Develop skills that will set you apart as an effective professional counsellor.

This course is a vocational course aimed at those who wish to pursue a career in counselling. As such, it contains a practical element that not only complements the theory, but also prepares the student for real-life counselling situations. It is anticipated that graduates of this course will seek probationary employment in counselling.  

How Does this Differ to Psychology Studies elsewhere?

Here's a comment from one of our students who had previously completed a uni degree:
"The main difference between my experience of studying at University and studying with ACS is that at University you're basically regurgitating text books. In contrast ACS assignments can be quite involved requiring hands-on application of principles, creative thinking and analysis." Dennis

• At ACS we believe good education must focus on learning
• It must change who you are, and what you can do
• It must be more than just accumulating and remembering information (after all, a good book does that!)
• We know that employers seek people who can perform, solve problems, communicate, show empathy with others, grow and remain passionate about their work.
• we work hard at helping you to be better in all these ways 

 A major advantage of this program is the unique range of electives offered. Students are able to specialize in a mix of unique skills that are not commonly available elsewhere; and based on feedback from graduates, this has provided skills that allow our graduates to gain an edge in developing a clientele and reputation in their career as a counsellor.

This course is substantial in content, and duration. It may take longer than some other programs (offered elsewhere), but in our experience, graduates from this course tend to:

• be able to offer a wider range of services to clients,
• find work with a wider range of jobs (not just counselling, but personnel management, social welfare, leisure management and other related industries)
• with more training, our graduates often do the job faster and with greater confidence.

If you can talk to clients, colleagues and employers with greater confidence, your career has a greater chance of moving forward; and you are better placed to adapt to change as work opportunities change over the coming decades.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course is divided into fifteen subjects/modules as follows:

Modules Offered: (Each module = 100 hours)

6 x CORE (COMPULSORY) MODULES:

Introduction to Psychology

Psychology & Counselling

Counselling Skills I

Counselling Skills II

Counselling Techniques

Professional Practice in Counselling

3 x WORKPLACE (COMPULSORY) PROJECTS:

Research Project I

Research Project II

Workshop I

6 x OPTIONAL (ELECTIVE) MODULES FROM:

• Conflict Management
• Industrial Psychology
• Biopsychology
• Child Psychology
• Sports Psychology
• Human Health & Fitness I
• Human Nutrition I
• Grief Counselling
• Crisis Counselling
• Psychopharmacology
• Relationships and Communications Counselling 
• Stress Management
• Aged Care and Counselling
• Family Counselling
• Marketing Psychology
• Criminal Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Multicultural Awareness
• Family Counselling
• Criminal Psychology
• Aged Care and Counselling
• or any other relevant modules approved by our academic staff

RECOGNITION

This course was developed by an international  team of highly qualified and experienced psychologists and counsellors in conjuction with industry professionals in both Australia and the UK, and representatives from the International Accreditation and Recognition Council.

• ACS is registered in this area of training with the Complementary Medicine Association in the UK.
• ACS is also an approved member of the Association of Coaching; the Gold Coast Education Network and the British Association of Learning & Development, amongst other organisations.
• This course already articulates with other study programs conducted by this school and affiliated colleges in Australia, the UK and other countries; and with degrees offered by Warnborough University in the U.K.
• ACS has operated for over 30 years. We have offices in both Australia and the UK, and a high profile presence on the internet. We have a reputation for cutting edge education, that focuses strongly on learning and always puts the student first.

BREAKDOWN OF THE COURSE COMPONENTS

Core Modules/Subjects

The course is sequenced so that foundation knowledge and skills are established through completion of the core unit modules.  Students will be expected to complete these modules before undertaking any of the other course components. 

Research Projects

Online Study Course - Enroll in this qualification today, and study at home, by e-learning

Successive ‘research projects’ will build on and reinforce the core learning.  Each research project is 100 hours duration and contains 2 parts: the first part assists the student in developing research skills, whilst the second part involves carrying out a relevant research project.

Research Project I   

This develops the student’s ability to plan and conduct research, and involves a minor statistical research project and report.

