Level 4 Counselling Diploma

Core Practitioner Training

Level 4 Counselling Diploma

Core training

Delivery Format

In person

Duration

Taken over 2 years part time

Entry Requirements

Level 2 and 3 Counselling Courses

Our Level 4 Counselling Diploma Course

Our Level 4 Counselling Diploma is a 2 Year Part-time course giving 360 hrs of Counsellor Training. The Level 4 equips you with the crucial skills needed for becoming a qualified counsellor. It prepares you to secure membership with BACP, NCPS, or ISPC, allowing you to pursue a career in a counselling agency or establish your own practice.

This course explores the clinical aspects of integrative counselling. It considers relevant issues in the practice of counselling and illustrates some of the essential communication and relationship skills involved. It also considers a variety of theorists approaches to psychology and understanding how personalities are formed and shaped.

Your Personal Development

We are committed to fostering your development as an exceptional counsellor. By honing your skills, you can make a significant impact on individuals’ lives, enhancing their mental health. Every aspect of the Level 4 course has been meticulously crafted to support this mission.

Additionally, this course serves as a transformative personal journey. You will focus not only on acquiring skills to assist others but also on your own self-development. Through the application of what you learn and participation in co-counselling sessions with peers, many students find this course leads to deep personal insights and growth. Numerous past participants regard it as a life-changing experience.

If your goal is to qualify as a counsellor while receiving top-tier training and fostering meaningful changes in your own life, our Level 4 course is the perfect opportunity for you.

How long is the course?

Entry onto this course requires the student to have completed a Level 2 and 3 classroom based course and have a minimum of 90 hours classroom based guided learning hours of study. Candidates will also be required to complete a 50 min practical skills assessment, a fitness to practice report and seek a voluntary counselling placement to gain 100 hours of work with clients.

This course is a 2 Year Part-Time course giving you 360-hour classroom-based training.

The Level 4 Counselling Diploma consists of a mixture of weekly evening training sessions 6-9 pm and fortnightly Saturday training days 10-4 pm.

Your 100 hours placement also needs to begin once on the Level 4 Counselling Diploma.

Expectations for the course...

Complete all Assignments

Journals: A written record of your on-going personal and professional development is expected of you and is an important part of your development assessment criteria for the course.

Attendance: A Minimum requirement for the Level 4 Diploma is 80% attendance.

Complete all Case studies

Placement hours

Placement needs to be approved
Supervisor needs to be approved
Supervisor to agree to report back to the college by completing the first page of the competency forms.
Extra placement hours may be required if the competency report shows areas that need substantial work
A report from your placement manager and completion of supervisors report.

A minimum of 10 hours of Personal Counselling is required to have been completed whilst you are in training.

Level 4 - Year 1

This course presents a comprehensive training programme that includes the following:

Group discussions, reflections and practical exercises.
Practising the skills to help yourself.
Using the skills in life helping situations.
Practising the skills using case studies with feedback from your tutor.

The Level 4 Counselling Diploma has been specially adapted to suit the counselling skills needed and used in crisis counselling.

(Week Day Evenings)

Year 1 - Areas of Study

In the first year there are 10 Modules in the following areas of study:

Counselling Skills & Self awareness
Behavioural Theory
Counselling Skills, Frameworks and Models of Counselling
Cognitive Theory
Counselling Skills, Crisis Intervention & Supervision
The Theory of Child Development
Confidentiality, Legal Implications, Code of Ethics & Dilemmas & Skills Models
Theories of Grief and Loss
Self-care, counsellor Limitations, building referral networks, collegial approaches
Group Theory and analysis of group dynamics.

There will be an assignment at the end of each Module covered.

(Saturdays)

On this 1st year of the Level 4 Counselling Diploma we introduce the foundational principles and theoretical background of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Beginning with an overview of what CBT is, students will explore its history and core differences from other therapeutic approaches. A key focus is understanding the interconnectedness of thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, using the five aspects model and methods like the ABC technique to identify and challenge negative core beliefs.

The curriculum progresses into practical application, equipping students with a range of methods for guiding clients toward cognitive and behavioural change. Students learn to address common behavioural patterns, such as procrastination and thinking errors, while developing emotional intelligence. Emphasis is placed on the practical application of these skills in a therapeutic context through role-playing and written exercises.

Students are required to write a final essay at the end of the year.

The Reflective Journal

You are required to continue with a personal journal during the Level 4 year. You will be required to submit your journal at the end of Level 4 to evidence your personal and professional development.

Level 4 - Year 2

(Week Day Evenings)

Year 2 - Areas of Study

In the second year there are also 10 Modules in the following areas of study:

Differing Styles of Counselling – Active Listening, Errors of unskilled counsellors
Family & Societal Impacts, Parenting Styles and the effect on clients
Issues of Separation, Divorce and ending of relationships
Immorality & The Influence of Society, Ethical Framework & Dilemmas, Listening Skills
Working with issues of abuse, substance, sexual and within relationships
Working with issues of Depression
Working with the Suicidal client – Guidelines for Professional Practice & Areas for Research
Working with Diversity, Sexuality and Gender
Bereavement and Loss
Detection of Mental Illness

You are required to continue with a personal journal during the Level 4 year 2. You will be required to submit your journal at the end of Level 4 to evidence your personal and professional development.

