This course is Accredited by the National Counselling Society and, at the discretion of the Society, is a route to a national register of Counsellors which is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
At Thoros, we have developed, from the ground up a creative, bespoke curriculum that will provide successful trainees with a professionally recognised qualification in Psychotherapeutic Counselling.
During your time at Thoros, you will be taught using a variety of methods: We enjoy utilising creativity in our teaching and we emphasise community, looking to provide a warm, nurturing learning environment. This doesn’t mean that the course isn’t as challenging as others, however, we believe that people will thrive in a safe, supportive environment and so we offer just that. We love being outside, and when the weather is favourable, we will take the lesson into our lovely garden or over to the beach!
Each week will be planned to provide you with a meaningful, relevant learning experience so that you can develop depth and competence in your personal awareness, professional development, and theoretical knowledge.
In the first year of the Counselling Diploma, you will explore the structure of Counselling, learn to use advanced listening skills effectively and develop a strong appreciation for diversity and ethics. You will also begin to study Counselling theory and start to develop an integrative way of working, learning to apply theory in practice and embedding a critical thinking style into your approach. The Counselling approach that we teach is a grounded in an integration of Person Centred and Psychodynamic models, however, we embed a Pluralistic attitude within the work that we do and so metacommunication and flexibility are also discussed and applied in practice. Importantly, we fully appreciate and value individuality, and so creativity and personalisation are encouraged under the guidance of our experienced teaching staff.
During the second year of the Counselling Diploma, students are required to seek and engage in a professional, supervised placement. Each individual must accumulate no less than 100 hours of client contact time and reflect on their own practice. The Centre has had strong links with New Romney Counselling Services for many years and because of this, we are able to offer all of our learners a guaranteed placement. This doesn’t mean that you have to go to NRCS for your placement, however, we find that having this as an option relieves a considerable amount worry when the time for finding a placement comes around! On top of this, we also have use of the Centre on the odd Saturday, so as a student at Thoros you will be able to experience ‘Counselling’ your peers in a genuine agency setting before your placement starts. NRCS is also able to offer discounted personal therapy and supervision to our students, pairing them with qualified and experienced practitioners.
In line with vocational standards (our own beliefs), we require all of our Diploma in Counselling students to engage in at least 40 hours of personal therapy. This provides a fantastic opportunity to experience Counselling first hand, it also allows you to develop a strong level of self-awareness and offers an additional level of support during your time studying.
Most importantly of all, we provide tea and coffee for all of our students, and our kettle is always on the go; we even throw in the odd pack of custard creams every now and then!
- Small groups (<10) = More Tutor attention on individual learning
- Links with NRCS = Guaranteed placement & low-cost Supervision/Counselling
- Bespoke Training Centre = Practice rooms, student kitchen, and (weather permitting) lessons on the beach!
- NCS Accreditation = A professionally Accredited qualification & a direct route to the NCS Accredited Register of Counsellors
- Experienced Team = A professional, practical and relevant learning experience for all Trainees
Entry Requirements
The entry requirements for this Course are as follows:
- A willingness to fully engage in all elements of the course, including personal therapy, skills practice, and theory.
- The ability to fully commit to the fees and time requirements.
- Applicants should be 23 years of age or older at the time of application.
- Applicants should hold at least a Next Steps in Counselling (Level 3 equivalent) Certificate in Counselling Skills (or equivalent).
- A successful interview held at the Thoros Centre.
Counselling Diploma Fees and Dates:
Registration, Exam & Resubmission fees: £00.00 (Yep… nothing, not a penny.)
Year 1: £2,500+ Year 2: £2,500 = Total: £5,000
Payment plans are available on request
The ‘Accredited Diploma in Professional Counselling’ course runs once weekly, between September and June, for two years. Start time is 09:30 and the day’s end is at 16:30. It is worth noting that your second year includes a placement, which is in addition to the teaching hours outlined here.
2024: In 2024 the Diploma course will run on Thursday starting in September.
Are there any additional costs?
Additional costs that you should consider are as follows:
- Personal Therapy costs maybe £40 or higher, although many counsellors offer a discount rate for students.
- We provided some of the reading material, however, you will need to purchase books from the reading list as well.
From 2nd year only:
- Student Membership to the National Counselling Society (Reduced fee due to our Accredited status)
- Supervision during placement (this is heavily discounted at NRCS)
- Professional Indemnity Insurance (this is hard to judge as costs change, but earmark about £75 / year)
- You will likely need to apply for a DBS check for your placement which may incur a cost
Time Commitments
Attending a Diploma in Counselling course is a big commitment, not only financially, but also in terms of time and energy. The following gives you a rough idea of the weekly time requirements:
Year 1:
- Lessons – 7hrs
- Personal Therapy – 1hr
- Journal writing – 40min
Year 2:
- Lessons (Including breaks) – 7hrs
- Personal Therapy – 1hr
- Journal writing – 40min
- Placement – 1 -4hrs
- Supervision – No less than 2hrs per calendar month (Usually 1hr every two weeks)
Both years: Occasionally, you will also have to write assignments and prepare for presentations.