If you enjoy helping people manage life’s challenges, a career in counselling is ideal for you. Whether you’re seeking a rewarding new career in counselling or want to acquire counselling skills to complement your core profession, this professional development course is for you.
The Certificate of Counselling will provide you with the skills and knowledge to work in the helping professions working within a structured counselling framework.
In this online counselling course you will learn how to support clients in decision-making processes, apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills and research and apply personality, development and counselling theories into your counselling practice.
You will learn how to reflect and improve upon your counselling skills and gain the skills necessary to communicate effectively, working within a case management framework.
On completion of this course, you will have gained an understanding of the core counselling methodologies used to assist clients, and discover how to establish and maintain effective counselling relationships.
Course Structure
Unit 1 - Establish and confirm the counselling relationship
- Structured counselling approach
- Analyse existing client information
- Legal and ethical considerations
- Transparent management of personal information
- Health and safety legislation
- Initial counselling session
- Engaging with clients
- Building rapport
- Active listening
- Effective questioning
- Communication techniques
- Paralanguage
- A structured approach to counselling
- A person-centred approach
- Establishing the helping relationship
- Provide information for clients
- Client rights and responsibilities
- The counselling process
- Professional boundaries
- Client expectations
- The Charter of Human Rights
- Clarifying expectations raised in promotional material
- Client anxieties
- Code of ethical conduct
- Client concerns
- Signs of anxiety
- Expectations and commitment
- Client issues
- Escalation
- Referrals to other agencies
- Eligibility criteria
- Example of referral process form
- Collaborative processes and strategies
- Confidentiality and privacy legislation
- Conflicting interests
- Relationship options and approaches with clients
- Counselling priorities and plans
- Counselling contracts
- Informed consent
- Example of a counselling plan
- Records management
Unit 2 - Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills
- Counselling interview sequence
- Environmental / personal factors
- Cultural considerations
- Disabilities / impairments
- Client-counsellor relationship
- Counselling skills
- Person-centred approach
- Client-centred interactions
- Establish rapport
- Empathy, honesty and openness
- Conflict resolution
- Learning styles
- Communication styles and skills
- Key objectives
- The initial session
- Structured approach
- Specialised counselling skills
- Negotiation techniques
- Promoting self-advocacy / self-care
- Coping strategies
- Responding to distress or crisis
- Self-evaluation / self-awareness
- Professional development plan
- Action learning
- Networking / professional memberships
Unit 3 - Facilitate the counselling relationship and process
- Following the client’s story
- Encouraging client to tell their story
- Closed questions
- Legal and ethical considerations
- Equal opportunity
- Anti-discrimination legislation
- Mandatory reporting legislation
- Duty of care
- Client presenting and underlying issues
- Engaging with clients
- Situations requiring immediate action
- Suicide threats
- Conflicting interests
- Identify and prioritise concerns
- Reframing technique
- Recognising issues needing a referral
- Referral eligibility
- Referral types and processes
- Confidentiality and privacy
- Client ambivalence
- Strategies for overcoming uncertainty
- Code of ethical conduct
- Supporting clients to experience and process difficulties
- The stages of recovery
- Implementing interventions
- Supporting clients to identify and use strengths
- Active listening
- Exploring clients feelings (reflecting, clarifying and reviewing)
- Dealing with underlying issues
- Monitor the counselling process
- Disruptions to the counselling process
- Planning for change
- Action phase
- Addressing dilemmas
- Enabling clients to identify when counselling is ending
- Emotionally dependant clients
- Personal boundaries
- Professional boundaries
- Developing client plans
- Autonomy and compliance
- Unresolved issues
- Documenting and reporting
- Records management
Unit 4 - Apply learning theories in counselling
- Research learning theories
- Access current information
- Workplace polices
- Privacy principles
- Distilling key themes and messages
- Behaviorism
- Antecedent behaviour consequence (ABC)
- Punishment
- Ignoring the behaviour
- Reinforcement
- Cognitivism
- Current and future practice
- Record security
- Record retention
- Legal and ethical considerations
- Professional boundaries
- Behavioral outcomes
- Modelling influences
- Modelling or behavioral rehearsal
- Role playing
- Role modelling
- Analyse responses
- Responses to reinforcement
- Primary reinforcement
- Secondary reinforcement
- Environmental differences
- Dysfunctional environments
- Learning environments
- Socioeconomic barriers
- Attention deficit disorder (ADD)
- Formulate a program for change
- Achieving identified outcomes
- Client rights
- Identify practical goals
- Setting SMART goals
- Barriers to achieving outcomes
- Stimulus and response techniques
- Delayed reinforcement
- Aggressive behaviour
- Reviewing change programs
- Problem solving
Unit 5- Select and use counselling therapies
- Select counselling therapies
- Identify and prioritising client needs
- Establish desired changes
- Creative problem-solving techniques
- SMART goals
- Client’s developmental status
- Client’s response to change
- Piaget’s cognitive development (4 stages)
- Freud’s psychosexual stages of development (5 stages)
- Id, ego and superego
- Erickson’s psychosocial development (8 stages)
- Kohlberg’s moral development (3 stages)
- Physical and motor development
- Language
- Individual differences
- Consulting with clients carers, family or significant others
- Signs of co-existing mental health and AOD issues
- Background – dual diagnosis
- Substance abuse and dependence
- Alcohol dependence
- Symptoms of psychological problems or illness
