Level 5 Integrative Counselling Training Course in Liverpool

This page focuses on the counselling element of our training. Counselling and hypnotherapy are delivered together as part of a Dual Diploma and cannot be taken separately.

£3,750 total for the Dual Diploma, counselling and hypnotherapy taken together.

Approx £156 per month over 24 months, exact payment plans may vary.

Study pattern
One session per week, term time only
Delivery
In person teaching with e-learning support
Class size
Small, personalised groups, typically under 30
Placement
Can start after year one, up to two years to complete 100 hours

Venue and contact

In person teaching takes place in Croxteth, Liverpool. Course materials, reading, and reflective learning are supported through our online learning platform.

Venue
Our Lady's & St Swithin RC Primary School, Parkstile Lane, Croxteth, Liverpool, L11 0BQ

What this counselling course gives you

This Level 5 counselling training is designed to develop ethical, reflective, and competent practitioners. You will build a strong theoretical foundation, practise counselling skills in a supported environment, and develop the self-awareness required for professional practice.

Preparation for real client work
Structured skills practice, observation, feedback, and reflection throughout the course.
Ethical and professional focus
Clear understanding of boundaries, confidentiality, supervision, and professional responsibility.
Designed for adult learners
One session per week in term time, supported by structured online learning.
Further learning opportunities
Optional workshops and CPD sessions may be available during and after training.
Download the prospectus

Integrative counselling and modalities

Integrative counselling means learning to work across different counselling approaches, and to choose the approach that fits the client and the work being done, rather than forcing every client into one method.

What a modality is
A modality is a therapeutic approach, for example psychodynamic, person centred, CBT, Gestalt, and transactional analysis.
Why integrative training helps
Clients rarely present with one tidy issue. Integrative training supports flexible, ethical decision making based on client needs and goals.
Fit with the Dual Diploma
Integrative counselling supports safe, coherent practice alongside clinical hypnotherapy within the same overall training pathway.

For the hypnotherapy element of the Dual Diploma, use the hypnotherapy course page linked at the top of this page.

Placement requirement

To progress into practice, students must complete a minimum of 100 hours of supervised client placement after the taught elements of the course.

We provide guidance, documentation, and support to help students understand placement expectations and identify suitable settings. Unlike many training providers, we actively support you whether your hours are completed through our own counselling service or with established third-party organisations such as Marie Curie and other local charities.

Placement and supervision arrangements are separate from taught sessions and may involve additional external costs.

Accredited training pathway

The counselling course forms part of an accredited Dual Diploma training pathway. Accreditation applies to the overall programme structure.

ACCPH Accredited Course
NCIP Accredited Diploma
GHSC Accredited Training

Syllabus

The following units outline the integrative counselling content. Delivery order may vary slightly across the academic year.

Unit 1: The Self Structure +
  • What Constitutes 'SELF'
  • Models of the Person and the Concepts of Self
  • The influence of social, cultural, ethnic, philosophical and political issues
  • Becoming Self-Aware and the Johari Window
  • Change and how it happens
Unit 2: Determinism or Free Will +
  • Are our lives predetermined or do we have free will?
  • Soft Determinism vs Hard Determinism
  • Humanist or Behaviourist
Unit 3: Professional and Organisational Issues +
  • Empathy, