BACP Approved Practitioner Qualification
CPCAB L4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling

This is a Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) course, which is accredited by the Office of the Qualifications & Examinations Regulator (OFQUAL) into the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF). Qualification Number: 500/8088/X

This two year part-time qualification gives learners the knowledge, skills and competencies to work as a therapeutic counsellor in an agency context.

This qualification is designed to lead to an employed or voluntary role in a counselling agency in both health care and non-medical settings. Learners with sufficient experience can also begin working as independent practitioners in private practice.

Course Philosophy

Our integrative model is not prescriptive. It is a client-centred where the model fits the client not the client fits the model.

We are using the 3 major psychological approaches stressing the importance of the relationship and the person-centred core conditions throughout. Our approach allows for the integration of Psychodynamic and CBT theories to the core person-centred approach. We recognise the core conditions as necessary, but allow the students to decide whether they are sufficient by introducing the principles of the other core approaches. The course model sees the relationship as paramount and this is stressed for the duration of the course.

Our aim is to teach you to build a solid theoretical foundation to enable you to develop your own model. We will be helping you to understand the core principles, how they differ, how you can put them into practice and how they can be effectively integrated into a personal model.

Learning Outcomes

• Prepare to work within an ethical framework for counselling.
• Understand the nature and importance of the therapeutic relationship.
• Understand difference and diversity issues to develop empathic understanding and enhance the counselling process.
• Work within a user-centred approach to counselling.
• Use counselling theory, reflection and feedback to develop self-awareness in counselling practice.
• Understand theories of counselling and mental health and how to apply this to enhance the counselling process.
• Use feedback, reflection, supervision and research to support counselling studies.

Course Objective

• To develop an ability to translate intra-personal experience into language.
• To be able to benefit from self-development.
• To encourage and work towards emotional stability.
• To give evidence of personal insight.
• To develop an ability to form a helping relationship.
• To be awareness of difference and diversity.
• To be able to cope with the course content and support fellow students to do so.
• To understand the importance of continued professional development, research and supervision to the counselling process.
• To understand some of the core presenting issues from a variety of theoretical perspectives
• To develop counselling skills based on sound counselling theory.
• To be fully motivated towards developing as a counselling practitioner.

Candidate entry requirements:

Minimum age of entry 20 years.

Hold a CPCAB Level 2 & 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills and Studies or Recognised Prior Learning (RPL)

You will be asked to attend an interview where you will discuss your readiness to embark on the next stage of training and how you think you meet the characteristics identified below:-

• Identify reasons for training beyond just personal development
• Provide references
• Academically and emotionally able to cope with this level of training
• Ability to work with difference and diversity
• Possess personal qualities of imagination, intuition, openness and ability to benefit from self-development
• Ability to form a therapeutic relationship
• Self-awareness, insight, honesty and the ability to make links
• Emotional stability and the absence of personality disturbance
• Ability to challenge and be challenged
• Ability to respond sensitively and empathically to others
• Capability to begin working with clients within an agency setting
• Intending (and actively seeking) to begin work with clients during year 1 of the programme

Additional Qualification Requirements:

In addition to meeting the assessment criteria and learning outcomes there are the following additional course requirements: 

• Personal Therapy – Students are required to attend 25 sessions of personal therapy per diploma year. This is funded by candidates and is an additional cost to consider. Your personal therapy cannot be undertaken at Westmeria.
• Counselling training placement – Candidates find a suitable training placement once they have passed their Fitness to Practice in year one of their training. A minimum of 100 hours with supervision is required to pass the course.
• Supervision – 1 hour of supervision for every 8 client hours. Please refer to the BACP Guidelines on supervision to ensure that you maintain the correct amount of supervision
• BACP Student Membership – required for placement and is an additional cost to consider
• Professional Liability Insurance – required for placement and is an additional cost to consider
• DBS Check – required for placement and is an additional cost to consider

Dates and Times:

30-week course, 9.30 – 5.00pm

For 2022-24 Diploma day: Wednesday

For 2023-2025 Diploma day: Monday or Thursday

For 2024-2026 Diploma day: Wednesday or Friday

 

Start Date

Annually September

Fees

£2,900 per academic year – the course fee includes tuition fees, course materials and tutorials.

Plus, approximately, £384* – CPCAB Candidate Registration & Exam Fee per academic year.

*STC – the current CPCAB Candidate Registration & Exam Fee for 2023-25 is £384 and subject to change for each year/course and yet to be confirmed by CPCAB.

Plus, £25 – BACP Fee for the BACP Approved Practitioner Qualification. This is a one-off course payment for the 2 years & paid at the time of deposit. Please see attached document for more information.

Deposit: Once you have been formally offered a place on the course, a deposit of £825 plus the CPCAB fee for the year will be required to secure your place.

Cooling Off Period & Refunds: There is a 14-day cooling off period from the date of Westmeria receiving your deposit and confirming receipt of this. If you do cancel, any monies received from you up to this point will be refunded in full within 10 working days. However, after 14 days, no refunds will be made, and you will be liable for the course fee for the year.

Payment is to be made by BACS transfer only. Fees can also be paid in full prior to the commencement of the course or a payment plan of 3 monthly instalments of £700 (due Sept, Oct and Nov) is available. A Payment Plan will be provided.

For further information about course fees and payments, please refer to the Course Payment Policy which can also be found on our website.

Application for this course:

Please contact Christina Harrison and training@westmeriacounselling.co.uk  for an application form.  Or Westmeria Counselling, Bromley Park Medical Centre, 6 Daly Drive, Bromley Park, Bickley, Kent BR1 2FF.

Progression Route

• Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling (PC-L5)
• Level 5 Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapeutic Skills & Theory (CBT-L5)
• Level 6 Certificate in Therapeutic Counselling Supervision (TCSU-L6) (2)
• Open University Foundation Degree in Counselling 7 See section 7 for the full CPCAB progression route.