Foundation Certificate in Counselling

Equivalent to a Level 3

Take your first steps towards becoming a counsellor with our Foundation Certificate in Counselling. This Level 3 equivalent course fulfils the entry requirements for our Diploma in Integrative Counselling. You will learn a diverse range of models and approaches to counselling, develop your self-awareness, and enhance your interpersonal and communication skills, empowering you to make a real difference in people’s lives. Designed and run by specialists in the therapy field, our highly experienced tutors deliver this face-to-face course at our Clapham and Tooting training centres in South London. Embark on this rewarding career path and enrol today.

Our next course starts on 12th September. Courses can become oversubscribed, so we encourage early enrolment.

[email protected]

Foundation Certificate in Counselling: Course Content Overview

The Foundation Certificate in Counselling is delivered in three modules across two or three terms, each including the following main components:

Theory lectures and discussion groups
Skills practice workshops
Personal development activities

Module 1: Helping & Counselling

This module focuses on developing your understanding of what counselling is and is not and includes a workshop on how to write essays using Harvard Referencing:

What do we understand by counselling?
How does counselling differ from other forms of help?
Who can be helped by counselling?
Standards and ethics in counselling
The ‘core conditions’ of the person-centred model in counselling

Module 2: Ethics / Basic Human Development

This module introduces the BACP Ethical Framework for the Counselling Profession (2018) and provides an overview of some key contributors in the field of basic human development:

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Erikson’s psychosocial model
Freud’s psychosexual model

Module 3: Modalities of Counselling

This module of the counselling certificate introduces a range of theoretical models, including:

Gestalt Therapy
Transactional Analysis
Psychodynamic Therapy
Solution Focused Therapy
An introduction to clinical supervision in counselling

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about the training process, our team is here to answer them – big or small. Don’t hesitate to call us!

020 3051 8235

Course Fees

Our Foundation Certificate courses contain the same amount of class time and assessments. The accelerated foundation course enables you to complete the course in a shorter time and (on successful completion) move on to our Diploma course without a break. This would be a suitable option for you if you are keen to train as a counsellor in a shorter period and can commit more concentrated time to your studies.

We are now interviewing. Courses can become oversubscribed, so we encourage early enrolment. Places on each intake will be offered to applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Accelerated Evenings)

September 2025 – March 2026

Friday evenings and three weekends, for six months

Dates: 12^th September 2025 – 6^th March 2026
Time: 18:00 – 21:30
Location: TAC Clapham
Fee: £2,600

Enrol today – Applications close 27th June 2025

Please note dates are subject to change

2025	Fridays (6pm – 9:30pm)	Saturdays (10am – 5pm)	Sundays (10am – 5pm)
Day 1	12^th September
Day 2	19^th September
Day 3		20^th September
Day 4			21^st September
Day 5	26^th September
Day 6	3^rd October
Day 7	10^th October
Day 8	17^th October
Day 9	24^th October
Day 10	31^st October
Day 11	7^th November
Day 12	14^th November
Day 13	21^st November
Day 14	28^th November
Day 15		29^th November
Day 16			30^th November
Day 17	5^th December
2026
Day 18	9^th January
Day 19	16^th January
Day 20	23^rd January
Day 21	30^th January
Day 22	6^th February
Day 23	13^th February
Day 24		14^th February
Day 25			15^th February
Day 26	20^th February
Day 27	27^th February
Day 28	6^th March

ENROL TODAY

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Accelerated – Evenings)

September 2025 – March 2026

Friday evenings and three weekends, for five and a half months

Dates: 19^th September 2025 – 13^th March 2026
Time: 18.00 – 21.30
Location: TAC Tooting
Fee: £2,600

Enrol today – Applications close 27th June 2025

Please note dates are subject to change

2025	Fridays (6pm – 9:30pm)	Saturdays (10am – 5pm)		Sundays (10am – 5pm)
Day 1	19^th September
Day 2	26^th September
Day 3		27^th September
Day 4				28^th September
Day 5	3^rd October
Day 6	10^th October
Day 7	17^th October
Day 8	24^th October
Day 9	31^st October
Day 10	7^th November
Day 11	14^th November
Day 12	21^st November
Day 13	28^th November
Day 14	5^th December
Day 15		6^th December
Day 16				7^th December
Day 17	12^th December
2026			WINTER BREAK
Day 18	16^th January
Day 19	23^rd January
Day 20	30^th January
Day 21	6^th February
Day 22	13^th February
Day 23	20^th February
Day 24		21^st February
Day 25				22^nd February
Day 26	27^th February
Day 27	6^th March
Day 28	13^th March

