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COMBINED LEVEL 2 & 3
CERTIFICATES IN COUNSELLING SKILLS & COUNSELLING STUDIES


details here

“A structured route from counselling skills to counselling studies within one supported learning journey
put the introduction and course details here.
LEVEL 2 - 30 week course
By the course's conclusion, our objectives are for you to:
Develop into a proficient listener
Gain a foundational understanding of counselling and its training
Engage in experiential learning to enhance self-awareness
Prepare for potential progression to the Level 3 counselling studies course
Course Length: 90 Guided learning hours
Total Qualification Time: 170 hours
Minimum Age: 19 years
Course Cost (Academic year 2026-27): £800 plus VAT (fees will incrementally increase every academic year)
CPCAB Registration Fee (Academic year 2026-27): £182 (this is based on 2025/26 fees- we are waiting for new fees to be published as they are increased incrementally most academic years)
Total Fee: £1142 (including VAT and CPCAB Fee) (this may increase slightly if CPCAB increase their fees for the next academic year)
Attendance Requirements: 90% minimum (equates to missing just 10 hours of the course. Please consider this when booking holidays - a fitness to study process will be triggered should the minimum attendance be reached and your place on the course could become compromised without refund. Missing a Saturday session will equate to missing 7.5 hours)
100% Online - Zoom
Wednesday 23rd September 2026
Wednesday 26th May 2026
Term 1 - 23rd September -16th December 2026 (Half Term - 28th October 2026)
Term 2 - 6th January - 24th March 2027 (Half Term - 17th February 2027)
Term 3 - 14th April - 26th May 2027
Every Wednesday evenings (6-9pm)
Both options require a deposit payment of a £200 plus VAT (Total £240) - payable within 7 days of being offered a place on the course
In Full - Balance of £600 plus VAT (Total £720) plus CPCAB Fee of £182 (Total - £902) - payable in full at least 8 weeks prior to the beginning of the course, or:
Installments - Payment of 8 installments.
Instalment 1 - £75 plus VAT (Total £90) plus CPCAB Registration Fee of £189 (Total £279)
Installments 2-8 - £75 plus VAT (Total £90) per month . This is to be paid by the 10th day of each month (starting in September 2026) by bank transfer arranged by the student.
Please note that CPCAB may increase their fees to those stated above for academic year 2026-27 (these are yet to be published)
Terms and conditions apply.
Eligibility:
Level 2 or Equivalent in English Language. If you don’t have this level of literacy this does not exclude you from the course, but your written English will be assessed as part of the application written exercise
Good IT skills – ability to use Word, fill in proforma templates electronically, use an online google classroom platform, and have a confidential space with good Wi-Fi and lighting (online courses)
A willingness to discuss personal thoughts and feelings with others as part of a group, 1-2-1 with other students and tutors and in writing
A willingness to give feedback to and receive feedback from others in the group
Be committed to exploring your own values, beliefs and attitudes and examining how you relate to other people
Be committed to the learning process and completing the necessary work on time to fulfil the requirements of the course
Anyone experiencing any current emotional/psychological problems will not be accepted onto the course
Anyone experiencing any life experiences that may be detrimental when studying a counselling course may not be accepted onto the course
Course Content
The course is structured many topics including:
Becoming a skilled listener
Working safely and ethically as a 'helper' using counselling skills
Developing self-awareness
Introduction to the Person-Centred Approach
Assessment involves compiling an internally assessed portfolio with methods including:
Reflective journals
Worksheets
Assignments
Group presentations
Group discussions
Tutor and peer feedback on skills
1-2-1 tutorials
This is a fast track course and so additional study time could be as much as approximately 10-12 hours a week. This may vary from student to student but will increase when various assignments are due to be handed in.
This may vary for each individual student and may increase slightly when various assignment deadlines approach. It is therefore important that if you are considering applying for the course, that you think about where the course will fit into your day-to-day life, such as employment, family circumstances, health issues, etc.
It is important that the course is considered in relation to other areas of your life in order that you can give the course your time and commitment to give you the best opportunity of completing it.
The full fee for the course is payable should you decide to withdraw once the course has begun.
While the Level 2 course stands alone as a valuable qualification, it also serves as a stepping stone to the Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies, also offered by the NCCS
Ballantine Dykes, Fiona, Kopp, Barry and Postings, Traci. 2024 Counselling Skills and Studies. 3rd edn. London: Sage
Sutton, J. 2008 Learning to Counsel: Develop the Skills, Insight and Knowledge to Counsel Others, 4th ed. Oxford: Spring Hill House.
You will need pen and paper and your course textbook when attending lessons.
As this is an online course all course resources will be shared on a platform called Google Classroom.
"WOULD RECOMMEND WITHOUT HESITATION"
“The level of detail given in assessor feedback, for example within assignments and skills observation is very high. The centre has exemplary plans and resources in place for supporting deferred candidates, who have not yet met the qualification requirements. The centre has good support for students who have special requirements.”
Recent CPCAB external verification feedback (Summer 2026
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