Counselling FdA

Apply now

Develop your career by combining this counselling course with practical placements or paid work. Earn an academic qualification that also delivers practical skills and the option to top-up to a full honours degree.

Contact the partner college

Overview

This Foundation Degree is taught at East Durham College. You can then 'top-up' to a BA (Hons) Counselling at the University of Sunderland.

The course has a strong practical focus and our teaching will help you reflect on your workplace experiences.

When you successfully complete this course you will be awarded a Foundation Degree in Counselling that is accredited by the University of Sunderland.

Please contact East Durham College to apply for this course.

Why us?

The course ties into the growing demand for counsellors to work in the health sector, voluntary and community sector and in private practice

Opportunity to ‘top up’ this course to a full BA (Hons) degree with an extra year of study

Course structure

During your first year, you will be required to undertake some form of voluntary work so that you can practise the skills that you are learning on the course.

In the second year, you will undertake a placement with a counselling agency, and we will support you as you arrange it.

This is a highly practical course, which combines academic study and work-based learning. The elements of the course which are taught in the college include lectures, discussions, case studies and workshops.

Your progress will be assessed with evaluations of work experience, reports and presentations. Throughout the course you'll have one-to-one support from academic staff.

Modules

Year 1 (Higher Education Certificate Level 1) (national level 4):

A Core Counselling Approach (30 credits)

This module provides a detailed overview of a core model for counselling, exploring its historical background and current relevance. How does this model apply in practice, and what interventions does it offer? You’ll gain an understanding of its theoretical and practical foundations, while learning how it’s used in real-world counselling scenarios. The exact content of the module may vary depending on the institution's chosen core model, shaped by the expertise of the teaching staff. Professional bodies recommend that all counselling students master a core model as it forms a strong base for exploring other approaches.

Becoming a Counsellor (30 credits)

This module explores the personal and professional skills required to practice as a counsellor. What are the ethical, legal, and practical issues that you need to understand before embarking on a clinical placement? Through lectures, seminars, and tutor-facilitated reflective groups, you’ll prepare for your future clinical practice. You will develop self-awareness and learn how to assess your developmental needs by using a personal journal, tracking your growth throughout the year. Each week, reflective group discussions will dive into different aspects of counselling, helping you to connect personal and professional insights as you start your clinical practice journey.

Developing your Counselling Skills (30 credits)

This module combines teaching practical counselling methods with hands-on experience. You’ll engage in exercises, demonstrations, and roleplays in triads, taking turns as the client, counsellor, and observer. Recording your sessions will help you reflect, learn from your practice, and create material for assessment. You’ll also get written feedback from both peers and tutors to support your development. Throughout, you’ll track your progress in a personal journal, preparing for your final assessment. Which role are you most excited to try: client, counsellor, or observer?

Issues in Contemporary Counselling (30 credits)

This module covers key issues in counselling theory, practice, and evidence, focusing on real world challenges. You’ll explore topics like the regulation of psychological professions, how limits in counselling practice are set, and other important areas include the impact of a counsellor’s personal beliefs, working with mental health, addiction, trauma, and diverse client populations, as well as the role of supervision. You’ll also examine emerging issues like working with perpetrators of crime, climate anxiety, and the risks of new technologies, such as AI and chatbots in counselling.

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Final year (Foundation Degree) (national level 5):

Further Core Approaches to Counselling (30 credits)

You’ll explore the similarities and differences between these approaches and reassess the theories behind your first-year core model. The module also focuses on counselling integration, looking at the benefits, challenges, and potential downsides in practice. How can you apply different counselling approaches to your work? In this module, you’ll evaluate new methods, understand their ethical issues, and reflect on how they fit into your practice.

Counselling Skills in Context (30 credits)

Use your developing skills to practise counselling in a real-world setting. Undertake supervised counselling practice in a placement setting with support from staff and peers to enhance your skills. Share your experiences of counselling practice while drawing on your personal journal and anonymised casework material recorded in practice.

Personal and Professional Development (30 credits)

How can your personal experiences shape your professional practice? In this experimental module, you’ll explore the connection between personal development and counselling skills, gaining a deeper understanding of both. You’ll have the chance to explore your own self-awareness and gain deeper insights through meaningful discussions with your peers in a Personal Development Group led by a group facilitator. The focus is on how your personal and professional selves as a counsellor develop in relationship with others. Throughout the module, you’ll keep a personal journal to track your growth and reflect on your development, which will also help you with your assessments.

Understanding Counselling Research (30 credits)

Learn about specific issues of theory, evidence, and practice pertinent to working with certain problems and types of clients in a counselling context. Examples may include mental health problems, working with diversity to become culturally competent, grief and loss, family therapy techniques, relationship problems, and victims of abuse. Consider the role of advocacy, mediation, non-managerial supervision, and other roles outside the normal counselling role. Discuss areas of controversy and debate in counselling.

Professional Placement in Counselling (0 credits)

How can you apply your counselling skills in a professional setting? In this module, you’ll find a clinical placement to complete 100 hours of supervised counselling practice. During this time, you’ll work with an experienced counsellor who will provide clinical supervision, helping you apply the skills and knowledge you’ve learned during your FdA Counselling course in a real-world setting. Throughout your placement, you’ll gain experience managing the therapeutic process, using supervision effectively, and understanding the policies and procedures of a counselling organisation. You’ll also develop essential professional skills and learn about clinical governance to ensure good counselling practice. This placement is a professional requirement for becoming a qualified counsellor, and completing it will help you meet that standard.

Entry requirements

We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.

The typical entry requirement is a Level 3 Certificate in Counselling.

Students would normally be in voluntary or paid work as a Counsellor or undertaking (or about to undertake) paid or voluntary work in a setting which will allow you to practice counselling skills.

You may be required to attend an interview. Please contact East Durham College for more information at 0191 518 2000 or email:

Dr Joanna Naxton: joanna.naxton@eastdurham.ac.uk

Sarah Anderson: sarah.anderson@eastdurham.ac.uk

If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

There is a course requirement stipulating that all students need to acquire student membership of the BACP at own cost prior to beginning counselling practice in a placement.

Prospective students are advised to consult the BACP for the latest information on student membership which currently stands at £82.

Possible additional costs:

In the second year of the course, students must undertake a placement with a counselling agency. If the counselling placement provider cannot supply an appropriate supervisor, it is the responsibility of the student to identify a suitable supervisor and also pay for any fees charged for this service.

Please note that this course is not available to international students.

Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.

Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

a psychology student sitting at a desk using a computer in the murray health ICT skills lab

Career ready

A Foundation Degree equips you to move into a broad range of careers or to pursue an honours degree with one more year of study.

Further study

There is a natural progression from this Foundation Degree to the Counselling (Top-Up) course at the University of Sunderland for a full BA (Hons) Counselling.

Career options

There is a growing demand for counsellors to work in the health sector, voluntary and community sector and in private practice. This is because of better awareness of the benefits of talking therapies by policymakers, health professionals and the general public.

Counselling careers include educational counselling (where you help deal with difficulties in learning and social adjustment), forensic counselling (where you become an expert in psychological issues associated with criminal behaviours), and clinical counselling (where you deal with mental and physical health problems).

In addition, skills in counselling are useful in many different careers including personnel, social work, public services, marketing and advertising.

Related courses

BA (Hons) Counselling (Top-Up)

Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing.

Page last updated: 24 October 2025

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.