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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 13th March 2026. Courses can become oversubscribed, so we encourage early enrolment. 

[email protected]

phone

020 3051 8235

The Awareness Centre Training School
COURSE OVERVIEW
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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.

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.

Our September 2025 courses are now all full.

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Accelerated Evenings)

March 2026 – July 2026

Friday evenings and four weekends, for four months

  • Dates: 13th March – 19th July 2026
  • Time: 18:00 – 21:30
  • Location: TAC Tooting
  • Fee: £2,600

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Please note dates are subject to change


MODULE 1		Fridays
(6pm – 9:30pm)		Saturdays
(10am – 5pm)		Sundays
(10am – 5pm)
Class 113th March
Class 220th March
Weekend One21st March
Class 3,4,5,622nd March
Class 727th March
MODULE 2
Class 817th April
Class 924th April
Class 101st May
Class 118th May
Class 1215th May
Weekend Two16th May
Class 13, 14, 15, 1617th May
Class 1722nd May
Class 1829th May
Class 195th June
MODULE 3
Class 2012th June
Class 2119th June
Weekend Three20th June
Class 22, 23, 24, 2521st June
Class 2626th June
Class 273rd July
Class 2810th July
Class 2917th July
Weekend Four18th July
Class 30, 31, 32, 3319th July
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Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Accelerated Evenings)

March 2026 – July 2026

Friday evenings and four weekends, for four months

  • Dates: 13th March – 19th July 2026
  • Time: 18:00 – 21:30
  • Location: TAC Clapham
  • Fee: £2,600

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Please note dates are subject to change

2026
MODULE 1		Fridays
(6pm – 9:30pm)		Saturdays
(10am – 5pm)		Sundays
(10am – 5pm)
Class 113th March
Class 220th March
Weekend One21st March
Class 3,4,5,622nd March
Class 727th March
EASTER BREAK 30 March  – 10 April
MODULE 2
Class 817th April
Class 924th April
Class 101st May
Class 118th May
Class 1215th May
Weekend Two16th May
Class 13, 14, 15, 1617th May
Class 1722nd May
Class 1829th May
Class 195th June
MODULE 3
Class 2012th June
Class 2119th June
Weekend Three20th June
Class 22, 23, 24, 2521st June
Class 2626th June
Class 273rd July
Class 2810th July
Class 2917th July
Weekend Four18th July
Class 30, 31, 32, 3319th July
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Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Accelerated Evenings)

March 2026 – August 2026

Monday evenings and four weekends, for five months

  • Dates: 14th March – 24th August 2026
  • Time: 18:00 – 21:30
  • Location: TAC Tooting
  • Fee: £2,600

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Please note dates are subject to change


MODULE 1		Mondays
(6pm – 9:30pm)		Saturdays
(10am – 5pm)		Sundays
(10am – 5pm)
Weekend One14th March
Class 1, 2, 3, 415th March
Class 516th March
Class 623rd March
EASTER BREAK
MODULE 2
Class 720th April
Class 827th April
Weekend Two9th May
Class 9, 10, 11, 1210th May
Class 1311th May
Class 1418th May
Class 151st June
Class 168th June
Class 1715th June
Class 1822nd June
Class 1929th June
MODULE 3
Weekend Three4th July
Class 20, 21, 22, 235th July
Class 246th July
Class 2513th July
Class 2620th July
Class 2727th July
Class 2810th August
Class 2917th August
Weekend Four23rd August
Class 30, 31, 32, 3324th August
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Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Accelerated Weekends)

March 2026 – August 2026

Saturdays and Sundays, for five months

  • Dates: 21st March – 16th August 2026
  • Time: 10:00 – 16:00
  • Location: TAC Tooting
  • Fee: £2,600

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Please note dates are subject to change


