FdA Counselling

The foundation degree is intended for those wishing to qualify as counsellors. You will need to complete 100-150 hours of supervised practice in a suitable counselling placement in order to gain a BACP accredited counselling qualification.  Counselling practice needs to be face-to-face counselling with adults (minimum 30%) or children and young people (maximum 70%). 

Students are required to have a minimum of 20 hours personal therapy.

The foundation degree covers four main areas:

• Counselling theory: looking critically at the ideas behind counselling
• Counselling practice and professional issues: core ethical, equal opportunity, professional and practice issues including working online
• Clinical practice: counselling placement
• Personal development:  developing self-awareness and understanding responses to others

Students can progress to the BA in counselling.

Students from this course have also gone on to gain employment in different counselling settings such as school-based counselling services and bereavement services as well as working in private practice.

Continuous assessment including:

• Reflective journal summaries
• Essays on theory
• Case studies 
• Individual and group presentations 
• Video recordings of work with other students and audio recordings of work with clients
• Portfolio of evidence of placement work

This course requires:

• CPCAB level two award in introduction to counselling skills (30 hours) or equivalent
• Students will normally have completed introductory training within five years prior to application to the foundation degree
• An enhanced disclosure and barring scheme check
• Two references

Students who have experienced recent traumas or bereavements, or who are considered by the tutors to be too vulnerable at present may be advised to postpone their entry onto the course.   Applicants will need to show evidence of self-awareness and the ability to reflect on life experience as well as have the capacity to cope with the emotional and academic demands of the course

Enhanced DBS - £46

Supervision costs (once in placement) £50-£65 per month (if not provided for free by placements)

Personal therapy - 20 sessions minimum £30 - £40 per session

Away days- two to three over the course at £15 a day

BACP student membership - £82 per annum

Books - the library is well resourced and carries the majority of books required for your course, but some students may wish to own copies of core texts.

This Framework aims to develop your professional skills and competence alongside your academic subject knowledge. You’ll study up to 40 credits per level throughout your programme from the Graduate Attributes Framework.  The Graduate Attribute modules are designed to enable you to develop, and evidence, a range of career-focused skills related to your subject area. These skills include digital competency, research and project management, as well as such personal competencies as communication, creativity, self-reflection, resilience and problem-solving.

Find out more about the Graduate Attributes Framework