Foundation courses for counselling/psychotherapy

bob_loblaw

Hi all,

I realise that there are a few threads out there dealing somwhat with this area. Basically I would like pursue a career in counselling somewhere down the line. Personally I want to get as wide a scope of training as possible encompassing counselling, psychotherapy and psychology. I have a degree in an unrelated field but have personal experience of counselling. I have also been looking into the Higher Diploma in Psychology at UCD or Trinity to do at some stage. I have always been interested in psychology and mental health and even on a personal level I'd like to achieve a high level of understanding. So here's my question! I'm looking for the best overall foundation course in counselling/psychotherapy in order to get onto the diploma course. I understand that different courses offer differing amounts of their component parts ie theory vs personal development. The ones I have been looking at are PCI, Galwaycounselling, tivoli and learning point; I had also read here about one in maynooth but can't seem to find any info on it? I would love people's opinions on these courses. I am erring on the side of PCI from what info I can gather but I have found that on here at least they are not as highly recommended as other places. I particularly like the idea that they seem to have more in class time than the other courses. ( I do realise that personal development outside class is very important but at the same time extra class time can't hurt?) Also are any of these courses in particular well looked upon by accredited diploma courses? Finally as regards accredited diploma courses, which are the ones to go for? If I did PCI foundation I would be inclined to stick to their diploma...

Anyway I know it's long and probably overlaps other threads but any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated!

hotspur

When you say you are looking for the best foundation course to get onto the diploma course do you mean to get onto a counselling diploma course or the diploma in psychology in TCD / UCD? Because getting onto a HDip in psychology doesn't have much to do with doing any foundation course in counselling.

You can go for training to become a counselling psychologist which will require getting a HDip in psychology, clinical experience, and then the doctorate in counselling psychology in TCD or masters in UCD for example.

Other than that counselling / psychotherapy is a different discipline to psychology even though many of us train in it from a psychology background. You don't need to do any psychology training to train as a counsellor.

As for good diploma / foundation courses there is no agreed best course. Pretty much any foundation course should fulfill the criterion for diploma application and you should probably pick whichever is most suitable for you geographically or time wise unless you identify which diploma you wish to pursue first, in which case it makes to do the foundation cert with them.

As for the ones you mentioned. Here is the link for Maynooth's:
http://adulteducation.nuim.ie/courses/CounsellingSkills.shtml

All things considered I cannot currently recommend PCI as the best option for a graduate student. Tivoli are thought well of but their foundation course is very unusual in that it is online based except for personal therapy of which you have 25 sessions. That's pretty good value for money if you wish to have therapy at this time, and I know someone who chose it for that reason. But you have to practice counselling at a foundation course imo.

I know nothing about Galway's course or learningpoint, unless you meant Turning Point which is though well of too.

This post has a list of some other choices / relevant sites:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61358160&postcount=2

DCU have revamped their nursing department and are now offering counselling courses at all levels with a clear structure going from foundation course all the way up to doctorate. I advise checking them out. Here are their courses, look under Science and Health:
http://www.dcu.ie/prospective/degrees.php

Here is their foundation course:
http://www.dcu.ie/prospective/deginfo.php?classname=CCOU&mode=full

You will want to do a diploma course which is accredited by an agency which is respected such as the IACP www.irish-counselling.ie/ or IAHP www.iahip.com/ . And then there are the psychoanalytic courses and accreditation agencies.

It would also be wise to read the recommendation which have been put forward by the regulating bodies to the government about future regulation of the profession. You will be able to get them from here:
http://www.psychotherapy-ireland.com/2008/10/psychological-therapists-call-on-government-to-introduce-statutory-registration-for-their-professions-in-ireland/

And be aware of the European Association for Psychotherapy and the European Certificate of Psychotherapy. There are courses here which would satisfy their academic criteria and ones which would not. Go into it with your eyes wide open and choose a post graduate level course if possible.

bob_loblaw

Thanks a million hotspur for the detailed reply!