ENROL TODAY

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Accelerated – Weekends)

September 2025 – March 2026

Saturdays & Sundays, for five and a half months

Dates: 13^th September 2025 – 1^st March 2026
Time: 10.00 – 16.00
Location: TAC Tooting
Fee: £2,600

Enrol today – Applications close 27th June 2025

Please note dates are subject to change

2025	Saturdays (10am – 4pm)	Sundays (10am – 4pm)
Day 1	13^th September
Day 2		14^th September
Day 3	4^th October
Day 4		5^th October
Day 5	18^th October
Day 6		19^th October
Day 7	1^st November
Day 8		2^nd November
Day 9	15^th November
Day 10		16^th November
Day 11	13^th December
Day 12		14^th December
2026	WINTER BREAK
Day 13	17^th January
Day 14		18^th January
Day 15	31^st January
Day 16		1^st February
Day 17	14^th February
Day 18		15^th February
Day 19	28^th February
Day 20		1^st March

ENROL TODAY

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Accelerated – Evenings)

September 2025 – March 2026

Monday evenings and three weekends, for five and a half months

Dates: 22^nd September 2025 – 9^th March 2026
Time: 18.00 – 21.30
Location: TAC Tooting
Fee: £2,600

COURSE FULL

Please note dates are subject to change

2025	Mondays (6pm – 9:30pm)	Saturdays (10am – 5pm)	Sundays (10am – 5pm)
Day 1	22^nd September
Day 2	29^th September
Day 3	6^th October
Day 4	13^th October
Day 5	20^th October
Day 6		25^th October
Day 7				26^th October
Day 8	27^th October
Day 9	3^rd November
Day 10	10^th November
Day 11	17^th November
Day 12		22^nd November
Day 13				23^rd November
Day 14	24^th November
Day 15	1^st December
Day 16	8^th December
Day 17	15^th December
2026		WINTER BREAK
Day 18	12^th January
Day 19	19^th January
Day 20	26^th January
Day 21	2^nd February
Day 22		7^th February
Day 23				8^th February
Day 24	9^th February
Day 25	16^th February
Day 26	23^rd February
Day 27	2^nd March
Day 28	9^th March

Foundation Certificate in Counselling

September 2025 – July 2026

Wednesday evenings, for ten months

Dates: 24^th September 2025 – 22^nd July 2026
Time: 18:00 – 21:00
Location: TAC Tooting
Fee: £2,600

Enrol today – Applications close 27th June 2025

Please note dates are subject to change

2025	Wednesday (6pm – 9pm)
Day 1	24^th September
Day 2	1^st October
Day 3	8^th October
Day 4	15^th October
Day 5	22^nd October
Day 6	29^th October
Day 7	5^th November
Day 8	12^th November
Day 9	19^th November
Day 10	26^th November
Day 11	3^rd December
Day 12	10^th December
Day 13	17^th December
2026	WINTER BREAK
Day 14	7^th January
Day 15	14^th January
Day 16	21^st January
Day 17	28^th January
Day 18	4^th February
Day 19	11^th February
Day 20	18^th February
Day 21	25^th February
Day 22	4^th March
Day 23	11^th March
Day 24	18^th March
Day 25	25^th March
	EASTER BREAK
Day 26	15^th April
Day 27	22^nd April
Day 28	29^th April
Day 29	6^th May
Day 30	13^th May
Day 31	20^th May
Day 32	27^th May
Day 33	3^rd June
Day 34	10^th June
Day 35	17^th June
Day 36	24^th June
Day 37	1^st July
Day 38	8^th July
Day 39	15^th July
Day 40	22^nd July

ENROL TODAY

Payment options

Full payment: Initial deposit of £350 required on course agreement. Balance payment £2,250. Total – £2,600

Monthly payment: Initial deposit of £350 required on course agreement. 10 x monthly instalments of £250 by direct debit. Total – £2,850. (This increased fee includes administration costs).

Accelerated course full payment: Initial deposit of £450 required on course agreement. Balance payment £2150. Total – £2,600.

Accelerated course monthly payment: Initial deposit of £450 required on course agreement. 5 x monthly instalments of £480 by direct debit. Total – £2850. (This increased fee includes administration costs).

All fees are inclusive of 20% VAT. Deposits are non-refundable.

