Gilead School of Counselling

The Gilead School of Counselling was founded in 1995 to train those in caring professions to work effectively with their clients. CPT is convinced that one of the greatest needs in counselling and pastoral work is the establishment of professional standards for treatment. CPT addresses this ongoing concern for quality training at Certificate and Diploma level.

• The Certificate course is accredited by ACC at Level 1, and runs twice a year.
• The Diploma course is accredited by AQA at Level 3 and provides professional training in counselling theory, skills, and self-awareness that prepares individuals for accreditation by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Both courses subscribe to the BACP Code of Ethics.

Gilead School's aim is that students develop an understanding of emotional experience, which not only enables them to attune to clients, and assist clients to have the change they desire in the therapeutic setting. Our training takes place in small groups with significant interaction with trainers, to facilitate the process of learning. We provide an opportunity for students to use and apply theory in individual and group settings with clients. For more information about the Gilead Certificate or Diploma Course please contact us.

The Gilead Certificate of Counselling

• First principles - listening, relaxing, staying calm, use of silence
• Starting with yourself - the role of a counsellor's beliefs & how people change
• The therapeutic relationship - looking at the dynamics between therapist and client
• Theories of helping
• Professional boundaries
• The importance and place of clinical assessment - learning how to conduct a proper assessment and familiarisation with diagnostic manuals

The course is skills-based, with focus upon learning empathy, the power of listening and use of the self in counselling.Entry-level requirements for the Gilead Certificate Course is completion of at least one Family Life Skills course.

The Gilead Diploma

This course is ideally suited to individuals who have completed the Gilead Certificate course, or who are working as professionals in other helping fields, wishing to retrain or adapt their skills. An entry requirement for this course is completion of the Gilead Certificate course, at least 3-years of university education to at least bachelor's level or international equivalent.

The principal aims of the Gilead Diploma are:

• To equip students with the capacity to work competently, ethically and professionally with clients under supervision
• To understand the major theoretical traditions and the way in which psychological knowledge informs clinical practice, particularly with regard to the beginning, middle and ending phases of counselling/psychotherapy
• For students to further develop critical thinking about their own beliefs, assumptions and value systems and how these influence the therapeutic relationship
• To enable students to integrate experiential and theoretical learning with clinical experience
• To provide students with a deeper knowledge about the process of change

Students completing the 2-year Diploma will be fully prepared to work professionally with clients in group or individually under clinical supervision and may seek proceed to full BACP accreditation.