Advanced Diploma in Therapy with Challenged Children and Families

An opportunity for trained therapists to develop understanding and skills in working with children of all ages, and with families, this course is for women and men who are trained counsellors or therapists, and who wish to develop their skills in working with children and families.

The course will enable participants to become professional, ethical practitioners with children of all ages, using a variety of models and techniques.

It also provides an opportunity to develop an understanding of how families work, and how to help them to function better.

Course content

The course is based upon a humanistic, integrative approach, drawing on a number of models for its content. The main models drawn upon are Transactional Analysis and Gestalt, but psychodynamic and family systems theories also inform the teaching.

We use a range of teaching methods, many of them experiential, and art, sandplay, clay drama and story telling are used alongside the talking therapies.

Assessed Work

Participants are required to complete three pieces of course work. These are;
An observation study of a child.
An observation study of a couple or family.
An essay on child development.

Level of entry

The course is designed for trained counsellors and psychotherapists. It is anticipated that participants will have studied for at least two years at Diploma level or equivalent before entry to this course, but they do not need to hold a qualification. A CRB clearance must be obtained before actual work with children is undertaken.

Core Teaching Team:

Joanna Beazley Richards, Chartered Psychologist, UKCP registered Psychotherapist (lead trainer);

Stephen Richards, Qualified Teacher of children with learning difficulties, qualified counselling supervisor (link tutor);

Sally Valentine, Qualified Counsellor, specialist in working with children and families;

Heidi Amy, Child therapist, specialising in play therapy with troubled children.
Cathy Davey, accredited counsellor and qualified supervisor specialising in the affects of Substance Misuse on Children and Families and working with Children in Care.

Learning objectives:

By the end of the course, participants will demonstrate an ability to:

Module 1. 
a) Define counselling and psychotherapy with children and families.
b) State the major issues in relation to counselling children and families.
c) Know the history of therapeutic work with children and families.
d) Place the profession in its legal context.

Module 2.
Describe a model of the family.

Module 3.
a) State issues in work with small children.
b) Be familiar with methods for working with small children, including the use of play and art.

Module 4.
a) State issues in work with older children.
b) Be familiar with methods for working with older children, including the use of play, sand tray work and art.

Module 5.
a) State issues in work with teenagers.
b) Be familiar with methods for working with adolescents, including the use of drama, storytelling and art.

Module 6.
a) Be able to state a number of methods of assessment of the therapeutic needs of children and families.
b) Be able to apply case formulation to therapeutic work with children and families.

Module 7.
a) List a number of difficulties experienced by children, including abusive experiences.
b) Be able to apply therapeutic techniques to specific issues.

Module 8.
State ways in which families may become dysfunctional.

Module 9.
Special difficulties, including Autistic Spectrum Disorders, Attention and Hyperactivity problems, Tourette?s disorder, Learning Disability.

Module 10.
Be able to describe specialist interventions with families experiencing a range of difficulties.