Course Title: Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology
Duration: 6 Months
Eligibility: A Bachelor’s degree from any recognised university in any discipline. Preference
will be given to candidates from Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Education, Nursing, or
allied fields.
Course Objectives:
1. To understand the theoretical foundations and major approaches in counselling.
2. To gain proficiency in essential counselling skills and techniques.
3. To analyse the role and functions of counsellors in various settings.
4. To enhance competencies in working with individuals and groups from special
populations.
5. To develop capabilities for conducting community-level training programs and
workshops.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, learners will be able to:
● CO1: Demonstrate proficiency in core counselling skills.
● CO2: Explain various counselling theories and apply them in practical settings.
● CO3: Conduct counselling sessions with individuals and groups using evidence-based
techniques.
● CO4: Work effectively with special populations (elderly, children with special needs,
clients with addiction, etc.).
● CO5: Design and implement community-based mental health programs.
● CO6: Engage ethically and legally in professional counselling practice.
Course Outline:
Module 1: Introduction to Counselling
● Definition and Scope
● Related concepts: Case work, Anecdotal methods, Cumulative records, Guidance
● Difference between Counselling and Psychotherapy
● Goals of Counselling
● Characteristics of the Counsellor and the Counselee
● Values and Conditions for Effective Counselling
● Types: Crisis, Facilitative, Preventive, Developmental
● Ethics and Legal Aspects in Counselling
Module 2: Counselling Skills and Procedures
● Initial Procedures and Interview Techniques
● Core Counselling Skills: Advanced Empathy, Theme Identification
● Non-verbal Skills (SOLER), Listening Techniques
● Techniques: Self-Disclosure, Perception Check, Interpretation, Confrontation
● Immediacy, Probing, Leading
Module 3: Approaches to Counselling
● Affective Approaches: Client-Centred, Gestalt, Existential, Adlerian, Psychoanalytic
● Cognitive Approaches: REBT
● Trait-Factor Counseling
● Behavioral Approaches: Reality Therapy, Behavioral Counseling
Module 4: Egan’s Model of Counselling
● Overview of the Skilled Helper Model
● Stage 1: Clarifying the Current Picture
● Stage 2: Developing the Preferred Picture
● Stage 3: Formulating Strategies
● Stage 4: The Action Arrow – Implementation and Evaluation
Module 5: Group Counselling
● Types and Terminologies
● Rationale and Goals
● Stages and Phases of Group Formation
● Group Dynamics and Leadership Skills
Module 6: Counselling Special Populations
● Counselling the Elderly and Children with Special Needs
● Human Sexuality, Divorce, HIV/AIDS Counselling
● Sex Education and Counselling
● Family and Addiction Counselling
● Suicide Prevention and Tele-Counselling
Supplementary Topics:
● Opening Techniques: Greetings, Setting, Attitudes
● Handling Resistance and Reluctance
● Relaxation Techniques: Mindfulness, Biofeedback, EEG, EMG
Internship Component:
● Duration: Minimum of 30 hours at a recognised counselling centre, school, hospital, or
NGO.
● Case Work:
○ Individual Counselling: Minimum of 5 cases documented in verbatim format.
○ Group Counselling: Conduct 1 session and submit a group counselling report.
○ Service Learning: Experience in settings that cater to special populations.
Assessment and Evaluation:
● Written Assignments
● Practical Demonstrations
● Verbatim Reports
● Group Counselling Report
● Internship Completion Report
● Final Viva-Voce
Recommended Readings:
● Brammer & Shostrom (1968). Therapeutic Psychology, Prentice-Hall
● Capuzzi, D. & Gross, R. D. (2008). Counselling and Psychotherapy: Theories and
Interventions, Sage Publications
● Egan, G. (2007). The Skilled Helper: A Problem-Management and Opportunity-
Development Approach to Helping, 9th Ed.
● George, R. L., & Christiani, J. S. (1986). Counselling: Theory and Practice, Prentice Hall
● Gladding, S. T. (2003). Counselling: A Comprehensive Profession, Pearson India
● Patterson, C. H. (1962). The Counselling Process, Brooks/Cole
● Woolfe, R., & Dryden, W. (1996). Handbook of Counselling Psychology, Sage
Publications
