolan

Telephone Counselling – A handbook for Practitioners by Maxine Rosenfield

Postgraduate Certificate in Holistic Grief and Loss Counselling

Grief and Loss counselling becomes necessary when a person is so disabled by their grief; and, so overwhelmed by their loss, that their normal coping processes are disabled or shut down.
People may require Grief and Loss Counselling after the death of a loved one, after a long term relationship ends or even after losing their job. All people experience grief and loss differently. Grief counselling facilitates expression of emotion and thought about the loss, including their feeling sad, anxious, angry, lonely, guilty, relieved, isolated, confused, or numb.

It includes thinking creatively about the challenges that follow loss and coping with concurrent changes in their lives. Often people feel disorganized, tired, have trouble concentrating, sleep poorly and have vivid dreams. They may experience change in appetite or in their own health.
Grief counselling may be called upon when a person suffers anticipatory grief, for example an intrusive and frequent worry about a loved one whose death is not imminent. Anticipatory mourning also occurs when a loved one has a terminal illness. This can handicap that person’s ability to stay present whilst simultaneously holding onto, letting go of, and drawing closer to the dying person.

Holistic Grief and Loss Counsellors are able to provide clients with coping skills, emotional support and resources (and sometimes referrals) to help support them through the normal grieving process and also through what is known as ‘complicated grief’ (which occurs when the client gets stuck in, or does not progress through, the natural stages of grief on their own.

• Introduction grief and loss counselling
• What is grief?
• Healing the wounds of grief
• Grief takes time
• The joureney through grief
• The grief processes
• The role of the Holistic grief counsellor
• The pitfalls to avoid
• Influencing factors on grieving
• Resources and referrals
• Complicated gried
• Depressive grief and clinical depression
• Dealing with Acute Emergency Situstions (AES)
• The grief counsellor’s role in AES
• Guidelines for grief counselling
• Counselling the dying
• Taking care of yourself
• Debriefing

Postgraduate Certificate in Holistic Trauma and Abuse Counselling

Trauma and Abuse Counselling works to assist people whose lives have been adversely effected through being abused or traumatized either physically and/or psychologically. This may include sexual abuse, violent physical attack, bullying at home and school or in the work place, domestic violence, witnessing or being involved in a traumatic incident or accident.

The Trauma and Abuse Counsellors provides support, guidance and resources for the client to overcome the trauma and begin to implement strategies and positive life habits that allow them to live a normal, balanced life again.

Trauma and Abuse Counsellors must also have a thorough understanding of referral networks and the cycle of domestic violence as some of their clients may still be experiencing abuse and require guidance in removing themselves from danger.

• Introduction to trauma and abuse counselling
• Trauma
• How healing happens
• Foundational Relationship Attachment Concepts
• Abuse
• Treatments and Solutions
• The role of Love in Healing from Trauma and/or Abuse
• Earned Secure Adult Attachment

Required Reading:

Earned Secure Adult Attachment by Kerry Doolan

• Creating safe environments
• Client Centred Therapy
• Understanding Anger
• Anger Management
• The Polyvagal Theory
• Ethics for Holistic Counsellors
• Client Assessment

Required Reading:

Holistic Counselling – A New Vision for Mental Health by Dr Patricia Sherwood

The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the rhythm of Regulation (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Deb A. Dana

Clinical Practice

Case Study Sessions

Students will take five volunteer clients through hour long counselling sessions each week for 10 weeks. Supervision and guidance will be provided via email to assist students with planning the facilitating the case study sessions.

Case study sessions maybe conducted in your own home, live via video conferencing (like zoom) or at a well-being centre in your local area.

Volunteers will complete a review and email this to the college after each session to provide feedback on the students counselling abilities.

Case studies exam

Write and submit an essay detailing the experiences gained through the case study sessions.

Holistic Psychtherapy

8-week Research Project

• Meditation as therapy
• Introduction to holistic psychotherapy
• Psychdynamic Therapy
• Family Therapy
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
• Interpersonal Therapy
• Thought Field Therapy
• Rebirth-breathwork
• Neuro Linguist Programming
• Hynotherapy
• Emotional Freedom Techniques
• Expressive Therapy
• Grama and Role Play Therapy
• Art Therapy
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Masters in Holistic Counselling Thesis

Research and write a Masters in Holistic Counselling Thesis

• Develop ideas based on acquired knowledge and accumulated experience
• Complete a mojor research project
• Create a substantial piece of writing to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of selected topics