Advanced Professional Certificate in Counselling Young People (16-18yrs) 

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Explore Counselling Courses at Exeter College

Are you a qualified counsellor ready to deepen your skills and confidently work with young people aged 16 to 18?

This comprehensive 9-day Continued Professional Development training, equips you with the essential knowledge, ethical understanding, and creative tools to safely and effectively support young people in a Counselling setting.

What to expect from the course

• Legal and ethical frameworks (NCPS-aligned) for working with YP
• Risk assessment and safeguarding practice
• CYP-specific assessment competencies and case formulation
• Understanding adolescent development and mental health concerns
• Therapeutic tools: creative, drawing, sand tray, and elements of CBT
• Skills-focused group work, case studies, and case presentations

Course Includes

• 9 full teaching days (1 day per week)
• Ongoing tutor support throughout the course
• Reflective journal guidance and portfolio building
• Placement support (30 hours with YP required)
• Final professional portfolio submission (within 6 months of course completion)
• Internal placement offered within this course – working with Exeter Colleges Young People within our Counselling provision

This course is for qualified counsellors (Level 4 or above) who want to expand their practice to work with young people aged 16–18. Whether you’re currently in private practice, working in schools, or planning to move into this area, this collaborative and hands-on training will give you the skills, confidence, and competence needed to work safely and effectively with young people. This course acts as a strong foundation to continue to develop your learning to work with children in the future. Full attendance is required.

Progression and alignment with the NCPS CYP Register

This course provides a solid foundation for those wishing to work therapeutically with children and young people, offering a strong starting point for building a professional portfolio and supporting future application to the CYP Register.

The course content is closely aligned with the NCPS Children and Young People (CYP) Competency Framework, with a primary focus on working with young people aged 16–18. Counsellors who wish to build a professional portfolio to support an application to the NCPS CYP Register will need to undertake additional, specific CPD and gain practical experience working with children aged 8–15 to meet the full framework requirements.

• Counselling qualification Equivalent of Level 4 or above
• Actively practicing within the Counselling profession, or able to demonstrate up to date CPD if a career break has been taken
• Evidence of membership to professional body (NCPS, BACP or equiv)
• Professional Insurance for Counselling YP (prior to placement commencing)
• Capacity to carry out 30 placement practice Hours with YP

Alex: “A must-do course for those counselling young people. This CPD is thorough, thoughtful, practical, collaborative and jam-packed with crucial content.  I now feel ethically and confidently ready to work with 16-18 year olds”

Mary: “I’ve been really impressed by the huge amount of information that Exeter College packs into its Young Person course.  A huge amount of careful thought and thorough planning has gone into delivering a course which not only offers the essential skills needed to work with YP with due diligence but adds in creativity and thought-provoking challenges – who would have thought that I could check-in as my 16-year self!  I’m now inspired and excited to take my practice with YP forward.  Thank-you for the opportunity!”

Caroline: “As a newly qualified counsellor, I’ve found this course both insightful and rewarding, giving me a better understanding of the challenges young people face in today’s world. Things have moved on since I was 16! It has strengthened my skills and cemented how fulfilling I find it to work with this age group. It’s been a really supportive space and I’ve valued the opportunity to work with other counsellors from the area and benefit from their experiences”

Professional Supervision (monthly for safe and ethical practice)