Counselling & Mental Health: Psychology Skills Masterclass

Explore psychological theories and approaches used in counselling, including psychoanalytic, behavioural, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), humanistic and person centred, and integrative approaches.

Explore psychoanalytic theory and therapy, including Freud's unconscious mind, id, ego, and superego, defense mechanisms, psychosexual stages, and techniques like free association, dream analysis, and transference.

Explore behavioral approaches in counseling grounded in learning theory, focusing on observable actions and consequences, including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, systematic desensitization, behavior modification, and token economies.

Explore cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a structured approach that links thoughts to feelings and behaviors, using collaborative techniques, cognitive restructuring, exposure, and homework to treat anxiety and mood disorders.

Explore humanistic and person-centered therapies emphasizing unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence. Integrate Maslow's needs, existential themes, Gestalt here and now, and client empowerment for self-actualization.

Integrative and holistic counseling blends CBT, psychodynamic, and humanistic techniques with mindfulness and narrative therapy to tailor treatment, assess comprehensively, and promote long term resilience and overall well being.

Explore module three's assessment and diagnosis in mental health counseling, covering psychological assessment techniques, cultural and contextual factors, risk assessment, case formulation, and treatment planning.

Explore techniques for psychological assessment, including structured and unstructured clinical interviews, observation of nonverbal cues, psychometric tests like BDI and MMPI, self-report questionnaires, and collateral information.

Explore how culture, language, stigma, and family dynamics shape diagnosis and treatment planning, and develop culturally competent assessment practices.

Counselors assess risk factors using behavioral and verbal indicators to determine safety planning needs. They employ structured assessments and scales, gather collateral information, and plan crisis interventions for ongoing care.

Synthesize assessment data to formulate case formulations and design collaborative, smart, evidence-based treatment goals and interventions addressing biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors.

Engage clients effectively through active listening, empathy, and questioning techniques. Build rapport, manage resistance, and plan termination and follow-up to support ethical, competent counselling.

Master active listening and empathy to build trust, facilitate client exploration, and promote therapeutic growth. Use attentive silence, reflective responses, nonverbal cues, and cultural sensitivity to respond with understanding.

Master questioning and probing techniques to gather information and guide clients to explore thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Use open questions, closed questions, probing, sequencing, and reflection to foster autonomy.

Builds rapport and trust in counseling by practicing authenticity, consistency, and empathy; uses active listening, mirroring, validation, and open communication to empower clients and strengthen therapeutic relationships.

Master strategies to manage resistance and ambivalence in counselling, using reflective listening, building trust, exploring reasons for change, and applying motivational interviewing, goal setting, autonomy, and self-efficacy.

Plan termination early, discuss expectations, set goals, review progress, and establish maintenance plans with follow-up sessions to support ongoing well-being after therapy.

Module five covers mental health disorders, symptoms, and counselling strategies, equipping counsellors with assessment, diagnosis, and therapies for anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, and personality disorders.

Assess anxiety disorders through clinical interviews, self-report measures like the G87 questionnaire, observations, and DSM-5 criteria, then apply CBT with exposure and medication when needed.

Understand depression through its symptoms, assessment tools like the BDI and PHQ-9, and counseling approaches from CBT and behavioral activation to interpersonal and psychodynamic therapies.

Master bipolar disorder counselling strategies to manage mood fluctuations through assessment and diagnosis tools. Apply mood-stabilizing medications, CBT, and psychoeducation, while identifying triggers and building supportive networks for relapse prevention.

Examine schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, their positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms, and assessment with structured methods, plus treatment with antipsychotics and psychosocial interventions like cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis.

Counsel personality disorders, including BPD, APD, NPD, and OCPD, using DBT, schema therapy, and mentalization-based therapy to improve emotional regulation and interpersonal functioning.

Explore counselling across the lifespan, addressing diverse needs and development milestones from childhood to old age, including family and couple counselling, child and adolescent, adult, and older adult support.

Gain skills in child and adolescent counselling by applying developmental milestones, cognitive, emotional and social development insights, and age-appropriate therapies such as play and art, with family collaboration and confidentiality.

Master adult counselling strategies to navigate life transitions, manage mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, and build skills in CBT, mindfulness, work-life balance, and healthy relationships.

Counselling for older adults helps navigate loneliness, health decline, grief, and life review. Therapeutic approaches include cognitive behavioral techniques, reminiscence therapy, validation, and ethical, culturally sensitive care.

Strengthen family and couple relationships by improving communication, understanding family dynamics, and resolving conflicts through evidence-based counselling techniques such as active listening, paraphrasing, and reframing.

Explore crisis intervention and management, understanding crisis and trauma, and immediate intervention techniques. Develop long-term counselling strategies, post-crisis suicide support, and risk assessment and prevention.

Explore the nature and impact of crisis and trauma, including developmental, situational, and existential types, and learn to tailor compassionate, evidence based interventions to support resilience and recovery.

Learn immediate crisis intervention techniques to stabilise the situation, assess safety, provide psychological first aid, de-escalate distress, and collaboratively build a crisis plan with clients.

Long-term counseling post-crisis focuses on trauma-focused therapy to process trauma, build resilience, and reintegrate through coping skills, support networks, and practical goal-driven strategies.

Identify warning signs—behavioral, emotional, verbal, and situational—to assess suicide risk. Use CSRS and Beck scale for suicidal ideation, develop safety plans, and coordinate crisis support.