Research Project II

This further develops the student’s ability to monitor and evaluate a common process (or processes) relevant to their studies.

Elective Modules/Subjects 

Elective studies will broaden foundation knowledge and skills into other areas which are of value to persons working in one or several sectors of counselling.  They give the student the opportunity to study areas that are of interest to them.

Workshops

Students will also be required to attend and pass competency standards at workshops totalling 100 hours.  These workshops can be undertaken anywhere in the world and will need to be overseen by an approved assessor.  It is the student’s responsibility to arrange attendance at workshops and to meet any costs incurred, whether at the school or elsewhere.

What training do You need to get a job in Psychology or Counselling?Most people who study psychology actually never become Psychologists! However, they still find that their psychological knowledge makes a huge difference in their careers.

Psychology is applied to many different types of jobs, including:

• Counselling (e.g. Family counselling, Grief counselling,
  Conflict resolution, etc.)
• Welfare and Social Work
• Child Care and Education
• Sports Coaching
• Life Coaching
• Personal Training
• Rehabilitation and Health Care
• Mental Illness
• Scientific Research
• Marketing and Sales
• Personnel Management
• Industrial Relations
• Management
• Leisure Industries

Why Study with Us

• International Recognition
• Highly qualified tutors
• Ethical and Green
• More choice and Flexibility
• Unlimited one on one access to tutors
• Outstanding track record - graduates actually succeed!
• Wider range of possible career outcomes
• We put more focus on learning (Other colleges these days often put Assessment and government compliance first, which can unfortunately result in learning being given a lesser priority) 

ONE LAST WORD OF ADVICE.....

Before embarking on any new career initiative and enrolling in a course;  TALK TO AN INDUSTRY PROFESSIONAL

Very often, people start studying before really understanding what they are getting into; and end up withdrawing (wasting time and money).

We would prefer for you to talk to someone who knows and has worked in the psychological and counselling industries. You can do this for free by phoning us or submitting a free course counselling form.  Be sure to give us as much detail as you can about yourself though. The more you tell us; the more we can help you!  To do this go to http://www.acseduonline.com/course_counselling.aspx

REFERENCE BOOKS
ACS operates a student bookshop that supplies a range of texts to supplement our courses; some written by our staff, all reviewed and approved by our academic experts (to be accurate and relevant to students studying our courses).

• Student discounts are available to anyone studying with ACS Distance Education.
• Both printed books and ebooks (as downloads) available

Counselling Handbook -written by a team of psychologists and counsellors who work as tutors and course developers with ACS Distance Education. This is a great, easy to read book, designed to complement a range of our psychology courses.

See http://www.acsbookshop.com/products/2252-counselling-handbook.aspx for sample pages, or to buy a copy and download it immediately online (Can be read on a computer, ipad, iphone, lap top, most book readers or similar devices).

Tips for Getting a Job (or a promotion)

This course can help a lot -but no course, not even from the best university -will by itself guarantee career success -The world is more complicated than that!

What Study Gets You a Job?

• Put yourself in the employers shoes -they get dozens (sometimes hundreds) of people competing for the same job.Their choices are usually based upon lots of different things (Your studies are part of their consideration, but only part)
• People who stand out from other applicants get the job; so you need to do things to make yourself stand out.

Why Study then, if Qualified People are Unemployed?

Having a qualification may be no guarantee for work; but what you learn from a good course does greatly increase your opportunities to be employed.

Getting the Qualification is not as important as Learning what Employers Seek

Employers today look for all of the following:

• Ability to communicate verbally fast, clearly and effectively with co-workers and clients
• Ability to write in a concise, clear and accurate fashion
• Computer skills -not important everywhere; but IT skills are important in an increasing rabge of jobs
• Capacity to solve problems; fast when needed, and systematically and in detail when required
• Natural Efficiency -some people do things fast (naturally); others do things slow. Where an employer sees an indication of speed without compromising accuracy, the applicant can have an edge.
• Awareness of "state of play" in the industry
• Knowledge and skills that are pertinent to the job
• A thirst for learning -demonstrated by networking within industry, volunteering to get experience, memberships to clubs, societies, associations; reading literature
• Psychology and Personality -Employers are increasingly cautious about employing people who may not be a team player. Psychological profiling is used increasingly by employers to gain some insights into a person's profile.
• Presentation and Grooming -people who present as being well organised and well groomed will impress

How then can Doing a Course help Get a Job?

