Introduction to Counselling Skills
Listen better, respond without rescuing or advising, and know when and where to signpost someone who needs more than a conversation.
14-day money back · Pay once, no subscription| Qualification | Introduction to Counselling Skills |
|---|---|
| Exams | Knowledge check after each module and a final test. 80% to pass, unlimited free retakes |
| Price | £19.99, pay once |
| Typical duration | 4 hours |
| Age | 16 or over |
| Who it suits | Care, support, housing, education and youth workers, volunteers, managers, and anyone deciding whether counselling training is for them |
Introduction to Counselling Skills
You can learn the basics of counselling skills online in the UK with Lift College. Introduction to Counselling Skills is 4 hours of learning in 5 short modules, each with a knowledge check, for £19.99, pay once. Your CPD certificate issued by Lift College is ready the same day you pass. We recommend a refresh every 3 years, and the refresher is free.
Most of us are asked to listen to someone in difficulty long before anyone shows us how. Counselling skills are the trained version of that: giving full attention, reflecting back what you hear, asking questions that open rather than steer, staying with silence, and holding the boundaries that keep a conversation safe for both of you.
This course covers what a beginner needs to use those skills well: what counselling is and is not, the core skills with worked examples, the habits that block listening, confidentiality and its limits, and when to signpost someone to a GP, a helpline or a qualified counsellor. It is also the quickest way to find out whether counselling training is for you before committing to the regulated Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills.
- Explain the difference between counselling, counselling skills, advice and befriending
- Give full attention and show it, in person, by phone and online
- Reflect, paraphrase and summarise so that the other person feels heard
- Ask open questions and use silence without steering the conversation
- Recognise the common blocks to listening, including the urge to rescue, fix and advise
- Hold confidentiality and its limits, keep boundaries, and signpost when a conversation needs more than you can offer
5 short modules, 4 hours in total.
What counselling skills are, and what they are not
Counselling, counselling skills, advice, befriending and mentoring, the difference between them, who uses counselling skills at work, and why a trained listener does not give advice.
Knowledge checkAttending and active listening
Giving full attention and showing it: posture, eye contact, minimal encouragers, tone and pace, and how the same skills work by phone and on a video call.
Knowledge checkReflecting, paraphrasing, summarising and questions
The core responses that help someone hear themselves: reflecting feeling, paraphrasing content, summarising, open and closed questions, and staying with silence.
Knowledge checkBlocks to listening and self-awareness
The urge to rescue, fix, advise and reassure; judging and comparing; your own triggers and values; and why counselling training always starts with the helper.
Knowledge checkBoundaries, confidentiality, safety and signposting
Keeping a helping conversation safe: confidentiality and its limits, time and role boundaries, when someone needs more than you can offer, and how to signpost to a GP, a helpline or a qualified counsellor.
Knowledge checkFinal test and your certificate
Multiple choice, 80% to pass, unlimited attempts. Your CPD certificate is issued by Lift College the day you pass.
This course is for you if
- You work in care, support, housing, education or youth work and are asked to listen to people in difficulty
- You manage people and want to handle difficult conversations without rescuing or advising
- You volunteer, or want to, with a helpline, charity or community group
- You are thinking about counselling training and want to try the skills before taking the regulated certificate
- You want to be a better listener for the people in your own life
Want the regulated qualification with a named UK tutor? The TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills takes everything here further, with recorded skills practice assessed by your tutor.
Your CPD certificate, issued the day you pass.
Your certificate names Introduction to Counselling Skills and shows 4 hours of learning. It also shows your completion date and a recommended refresh date 3 years later.
- One price, £19.99. One payment, one learner, no subscription.
- Short modules with a knowledge check after each one and a final test. Instant results.
- 80% to pass, with unlimited free retakes.
- A CPD certificate issued by Lift College as a PDF the same day you pass, with a unique number and a verification link.
- Access for as long as Lift College offers the course, and never less than 3 years from the day you buy.
- A free refresher when your recommended refresh date arrives. Changed your mind? Ask within 14 days of paying and we refund you in full.
CPD certificate
liftcollege.co.uk/verify/LC-CPD-000000The law this course supports
BACP: Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions
The ethical framework followed by most UK counsellors. Its principles of trustworthiness, respect for autonomy, confidentiality and working within your competence apply to anyone using counselling skills in a helping role.
Read the legislation →Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR
Anything you record or write down about a person you are helping, including notes of a conversation, is personal data and must be kept securely, used only for the purpose it was collected and shared only when the law allows.
Read the legislation →NHS: Get help for mental health
Where to signpost someone who needs more than a listening conversation: a GP, NHS talking therapies, and urgent help lines when someone is at risk.
Read the legislation →£19.99. Pay once, nothing added.
One payment for one learner. You keep access for as long as Lift College offers the course, and never less than 3 years. Changed your mind? Ask within 14 days and we refund you in full.
- PaySecure card payment, one time only.
- Sign inYour learner account is ready straight away.
- StartBegin module 1 the same minute.
Free refresher when it is due
We recommend a refresh every 3 years. We email you 30 days before, and from the refresh date you can retake the latest version free and download a new certificate.
Questions about Introduction to Counselling Skills
Is this a counselling qualification?
No. It is a CPD short course with a certificate issued by Lift College, designed to teach the basics in an evening or two. If you want a regulated qualification, take the TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills, which is on the Ofqual register and is marked by a named UK tutor. Neither course qualifies you to practise as a counsellor; that needs Level 4 or higher training with supervised placement hours.
Will this let me counsel people?
No, and it does not try to. It teaches you to use counselling skills in the conversations you already have, within your existing role, and to recognise when someone needs more than a listening ear and where to signpost them.
Do I need any experience?
No. The course starts with what counselling skills are and every skill is shown with a worked example before you try it in a short practice exercise.
Does it cover mental health first aid?
No. This is a listening and helping skills course. It covers how to signpost someone to help, but not mental health conditions, crisis response or first aid, which are separate training.
How long do I keep access?
You keep your access for as long as Lift College offers the course, and never less than 3 years from the day you buy. Your certificate PDF is yours to keep.
What is the free refresher?
Lift College recommends refreshing this course every 3 years. When your date comes round, you can retake the latest version free and get a new certificate. We email you 30 days before.
Does it count towards my CPD?
Yes. The course is 4 hours of learning, shown on your CPD certificate issued by Lift College, so you can log the hours in your CPD record.
Can I get my money back?
Yes. Ask within 14 days of paying and we refund you in full.
Can my employer pay?
Yes. Your receipt shows the course, the date and the amount paid, and you can pass it to your employer. Buying for a team? Ask about team enrolment and the team will help.
Where can I learn counselling skills online in the UK?
Lift College offers Introduction to Counselling Skills online for £19.99, pay once. It is 4 hours of learning in 5 short modules, and your CPD certificate issued by Lift College is ready the same day you pass.
Mental Health Awareness Training
Spot the signs of poor mental health, start a supportive conversation and know where to point people for help.
Safeguarding Adults Level 2
For staff in regular contact with adults at risk. Recognise abuse, respect capacity and report concerns under the Care Act 2014.
Equality and Diversity Training
The Equality Act 2010 in plain words. Protected characteristics, types of discrimination and reasonable adjustments.
Ready for the regulated qualification? The TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills covers the core skills, counselling theory, diversity and ethics, and personal development in four tutor-marked units, with recorded skills practice. Ofqual regulated, no placement.
See the course →Buying for a team?
Open a free organisation account: every course £16.99, pay by card or invoice with your PO, and see every learner's progress and certificate in one place.