Newbattle Abbey College

View the full Counselling Skills Programme Prospectus 2011/2012

These courses are open to anyone with an interest in improving their communication skills or furthering their own personal development and would be particularly relevant to those already involved in working with people in a caring or helping relationship. This may also be an opportunity to return to study or think about studying for a degree part time or by distance learning.

Counselling Skills:

• Are essentially good interpersonal or communication skills
• Are based on active listening
• Involve using verbal and non-verbal skills e.g. paraphrasing, asking questions in a helpful way, summarising, attending and responding to speaker
• Insert the qualities of acceptance, genuineness and empathy into a helping relationship
• Are underpinned and informed by an understaning of counselling theory

Counselling Skills 1 to 4 (COSCA validated)

• Provides a COSCA (Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland) certificate 120 hour training programme in counselling skills. Is delivered by the University of Aberdeen Centre for Lifelong Learning over 4 courses, each of 30 hours duration, at Newbattle Abbey College. Subject to demand, daytime and evening classes are available.
• Contains four strands: skills, knowledge, self awareness and ethics
• Each course gives you 15 credits at degree level 1
• Uses experiential learning e.g. students practice skills in groups of three
• Is mainly designed for people in helping or caring professions
• Helps the individuals who complete it to develop and apply counselling skills to non-counselling settings
• Provides an excellent start point for those who wish to train as a counsellor or psychotherapist
• Can count towards CPD

Counselling skills can enhance performance in various interpersonal context which require people’s voices to be heard, including;

• Nursing, teaching and social work context
• Personnel work
• Welfare services
• Staff development and appraisal
• Management relations
• Residential and non-residential care

Class Times

Classes for Counselling Skills 1 and 2 are on Thursday evenings from 19.00 to 21.30. Classes for Counselling Skills 3 and 4 are on Monday evenings, 19.00 to 21.30.

Structure of Academic Year 2011/2012

The University of Aberdeen operates a semester system, structuring the academic year as two half sessions.  Arrangements for teaching are:

First Half Session

Term commences:                                      

Inverness, Aberdeenshire & Edinburgh: 12 September 2011

Term ends – all classes: 16 December 2011

Second Half Session

Term commences – all classes: 30 January 2012

Easter Vacation: 26 March – 16 April 2012

Term ends: 11 May 2012

NB: The above dates are not the fixed tutorial dates, but an indication of the weeks when the tutorials will be held.

Tuition Fees

The fees for UK and EU students are £160.50 per 15 credit point course.  

There is an additional charge of £25.00 for each module for those taking Counselling Skills 1 – 5, for COSCA material and registration fees.  Those who complete the COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills are required to pay COSCA a fee of £10.00 for the certificate, on completion of module 4.  Please note that these additional fees are not covered by any fee assistance you may receive. 

If you are in receipt of benefits or on a low income financial help is likely to be available. These courses are approved for fees assistance using Individual Leaning Accounts (ILAs). Please contact us for further information or visit the Centre for Lifelong Learning’s website at www.abdn.ac.uk/lifelonglearning

Getting There

Newbattle Abbey College is easily accessible by car and free car parking is available.

If travelling by bus, take the First Bus 95/x95/95A, sign posted Carlisle or Hawick. You should ask the driver to drop you off at the Newbattle Abbey College stop.

How to Apply

Further information and application forms can be obtained from the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the address below:

Centre for Lifelong Learning
University of Aberdeen
Regent Building, Regent Walk
King’s College
Aberdeen AB24 3BQ

Tel: 01224 273528

View our Counselling Skills Course information leaflet for further details.

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