Level 4 Diploma in Counselling
Level 4 Diploma in Counselling
Your final step into professional practice
You’ve learned the skills.
Now it’s time to become the practitioner.
Level 4 Diploma in Counselling has been awarded Accredited Training recognition, and NCPS currently describes Accredited courses as meeting its Standards of Training and Education, with graduates fulfilling the training requirements for its Accredited Register.
A comprehensive professional Diploma in Counselling
For those ready to practise safely and ethically as qualified practitioners.
This course is also formally accredited by the NCPS, reflecting our commitment to high standards of training, governance and professional integrity. It is designed to prepare you for competent, reflective practice and membership within recognised professional bodies.
At Level 4, your learning deepens significantly. You will integrate theory with practice, develop clinical awareness, strengthen your ethical decision making and build confidence in working with a range of client presentations. Alongside supervised placement hours, you will continue your personal development, learning how to hold complexity, manage boundaries and work with greater psychological depth.
This qualification supports your transition from student to practitioner, equipping you with the knowledge, skills and professional grounding needed to begin practice with clarity and confidence.
“SBS Counselling Training has been one of the best experiences of my life. I joined Level 3 to support my own wellbeing and found an amazing group of people who continued with me into Level 4. Over two years we grew together in self‑awareness, skills and confidence, and the friendships and learning have been truly priceless. I’m so grateful to SBS for the journey and everything it’s given me.” Student - Violeta
Who this course is for?
This course is suitable for you if you:
Have completed Level 3 counselling training or equivalent
Are ready to train towards working with real clients
Can commit to skills practice, reflection and personal development
Are prepared for ethical responsibility
Selection is thoughtful, comprehensive and considers readiness for practice.
What you will learn
Depth, skill, and professional identity
This two year course will provide you, not just with a qualification that will allow you to be a counsellor, it will give you a foundation of personal development and discovery. It combines a range of therapeutic models with self-exploration and written work and balances theory, skills and reflective learning.
All of the sessions are designed with plenty of space for discussion and debate as well as an opportunity for you to try out skills with your peers.
The Diploma focuses on:
Advanced counselling skills
Working with clients ethically and safely
Developing a counselling relationship
Reflective and self-aware practice
Understanding professional frameworks
Preparing for placement and practice
As well the in-person training, you will get the opportunity to:
Work with real clients on your placement – accruing 100 hours of experience.
Work on an integrative model, giving you the skills to combine:
Person centred therapy (PCT)
Gestalt and Cognitive Behavourial Therapy (CBT)
Existentialism, Transactional Analysis and Ecotherapy
Personal growth is a main focus of the course, and feedback from tutors and peers play a large part in the learning process. We encourage every student to work comfortably, whilst pushing their own boundaries.
The course itself consists of twenty pieces of evidence-based work covering a wide range of topics including:
Integrating therapies
Ethical dilemmas
Supervision and support
Gestalt
Person centred therapy
CBT worksheets
Research in Counselling
Creative interventions
Ecotherapy and walk and talk therapy
Legal considerations
Cultural differences and similarities
Suicide and self harm
All of the sessions are designed with plenty of space for discussion and debate as well as an opportunity for you to try out skills with your peers.
Total qualification time - 2 years (minus school holidays)
Guided learning hours - 395 hours
Students usually need around 6 to 8 hours per week outside of class - including reading, assignments, reflection and portfolio building.
The Diploma focuses on:
Advanced counselling skills
Working with clients ethically and safely
Developing a counselling relationship
Reflective and self-aware practice
Understanding professional frameworks
Preparing for placement and practice
Training balances theory, skills and reflective learning.
This is rigorous training, held with care.
Outcome of the Course
On completion of this course, you will have:
A recognised Level 4 Diploma in Counselling aligned with NCPS standards, meeting the training requirement to practise professionally as a counsellor.
A strong, integrated understanding of counselling theory and practice, developed through experiential learning rather than passive study. You will not just know the theory. You will understand how to apply it in real therapeutic relationships.
Substantial client placement experience, supported by supervision, enabling you to build confidence, competence and ethical awareness in live practice.
A clear grasp of professional responsibilities, including ethics, safeguarding, boundaries, confidentiality and reflective practice.
Increased self-awareness and personal insight. You will understand how your own history, patterns and responses shape your therapeutic work and how to work with that consciously and safely.
Advanced communication and relational skills, including attunement, containment, appropriate challenge and therapeutic presence.
A developing professional identity, with clarity about supervision, continuing professional development and ethical accountability beyond qualification.
Highly transferable relational skills. Many graduates find that the Diploma strengthens their effectiveness in roles such as healthcare, education, pastoral care, social support, coaching and leadership.
Successful completion of this Diploma, alongside the required placement hours and supervision, enables you to practise as a counsellor and apply for membership with NCPS in line with their professional standards.
For every student enrolled, we promise to plant a tree.
We are a proud supporter of One Tree Planted; a non-profit organisation which is passionate about global re-forestation. So, with us, your learning timeline begins with a lifeline to the entire planet.
LEVEL 4 DATES & FEES
52 x Thursdays over 2 years excluding school holidays
Starting: Thursday 22nd July 2027 9am-4.30pm alternate weeks
Early Bird Fee £5,696 from until 1st December 2026
Option 1 – Payment in Full
One single payment of £5,696
Option 2 – Instalment Plan
Pay a £676 deposit to secure your place, followed by 20 monthly payments of £251
Standard Fee £6,856 from 2nd December until 15th June 2027
Option 1 – Payment in Full
One single payment of £6,856
Option 2 – Instalment Plan
Pay £676 deposit to secure your place followed by 20 monthly payments of £309
All fees includes VAT and £176 registration fee
What’s Included in the Course Fee
When you join the Level 4 Diploma in Counselling, the course fee includes everything you need to deepen your counselling skills and begin preparing for professional practice in a supportive and professionally guided environment.
Your training includes
Weekly in-person teaching sessions with experienced counselling tutors
Structured counselling skills practice in pairs and small groups
Experiential learning and reflective group discussions
Teaching that integrates counselling theory with real counselling practice
Development of strong ethical awareness and professional standards
Opportunities to observe and practise therapeutic skills in a supportive learning environment
Guidance on preparing for counselling placements
Development of reflective practice and professional self-awareness
Course handouts and learning materials
At the College
Free WiFi for students
Access to a small library of counselling books and resources
Complimentary refreshments during training days
What Is Not Included in the Course Fee
Personal counselling required during training
Supervision for placement work
Counselling placement costs or travel
Professional membership fees
Insurance for client work
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