Counselling short courses

Develop your counselling skills and knowledge with our 25-hour online continuing professional development (CPD) courses. Aligned with the SCoPEd B framework, you can start anytime, learn at your own pace, and earn a CPD certificate on completion.
 

Develop your professional practice with a CPD course

Developed by leading academics and industry partners, stay up to date with client needs, industry trends, and best practices.

 
Counsellor having a video conference with a client

Online counselling: getting started

Learn how to set up and offer safe and effective video- and phone-based counselling.

 
Man having an online counselling session

Online counselling: advancing your knowledge

Advance your understanding of how to provide online counselling effectively and safely.

 
Counsellor talking to a client

Advanced therapeutic relationships

Develop an advanced understanding of how to work effectively with the therapeutic relationship.

 
Counsellor having a conversion with her client

Trauma-informed counselling

Enhance your understanding of trauma-informed counselling, including the importance of self-awareness.


40% discount is available for BACP members or those intending to progress to the CPCAB Level 5 Award in Online and Phone Counselling Practice for Online counselling: getting started and Online counselling: advancing your knowledge.

Why choose an OU counselling short course?

Counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, and trainees will benefit from these CPD courses that are:

  • Relevant and specialised: Gain knowledge and skills aligned with the evolving needs of clients and the counselling field and stay updated with the latest trends.
  • Engaging and flexible: Study at your own pace with high-quality, engaging multi-media content, including therapy videos, audios and client case studies.
  • Designed by experts: Developed by The Open University's counselling academic experts, in collaboration with industry partners, providing insights using case studies.
  • Informed by research: Based on the latest research, our courses ensure you learn the most effective and up-to-date counselling techniques and best practices.
  • Credible: Created with input from professional bodies and aligned with relevant frameworks and competencies, such as the Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework, ensuring the content aligns with recognised guidelines and best practices.

On completion of the course, you'll gain a CPD certificate of completion and a digital badge as evidence of your commitment to ongoing learning and meet membership or accreditation requirements.

Explore counselling and psychology degrees

Our honours degree in Counselling offers a full counselling training pathway as well as the opportunity for current practitioners (SCoPEd framework ‘Therapist A’ level) to acquire new advanced counsellor competencies as part of an undergraduate degree.

We also offer an honours degree in Psychology with Counselling that meets the requirements for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

See our full list of counselling courses.