• Study can help a lot if it focuses on developing all of the things employers look for (the points above -and more)
• Courses at ACS and with our affiliate colleges do this -but not all colleges or universities have trhe same focus today.

What Can You do to Improve Your Career Prospects?

• Study a course for the right reasons and with the right attitude -Be open to learning, use the course to build a foundation, but understand that study is only the starting point, and that career success depends upon continuing your learning throughout your whole career, by reading, attending conferences, networking, being involved with colleagues, etc.
• Study a course that makes you stand out -a qualification that is different to all the other applicants will always catch the attention of a boss, and may be the difference between getting an interview or not.
• Build a mix of skills that is not the same as everyone else -if you study different modules at a different school, join different associations, volunteer for different organisations, network with different people -you will stand out from the crowd.
• Make sure your C.V. is really good -get help if you need it (Tutors at this school will help our students with their C.V.'s if you ask -no cost. Resume Writing services can also be used, but they charge)
• Recognise your weaknesses, and work on improving them -not just academically.

John L. Mason Dip.Hort.Sc., Sup'n Cert., FIOH, FPLA, MAIH, MACHPER, MASA Former Director of Recreation and Parks with Essendon City Council, Consultant with the Playgrounds and Recreation Association of Victoria, principal of ACS Distance Education since 1979, author of over 70 books including The Environment of Play, Aerobic Fitness, and a range of titles covering small business, management, writing, agriculture, horticulture and fitness.	Tracey Jones - Academic Officer & Tutor (U.K.) B.Sc. (Hons) (Psychology), M.Soc.Sc (social work), DipSW (social work), PGCE (Education), PGD (Learning Disability Studies) Tracey has around 25 years experience within the psychology and social work field, particularly working with people with learning disabilities. She is an author of several psychology texts and a book reviewer for the British Journal of Social Work.	Lyn Quirk M.Prof.Ed.; Adv.Dip.Compl.Med (Naturopathy); Adv.Dip.Sports Therapy Lyn has 35 years of experience in the Fitness, Health and Leisure Industries. She has a string of qualifications that are far too long to list here; being qualified and registered to teach, coach or instruct a wide range of different sports and other skills. Lyn established and managed Health clubs at three major five star resorts on Australia's Gold Coast, including The Marriot. She was a department head for a large government vocational college (TAFE), and has conducted her own aquafitness business for many years. Lyn has amongst her other commitments worked as a tutor for ACS for almost 20 years, and over that time, participated in the development or upgrading of many courses.
Adriana Fraser Cert.Child Care, Adv.Cert.App.Mgt., Adv.Dip.Hort. 30 years of experience in education, business, journalism and horticulture. Adriana has written regularly for a range of publications (including Australia's national Grass Roots Magazine) since the early 1980's, and contributed to dozens of books, and authored others. She is an experienced careers counsellor and educator with a diverse background and a unique understanding of educational psychology.	Miriam ter Borg B.Sc. (Psychology), DipRem.Massage, Cert Ourdoor Rec. Miriam has worked for over ten years in youth work, welfare, leisure services and education; both in New Zealand and Australia. She is a contributor to several text books and an experienced careers counsellor. In addition she is a qualified and experienced massage therapist.	Gavin Cole B.Sc., Cert.Garden Design, MACA Gavin has three decades of industry experience in Landscaping, Publishing and both the UK and Australia, across landscaping and the amenity plant sector. He was operations manager for a highly reputable British Landscape firm (The Chelsea Gardener) before starting up his own firm. He spent the best part of three years working in our Gold Coast office.