Advanced Professional Diploma in Counselling Theory and Therapeutic Practice

Why choose this course?

• Professional-level training for those who want to practice as qualified counsellors
• The course is led by two fully qualified and practicing counsellors, ensuring personalised guidance and support for every trainee.
• Recognised by NCPS with pathway to registration
• Small class sizes (12–18) ensure personal attention and active participation
• Combines practical skills, theoretical understanding, and personal development
• Offers embedded training on working with young people (16–18), supporting placement hours within our college’s young person counselling service

Course Highlights

• Duration: 2 years taught (1 full day per week), with additional time in Year 3 to complete placement hours and final dissertation.
• Placement: includes option to apply to and complete a portion of required hours with Young People in our own supported Counselling provision,
• Theoretical Focus: Person-Centred/Humanistic as main model, plus CBT, Attachment Theory, Psychodynamic concepts, Gestalt, Existential, Trauma-informed practice and Online/Telephone Counselling to deepen your practice.

Requirements include:

• Guided Learning: 400 contact hours (full attendance required)
• Attendance: Minimum 90% attendance required
• Placement Practice: Minimum 100 hours, beginning in Year 2
• Personal Therapy: Minimum 24 hours (1 hour per week, with the majority undertaken with a person-centred practitioner)
• Assignments: Completion of all course assignments, set termly
• Practice Skills: Demonstration of practical skills throughout the course, including tutor observations
• Readiness to Practice: Competency-to-practice assessment in Year 1
• Final Dissertation: Completion of a final dissertation, externally assessed and graded
• Final portfolio Interview: Conducted following completion of all course requirements

Course Content

Our course is designed to give you a strong theoretical foundation while supporting you to develop your own authentic identity as a counsellor.

At the heart of the course is the Person-Centred and Humanistic approach. Over the two years, you will develop your understanding of this core model and explore how theory informs your counselling practice. You will also be introduced to other approaches and perspectives, helping you broaden your knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of the many ways counselling can support people.

But becoming a counsellor is about more than learning theories and techniques. Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to explore who you are as a counsellor, how your experiences and values influence your practice, and how you can develop a way of working that feels genuine and authentic to you.

We create a supportive learning environment where you can ask questions, reflect, challenge your thinking and learn from others. Alongside developing your counselling skills, we will explore difference, diversity, equity and inclusion, helping you consider how our individual experiences and perspectives shape the way we understand ourselves and others.

Over the two years, you will explore:

• Person-Centred and Humanistic counselling theory and practice
• Psychodynamic theory
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Third Wave CBT and Mindfulness
• Gestalt
• Existential counselling
• Transactional Analysis
• Attachment Theory
• Advanced therapeutic practice and counselling skills
• Creative interventions
• Self-awareness and the development of your counsellor identity
• The relationship between theory and practice
• Difference, diversity, equity and inclusion
• Reflective practice and professional development
• Ethical and professional practice including use of the supervisor relationship, contracting, ethical frameworks
• Applying counselling theory to practice through skills-based triad work
• Counselling research and dissertation preparation

Experiential Learning & Teaching

Our approach is experiential, helping you connect theory with professional practice. You will learn through real-life examples, practical skills work, reflective activities and meaningful discussion. You will have opportunities to explore ideas in real time, consider how theory applies to your own experiences and developing practice, and learn through discussion and collaboration with your peers.

You will:

• Engage in triads, role-plays, case studies, and group supervision in year 2.
• Reflect on personal experiences to enhance self-awareness and empathy
• Develop professional skills through peer and trainer observation, feedback, and discussion
• Learn to build therapeutic relationships first with peers, then with clients during placement
• Access current resources, including written, visual, and audio materials
• Participate in group exercises, debates, presentations, and reflective activities

Contact:

Telephone: 01392 400170 | Email: adultadvice@exe-coll.ac.uk

• Eligible for 19+ years only.
• You will need to have completed a Certificate in Counselling Skills (equivalent to Level 3) or an equivalent course.*
• Applicants must be aged 19 or over and hold GCSE English at Grade 4 (C) or above.
• All applicants must submit a completed application form, including a personal statement demonstrating readiness for the Advanced Professional Diploma. This should include evidence of significant experience in a listening or supportive role, personal and professional self-awareness, the ability to manage the demands of Level 5 study, and capacity for reflective practice.
• To support a cohesive and effective learning group, all applicants will be invited to attend a half-day interview. This will explore your suitability for counselling training, including your interpersonal and relational skills and capacity to work collaboratively.
• Following a successful interview, personal and professional references may be requested. A DBS check may also be required during the course, prior to starting a counselling placement.

Please note: If applying with a Level 3 (or equivalent) qualification from a provider other than Exeter College, this must include a minimum of 70 guided learning hours (GLH), with assessed counselling skills delivered by a qualified counsellor and involving in-person group work. As these elements are often not met in online-only courses, applications will be considered individually.

Please be aware that Exeter College does not hold a CAS licence, and therefore is unable to consider applications from prospective learners who require a Student Visa. Non-UK nationals can be considered for courses as long as they already hold the Right to Study in the UK for purposes other than education.

Apply today for our January 2027 cohort.

Once we have received your application, we will email you a personal statement template. Please complete and return your personal statement by the application deadline.

• Application and personal statement deadline: 23rd October 2026
• Applicants shortlisted for interview will be contacted by: 30th October 2026
• Interview date: 11th November 2026 – 5.30pm – 7pm
  • Please note: Applicants must be available to attend the scheduled group interview date.
• Successful applicants will be informed following the interview process.
• Enrolment and deposit required before December 11th to secure place.

Fees & Payment

• Annual Tuition: £3,500 per year
• Payment Plan: £950 upfront, then 8 monthly payments of £306.25
• If successful at interview, payment is required to confirm your place.

Funding Availability 

Self-Financing: No funding available for this course. For fee’s over £150, you can set up an instalment plan to pay over 3 months (50% on the first month, and 25% for the following 2 months)

Possible Additional Costs

• Purchase of books
• Travel/Parking
• Membership of a professional body
• Supervision that meets requirements if not provided by agency when in placement
• Personal therapy (minimum 24 hours)
• Professional indemnity insurance if not provided by agency when in placement

In the case of re-submission of a referred final assignment, an extension for submission of written work, or the need for extra one-to-one reviews or final assignment interviews, additional costs will be applicable.