Just to clarify I mentioned my interest in the HDip in Psych in terms of my personal interest in the area. I realise it is a distinct and seperate field to counselling/psychotherapy but I imagine it could be beneficial to have an understanding of general psychology. I thought maybe someone might have suggestions for other courses that I may not have thought about baring in mind my interest in psychology… To be honest I’m finding the general magnitude of offerings out there quite overwhelming when you take into account various accrediting agencies, particularly when you include European ones. Lots out there, just want to make sure I give myself the best possible and most worthwhile start especially considering the financial costs…
Anyway your overview of all the foundation courses was really helpful. I hadn’t looked at DCU and after a quick glance it seems good in terms of stepping stones and direction. And yes I did mean turning point (no idea how I managed to type learning point…) and the only thing that I am unsure of is the 40 course time versus for example PCI’s 100 hour foundation course. I guess it’s a case of quality versus quantity? But I’m wondering how there could be so much of a gap between the hours involved (I do realize there is personal study time on top of this but even so???)

hotspur

bob_loblaw wrote: »

I am unsure of is the 40 course time versus for example PCI’s 100 hour foundation course. I guess it’s a case of quality versus quantity? But I’m wondering how there could be so much of a gap between the hours involved (I do realize there is personal study time on top of this but even so???)

When I did a foundation course it was 50 odd hours. I don't think the number of hours above a certain threshold are that important, since there's nothing one does in a foundation course that isn't subsequently repeated in a diploma course.

Really the purpose of foundation courses are to give you a taste of what it is. You seem like you know what you are looking for and have had personal experience of it, but some people don't. It's admirable that you are taking a serious attitude towards your choice of foundation course but it's not very important which one you do in my opinion.

Also it is perhaps worth mentioning that numerous people start PCI's diploma without having done any foundation course. I'll leave you to judge the meaningfulness of that.

SATSUMA

Hiya, i'm doing the foundation course with Tivoli mostly because it's the most convenient for me at the moment. I understand it's a little different to other courses.

We do it online, submitting assignments along the way. They are pretty simple so i like to back up my knowledge by reading around the subject. Of course i would never recommend doing an "online counselling course", here, its just assignments that are read and submitted that way. The main point of the foundation course with Tivoli (in my opinion) is the personal therapy of 25 hours and the one on one contact.

This consists of 25 hours meeting weekly for one hour. For me, i find this more valuable as i can read books and learn quickly whereas this is a different experience. I am growing in awareness of my own self even though I considered myself to be pretty aware of say, my patterns of behaviour for example! Not so! It really is a learning experience and most worthwhile. We also discuss things like expectation from the course, why i would be interested in this ect ect.

I think it really depends what you're into! At the end of the day it is only a foundation course(without dismissing it's purpose) and i appreciate the time to reflect on my choices. A diploma on the other hand would be a more serious committment over a number of years and would warrant the consideration of many issues as outlined by Hotspur. I think they also vary in price too which seems a bit odd to me.

Hope this helps a little,
best of luck *

JuliusCaesar

SATSUMA wrote: »

I think they also vary in price too which seems a bit odd to me.

Many training institutions in counselling are private businesses.
How much profit they make, and whether they are profit-making or not-for-profit is up to them.

It may be useful to look to see whether a particular course is accredited by a recognised body. Anybody can set themselves (and their friends) as the Irish National Institute for TeaLeafReading, and charge members of the public 600 smackers for a 6 day course, which is then accredited by the European Institute for TeaLeafReading, also set up by Anybody plus Friends.

bob_loblaw

Thanks again hotspur; I really just wanted to get a feel of the merits of certain courses from people who know the learning processes involved.

Thanks satsuma, i had a look at tivoli but as I'm already attending personal therapy with someone, financially speaking other courses are are better suited to me right now. I'm actually also looking forward to a classroom situation again!

