Trainings

Certificate in Counselling Skills with Children - Using the Arts
(Part-time self-directed programme over weekend days
Sat 21 March and Sun 22 March 2009
Sat 9 May and Sun 10 May 2009
Sat 30 May and Sun 31 May 2009
plus ‘Arts Skills’ training days of your choice)
Cost: Pay as you go for each ‘Arts Skills’ day (cost: tbc).
Pay in full for the six set counselling training days: tbc (personal therapy / counselling costs not included).
Pay in full for the ‘Child Protection’ weekend

This course will equip child professionals with key skills in counselling children. Children process emotional experience and think about feelings in very different ways to adults. Hence, counselling skills used for adults are not always directly applicable to working with children. This course fully acknowledges this fact in the skills and resources it provides in empowering participants to work safely and effectively with children who need help. The course is ideal for those people whose work already involves speaking to children about their feelings, but who have had no formal training in counselling skills.

About the Award
The certificate is awarded jointly by The Centre for Child Mental Health and The Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (IATE). The Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education is a British Accredited Higher and Independent Education College, with a 20 year history, and affiliated to London Metropolitan University. Some of the training days covered on this course can be counted towards one of the IATE’s qualifications in Child Counselling or Child Psychotherapy. Where this is not possible, there will be a reduction in fees for attending a more advanced level training.

Course Curriculum

  • Key principles in using counselling skills with children
  • The art of active listening and how to respond
  • Adopting ‘unconditional positive regard’ (Carl Rogers)
  • The power of accurate empathy
  • Working with a child’s feelings without leading questions, interpretations, or inferences of meaning
  • Making therapeutic use of a child’s art and play images
  • Knowing how to move from problem to play / art image for a deeper level of understanding
  • Using storytelling as a therapeutic tool with children
  • Connecting with highly defended children
  • Knowing at what level to work
  • The management of the session
  • Working safely, ethically and within limits of competence
  • Child Protection, Code of Ethics and Code of Practice
  • Knowing how, when and where to refer on

Learning Outcomes

The ability to enable a child:
  • To symbolise their feelings rather than just discharging them
  • To use art / play images to think about feelings
  • To create art / play images to feel their feelings safely, rather than cutting off from them, bottling them up or being destructive
  • To speak about experience which previously they have been unable to put into words
  • To move from overwhelming, disturbing or painful feelings to heightened cognition and understanding
  • To develop awareness of self and others
  • To develop a higher level of social and emotional intelligence
  • To enjoy enhanced psychological health and well-being

Staffing
The course is staffed by senior registered Integrative Arts Psychotherapists and Integrative Child Psychotherapists, many of whom have published key books and / or articles in arts therapy, child therapy and counselling skills using the arts.

Entry Requirements

  • At least one year’s work with children in a professional capacity
  • Self-awareness
  • Emotional robustness
  • Capacity to empathise
  • Developed interpersonal skills
  • High level of emotional warmth
  • Police-checked (information from CCMH)

Time Commitment
The course is an accumulated learning programme comprising:
- Five CCMH 'Arts Skills' training days of your choice
- Six Counselling Skills training days
(Sat 17th and Sun 18th May 2008, Sat 31st May and Sun 1st June 2008,
Sat 28th and Sun 29th June 2008)
- Two ‘Child Protection’ training days (weekend course, 12th and 13th July 2008)

Who is eligible to apply?
Route One: For professionals who currently work with children (one year minimum) but who have no previous qualification in counselling or therapy
Route Two: BACP or UKCP registered counsellors or psychotherapists who currently work with children. (Exemption from the five counselling skills days.)

Fees for 2009 - to be confirmed
Pay as you go for each 'Arts Skills' training day
Pay in full for the six Counselling Skills training days
Pay in full for the weekend ‘Child Protection’ training

Many people use a Career Development Loan to fund training (please contact The Centre for Child Mental Health (CCMH) for details).

Assessment
Please do not worry about this! The assessment will simply comprise a practical small group event. Tutors will assess counselling skills, techniques and capacity for empathy in practice dyad sessions. The course will empower students to feel competent and resourced for this event as practice dyads will take place throughout the training. Students usually find the assessment very valuable and non-threatening.

How to Apply / Interview
Fill in an application form (e-mail us: info@childmentalhealthcentre.org or telephone 020 7354 2913). You will then be required to attend one of our ‘Arts Skills’ training days. At the end of the day there will be an interview. If you are successful you will be transferred to the counselling training. In addition, all students must undergo at least 30 sessions of their own counselling or therapy during their training. It is recommended that this is with a counsellor or therapist who uses the arts (we have a recommended list with some low cost options). You will also be required to show evidence of a police check (information on how to attain this from us).

Please contact the office for an application form and to arrange your interview.

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