Has anyone done the Counselling skills certificate at college in the evening?

[mamadiva]

I fancy giving this a go I know it's a basic certificate and nothing great but recently my mum has had to make use of a counsellor due to an assault and I've seen how much good they have done with her, so I decided it's something I would like to try as I have fancied maybe going into a womans refuge as a counsellr and figured this is how you maybe start toward the career.

Just wanting to know what kind of things you do on the course and what kind of skills you think are best suited to it.

I'm not sure if it is the same type of course but I have done a part time BTec and City and Guilds in Counselling and Communication Skills. It is a fantastic grounding in basic counselling skills and would be a perfect introduction to the field. Most likely they will give you pointers on how to further your studies and practical experience of Counselling.

In my experience the people who made the best counsellors were the most non-judgemental and were happy to sit back and listen. Active listening skills were an integral part of the course. The people who found the course difficult were those who had very strong opinions and found it hard not to voice them.

I hope this is helpful and that you find a course that suits you.