Looking ahead to diploma and beyond, it really is an expensive career when you factor in payments for personal therapy along with course fees; how is everyone managing/did you manage this?? is it a case of loans all the way??

Odysseus

bob_loblaw wrote: »

Thanks again hotspur; I really just wanted to get a feel of the merits of certain courses from people who know the learning processes involved.

Thanks satsuma, i had a look at tivoli but as I'm already attending personal therapy with someone, financially speaking other courses are are better suited to me right now. I'm actually also looking forward to a classroom situation again!

Looking ahead to diploma and beyond, it really is an expensive career when you factor in payments for personal therapy along with course fees; how is everyone managing/did you manage this?? is it a case of loans all the way??

It a diffcult one, check out what grants are available, though in this climate it more difficult that when I last studied. I got various grants starting my degree, SVP also have a education scheme, I got money of them for my books for the first year of my degree as I was on the dole. I started working in the Addiction Field at the end of my first year but the I got grants from the local drugs taskforce for my fees for the rest of my degree.

As I was in the HSE they paid the fees for my MA, however, the five years of personal therapy was paid for myself. I'm in a similar position now I'm looking at going back to study and I won't be so luckly this time around. Fees have also jumped it was under 2,000 pound a year for my MA its now 7,500 euro:eek:

If your not working go for SVP for the books, they gave me a cheque for waterstones which I just used to get book vouchers and then the books I needed. Once I started to make a decent wage I just gave the cash back though a donation.

If you live Dublin check out the various community resourses which should be able to point in the direction of grants that are available for those on benefits. A general assistance in my centre recieved 1,000 of the local drug taks force to help with her studies, so there are some available, but your local community resourses would be able to advise you better.

And my local credit union was a life saver with my first years fees and the other stuff when I need it.

I know its atad vague but I hope that helps a little.

mrmcgrath

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Emren

Hey bob_loblaw,I'm currently thinking of applying for a foundation course in counselling/physcotherapy and am researching the courses you have mentioned in your post. I am most drawn to the PCI 5month 100 hour course, can I ask which one you went with in the end and if you found it beneficial?
Thanks

bob_loblaw wrote: »

Hi all,

I realise that there are a few threads out there dealing somwhat with this area. Basically I would like pursue a career in counselling somewhere down the line. Personally I want to get as wide a scope of training as possible encompassing counselling, psychotherapy and psychology. I have a degree in an unrelated field but have personal experience of counselling. I have also been looking into the Higher Diploma in Psychology at UCD or Trinity to do at some stage. I have always been interested in psychology and mental health and even on a personal level I'd like to achieve a high level of understanding. So here's my question! I'm looking for the best overall foundation course in counselling/psychotherapy in order to get onto the diploma course. I understand that different courses offer differing amounts of their component parts ie theory vs personal development. The ones I have been looking at are PCI, Galwaycounselling, tivoli and learning point; I had also read here about one in maynooth but can't seem to find any info on it? I would love people's opinions on these courses. I am erring on the side of PCI from what info I can gather but I have found that on here at least they are not as highly recommended as other places. I particularly like the idea that they seem to have more in class time than the other courses. ( I do realise that personal development outside class is very important but at the same time extra class time can't hurt?) Also are any of these courses in particular well looked upon by accredited diploma courses? Finally as regards accredited diploma courses, which are the ones to go for? If I did PCI foundation I would be inclined to stick to their diploma...

Anyway I know it's long and probably overlaps other threads but any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated!

Enhtie

Emren wrote: »

Hey bob_loblaw,I'm currently thinking of applying for a foundation course in counselling/physcotherapy and am researching the courses you have mentioned in your post. I am most drawn to the PCI 5month 100 hour course, can I ask which one you went with in the end and if you found it beneficial?
Thanks

If you wish to take up a Foundation Course in Counselling as a first step in this discipline the editorial by Sarah Browne in "Therapy Today" may be of interest to you. The full article can be viewed on their website. I think it is very important that people enter these very expensive training courses with a realistic view of the career possibilities at the end of a very long road.

