Diploma in Counselling Skills

Syllabus

Unit 1: Nature and scope of Guidance

1.1 Concept and definition of guidance and counselling

1.2 Guidance and life goals

1.3 The phases of counselling process (assessment, intervention, and termination)

1.4 Characteristics of an effective counsellor

1.5 Challenges and a Counsellor

 

Unit 2: Fundamental Counselling Skill

           2.1 The client-counsellor relationship

2.2 basic counselling skills (observational, questioning, communication, notes and reflections)

2.3 Counselling interview

2.4 Developing case histories

 

Unit 3: Ethics in Counselling

3.1 Need for ethical standards

3.2 ethical codes and guidelines

3.3 Dual relationships in counselling practice

3.4 Counsellor’s ethical and legal responsibilities

3.5 Ethical issues in counselling process

 

Unit 4: Group and individual Counselling

4.1 Types of counselling settings

4.2 Characteristics of group counselling

4.3 Advantages and disadvantages of group counselling

4.4 Skills of group counselling

4.5 Characteristics of individual counselling

4.6 Advantages and disadvantages of individual counselling

 

Unit 5: Psychological testing and Diagnosis

5.1 Need for psychological tests and uses of tests

5.2 Characteristics of good psychological tests

5.3 Different types of tests

• Projective and psychometric
• Intelligence, achievement and aptitude test
• Personality inventories

5.4 Testing procedure, scoring, recording, reporting

5.5 Limitations of psychological tests

 

Unit 6: Perspective of abnormal behaviour

6.1 Historical view of abnormal behaviour

6.2 Meaning and definition of normality and abnormality

6.3 Basic models of psychology to understand behaviour

• Psychoanalytical
• Humanistic-existential
• Cognitive-behavioural
• Transpersonal

6.4 Causal factors of abnormality

6.5 Viewpoint on abnormal behaviour

 

Unit 7: Neurotic disorders

7.1 Stress and anxiety related disorder

7.2 Generalized anxiety disorder

7.3 Phobia

7.4 OCD

7.5 Stress and adjustment disorder

7.6 Dissociative disorder

7.7 Mood disorder

 

 

Unit 8: Psychotic disorders

8.1 bipolar disorder

8.2 Schizophrenia

8.3 Delusional disorder

8.4 Substance induced psychosis

 

Unit 9: Childhood and adolescence disorders

9.1 Learning disabilities

9.2 Autism

9.3 Intellectual disability

 

Unit 10: Other important disorders

10.1 Personality disorders

10.2 Substance abuse disorder

10.3 Sexual and gender identity disorder

10.4 Neurological disorder (Alzheimer’s disorder, Parkinson’s disorder)

 

Unit 11: Different approaches to counselling and therapy

Sub-unit 1: Person-centred Therapy

1. Historical context
2. Carl Roger’s contribution

III. Abraham Maslow’s Contribution

1. Key concept and techniques
2. Counsellor-client relationship
3. Applications

VII. Limitations

Sub-unit 2: Behaviour Therapy

1. Historical context
2. Key concepts and techniques

III. Therapeutic process

1. Applications
2. Limitations

Sub-unit 3: Cognitive Behaviour therapy

1. Historical context
2. Albert Ellis’ Contribution

III. Beck’s contribution

1. Key concepts and techniques
2. Therapeutic process
3. Applications

VII. Limitations

Sub-unit 4: Gestalt therapy

1. Historical concepts
2. Contribution of Fritz Perls

III. Key concepts and techniques

1. Therapeutic process
2. Applications
3. Limitations

Sub-unit 5: Psychoanalytic Therapy

1. Historical context
2. Sigmund Freud’s contribution

III. Erikson’s Contributions

1. Eric Berne’s transactional analysis
2. Key concept and techniques
3. Therapeutic process

VII. Applications

VIII. Limitations