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 BACP accredited 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.
Led by expert tutors at our Clapham and Tooting centres in South London, this course is designed to support your personal and professional growth. Our fast track options are perfect for those ready to accelerate their journey into counselling. Enrol today and take the next step towards a meaningful new career.
Three courses are now full. Our next course with availability starts on 13th March 2026. Courses can become oversubscribed, so we encourage early enrolment.
The Foundation Certificate in Counselling is delivered in three modules across two or three terms, each including the following main components:
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:
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:
This module of the counselling certificate introduces a range of theoretical models, including:
Thursday evenings and four weekends, for four months
ONLY TWO PLACES REMAINING – ENROL TODAY
Applications close 27th February 2026
Please note dates are subject to change
| Thursdays (6pm to 9:30pm) | Saturdays (10am to 5pm) | Sundays (10am to 5pm) | |
| MODULE 1 | 16th April | ||
| Weekend One | 18th April | ||
| Class 2,3,4,5 | 19th April | ||
| Class 6 | 23rd April | ||
| Class 7 | 30th April | ||
| MODULE 2 | |||
| Class 8 | 7th May | ||
| Class 9 | 14th May | ||
| Class 10 | 21st May | ||
| Class 11 | 28th May | ||
| Class 12 | 4th June | ||
| Class 13 | 11th June | ||
| Class 14 | 18th June | ||
| Class 15 | 25th June | ||
| Weekend Two | 27th June | ||
| Class 16th, 17, 18, 19 | 28th June | ||
| MODULE 3 | |||
| Class 20 | 2nd July | ||
| Class 21 | 9th July | ||
| Weekend Three | 11th July | ||
| Class 22, 23, 24, 25 | 12th July | ||
| Class 26 | 16th July | ||
| Class 27 | 23rd July | ||
| Class 28 | 30th July | ||
| Class 29 | 6th August | ||
| Weekend Four | 8th August | ||
| Class 30, 31, 32, 33 | 9th August |
Tuesday evenings and four weekends, for four months
COURSE FULL
Please note dates are subject to change
| Tuesdays (6pm – 9:30pm) | Saturdays (10am – 5pm) | Sundays (10am – 5pm) | |
| MODULE 1 | |||
| Weekend One | 21 March | ||
| Class 1, 2, 3, 4 | 22 March | ||
| Class 5 | 24 March | ||
| Class 6 | 31 March | ||
| EASTER BREAK | |||
| MODULE 2 | |||
| Class 7 | 14 April | ||
| Class 8 | 21 April | ||
| Weekend Two | 25 April | ||
| Class 9, 10, 11, 12 | 26 April | ||
| Class 13 | 28 April | ||
| Class 14 | 05 May | ||
| Class 15 | 12 May | ||
| Class 16 | 19 May | ||
| Class 17 | 26 May | ||
| Class 18 | 02 June | ||
| Class 19 | 09 June | ||
| MODULE 3 | |||
| Weekend Three | 13 June | ||
| Class 20, 21, 22, 23 | 14 June | ||
| Class 24 | 16 June | ||
| Class 25 | 23 June | ||
| Class 26 | 30 June | ||
| Class 27 | 07 July | ||
| Class 28 | 14 July | ||
| Class 29 | 21 July | ||
| Weekend Four | 25 July | ||
| Class 30, 31, 32, 33 | 26 July | ||
Friday evenings and four weekends, for four months
COURSE FULL
Please note dates are subject to change
| 2026 MODULE 1 | Fridays (6pm – 9:30pm) | Saturdays (10am – 5pm) | Sundays (10am – 5pm) |
| Class 1 | 13th March | ||
| Class 2 | 20th March | ||
| Weekend One | 21st March | ||
| Class 3,4,5,6 | 22nd March | ||
| Class 7 | 27th March | ||
| EASTER BREAK 30 March – 10 April | |||
| MODULE 2 | |||
| Class 8 | 17th April | ||
| Class 9 | 24th April | ||
| Class 10 | 1st May | ||
| Class 13, 14, 15, 16 | 2nd May | ||
| Class 13, 14, 15, 16 | 3rd May | ||
| Class 11 | 8th May | ||
| Class 12 | 15th May | ||
| Weekend Two | 16th May | ||
| Class 17 | 22nd May | ||
| Class 18 | 29th May | ||
| Class 19 | 5th June | ||
| MODULE 3 | |||
| Class 20 | 12th June | ||
| Class 21 | 19th June | ||
| Weekend Three | 20th June | ||
| Class 22, 23, 24, 25 | 21st June | ||
| Class 26 | 26th June | ||
| Class 27 | 3rd July | ||
| Class 28 | 10th July | ||
| Class 29 | 17th July | ||
| Weekend Four | 18th July | ||
| Class 30, 31, 32, 33 | 19th July | ||
Friday evenings and four weekends, for four months
COURSE FULL
Please note dates are subject to change