"As long as I’ve been editing this journal we’ve been receiving letters about the amount of people training to be counsellors (and the lack of jobs). The numbers have certainly swelled in recent years. In 2003 The Sunday Times reported that Britain ‘now has more counsellors than soldiers’. And last year I read that counselling had made it into a list for the top 10 most popular careers predicted for 2011. Yet the ratio of CPD adverts to job adverts in these pages has consistently been about 10:1.

There is clearly a lack of paid work or at least paid work that gets advertised. When I did my own training I felt uneasy when I realised that the training organisation were not making this situation clear to prospective students."

cabroig

Hello I am just looking into doing a foundation course in counselling . I am doing it out of an interest i have in this area But do not know how difficult this course will be so i would like to get an idea with a basic course .I have never done any of the courses before so I am not sure which one to do . The GMIT do a foundation course for 8 weeks at 125 euro , where as turning point they are doing a course for 10 weeks for 850 . Does any body know the difference in the courses and have you any feed back of turning point .

Thank you

cabroig

I would like to do a foundation course in councelling . I have no experience in this field but would like to see if it is a course that I would. Be interested in . There is a 8 week gmit 1 night a week for 125 euro . Turn

cabroig

Turning point also offer part time 10 weeks foundation course but the cost is 850 euro . Can any body explain the difference
Thanks

maria_81

I've heard great things about Tivoli Institue training from counselling. I'm not a counsellor, nor a psychotherapist. However, i've considered it, and their courses were recommended by a psychotherapist friend of mine.

dar100

bob_loblaw wrote: »

Hi all,

I realise that there are a few threads out there dealing somwhat with this area. Basically I would like pursue a career in counselling somewhere down the line. Personally I want to get as wide a scope of training as possible encompassing counselling, psychotherapy and psychology. I have a degree in an unrelated field but have personal experience of counselling. I have also been looking into the Higher Diploma in Psychology at UCD or Trinity to do at some stage. I have always been interested in psychology and mental health and even on a personal level I'd like to achieve a high level of understanding. So here's my question! I'm looking for the best overall foundation course in counselling/psychotherapy in order to get onto the diploma course. I understand that different courses offer differing amounts of their component parts ie theory vs personal development. The ones I have been looking at are PCI, Galwaycounselling, tivoli and learning point; I had also read here about one in maynooth but can't seem to find any info on it? I would love people's opinions on these courses. I am erring on the side of PCI from what info I can gather but I have found that on here at least they are not as highly recommended as other places. I particularly like the idea that they seem to have more in class time than the other courses. ( I do realise that personal development outside class is very important but at the same time extra class time can't hurt?) Also are any of these courses in particular well looked upon by accredited diploma courses? Finally as regards accredited diploma courses, which are the ones to go for? If I did PCI foundation I would be inclined to stick to their diploma...

Anyway I know it's long and probably overlaps other threads but any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated!

May be of interest to anyone wanting to study Counselling and Psychotherapy, outside of the universities

sadie9

Do whichever foundation best suits your pocket and your location.
They are Introductions to counselling. So they are the best way to see would be interested in going on to study it further.
A lot of people do the Foundations out of interest or for personal development reasons. There wouldn't be that much homework, the majority of stuff is done in the classroom. On the Maynooth course I think they recommended just one book.
The 3yr Diploma/Degree courses prefer you to have done a foundation so they know you know what it's all about. Otherwise they'd have people dropping out a few weeks after starting and wanting their money back once they discover counselling isn't what they thought it was going to be.
Most Foundations are classroom based. The Tivoli offers an online distance learning one that also includes 25hrs of personal therapy with a counsellor in your location or as close as they can get.
Some colleges may offer a wee bit of a reduction on the Diploma/Degree course if you have done the Foundation with them.