MODULE 1		Saturdays
(10am – 4pm)		Sundays
(10am – 4pm)
Class 121st March
Class 222nd March
EASTER BREAK
Class 311th April
Class 412th April
Class 525th April
Class 626th April
Class 730th May
Class 831st May
MODULE 2
Class 913th June
Class 1014th June
Class 1127th June
Class 1228th June
Class 1311th July
Class 1412 July
MODULE 3
Class 1525th July
Class 1626th July
Class 171st August
Class 182nd August
Class 1915th August
Class 2016th August
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Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Evenings)

April 2026 – March 2027

Thursday evenings, for eleven months

  • Dates: 23rd April 2026 – 25th March 2027
  • Time: 18:00 – 21:00
  • Location: TAC Tooting
  • Fee: £2,600

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Please note dates are subject to change

2026
MODULE 1		Thursdays
(6pm – 9pm)
Class 123rd April
Class 230th April
Class 37th May
Class 414th May
Class 521st May
Class 628th May
Class 74th June
Class 811th June
Class 918th June
Class 1025th June
Class 112nd July
Class 129th July
Class 1316th July
Class 1423rd July
SUMMER BREAK
MODULE 2
Class 1510th September
Class 1617th September
Class 1724th September
Class 181st October
Class 198th October
Class 2015th October
Class 2122nd October
Class 2229th October
Class 235th November
Class 2412th November
Class 2519th November
Class 2626th November
Class 274th December
Class 2811th December
WINTER BREAK
2027
MODULE 3
Class 297th January
Class 3014th January
Class 3121st January
Class 3228th January
Class 334th February
Class 3411th February
Class 3518th February
Class 3625th February
Class 374th March
Class 3811th March
Class 3918th March
Class 4025th March
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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.

September 2025 Term Dates

Our September 2025 courses are now all full.

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Friday Evenings – Clapham)

12th September 2025 – 6th March 2026

Please note dates are subject to change

2025
MODULE 1		Fridays
(6pm – 9:30pm)		Saturdays
(10am – 5pm)		Sundays
(10am – 5pm)
Class 112 September
Class 219 September
Weekend 120 September
Class 3, 4, 5, 621 September
Class 726 September
MODULE 2
Class 803 October
Class 910 October
Class 1017 October
Class 1124 October
Class 1231 October
Class 1307 November
Class 1414 November
Class 1521 November
Class 1628 November
Weekend 229 November
Class 17, 18, 19, 2030 November
MODULE 3
Class 2105 December
2026
Class 22		09 January
Class 2316 January
Class 2423 January
Class 2530 January
Class 2606 February
Class 2713 February
Weekend 314 February
Class 28,29,30,3115 February
Class 3220 February
Class 3327 February
Class 3406 March

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Weekends – Tooting)

13th September 2025 – 1st March 2026

Please note dates are subject to change

2025Saturdays
(10am to 4pm)		Sundays
(10am to 4pm)
Day 113 September
Day 214 September
Day 304 October
Day 405 October
Day 518 October
Day 619 October
Day 701 November
Day 802 November
Day 915 November
Day 1016 November
Day 1113 December
Day 1214 December
2026
Day 13		17th January
Day 1418th January
Day 1531 January
Day 1601 February
Day 1714 February
Day 1815 February
Day 1928 February
Day 2001 March

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Friday Evenings – Tooting)

19th September 2025 – 13th March 2026

Please note dates are subject to change

2025Fridays
(6 – 9:30pm)		Saturdays
(10am – 5pm)		Sundays
(10am – 5pm)
Day 119 September
Day 226 September
Day 327 September
Day 428 September
Day 503 October
Day 610 October
Day 717 October
Day 824 October
Day 931 October
Day 1007 November
Day 1114 November
Day 1221 November
Day 1328 November
Day 1405 December
Day 1506 December
Day 1607 December
Day 1712 December
2026
Day 1816 January
Day 1923 January
Day 2030 January
Day 2106 February
Day 2213 February
Day 2320 February
Day 2421 February
Day 2522 February
Day 2627 February
Day 2706 March
Day 2813 March

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Monday Evenings – Tooting)

