Online Diploma · Psychology and Counselling

Work in Community Support Roles

If you want a broad grounding in how people think and heal, this is the long version. Six programmes take you from psychology basics through counselling skills, techniques and professional practice. Tutors answer by phone and email.

From €29a week, no deposit
Six Programmesin one diploma
Twelve Monthsof course access
No Examsever
At a Glance

Course Snapshot

Study AreaPsychology and Counselling
Access12 months, around 300 hours
DeliveryFully online, self paced
StartAny day you choose
AssessmentNo exams, ever
PaymentsFrom €29 per week
Comes with
  • No prior study needed
  • You need not work in the field already
  • Tutor support by phone and email
  • Study from anywhere in Ireland
Who It’s For

Why Do This Course

The Long Version

Six programmes instead of one short course.

Theory Meets Practice

The models, then the room they get used in.

Hard Topics Covered

Grief, depression, aggression and suicide.

Where The Skills Fit

Where These Skills Could Take You

Community teams and support services use this thinking every day. The college calls it a starting point and suggests further training or a placement.

Community Services Assistant

Keep a local service running day to day.

Support Worker

Sit with people through the ordinary hard days.

Youth Support Worker

Work alongside young people in a service.

Peer Support Worker

Use your own road to help someone else.

Roles where these skills help, not promised outcomes. Counselling roles in Ireland need approved study and registration.

The Course

What You'll Learn

Six programmes run from psychology basics through to professional practice.

01
Psychology Fundamentals
Where the whole field starts.
The Nature and Scope of Psychology
The Neurological Basis of Behaviour
Environmental Effects on Behaviour
Consciousness and Perception
Personality
Needs, Drives and Motivation
Psychological Development
02
Psychology And Counselling
People under pressure.
Stress
Abnormal Behaviour
Individual Behaviour
Group Behaviour
Conflict Resolution
Interpersonal Communication Skills
03
Counselling Skills
The craft of the conversation.
Listening and Bonding
Reflection
Questioning
Interview Techniques
Changing Beliefs and Normalising
Finding Solutions
Ending the Counselling
04
Advanced Skills
The heavier rooms.
The Counselling Session
Telephone Counselling
Dealing with Crisis
Problem Solving Techniques I: Aggression
Problem Solving Techniques II: Depression
Problem Solving Techniques III: Grief and Loss
Problem Solving Techniques IV: Suicide
05
Counselling Techniques
The named schools of thought.
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy I: Freud, Erikson & Jung
Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy II: Adler
Humanistic / Existential Approaches I: Gestalt Therapy
Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy
Behavioural Therapy
Solution Focussed Counselling
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
06
Professional Practice
How the work is conducted.
Understanding Counselling
Ethics & Confidentiality
Understanding the Self
Personality
Emotions and Behaviour
Supervision
Referral Practice
Included

What You’ll Get

In the Course

  • Fundamentals, brain, personality, motivation
  • Skills, listening to closing well
  • Hard rooms, grief, depression, crisis
  • Practice, ethics, supervision, referral

As a Student

  • Twelve months, around 300 hours
  • No exams, none at all
  • Named tutors, Amore, Dana and Rita
  • Membership, a year, on completion
Why This One

What Makes It Different

What the six parts add up to.

01
Named Approaches

Freud, Adler, Gestalt, CBT and solution focused work.

02
Ethics And Supervision

Confidentiality, referral and knowing your limits.

03
Tutors With Names

Amore, Dana and Rita answer your questions.

The Credentials

What You'll Earn

DIPLOMA

Certificate of Achievement

Plus a year of association membership

Certificate Of Achievement

Issued by the college when you finish.

Counselling Membership

A year with the International Association for Counselling.

Career Centre Access

Job listings, CV review and interview prep.

Getting Started

How It Works

Step one

Tell Us The Plan

Support work now, or formal study later.

Step two

Ask The Hard Question

An advisor will be straight about registration.

Step three

Sort Payments

Upfront, or weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Step four

Start Learning

Enrol and open the first programme.

The Investment

How to Get Started

From €29 / week
Pay upfront, or on an interest free plan.
No deposit to start
No credit check
Weekly, fortnightly or monthly
A course advisor can price it with you
Enquire Now
Good to Know

Common Questions

Do I need previous study?

None at all. You need not be working in the field either.

How long do I get?

Twelve months of access, and around three hundred hours of material.

Are there exams?

None, ever. You move through the six programmes at your own speed.

What approaches does it teach?

Psychoanalytic, humanistic, behavioural, solution focused and CBT.

Is this course accredited?

It carries ICOES and CPD Standards Office accreditation. It is not a QQI course and not a national award. It is not approved for professional registration in Ireland.

Will this let me practise as a counsellor?

It gives you a broad and honest grounding. There is no supervised clinical training in it, so it does not qualify you to practise as a counsellor or psychotherapist here. Many students use it before formal study.

Will a university give me credit for it?

That call sits with the institution you apply to. The college cannot promise credit or advanced standing.

Who should I talk to first?

A course advisor. Tell them your plan and ask if this fits.

Delivered By

About the College

This course is delivered by The Career Academy.

Tutors on this diploma include Amore C, Dana L and Rita T. Its courses are accredited by ICOES and the CPD Standards Office.

ICOES accreditedCPD Standards OfficeNamed tutorsAssociation membership
Where It Starts

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