About The BA (hons) Counselling Practitioner in Bishop Grosseteste University

The BA (Hons) Counselling Practitioner degree provides a pathway for students who wish to train to become counselling practitioners. The programme adopts a humanistic approach to counselling practice; the ‘humanistic’ label is an umbrella term for counselling approaches which are client-centred and fundamentally focused on the therapeutic relationship. Humanistic counselling requires a high level of self-awareness and, consequently, students will embark upon a journey of personal development throughout the programme. Alongside this process, students will learn about both the theoretical underpinnings of humanistic counselling and the practical application of that theory.

There are multiple rich opportunities, over the course of the degree, to learn and refine practical counselling skills. These skills will be employed in a real-world context when students begin their supervised client work with adults in their second year of study. The degree programme offers students the opportunity to engage with a contemporary curriculum, informed by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Guidelines for Stage 3 Core Practitioner Training (2022), the BACP Gold book criteria for the accreditation of training courses (2021), and the subject benchmarks for Counselling and Psychotherapy (QAA, 2022).

As the programme aligns with the BACP requirements, upon successful completion of the programme, students can apply for BACP membership. Such professional membership is an important aspect of ethical practice. Graduates may also apply to sit the BACP’s Certificate of Proficiency test, allowing them to join the BACP register, a public record of counsellors who meet the BACP quality standards. This level of BACP membership is often listed as a pre-requisite for employment as a counsellor in key organisations such as the NHS, educational establishments and third sector providers of counselling services. Students are also encouraged to apply for student BACP membership whilst on this course.

By the end of a Counselling course at BGU you will be ready to successfully complete further study to become a professional counsellor. You will also be equipped for a range of graduate employment in other career areas, including Psychology, Sociology and Health and Social Care.

As part of your Foundation Year, through a series of subject specific sessions, you will also develop the foundational listening skills used by counsellors and those in helping or support roles. These subject sessions will enable you to develop skills that are applicable in a wide variety of professional settings and can help to enhance communication at work and in personal relationships in addition to providing a useful foundation for further study in counselling or related fields.