The second stage of the program, the Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling Skills, Theories and Self-Awareness builds on the learning from the Post Graduate Certificate (or alternative courses of study for learners ‘transferring-in’ from other programs) and will appeal particularly but not
exclusively to professionals and volunteers who are looking to extend the pastoral dimension of their work and to incorporate supervised counselling practice within their careers or voluntary activities.

Learners will have to complete the four (4) core modules below. Each module is 10 ECTS points. Learners must accumulate a total of 40 ECTS points to graduate.

CNS710: Introduction to Constructivist Counselling Skills and Theories 

An Overview of the Skills, Theories and Self-Awareness Techniques of:

• George Kelly: The Psychology of Personal Constructs and the Construction of the Self.
• William Glasser: Choice Theory and Reality Therapy.
• Eric Berne: Transactional Analysis; Parent, Adult and Child Ego States and the Life Script.

CNS713: Introduction to Family and Systemic Counselling Skills and Theories

An Overview of the Skills, Theories and Self-Awareness Techniques of:

• Virginia Satir: The Communication Approach to Family Therapy; the Communication Styles of Blamer, Placater, Super-Reasonable Person, Irrelevant Person and Congruent Communicator.
• Salvador Minuchin: The Structural Approach; Coalitions, Triangulations, Disengagement and Enmeshment.

CNS715: Introduction to Trance and Mindfulness Counselling Skills and Theories

An Overview of the Skills, Theories and Self-Awareness Techniques of:

• Milton Erickson: Indirect Hypnosis and Therapeutic Storytelling.
• Richard Bandler & John Grinder: Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
• David Grove: Clean Language and the Metaphorical Landscape.
• Joe Griffin & Ivan Tyrrell: The Human Givens Approach and the Emotional Needs.
• Eugene Gendlin: Focusing and contacting the Felt Sense.
• Steven Hayes: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

CNS718: Introduction to Solution-Focused Counselling Skills and Theories 

An Overview of the Skills, Theories and Self-Awareness Techniques of:

• Steve de Shazer & Insoo Kim Berg: Solution-Focused Therapy and The Miracle Question.
• Tim Gallwey: The ‘Inner-Game’ of Life,
• John Whitmore and Graham Alexander: Life Coaching and the GROW Model.

The course has been designed to involve roughly 1200 hours of study. Successful completion of the Post Graduate Diploma leads to the award of 40 ECTS points. This award provides the entry point to the Master of Arts in Counselling Skills, Theories and Self-Awareness.

The PG Diploma in Counselling Skills, Theories and Self-Awareness provides an overview of the evolution and development of four further leading approaches to counselling (Constructivist, Family and Systemic, Trance and Mindfulness and Solution-Focused) demonstrating a wide range of theories, tools and techniques which participants will be able to incorporate within their own professional practice.

John Perry has over thirty years’ experience of working in education, as a teacher, college lecturer, student counsellor, mentor, university senior lecturer and pastoral tutor.

His passion is in offering coaching, counselling and/or mentoring to help learners to develop the confidence and motivation that comes from having high self-worth and a sense of purpose and direction.

In the course of his career, John has helped hundreds of learners to overcome their learning blocks and to replace limiting, self-defeating beliefs with empowering, positive alternatives.

John has developed his own unique approach to building psychological resilience, by helping people to take control of the challenges they face whilst generating positive emotions and a ‘can do’ attitude.

John uses coaching, counselling and mentoring skills to help learners to move in the direction of the constructive accomplishment of their innate potential. More specifically, his focus is on helping learners to over-come self-doubt and to grow in confidence, resilience and happiness.