Choosing Training
Counselling training is one of the fastest growing areas of vocational and part-time study in the UK. With many training providers offering counselling courses it may be difficult to make an informed choice.
When choosing a counselling skills course it is important to give thought to the future as you may later wish to qualify as a counsellor. There should be a clear training route to professional courses that will recognise and build on your initial training and actually qualify you to practice as a counsellor.

Why train at GCS?
GCS is a member of a network of Counselling Services and our roots are in the counselling profession.
We have over 25 years experience of training counsellors to professional standards. Our courses are validated by wpf Counselling and Psychotherapy, a leading body in the training of counsellors. At GCS we offer an extensive training and development route to professional counselling from Introductory/Skills courses, through Diploma level and access to Graduate and MA awards and psychotherapy training.

Our Foundation Course (Certificate in Counselling Skills) provides an excellent training in valuable skills which can be used in the workplace and also is an introductory training for those wishing to train as counsellors.

All our training staff are experienced trainers, supervisors and group facilitators and are well qualified practising counsellors and psychotherapists. Training and counselling takes place in comfortable and pleasant surroundings. We aim to provide a broad and enriching learning experience at all levels of training. Our training which is supportive, creative and often challenging, leads to a high level of competence and enables counsellors to practise confidently and knowledgably with a high level of professionalism.

Our Diploma course includes clinical practice with regular supervision avoiding the difficulty for students finding their own suitable placements.

The vast majority of counsellors completing our training programme successfully apply for BACP Individual Accreditation.

Professional Counselling
Professional counselling provides a relationship in which clients can safely explore their experiences and become aware of hidden feelings and discover new perspectives and insights. Trainees need to develop
the qualities required to provide this sort of relationship. Stability, personal suitability for the work and increasing emotional openness and maturity are all-important. Sustaining the counselling relationship, sometimes over a considerable period of time, also requires a commitment of time and energy.

COURSES and TRAINING PROGRAMME

INTRODUCTION TO COUNSELLING
This preliminary course provides an introduction to counselling and some basic counselling skills. It will be helpful for anyone with a counselling function in their work and also for anyone interested in exploring what counselling is all about. The course content includes:

• Introducing basic theories
• Practising counselling skills
• Exploring attitudes, values and beliefs about human nature
• Examining intentions and motivations, both conscious and unconscious

This course is run termly. Duration: 20 hours (10 weeks)
Entry requirements: none. Fee: £150 (including £25 registration fee)

FOUNDATION COURSE IN COUNSELLING
This course provides a valuable training in counselling skills and gives an introduction to the nature of psychodynamic counselling and counselling work. It provides the basic skills for those who use counselling skills in their work or wish to work in the field of counselling; it is also designed for those who wish to develop their listening and communication skills.
This course aims to enhance skills, develop ways of understanding patterns of human growth and behaviour and increase self-awareness. The course content includes experiential seminar work on counselling skills and attitudes and a self-awareness group.
This course also forms the entry requirements to a 3-year part-time professional course leading to a Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling. At the end of this year a Certificate in Counselling Skills is awarded to students successfully completing the course, which is validated by wpf Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Please note we run 3 courses each year, daytime and evening, commencing end of September (subject to applications).

This course does not by itself constitute a professional training in counselling.

These courses are one year (part-time).

Duration:
45 hours of seminars / skills development and practice
45 hours of self-awareness group work
15 hours skills workshops

Times and venues:
Daytime courses:
Wednesday: 9.30 am to 1.00 pm in Stroud

Evening courses:
Wednesday: 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm in Stroud
Tuesday: 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm in Cheltenham
Tuesday: 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm in Hereford

Entry requirements: no formal academic requirements. Selection is by application form and interview

Course fee: £995 (including wpf capitation fee)
NB. Fee can be paid by instalments.

DIPLOMA IN PSYCHODYNAMIC COUNSELLING
The Diploma is a professional qualification in psychodynamic counselling and provides the clinical and theoretical elements of the training as a psychodynamic counsellor. The course includes theoretical and ontological seminars, tutorial sessions, self-awareness groups and workshops. Our Diploma course includes clinical practice with regular supervision avoiding the difficulty for students finding their own suitable placements.

To give additional support for the client work, students are required to be in personal therapy with an approved therapist during, at least, Years 1and 2. Successful students will be awarded the Diploma in
Psychodynamic Counselling, which is nationally validated by wpf Counselling and Psychotherapy. The course commences end of September each year and application closing date is 30th April.

Three years (part-time)

Duration:
135 hours of seminars / tutorial sessions
189 hours of supervision
45 hours of self-awareness group work (Year 1 only)
45 hours of ontology (Year 2 only)
45 hours workshops
200 hours supervised client work

Venue:
All years of the Diploma course are held in Stroud

Times:
Year 1: Tuesday 1.00 pm to 7.00 pm
Year 2: Tuesday 1.00 pm to 7.00 pm
Year 3: Tuesday 9.15 am to 12.45 pm

Entry requirements: Completion of a Certificate in Counselling Skills or equivalent. Selection is by application form and interviews.

Course fee: £1525 in each of years 1 and 2 and £995 in year 3.
NB. Fee can be paid by instalments.

GCS GRADUATE COURSE
Following successful completion of the Diploma Course, GCS offers students, who are assessed as suitable, routes towards further professional work experience and qualifications.
Diploma students can apply to join our Graduate Course, which provides continuing supervised client work and theoretical seminars.

The vast majority of counsellors completing our Graduate Course successfully apply for BACP Individual Accreditation.

Continuing Professional Development
As a member of the wpf Network we can offer access to further advanced training:

• Graduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling (University of Surrey)
• MA in Psychodynamic Studies (University of Surrey)
• Continuing personal development for UKCP registration as a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist
• Diploma in Supervision
• Training in Group-work