Online counselling course...

[choc lover]

My friend told me about a course she was doing for accountancy and it was done on-line with online chat every 2 weeks with all students, where you would log on (bit like skype) and view and image and then all talk about it as if you were in class (but its done on computer with microphone)
Does anyone know of a course that does this for counselling?

I have seen the standard online courses but would like the freedom to fit it in and have oppunity to dscuss it with other students in real time not just the chat rooms which I hate

Thank for reading hope some one out there knows of a course that does this for counselling???

[Twinkle_1987]

I woudn't go and see a counsellor who had "trained" online.
Counselling is about being in a relationship with another person. I don't think you'd gain experience of this online.

Should you wish to register with the BACP I highly doubt they would accept an online training course as part of their professional accreditation.
Go to the BACP's website to find a course that is accredited but is also still suitable for your requirements.

I am training as a counsellor/psychotherapist and it is one of the most challenging and engaging things i have ever done. I work with the same group of people every week (face-to-face) and it is this that strenghtens my training and understanding of the processes that occur between client and counsellor/therapist.

I would also be very wary of anywhere that claims to be able to offer this sort of course online. It's not possible!!!

[choc lover]

You make a very valid point. I have a placement which starts in next couple of weeks and in my mind I was thinking this would give me the "skils" experience whist achieving the the acedemic on-line.

I have checked out the BACP and the nearest to me is about an hour away which I am happy to do but its the money side of it thats causing an issue to be honest. If I done the course I would have to go part time at work, my partner is self employed with irregular work coming in - I would be worried about paying bills. and as far as I understand it I can not claim for any money towards education as my partner is working

[bednobs]

i dont think you can claim any money towards studying even if your partner was not working. What about night schools?

[choc lover]

No night schools near me unfortuantly (well doing the diploma that is) , My level 3 i'm doing now is in evening which is perfect! but they are not doing the diploma in evening

[Twinkle_1987]

Have you got yourself a supervisor? If you have a placement then this is crucial for ethical reasons, unfortunately they don't come cheap! (Think £30 -£40 per hour and you'll need one supervision hour for every 8 client hours during training.)

The placement really shouldn't be your only chance to use counselling "skills". Client's are real people and although they may be very forgiving of mistakes it is not ethical to rate yourself as fit-to-practice if you have absolutely no experience of this. This is why a face-to-face, experiential course is so important.

I know how hard the financial side of things are. I am very lucky to have an incredibly (financially) supportive partner and parents, as well as a scholarship at my Uni. Have you checked with the institution you would like to study at to see if they can offer any financial support (grants/scholarships)?
I don't know of any governmental benefits/grants towards education unfortunately.

I hope you can find a way of making this work.

[joko]

if its cheap enough id go for it to start with, it will help you discover if its definitely for you and undoubtedly give you a good grounding and skills with which to progress on to more thorough and indepth learning