Person Centred Counselling (Top-up)

Overview
If you have a DipHE in counselling (or an equivalent Level 5 counselling qualification), you can top it up to a Bachelor's degree on this 1-year course.

Person-centred counselling is about helping people through a genuine, supportive relationship where they feel truly heard, understood and empowered. On this course you’ll explore how person-centred counselling can be applied to complex experiences such as grief and trauma.

You'll learn the latest trends and developments in person-centred counselling and apply them to your practice, with professional development support in the form of workshops, supervision and networking. You'll also complete a research project on a topic that matches your interests and ambitions.

If you're in employment, this course can fit around your working week, with timetabled teaching taking place 1 day a week, workshops on 6 Saturdays throughout the course, and occasional events in the evenings and at weekends.

After the course, you could work as a person-centred counsellor in areas such as education, the police service, the prison service or the voluntary sector. The advanced skills and experience you gain will allow you to work with a wider variety of clients with more complex needs.

Alternative courses
You can specialise in other types of counselling and therapy on our BSc (Hons) Humanistic Counselling, BSc (Hons) Gestalt Counselling and BSc (Hons) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy top-up degrees.

Location
This course takes place at South Hampshire College Group - Southampton College Campus. While studying here, you can access the University's student support services and community including study support, the Students’ Union and our library's online resources.

What you'll experience
On this course you'll:
• Learn advanced gestalt counselling skills, building on the knowledge you developed during your DipHE



• Develop advanced research skills on a research project that aligns with your interests and career ambitions



• Apply your knowledge and skills with at least 100 hours of supervised counselling on a placement in the community



• Learn from experienced, industry-trained staff who've worked in organisations or run their own private practices



• Build a foundation to help work towards a further professional accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) following completion of the course



• Develop transferable skills you can apply in all aspects of your life and career in areas such as problem solving, communication, group working, planning, effective feedback and IT



• Study at South Hampshire College Group - Southampton College Campus with access to University of Portsmouth support and services



• Apply for membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and get access to member resources including journal subscriptions, free courses and job boards



Careers and opportunities

As a person-centred counsellor, you can have a significant positive impact on people's health and wellbeing, and help take the pressure off other health services such as GPs and hospitals.

Public, private and charity sector settings you could work in after the course include:
• Education



• Alcohol and drug services



• Eating disorder services



• Mental health services



• GPs



• Police and prison services

Portsmouth offers accommodation to all Clearing applicants who accept an offer within 24 hours and apply for a room in halls by 19 August (terms and conditions apply).

By signing up for Priority Clearing, you can receive accommodation information straight to your inbox, along with exclusive access to Portsmouth’s Clearing Visit Day on Thursday 6 August. Priority Clearing applicants benefit from queue-jump status on Results Day, as well as exclusive updates, invitations to Clearing Webinars and personalised one-to-one application support.

The Clearing Visit Day offers you the chance to experience Portsmouth’s welcoming campus and vibrant student community first-hand before you enrol. With guaranteed accommodation, you can feel reassured that you’ll be at the heart of university life from day one.