Counselling Diploma
in Humanistic Creative Counselling
Counselling Diploma
Dunamis Therapy Hub, based in Crowborough, East Sussex, offers an exciting bacp accredited Diploma in Humanistic Creative Counselling. Our in depth counselling diploma course will aid your personal development and take your therapy skills to the next level.
The next course will be commencing September 2024. Ideal for those who have completed a sixty hour certificate course and now want to take the next step towards a career as a counsellor.
Prior to undertaking our diploma course, students will need to download and read our Pre-Course Information document.
Want to Find Out More About Our Diploma Course?
Why not book onto our next “Come and See” Day
Saturday 1st June – 10 am to 12 noon
Use the contact form to let us know you want to “come and see” and to get the details.
Please be aware that we are now interviewing for places on our Diploma course September 2024
Places are already booking up so please contact as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
How do I become a therapist?
There are a number of steps on the journey to becoming a qualified and accredited counsellor. If you are considering undertaking a diploma in counselling then you should have already completed a 60 hour certificate course in counselling skills. If you haven’t yet done this then you can find out more about our certificate course here – counselling certificate.
By studying with Dunamis for your diploma you will undertake humanistic creative therapeutic learning. You will train in Person Centered Therapy, Gestalt Therapy and learn about creative therapies and existential approaches. Learning how to select and use the appropriate counselling therapies to support people with their issues.
You can find out more about how to become a counsellor/therapist here – how do I become a counsellor?
There are many careers available where counselling qualifications are valuable or essential. You may want to work in private practice, social work, become an education therapist, or a bereavement counsellor. Perhaps becoming a family counsellor is your dream or a rehabilitation therapist is more for you? There is more information about some of these counselling career opportunities on this page.
Admission requirements:
Who is this course for and do I need an undergraduate degree to become a counsellor?
This course is for:
- Anyone who wishes to become a Fully Qualified Counsellor.
- Those that are already within the field of Counselling & wish to update their skills.
- Those that are already a therapist and wish to add Counselling to the existing skills
Academic Requirements
- You do not need a degree to study to be a counsellor/psychotherapist.
- You will need a good level of English and numeracy and be able to understand and clearly communicate in English. This course is only taught in English so there is an English language requirement.
- International students are welcome.
- You will need to pass a pre-course interview before being accepted onto the course. Interviews for Sept 2024 intake commence 4th March 2024. Please contact us if you are considering our course and would like to arrange an interview.
Interviewing Now.
Please get in touch if you would like to interview for the Diploma course starting September 2024
Sara, one of our tutors, tells you more about our counselling diploma course
Course Content Summary
Course Costs / Tuition Fees
- £9,870 (inc VAT) – This includes a minimum of 450 hours training including a residential weekend in the second year.
Additional costs
- Personal therapy 40 weeks a year with an experienced integrative therapist.
- Supervision costs
- Library deposit
- Oral exam fee
- Travel costs
- bacp student membership
Coursework
- A joint research project
- 3 essays
- A journal of the week’s session and student’s thoughts
- Weekly online learning checks
- A community involvement project (click link for example)
- 100 placement hours
- Case study of a taped client for twelve sessions
- Self-directed study: Hours will vary but approximately 4 hours per week is suggested (this does not include placement hours)
Professional experience – Placements
- Dunamis offers help with finding placements though it is the student’s responsibility to find their placement.
- Students will usually be signed off as ready to find a placement towards the end of term 2 (into term 3) having met the following criteria:
- Competent skills
- Understanding contracts
- Have knowledge of the ethical frame work
- Understanding endings
- Working in an agency (at least 6 months skills practice with peers)
Student skills
Students professional practice, and communication skills will be regularly observed by tutors and feedback given. Placement hours may continue after the end of the taught part of the course. Students are allowed two years from completion of the course to apply and complete their final Dunamis exam.
Final exams
The exam is a remotely viewed video of live practice, with a role-playing client, followed by supervision on the work. The examining panel will evaluate the work when all of the criteria for the Diploma has been completed.
We will support students with a termly tutorial until their Oral exam.
Course Structure
Welcome to Secure Base – Term 1
Term one secures your understanding of the three core modalities – Person Centred – a theory to create the climate to help others, Gestalt – a theory that enables creative ways of working, and Existential – approaches that considers the questions of life.
Here you begin to learn the basics, sessions 1-12, including orientating you to the course, developing practical skills, and the administration requirements to ensure you are well equipped for the climb.
Acclimatise – Term 2
Now out on the lower slopes we get a feel for how theories are roped together as an integrated whole. Session 13 – 24 weave together the Historical Context and thoughts about Human Development, Feelings, Concerns of Death and Loss, Attachment, Creativity, Client assessment including CORE, Ethics, Symbolism and Metaphor and Group review.
