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Study integrative counselling and become qualified to work as a professional counsellor
Is this course right for me?
If you already have a Foundation Certificate in Counselling, are looking to continue your studies as a professional counsellor, and complete your clinical placement all under one roof, then this two-year part-time course is for you.
By studying for a Diploma, you will:
- Become qualified to work as an integrative counsellor
- Learn a variety of humanistic and psychodynamic approaches
- Gain access to opportunities for an in-house clinical placement and supervision
- Enhance your ability to provide both short-term and longer-term therapy
- Develop and create your integrative counselling approach
- Develop personally as you become a qualified counsellor

Places available on our September 2021 intake
Course Details
If you have decided that you’d like to become a qualified counsellor, and already have a Foundation Certificate in Counselling, then this two-year part-time Diploma will give you all you need to launch your counselling career.
- Learn how to develop and maintain a therapeutic relationship
- Develop an awareness of both conscious and unconscious motivators
- Become adept at making informed choices about appropriate counselling interventions
- Grow your ability to work with a variety of presenting issues
- Explore the theoretical assumptions underpinning each of the taught models
- Identify and develop your own philosophy and approach to counselling
- The course also includes an optional in-house clinical placement and supervision throughout your learning.
PLEASE NOTE: All training and interview workshops are currently online, to ensure the safety of students and staff. The Training School will return to face to face as soon as possible, following the guidance from the UK Government, Public Health England the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Clinical Practice and Supervision
If you study the Diploma in Integrative Counselling at The Awareness Centre, you will have the opportunity to enter a clinical placement within our low-cost counselling service in Clapham or Tooting (open-ended therapy) or within the TAC NHS services in Lambeth, Wandsworth or Sutton (6-12 sessions, short-term counselling).
Supervision for up to 4 clients per week is provided as part of the clinical placement, and this is included within the fee for the course. Students are expected to complete a minimum 200 hours of clinical practice to be awarded the Diploma.
In addition, the client hours undertaken during your placement with TAC will accumulate towards the current minimum 450 hours required to become an accredited member of the BACP.
How do I enrol for the Diploma?
The first step in enrolment on the Diploma in Integrative Counselling is to book a place on the Interview Workshop.
Next Intakes
- September 2021 to July 2023 – Monday and Wednesday evenings at TAC Tooting, with some workshops on Saturdays: Enrolment open
- April 2022 to March 2024 – Tuesday and Thursday evenings at TAC Tooting (enrolment not yet open)
Enrol Now: Book a place on the Interview Workshop
Questions?
You will:
- Develop a critical understanding of research in counselling and psychotherapy and be able to incorporate this knowledge into clinical practice
- Enhance your abilities to become a skilled practitioner
- Blend the therapeutic relationship, core theory and applied skills to promote therapeutic change
- Equip yourself with a range of skills and knowledge to help you work with a diverse range of clients and issues
- Obtain the qualification you need to work within a therapeutic counselling service or independent private practice
- Two years part-time
- Over 450 guided learning hours across six modules
- Cultural, personal, group and theoretical reflection opportunities
- A comprehensive curriculum taught via theory lectures, seminars, and topical weekend workshops
- Therapeutic skills sessions and personal development work
- An optional in-house clinical placement and supervision (included in the course fee)
- Education about a range of different presenting issues, including working with addiction, anxiety and depression, co-dependence, eating disorders and managing risk
- You will study Petrūska Clarkson’s relational model of therapy, which explores five facets of the therapeutic relationship:
- the working alliance
- the transference/counter-transference relationship
- the developmentally needed or reparative relationship
- the person to person or real relationship
- the transpersonal relationship.
The Diploma in Integrative Counselling is delivered by experienced counselling professionals, who are all experts in their field.
You will be assessed on your ability to meet the demanding requirements of the course as well as your potential to carry out clinical work with counselling clients.
We will continuously give you assessment opportunities throughout the training to track your progress and learning.
These include self-assessment, theory and process groups, peer and tutor evaluation, as well as five written assignments of 2,500-3,500 words, and a successful clinical placement of at least 200 client hours.
- You should have previously completed a training at Certificate level in counselling. Therefore, completion of a Foundation Certificate in Counselling at The Awareness Centre (TAC), or an equivalent Certificate in Counselling with another training organisation is essential.
As some of the training will be delivered online, we ask that you have a reliable internet connection.
The fee for the Diploma in Integrative Counselling is £9,000, which includes in-house supervision for up to 4 clients per week.
You have two options to pay the fee:
- Pay in monthly direct debits spread across the duration of your study, after paying a non-refundable £500 deposit
- If you wish to pay in full up-front, then you will receive a 10% discount of £900, making the course fee £8,100.
Additional fees not included in the course fee are as follows:
- Core Reading Material and study materials
- CPD Placement Workshop (should you choose a clinical placement at TAC)
- Supervision/DBS costs (should you choose to pursue a clinical placement outside of TAC)
- BACP student registration
- Resubmission of assignment
Personal Therapy
You must be in personal therapy for a minimum of 80 hours during the training (minimum of 40 hours per year). You should continue this therapy until you have completed your training. Fees for personal therapy are not included in the course fee.
Academic Writing
The Awareness Centre offers its students access to On Your Team, who offer one-to-one coaching in academic writing at an hourly rate of £50, and editing for typical fees of:
- £65 to £80 to edit a 2,500-word essay
- £85 to £120 to edit a 3,500-word essay
- Choose the coaching option if your essay drafts need substantial editing and restructuring.
Further Information
For further information, please email please contact our Training Administrator Dan Smith on [email protected] or call 020 8673 4545.