22nd September 2025 – 9th March 2026

Please note dates are subject to change

2025Mondays
(6pm to 9:30pm)		Saturdays
(10am to 5pm)		Sundays
(10am to 5pm)
Class 122 September
Class 229 September
Class 306 October
Class 413 October
Class 520 October
Weekend 125 October
Class 6, 7, 8, 926 October
Class 1027 October
Class 1103 November
Class 1210 November
Class 1317 November
Weekend 222 November
Class 14, 15, 16, 1723 November
Class 1824 November
Class 1901 December
Class 2008 December
Class 2115 December
2026
Class 22		12 January
Class 2319 January
Class 2426 January
Class 2502 February
Weekend 307 February
Class 26. 27. 28, 2908 February
Class 3009 February
Class 3116 February
Class 3223 February
Class 3302 March
Class 3409 March

Foundation Certificate in Counselling (Wednesday Evenings – Tooting)

24th September 2025 – 22nd July 2026

Please note dates are subject to change

MODULE 1
Day 124-Sep-25
Day 201-Oct-25
Day 308-Oct-25
Day 415-Oct-25
Day 522-Oct-25
Day 629-Oct-25
Day 705-Nov-25
Day 812-Nov-25
Day 919-Nov-25
Day 1026-Nov-25
Day 1103-Dec-25
Day 1210-Dec-25
Day 1317-Dec-25
WINTER BREAK
Day 1407-Jan-26
MODULE 2
Day 1514-Jan-26
Day 1621-Jan-26
Day 1728-Jan-26
Day 1804-Feb-26
Day 1911-Feb-26
Day 2018-Feb-26
Day 2125-Feb-26
Day 2204-Mar-26
Day 2311-Mar-26
Day 2418-Mar-26
Day 2525-Mar-26
EASTER BREAK
Day 2615-Apr-26
Day 2722-Apr-26
Day 2829-Apr-26
MODULE 3
Day 2906-May-26
Day 3013-May-26
Day 3120-May-26
Day 3227-May-26
Day 3303-Jun-26
Day 3410-Jun-26
Day 3517-Jun-26
Day 3624-Jun-26
Day 3701-Jul-26
Day 3808-Jul-26
Day 3915-Jul-26
Day 4022-Jul-26

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 REVIEWSENROL 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 (or six months if on the accelerated course). 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 REVIEWSENROL 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 have thoroughly enjoyed the start to my Certificate course – the tutors have been excellent!

A.G

I was nervous about becoming a student after such a long time. I have been pleasantly surprised with the diversity and depth of life experiences that both my tutor and classmates share. It is increasing my confidence and joy towards learning. With the support of both classmates and tutor I really now feel this is something that is meant for me, and that I can seriously become a professional practitioner.

A.J

I started the Certificate in Counselling course with The Awareness Centre in January and I’ve enjoyed it so much. I feel I have learned so much in such a short time. Our tutor Bonny is excellent and is always ready to answer questions with a wealth of experience and knowledge; her passion for Counselling and for teaching our course really shines through. I’m lucky that I get to share the course with some brilliant people too, we have such a diverse and interesting group; I’ve really learned so much from everyone I’m working with.

Through the course my own personal development has been really interesting – to recognise my strengths but also areas that I was not aware of that needed more improvement, but this has still been a very positive process for me and I believe that although the work is always ongoing; I am a much better person for this course and look forward to continuing working on myself to become a good Counsellor in the future.

The training team has been excellent and very supportive and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend both TAC and the course to anyone.

W.B
READ MORE

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

The Tutors

Click on the profiles below to learn more about our Foundation Certificate in Counselling tutors.
Emma Leonce

Emma Leonce – Lead Foundation Tutor/Diploma Tutor

Steve Henfrey Certificate in Counselling

Steve Henfrey – Lead Foundation Tutor/Diploma Tutor

Bonny Allyson

Bonny Allyson – Foundation Tutor/ Diploma Tutor

Ash Phipps

Ash Phipps – Study Skills Tutor

Mariana Hernandez

Mariana Hernandez – Lead Foundation Tutor

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 REVIEWSENROL TODAY