Health Professions & Social Services
Counselling For Beginners Level 6
Campus Sighthill Campus
Qualification SCQF Level 6
Study mode Evening
Start date
Aug 2025
Course enquiry form
Course overview
Counselling for Beginners is suitable for adults aged 18 and over who are seeking to develop a career in counselling. It is also ideal for those interested in gaining counselling skills and knowledge for other related fields, like;
- Health and social care
- Education
- Guidance and mentoring
- Peer support
- Community work.
Counselling for Beginners is a prerequisite requirement for everyone wishing to apply for Edinburgh College’s HNC in Counselling.
The next Counselling for Beginners classes will commence the week beginning 25 August 2025. We anticipate high demand, so we kindly request that you return your application as soon as possible.
What you will learn
The course aims to teach you skills for being with people in a listening role, develop your self-awareness, and understand the theoretical underpinnings of counselling approaches. The course includes lectures, reading, written work, group exercises and applied skills practices. Topics include:
- What counselling is, and where and how it is available in Scotland
- What differentiates counselling from other forms of helping relationships
- Introduction to the most well-known theoretical models of counselling, including psychodynamic, person-centred and cognitive and behavioural therapies
- Counselling skills, including active listening and responding
- Ethical considerations, including confidentiality, safeguarding and professional boundaries
- Self-exploration and personal development in a group setting.
Placement information
- There is no requirement for a placement in this course, but you are strongly encouraged to become involved in working or volunteering in an area which involves forming helping relationships.
How the course is assessed
- This course has five mandatory assessments. These include two written assessments of 1,000-1,200 words each, one group presentation, one individual presentation, and a practical skills demonstration.
- Academic referencing must be used in all written assessments.
- Assessments will be uploaded via Moodle, the college’s online learning platform. Edinburgh College uses Turnitin, which screens student work for plagiarism, including inappropriate use of AI technology. Where evidence of plagiarism is found, the work will be returned to students for remediation or failure.
Number of days per week
- The course will be 3 hours a week for 18 weeks, meeting in the afternoon or evening.
- Information about dates and times will be made available as soon as possible.
- You will commit roughly 3-4 additional hours per week outside of contact time, reading, preparing assessments and maintaining your learning journal.
Entry requirements
- You must have left secondary school and be at least 18 years old when the course starts.
- You must demonstrate at the Interview/Selection that they can undertake study at level 6.
- Please use your personal statement in the application form to outline why you want to take this course and to provide the details of relevant education, work, volunteering and/or personal experiences which will demonstrate your understanding, applicable skills and interest in the fields of counselling and mental health and wellbeing.
English Proficiency Requirements
You must have English language proficiency of IELTS Level 5.5 or above.Progression and Articulation Routes
- HNC in Counselling, other Further Education HNC/HND Counselling courses, COSCA’s Certificate in Counselling Skills.
- Other HNC-level courses related to the Health and Social Care fields.
Please note that completion of Counselling for Beginners does not automatically ensure entry into the HNC in Counselling. This will be subject to performance and engagement in Counselling for Beginners, as well as an interview and/or group assessment.
Study Options
| Campus | Study mode | Start date |
|---|---|---|
| Sighthill Campus | Evening | 26/08/25 |
