Counselling and Applied Psychology

The Counselling and Applied Psychology Higher National Certificate, awarded by Pearson BTEC, offers you the opportunity to develop a range of skills and techniques, personal qualities and attributes to enable you to make an immediate contribution to employment and to provide flexibility, knowledge, skills and motivation as a basis for future studies and career progression in the sector.

The Level 4 units lay the foundations of learning by providing a broad introduction to counselling and applied psychology and the users of these services. This develops core skills while preparing the student for specialist subjects at Level 5 or to enter employment with the qualities necessary for job roles that require some professional and personal responsibility.

You will gain a wide range of knowledge linked to practical skills gained through research, independent study, directed study and workplace and clinic scenarios. You are involved in vocational activities that help you to develop behaviours (the attitudes and approaches required for a competence) and transferable skills. Transferable skills are those that are highly valued in higher education and the workplace, for example, communication, teamwork, research and analysis.

By the end of Level 4, you will have sound knowledge of the foundation concepts of counselling and psychology. You will be competent in a range of subject-specific skills as well as general skills and qualities relevant to key areas of these professions.

Note - you will be required to have a clear Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and complete 100 placement hours

You will study ten mandatory units:

Core Unit 1: Personal and Professional Development Through Inclusive Practice
Core Unit 2: Developing Empathic Communication for Effective Therapeutic Relationships
Core Unit 3: Preparing for Research (Pearson-set)
Core Unit 4: Ethical Frameworks in Counselling
Core Unit 5 Self-awareness and Reflective Practice in Counselling
Core Unit 6: Theoretical Perspectives in Counselling
Core Unit 7: Individual Differences
Core Unit 8: Digital Approaches in Caring Professions
Please note, you will not be awarded the HNC unless you have completed 100 placement hours.

The qualification is assessed through a range of methods including:

Internally set and assessed units
Direct observation of learner working in placement
Professional discussion
Reflective accounts
Expert witness testimonies