- Normal and abnormal behaviour
- Drug use and psychological illness
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Person-centred therapy
- Behaviour therapy
- Benefits and limitations of therapy
- Gestalt therapy
- Solution focused therapy
- Developing a self-care plan
- Psychological, emotional, spiritual and relationship self-care
- Symptoms causes and effects of stress
- Stress diaries
- Managing re-traumatisation
- Arousal reduction strategies
- Managing vicarious trauma
- Positive self-care habits
- Emotional distancing
- The role of the counsellor
- Choosing a theory
- Personality theories
- Applying the Erikson, Freud and Maslow theory
- Providing information about counselling services
- Documenting therapy details
- Client rights and responsibilities
- The counselling process
- Professional boundaries
- Clarifying client expectations
- Client expectations
- Communicating details of therapies
- Environmental and personal factors
- Cultural issues
- Communication
- Principles and application of theories
- Building and establishing rapport
- Active and passive listening
- Effective questioning
- Reframing
- Paralanguage
- Personal space
- Effective communicators
- Changing client behaviour
- Goal setting
- Self-advocacy
- Practice coping strategies
- Mindfulness relaxation
- Integrative therapy
- Reinforcement approaches
- Behaviour management
- Aggressive behaviour
- Appropriate staff training
- High-level communication skills
- Empathy and sympathy
- Honesty and openness
- Elements of trust
- Conflict resolution
- Records management
- Confidentiality, legal and ethical considerations
- Duty of care
- Role modelling
- Clients requiring referrals and referral processes
- Evaluating use of techniques and theories
- Regular performance evaluations and appraisals
- Enhancing knowledge with emerging trends
- Training and action learning
- Self-development plans
- Development and implementing goals
- Conferences and networking
- Professional memberships
- Evaluation of current trends
Unit 6 - Support counselling clients in decision-making processes
- Clarifying goals and requirements
- Law and ethics
- Professional boundaries
- Setting SMART goals
- Referral processes
- Exploring options
- Ethical decision-making model
- Client-centred decision-making model
- Collaborative decision-making model
- Counselling plans
- Counselling contracts
- Informed consent
Study Hours
Estimated duration 90 Hours
Course Delivery and Start
Start anytime, self-paced and 100% Online
Assessment
Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.
Testimonials
I have thoroughly enjoyed doing my counselling course through Australian Online Courses that I have enrolled into another course through you guys, looking forward to doing my counselling and psychology next.
L.Middleton, Rosebud VIC | Certificate of Counselling
I found the course site easy to navigate and the course materials clear and comprehensive. The counselling micro-skills contained within this course are very relevant to many careers and I could put them to use straight away
M. Vine, East Brisbane, QLD | Certificate of Counselling
I enjoyed working from home and tutors were quick to respond to questions and mark assessment items
S. Peters, Burleigh Heads, QLD | Certificate of Counselling
They provide students with the flexibility to study from anywhere and at their own pace, making it easier for students who may have other commitments, such as work or family, to fit study into their schedules and gain new skills.
I, E, Tuinasau, White Rock, QLD | Certificate of Counselling
Graduation
A Certificate of Attainment and Statement of Results will be issued upon successful completion of this course.
How to Enrol
Enrol Online: Click Add to Cart/View Cart on the course page.
Enrol via Live Chat (Business Hours)
Enrol via Telephone 1300 76 2221 (Business Hours)
Enrol via Purchase Order/Tax Invoice
Enrolling Multiple Staff?
To enrol multiple staff, please complete the Employer Enrolment Form. We’ll be in touch within 60 minutes during business hours!
Payment Options
Visa, Mastercard, BPAY and Direct Deposit.
Course FAQs
Why Choose Australian Online Courses?
- Professional development that is widely recognised and respected;
- Improve your employment opportunities;
- Study online, anywhere via our elearning system;
- High-quality professional development programs written by industry experts;
- All course materials provided online – no textbooks to buy;
- Unlimited tutor support via email;
- We offer twelve (12) months’ access, with extensions available upon application (fees apply);
- Course may be tax deductible; see your tax advisor.
Are there any entry requirements or pre-requisites?
There are no course or subject pre-requisites for entry into our programs. However, our professional development programs are generally intended for people over the age of 18. In some circumstances, enrolments from younger people may be considered. Please complete the AOC Parent Guardian Consent Form prior to enrolling and submit here.
When can I start this course?
You can start within 60 minutes during business hours when you enrol and pay in full with a credit card!
Credit card: Within 60 mins during business hours.
BPAY: Within 1-2 working days.
Internet Banking: Within 1-2 working days.
Cheque/Money Order: Upon receipt of mailed cheque.
How is this course delivered?
This course is delivered online via our easy-to-navigate Learning Management System (LMS), where you will discover interactive online learning/written content, resources and assessment.
Do I need to attend classes or undertake any work placements?
No. All courses are delivered online via our LMS and there are no work placement requirements in this course.
What support can I expect from Australian Online Courses?
Unlimited tutor support is available throughout your studies via email only during business hours Monday to Friday. Our Administrative team are available Monday to Friday via email, live chat and telephone.
I am an international student. Can I enrol into this course?
Yes! We accept enrolments from individuals both within Australia and internationally; location is no barrier to entry into our programs.
Career Pathways
Future growth
Strong
Unemployment
Low
- Counsellor
- Mental Health Support Worker
- Trauma Counsellor
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