| 2026 MODULE 1 | Fridays (6pm – 9:30pm) | Saturdays (10am – 5pm) | Sundays (10am – 5pm) |
| Class 1 | 13 March | ||
| Class 2 | 20 March | ||
| Class 3 | 27 March | ||
| Weekend One | 28 March | ||
| Class 4,5,6,7 | 29 March | ||
| EASTER BREAK | |||
| MODULE 2 | |||
| Class 8 | 17 April | ||
| Class 9 | 24 April | ||
| Class 10 | 1 May | ||
| Class 11 | 8 May | ||
| Class 12 | 15 May | ||
| Weekend Two | 16 May | ||
| Class 13, 14, 15, 16 | 17 May | ||
| Class 17 | 22 May | ||
| Class 18 | 29 May | ||
| Class 19 | 5 June | ||
| MODULE 3 | |||
| Class 20 | 12 June | ||
| Class 21 | 19 June | ||
| Weekend Three | 20 June | ||
| Class 22, 23, 24, 25 | 21 June | ||
| Class 26 | 26 June | ||
| Class 27 | 3 July | ||
| Class 28 | 10 July | ||
| Class 29 | 17 July | ||
| Weekend Four | 18 July | ||
| Class 30, 31, 32, 33 | 19 July |
Monday evenings and four weekends, for five months
COURSE FULL
Please note dates are subject to change
MODULE 1 | Mondays (6pm – 9:30pm) | Saturdays (10am – 5pm) | Sundays (10am – 5pm) |
| Weekend One | 14th March | ||
| Class 1, 2, 3, 4 | 15th March | ||
| Class 5 | 16th March | ||
| Class 6 | 23rd March | ||
| EASTER BREAK | |||
| MODULE 2 | |||
| Class 7 | 20th April | ||
| Class 8 | 27th April | ||
| Weekend Two | 9th May | ||
| Class 9, 10, 11, 12 | 10th May | ||
| Class 13 | 11th May | ||
| Class 14 | 18th May | ||
| Class 15 | 1st June | ||
| Class 16 | 8th June | ||
| Class 17 | 15th June | ||
| Class 18 | 22nd June | ||
| Class 19 | 29th June | ||
| MODULE 3 | |||
| Weekend Three | 4th July | ||
| Class 20, 21, 22, 23 | 5th July | ||
| Class 24 | 6th July | ||
| Class 25 | 13th July | ||
| Class 26 | 20th July | ||
| Class 27 | 27th July | ||
| Class 28 | 10th August | ||
| Class 29 | 17th August | ||
| Weekend Four | 22nd August | ||
| Class 30, 31, 32, 33 | 23rd August | ||
Fast-track course full payment: Initial deposit of £450 required on course agreement. Balance payment £2150. Total – £2,600.
Fast-track 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. Your statutory rights remain unaffected and are detailed in the contract you will receive upon enrolment.
If you have any questions, give us a call to talk through course and payment plans on 020 3051 8235.
If you would like any further information, please contact the Training School team at [email protected] or call 020 3051 8235.
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.
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]
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!
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.
You don’t need any previous qualifications or experience to enrol on this course.
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.
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.
Yes. You’ll be practising counselling/helping skills with your peers throughout the course while also learning about clear, professional boundaries.
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.
If you would like any further information, please contact the Training School team at [email protected] or call 020 3051 8235.
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.
I have really enjoyed the Foundation Certificate in Counselling course at The Awareness Centre. Our tutor has been great at getting the most out of our group sessions: explaining theory in practical and relatable ways, encouraging interesting group discussion, and helping us develop skills with constructive feedback during practical training sessions. The course topics are well constructed, and the further reading has been fascinating to dive in to. Although I am only halfway through the course, I already recognise my own personal development in ways I didn’t realise I would.
My experience on the counselling course was thorough and thought provoking. The tutor and course leader were very supportive. Thank you
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!
If you would like any further information, please contact the Training School team at [email protected] or call 020 3051 8235.
