Certificate in Counselling Skills | Redlands Counselling and Training

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CPCAB Level 2
Certificate in Counselling Skills

Select your Preferred location
BournemouthBournemouth
DorchesterDorchester
PoolePoole
Remote DeliveryRemote Delivery
Duration
Day
Times
Course Dates
15 Days
Tue
9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Tue 10 Mar 2026 to 7 Jul 2026
Course venue : 5 Victoria Park Rd, Moordown, Bournemouth BH9 2RB
15 days
Wed
9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wed 11 Mar 2026 to 8 Jul 2026
Course venue : Inspirations (Relate) 2 Poundbury Business Centre, Poundbury, Dorchester DT1 3WA
30 Evenings
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Note: Course Day and Dates to be confirmed. Course Venue : Trinidad Village, Trinidad House, 3 Rossmore Rd, Poole BH12 3NF
19 Evenings + 1 Saturday
Mon
5:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Mon 23 Feb 2026 to 20 Jul 2026
Download Course Information

The starting point

Although it's called the Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills, this course serves as the starting point for anyone who wants to learn counselling skills. It will also provide a solid foundation if you wish to continue your studies to the Diploma level. 

Useful listening skills

The CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2) teaches a range of practical counselling skills that apply to all types of relationships. You will develop empathic listening skills. These are useful in professional helping roles and professions like teaching, nursing, all kinds of therapy and emergency services. Feedback for this popular course is overwhelmingly positive. The course is stand-alone but we find a lot of students really want to continue on to Level 3 afterwards.

How is it taught?

With the Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills you will engage in a variety of activities, such as:

  • small and large group work
  • role plays
  • exercises
  • seminars

Students will need to complete some coursework outside class time (approximately 2-4 hours per week). It’s important to consider this commitment before starting the course. There is a short interview to be eligible to join this course, but if you have successfully completed the Effective Listening Skills short course we will not need do this.

You are encouraged to take responsibility for your own learning. Reasonable adjustments are available to students who need them e.g. non-native English speakers or students with learning difficulties.

Course Requirements
Course Progression
Fees & Costs

This is an open access course i.e. no prior knowledge, attainment or experience is required for entry except that students need to be aged 18 years or older and need to meet generic and the specific CPCAB requirements outlined below.

What are the CPCAB requirements?

Potential trainees must possess a level of literacy and numeracy that is sufficient for the programme concerned. Applicants should be aware that the qualification is not suitable for those who are currently in a state of severe emotional difficulty and/or severe psychological confusion, and that if this entry requirement is not adhered to, he/she will normally be asked to leave the training programme and seek professional support. This includes, for example, those:

  • Currently experiencing – without ongoing and appropriate professional support – a recent, major life crisis such as marital breakdown or a close bereavement.
  • Currently experiencing moderate to severe mental health problems including, for example, clinical depression, severe anxiety disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders or any form of psychosis.
  • Currently involved in substance misuse.

 

You need to be aware that the course involves experiential elements which will involve some personal disclosure and associated personal development activities. Where applicable, we would also advise applicants against joining the same training group as their partner or a close member of the family.

Subject to successful completion of the course and tutor recommendation, progression is to the CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies and thereafter to CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling. The Diploma carries Open University (OU) Credits and can lead to an OU Degree in Counselling.

 

Course fees for the Academic year 2024/25 and 2025/26 are:

Tuition fee:£850
(or £800 if paid on or before 5.11.25 for courses starting Jan 26)

Plus CPCAB registration fee: £182

Students will need to buy the course textbook – “Counselling Skills and Studies” by Fiona Ballantine Dykes, Barry Kopp, Traci Postings & Anthony Crouch.

This is available directly from CPCAB, as well as Amazon.co.uk and costs approximately £22.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the specific CPCAB guidelines?

Criteria considered important in selecting applicants for a programme leading to CSK-L2:

  • Able to cope with course content.
  • Possess the ability to translate intra-personal experience into language.
  • Able to benefit from self development.
  • Be motivated towards developing as a helper.
  • Possess emotional stability.
  • Identify reasons for training beyond just personal development.
  • 1 Personal Reference.
  • Be aware of the time resources required to meet demands of the course.

Awareness of difference and diversity.

What do the initials CPCAB stand for?

CPCAB stands for the Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body. This is the Body which awards the qualification to students who are assessed as proficient at the end of the course. CPCAB is the only national Awarding Body which specialises in counselling qualifications.

Am I required to be in counselling for this course?

You are not required to have counselling whilst you are on the course

If I have completed a Level 2 Counselling Skills course via distance learning, do I need to complete this course, or can I start directly on the Level 3 Counselling Studies course?

Yes. Although a distance learning course from another training provider is a useful introduction to this course, it doesn’t fulfil the entry requirements for our CPCAB Level 3 Counselling Studies course. This is because the entry requirement for Level 3 is 90 hours of classroom (face to face or remote) live synchronous based counselling skills training. Distance learning courses don’t meet this requirement. Unless you have any other counselling skills training qualification, the Level 2 Counselling Skills course will be your first step in training with us. Successful completion of our Level 2 Course will meet this progression criteria.

Is there funding for the course, including the Advanced Learner Loan?

As Redlands is an independent training provider, we are not part of the Government-Funded Advanced Learner Loan scheme. For this reason, our learners are self-funded.

We do aim to keep our costs at a level which make all our courses accessible, whilst maintaining excellent quality.  There is an early payment discount for this course, and the details and deadline for this is on the Fees and Costs section of the webpage.

Can I pay the course fees in instalments, or do you offer an early payment plan?

We do not offer a fees instalment plan; however we do have an early payment discount for this course, and the details and deadline for this are on the Fees and Costs section of the webpage.

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