Advanced Certificate of Psychology and Counselling

Unit 1: Introduction to Psychology

• What is Psychology
• The goals of psychology
• A brief history of psychology
• Biological perspective
• Behavioural perspective
• Cognitive perspective
• Humanistic perspective
• Psychodynamic perspective
• Socio-cultural perspective
• Psychology as a profession
• Psychology for everyday professionals

Unit 2: Research Methods in Psychology

• Psychology as a science
• Quantitative vs qualitative methods
• Common research designs
• Experiments
• Case studies
• Surveys
• Observations
• Ethics in psychology research
• APS code of ethics
• Interpreting psychology research in the media

Unit 3: Biological Bases of Behaviour

• Brain structure and function
• The nervous system
• Hormones: chemical messengers
• The endocrine system
• Genetics: the blueprint of behaviour
• Evolutionary psychology
• Biology and behaviour
• Sleep, stress, and mental health

Unit 4: Cognitive Psychology

• Sensation and perception
• Memory systems: short-term, working, and long-term memory
• Classical conditioning
• Operant conditioning
• Observational learning
• Problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking
• Cognitive psychology applications

Unit 5: Developmental Psychology

• Lifespan development
• Infancy (birth-2 years)
• Childhood (2-12 years)
• Adolescence (12-18 years)
• Adulthood (18-65)
• Ageing (65+)
• Piaget’s cognitive development theory
• Erikson’s psychosocial development theory
• Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory
• Attachment and bonding
• Identity formation
• Cultural perspectives on development

Unit 6: Personality and Individual Differences

• What is personality?
• Trait and type theories
• Freud’s psychodynamic theory
• Humanistic approaches
• The Big Five personality model
• Intelligence, creativity, and emotional intelligence
• Personality assessments and ethical considerations

Unit 7: Social Psychology

• How social context influences behaviour
• Components of attitudes (ABC Model)
• Persuasion
• Prejudice
• Group dynamics
• Conformity
• Obedience
• Leadership
• Cross-cultural social psychology
• Social psychology and marketing
• Social psychology and teamwork
• Social psychology and education

Unit 8: Applied Psychology and Mental Health

• Psychological disorders
• Anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia
• Approaches to treatment
• Positive psychology and resilience
• Psychology Iin applied settings
• Health psychology
• Educational psychology
• Business and organisational psychology
• Sports psychology
• Forensic psychology

Unit 1: Introduction to Counselling

• Introduction to counselling
• What is counselling?
• The counselling role
• The purpose of counselling
• Effective counselling skills
• Personal qualities of an effective counsellor
• Self awareness and counselling
• Developing self awareness
• Values and beliefs
• Balancing personal values
• Understanding yourself
• Counselling misconceptions
• Ethical responsibilities
• Confidentiality in counselling
• Professional boundaries
• Legal considerations

Unit 2: Counselling Approaches and Theories

• Counselling approaches and models
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
• Person-Centred Therapy (PCT)
• Psychodynamic Therapy
• Gestalt Therapy
• Solution-Focused Therapy
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
• Existential Therapy
• Narrative Therapy
• Family Systems Therapy
• Reality Therapy
• Interpersonal Therapy
• Mindfulness Based CBT
• Emptional-Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Trauma-Focused Therapy
• Integrative Therapy
• Choosing the right counselling techniques

Unit 3: Building a Therapeutic Relationship

• Introduction to the Therapeutic relationships
• Building a strong therapeutic relationship
• Empathy
• Unconditional postive regard
• Authenticity
• Building trust and rapport
• Managing resistance
• Handling difficult conversations
• Counselling relationship challenges

Unit 4: Practical Counselling Skills

• Communication skills in counselling
• Active listening
• Verbal and non-verbal communication
• Attending skills
• Responding skills
• Reflection of feelings
• Overcoming barriers to communication
• Role playing
• Stucturing a counselling session
• The counselling process

Unit 5: Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Mental health conditions and concerns
• Generalised Anxiety, Social Anxiety, and Phobias
• Depressive disorders and Bipolar
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Schizophrenia
• Psychotic disorders
• Counselling as a holistic approach
• Referrals

Unit 6: Working With Diverse Clients

• Cultural awareness
• Cultural identity
• Cultural barriers to therapy
• Supporting diverse clients
• Adapting therapeutic approaches
• Cultural competence
• Practical strategies to support diverse clients
• Understanding bias in counselling
• Addressing bias and personal assumptions

Unit 7: Crisis Intervention and Trauma Support

• Understanding crisis intervention
• Trauma support in counselling
• Trauma informed care
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Trauma
• Somatic Therapy
• Emotional support
• Supporting clients in distress
• Managing emotional impact

Unit 8: Self-Care for Counsellors

• Stress management
• Stress management strategies
• Creating a self-care plan
• Preventing burnout
• Preventing compassion fatigue
• Emotional resilience
• Supervision and peer support