Counselling Children, Young People and Families

Course name

Counselling Children, Young People and Families (CYPF)

Who is the course aimed at?

Practising Counsellors with a Diploma/PG Diploma in Counselling and who would like to develop their work in schools, colleges and universities.

Individuals working with children, adolescents, young people and families and who are interested in learning more about psychodynamic processes. (Module 1 only)

Counsellors who have completed a Certificate in CYP and would like to develop work with the families of the children they Counsel. (Module 3 only)

Course description

This post-qualifying Certificate is a part-time training programme designed to prepare practitioners to work with children, young adults (up to mid-20s) and their families and is taught from a psychodynamic perspective.

It enables practitioners to engage with contemporary debates in the field of child and adolescence with an emphasis in modules 2 and 3 on counselling in a variety of settings including schools, voluntary and statutory sector organisations, Universities and Colleges, primary and secondary care settings, as well as in private practice.

Module 1 can be taken as standalone CPD for anyone interested in learning and understanding more about children, adolescents and young adults. It is a good introduction to psychodynamic thought and how that can be applied in a variety of contexts e.g. schools, voluntary sector organisations.

This Certificate (modules 1,2 and 3) prepares Counsellors to work safely and confidently with mild to moderate concerns. For those practitioners (e.g. Counsellors, Nurses, OTs, Psychologists, Social Workers) working in CAMHS or equivalent, consideration should be given to the Masters in  Psychoanalytic Observation and Reflective Practice: Therapeutic Work With Children and Young People (TWCYP).

Award

Programme structure

  • The Certificate is comprised of three modules:
    1. Human Development: Childhood to Young Adult
    2. Theory and Practice of Counselling Children, Adolescents and Young Adults
    3. Theory and Practice of Working with Families
  • Each module runs under a blended learning format of student-centred learning activities such as experiential workshops incorporating the psychodynamic theoretical approaches supported by Moodle based resources and skills-based framework.
  • Teaching and learning consists of 24 hours of teaching supported by 36 hours of individual independent learning, practice and written assessments per module. Participants must successfully complete all three modules to be awarded the Certificate.

Programme Currriculum

  • Child, adolescent and young adult development, Theory of Mind, Attachment Theory, developmental trauma, understanding self in relation to others in a Social World.
  • The theoretical background to therapeutic play and other methods of engagement including skills-based exercises.
  • Safeguarding, legal and ethical issues involved in working with children, young adults and families.
  • Self-care and Recovery.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

A diverse range of learning and teaching strategies are employed to create an enabling environment for this professional course. This will include the use seminars, facilitated group discussion, case studies, Moodle based resources, case discussion based on experiential exercises and personal tutor support.

Assessment

  • A negotiated essay on a related topic
  • Case studies

Progression Routes

  • Module 1 can be taken as stand-alone CPD.
  • Module 3 can be taken as an additional module for those who have completed a Certificate for Counselling Children and Young People at a different University/organisation.

Timings

  • Classes generally meet from 09:30 to 17:00 at weekends usually one weekend a month across 6 months. 
  • Course dates for 2025 are:
    • Module 1 - January 25th/26th, February 22nd/23rd
    • Module 2 - March 22nd/23rd, April 26th/27th
    • Module 3 - May 17th/18th, June 14th/15th
  • The requirement for approximately 70 hours of supervised practice in modules 2 and 3 may require students to continue with placement beyond the timescales indicated above.

Entry requirements

Applicants should meet the following requirements:

  • For module 1, 2 and 3 (PGCert): a Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling (any theoretical basis).
  • For module 1 (taken as standalone CPD): appropriate current professional qualification (Teachers, Nursery Nurses, Social Workers, Youth Workers etc.) to support employability and career development in therapeutic work.
  • For module 3 (taken as an add on to a Certificate in Counselling CYP): Post Graduate Diploma In Counselling (any theoretical basis) and a Certificate in Counselling Children and Young People (any theoretical basis).

Costs and funding

  • Fees will be in the region of £1,500 for the full course or £500 per module.
  • Fees are reviewed each year.
  • A standard non-refundable application processing fee of £30 applies. To pay an application fee, you can access our payment system after submitting your online application (if you email your application, you will find payment instructions in the application form). Applications will not be processed until the application fee has been received. If you apply for more than one course, the fee is payable for each application submitted. Application fees are non-refundable, this includes in circumstances where an application is unsuccessful.
  • Our courses are not eligible for SAAS funding as we are not a publicly funded university. Click here to find out more about funding sources.

Enquiries and application

Documents

 

You may also be interested in:

Therapeutic Work With Children and Young People  Human Relations and Counselling  Tutors

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Author: Lawrence Sum

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