If you have any questions, give us a call to talk through course and payment plans on 020 3051 8235.

FIND OUT MORE

If you would like any further information, please contact the Training School team at [email protected] or call 020 3051 8235.

STUDENT REVIEWS ENROL TODAY

shutterstock 2058088850 Certificate in Counselling

Our Foundation Certificate in Counselling offers a comprehensive overview of counselling in practice by discussing different theoretical approaches and processing your learning in skills practice. Students will explore their personal development within the group and write reflective journals to support their counselling journey.

To complete the course, students must attend 80% of the training and pass two written assignments of 3000 words. Students are supported by their lead tutor and peers throughout the course by having the space to reflect and process feedback. Students will also meet with their tutors for end of module tutorials. Our management team has an ‘open door policy’ to discuss any practical matters concerning your course.

To complete the course you will need to:

Attend 80% of the training
Complete a personal development journal
Demonstrate satisfactory progress in theoretical understanding, counselling skills practice, personal development, and how theory relates to personal experience. You’ll receive reflections and feedback from your tutor and peers throughout the course
Submit end-of-module reflective views
Complete and pass two assignments (3000 words each)
Attend end-of-module tutorials
Be in personal therapy or have a minimum of twelve sessions of counselling with a qualified therapist during the first term of your course. (Students will fund their personal therapy)

Academic Writing Assistance (optional)

TAC works with Ash Phipps to give students access to tuition in academic writing. Ash has 10 years’ experience teaching study skills strategies to students who want to develop their writing skills and specialises in SpLDs (dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD, ADD, Autism).

For any further questions and fees, please call 020 3051 8235 or email [email protected]

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

If you have any questions about the training process, our team is here to answer them – big or small. Don’t hesitate to call us!

020 3051 8235

Counselling: Course FAQs

Who does the teaching?

We ensure that all of our tutors are experienced counselling professionals. During the counselling course, you will attend face-to-face skills workshops and lectures provided by our specialist faculty. We strive to provide you with the most valuable training experience possible. Find out more about the faculty here.

Who can apply for TAC’s Foundation Certificate in Counselling?

You don’t need any previous qualifications or experience to enrol on this course.

What is the Enrolment Process?

Firstly, complete the online enrolment form, which includes a personal statement. You will then be invited to an online interview with a senior member of the Training School team. The interview is structured to give all students a similar experience. You will be asked questions to ensure that you have the time availability and emotional maturity to be able to commit to making the course a success.

How long is the Foundation Certificate in Counselling course?

Our Foundation Certificate in Counselling runs from one of our centres in Clapham or Tooting, south London. It is a part-time course, which provides 100 guided learning hours over ten months. You will attend face-to-face workshops and other training sessions during weekends throughout the year.

Will I gain practical experience too?

Yes. You’ll be practising counselling/helping skills with your peers throughout the course while also learning about clear, professional boundaries.

What can I study after the Foundation Certificate?

Following this course, you can enrol on the Diploma in Integrative Counselling and qualify as a professional counsellor. If you’re not sure about your next steps, you can always speak to a member of our team who will be able to answer your questions.

FIND OUT MORE

If you would like any further information, please contact the Training School team at [email protected] or call 020 3051 8235.

STUDENT REVIEWS ENROL TODAY

Student Reviews

Our Foundation Certificate in Counselling students have provided some great feedback on what developing your counselling skills can be like at The Awareness Centre. Read about their experience at The Awareness Centre Training School.

I am completing the Foundation Certificate in Counselling in September; it has been a great experience so far. I enjoy the fact that it is both theoretical and practical. I enjoy the group sessions; the sessions provide the opportunity to learn from other students and practice your counselling skills without judgment. It has only been three months since I started the course, but I am already learning a lot about myself, which is vital to being a successful counsellor. The course tutor, Patrizia, is very knowledgeable; she has years of experience and is approachable.

I.C

I have only completed the first module and found it to be interesting. As a qualified Life Therapist myself I wanted to underpin the knowledge of a counsellor in order to give my clients a full package. The module was well presented by our tutor Matt. I look forward to studying further with The Awareness Centre.

R.M-J

So far, my experience at TAC has been really fulfilling. The first module of the Foundation has led to some great friendships and shown me that working towards becoming a therapist is the path I want to be on. My instructor has also been incredible so far, and I find the TAC team to always be accessible and available for any questions I may have, or help I need. I am really grateful I found this programme!

Meghan