Advanced Professional Diploma in Counselling Theory and Therapeutic Practice

This course is Awarded by Exeter College | Accredited by National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)

Take your counselling training to a professional, practice-ready level with our Advanced Professional Diploma in Counselling. This course develops competent, ethical, and reflective practitioners who are ready to work safely in a variety of professional settings.

Subject to their Terms and Conditions, successful completion offers a route onto the NCPS National Register of Counsellors, recognised by the Professional Standards Authority.

Our course is delivered in a supportive, experiential, and participatory environment, where students actively integrate theory, practical skills, and personal growth.

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)
• 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)
• Assessment: Portfolio of assignments, competency-to-practice assessment (Year 1), tutor observations, reflective journals, and dissertation
• Final Assignment Interview: Conducted following the completion of all the above requirements

Experiential Learning & Teaching

Our approach is experiential, helping students translate learning into professional practice. You will:

• Engage in triads, role-plays, case studies, and live 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

Placement and experiential learning are supported by professional supervision, ensuring you are ready to practice ethically and safely.

Content Includes

Year 1:

• Counselling Theory: Person-Centred Theory, Trauma-informed practice, Counselling Online/Telephone
• Self-Awareness and Personal Development
• Advanced Therapeutic Practice
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Ethics, Law, Organisation, and Supervision in Counselling
• Competency to Practice assessment

Year 2:

• Counselling Theory: Psychodynamic, CBT, Third wave CBT and Mindfulness, Gestalt, Existential, Transactional analysis, Attachment Theory, Trauma-informed practice, Neuroscience and Addiction.
• Counselling Placement & Practice (Adult and optional Young People clients)
• Self-Awareness and Personal Development
• Counselling Research and Dissertation preparation

Placement & Timeline

• Placement begins Year 2 after completion of Year 1 assessments and minimum therapy hours
• Trainee will need to find and engage in professional supervision to support placement
• Placement hours may extend into Year 3, along with completion of the final dissertation/final assignment
• Students can choose to apply to and complete a proportion of placement hours with young people within our college’s counselling provision.

Career Progression

Graduates can:

• Register with NCPS as a qualified counsellor
• Pursue post-qualifying courses or further professional development
• Apply counselling skills in related fields such as social work, teaching, nursing, HR, or mentoring

Next Steps

This Advanced Diploma combines practical experience, group supervision, and personal growth to prepare you for a professional counselling career. You’ll leave with the skills, confidence, and reflective ability to make a real difference in your clients’ lives.

Contact:

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

• Eligible for 19+ years only.
• A completed application form, including a personal statement, and evidence of a Level 3 or equivalent qualification in counselling (not necessary for Exeter College students progressing from Level 3 Counselling courses).
• You will need to have achieved grade 4 (C) in GCSE English.
• PLEASE NOTE that if applying with a Level 3 qualification from a training provider not Exeter College this will need to have been a minimum of 50 guided learning hours (GLH), including an element of assessed counselling skills training and in-group work. As this is often not the case for online courses, these applications will be considered individually for eligibility.
• In order to promote a cohesive learning group and to ensure that all trainees get the most from the course, all internal and external applicants are asked to attend a half-day interview.
• Following successful interview, personal and professional references may be requested, and a DBS check will be done during the course, ahead of starting a counselling placement.

Please note: this is a very popular course and the interview is an essential part of the application process. We only offer places following a successful interview and therefore prioritise places for those who interview first. Booking in for the first available interview after you have submitted your application is essential to maximise your chance of securing a place.

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.

Learners will be given a College ID badge and have access to all College facilities, including Learning Resource Centres (LRC) and computers.

This course takes place at Exeter Community Centre, which has an café and on-street parking nearby.

Fees & Payment

• Annual Tuition: £3,500 per year
• Payment Plan: £950 upfront, then 8 monthly payments of £318.75
• If successful at interview, payment is required by 1^st May 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.