Dig Deep – Term 3
The climb gets a little tougher now. So we need to dig deep into the terrain of our own emotional resilience to keep our foot hold, as we consider the impact of Relationships (Including Co-Dependency), Couples Families, Abuse, Assessment, Research, Suicide and Self Harm, Anxiety and Depression.
Learning to use Supervision well and understanding helping ourselves through Body Work, and ending with Love, makes these heights well worth the climb.
Summit – Term 4
You have arrived at the top of the mountain.
Your skills are being integrated into the counsellor you are on the brink of becoming. So we spend some time considering who that person now is. We do this by looking at Sexuality Gender, Difference & Diversity, Disability, DSM and Meds, Egan and Case Study, Trauma, Psychodynamic Transference, Creativity Self Directed Study, and your Spirit and Soul.
Respect – Term 5
Respect! Respect of the mountain i.e the profession and respect of yourself!
You made it ‘Made it ma, top of the world!’ – James Cagney – White heat
So, now we consider Endings, Group Process Assessment, Self-care and Professionalism, the Final Push, Love and Forgiveness, Creativity, Other Ways Up the Mountain, Narcissism and Shadow, Private Practise, Preparing to Practice, Look How Far You Have Come, and then the Last Day. But not your last day with us, we hope, as we want to see you again. At CPD studio days, our networking club – Personography, and of course at that little matter of the exam!
Counselling Diploma in Humanistic Creative Counselling
Our course is taught over 5 terms and will teach you about Person Centered, Gestalt and Existential approaches whilst covering a wide range of topics.
After each lesson you will have an online learning check to complete in order to check your understanding and progress.
What’s on offer?
- A diploma in counselling
- An innovative programme
- 5 term course
- Supportive and experienced tutors
- Online learning checks
- Competitive pricing
Five Terms
Term dates (Every Wednesday or Thursday):
- Term 1 (year one) and term 4 (year two) starts Wednesday 25 September & Thursday 26 September 2024 – Term ends 11 & 12 December
- Term 2 (year one) and term 5 (year two) start Wednesday 15 & Thursday 16 of January 2025 – Term ends 02 & 03 of April 2025
- Term 3 (year one) Starts 23 & 24 April 2025 – Term ends Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 July 2025
Diploma Students at the Ashdown Park Hotel – Where we held our residential weekend away. 2024’s venue will be the East Sussex National Hotel, Uckfield, TN22 5ES
Our residential weekend takes place in the second year of our course. They provide a great opportunity for students to reflect on their professional practice and deepen their knowledge.
Diploma Price / Tuition Fees
£9,870 inc VAT
All students need to pass a pre-course interview before being accepted onto the course. The interview is informal and will last approximately an hour. There is a group work element and an individual element. The purpose of the interview is to ensure that you are ready for the course and will get the best out of it.
If you wish to be invited for an interview please download, print, complete and return the following application forms – download form
Once accepted onto the course we require a £1,974 deposit followed by the first payment of £5,922 a month prior to the course start.
The final payment of £1,974 is to be made prior to the start of Term 4.
Additional Fees
Our fees:
Oral exam – £150 including VAT
Library deposit – £20 (refundable)
External fees:
bacp Student Membership Fee – £86
Supervision – fees vary
Personal Therapy – fees vary (40 sessions per academic year required).
For more information about payment or to discuss payment options then please contact us.
Accreditation
The Diploma in Creative Humanistic Therapy is now an accredited bacp.
On successful completion of the course, students will be invited by the bacp to join the register.
About Dunamis
Dunamis Therapy Hub offers a humanistic creative therapeutic diploma in counselling, studio events for continual professional development and therapeutic groups. Our groups cover issues such as depression, anxiety and the challenges of parenting.
Based in Crowborough, East Sussex, we are passionate about writing, philosophical thinking, spiritual connections, creativity, imagination and research.
What the bacp had to say
Summary of the In-Person Visit – 14 February 2024
The course was a delight to visit, and the assessors would like to formally thank all the staff and students for giving their time and full engagement with the assessors.
The students were consistent in the positive feedback they gave about the course, from the ‘brilliant’ tutors to the life-changing journeys of self-discovery they had been on whilst being at Dunamis. The tutors’ ability to help the students to integrate theory and practice was noted, as was the good quality of feedback from the tutors, a helpful blend of challenge and support.
The role of the External Examiner was also appreciated. The assessors would like to acknowledge, in particular, the creative skills session which we observed with its interesting mix of ‘curved balls’ and ethical dilemmas.
In our meeting with the tutors, their passion for teaching the course was clear. We had a real sense of the quality of the training being their priority and that they have been able to create a lively, authentic, nurturing and rigorous learning environment.
The students were consistent in the positive feedback they gave about the course, from the ‘brilliant’ tutors to the life-changing journeys of self-discovery they had been on whilst being at Dunamis.