There will be an assignment at the end of each Module covered

(Saturdays)

The curriculum overview covers a wide range of topics from foundational concepts to advanced therapeutic techniques. The training includes practical skills like client assessment, creating a safe environment, and managing time-limited sessions, alongside self-awareness exercises for therapists.

The curriculum details several specific therapeutic modalities, including, Working with Children and young people (CYP), play therapy, sand tray work, puppets, dollhouse work, CBT, and Transactional Analysis. It also addresses working with particular issues such as anxiety, anger, self-esteem, grief, and self-harm, as well as with special populations like those with Autism or specific school-related problems.

Emphasis is placed on professional conduct, covering ethical issues like safeguarding, working in an organisational context, engaging with families, setting goals, and managing therapeutic endings.

Students are required to complete a final essay at the end of this course.

What about the Volunteer Counselling Placement?

Volunteer Placement Hours

An integral part of the Level 4 Diploma course is 100 voluntary placement hours under supervision. For a list of organisations that offer counsellors their placement hours please click here.

Placement and Supervisors will need to be approved by Ridgeway College before placements can begin.

You will be required to pay for your own supervision during your placement if they do not provide it within the organisation – a minimum of 1 and a half hours per calendar month or one hour of supervision per 8 hours of client work.

On top of that, to be able to start your placement you will need to be a member of the BACP, ISPC or another Counselling Membership Organisation.

Having your own insurance is an added consideration, as is purchasing a ICO Certificate for GDPR purposes when working with clients.

You will also be expected to submit two written case studies of your work with clients, and complete a Supervision Feedback Report that will lead to the qualification of the Ridgeway Diploma in Counselling Level 4.

At present you can gain Student Membership with a variety of Counselling Bodies such as the BACP, ISPC or NCPS.

What do I do after I complete the Level 4 Counselling Diploma?

Once you’ve completed this Level 4 Counselling Diploma Course, as well as the 100 hours placement, you will be able to register as a member of the ISPC, BACP or NCPS as a qualified counsellor. You can then get insured and either start your own practice or work legitimately as a counsellor in your work place.

If you need advice on setting up a private practice please do speak about this on the course as our tutors will have gone through this process themselves.

“

Completing Level 4 has been transformative. It deepened my understanding of theory, ethics, and the therapeutic relationship in ways I didn’t anticipate. The focus on self-awareness, professional practice, and working with complex client material gave me the confidence I needed. I now feel truly prepared to take the next step into Level 5.

Anna S

Counsellor

”

Level 5

Advanced Counselling

Diploma

Supervising Counsellors

Diploma

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Diploma

Hypnotherapy

Enrol at Ridgeway College...journey through complete counsellor training

please feel free to look through the site and fill in the application form.

PROGRESSION

If you wish to become a member of the ISPC, BACP or NCPS please take some time to look at their website for the recommended training route.

Our aim is to make the counselling training journey as close to the ISPC, BACP and NCPS membership requirements as possible, and we have outlined below the three simple steps for your understanding.

Step One:

Introduction to counselling course – Level 2

This is for the student to gain some valuable education about what is required of them to become a counsellor, and includes ethical and professional qualities, values and self-awareness. Our Level two course provides the student with 15 hours of classroom-based training over 5 evenings 6-9pm.

Step Two:

Certificate in Counselling Skills and Theory – Level 3

This part time course is an ideal place to start studying the subject of counselling if you have not studied counselling previously. It is ideal for people who work in the caring professions, management, personnel managers, and staff. Anyone who encounters people in their working or personal life will benefit from learning these skills. A level 2 qualification is required to apply for our Level 3 course.

For people starting out as a counsellor the certificate stands alone or can be used as the foundation course as you work towards the Ridgeway Level 4 Diploma in Counselling.

As part of this course, you will undertake training and experience in active listening skills, defining and explaining counselling, the counsellor’s personal self-awareness, the exploration, understanding, and action skills required in a variety of theoretical approaches, demonstration of counselling skills via practical group work & issues of confidentiality, referral, and supervision.

Step Three:

Core Practitioner Training – Level 4 Counselling Diploma

Core Practitioner Training gives the students an in-depth, reflective, ethical and practical competence which includes the use of supervision, reflective practice, self-awareness, relationship building, both in the classroom environment and with clients, knowledge-based learning including psychological theories and their application to personal and professional practice, child development and ethical issues, and research findings.

Our Level 4 Diploma in Counselling Skills and Theory course offers a two-year part-time 360 hours of classroom- based study. In order to enrol onto our Level 4 Diploma course, the student is required to have completed a Level 2 Introduction to Counselling, and Level 3 Counselling Skills and Theory, and bear in mind the required classroom training hours that BACP recommend. The 100 hours of supervised placement working with clients is an integral part of this course.

You will be required to pay for your own supervision – a minimum of 1 and a half hours per calendar month or one hour of supervision per 8 hours of client work. Having your own insurance is an added consideration, as is purchasing a ICO Certificate for GDPR purposes when working with clients.

At any point in your counselling training, you are encouraged to seek out your own personal therapy, which helps you to identify your personal qualities, strengths and resilience required to work within the profession.

Step 2 through to Step 3 gains the student 465 classroom-based hours of training, including core competencies, which exceeds the minimum requirement of 450 classroom based guided learning hours, to work towards accreditation status, along with 450 client hours.

Level 4 Counselling Diploma

Core Practitioner Training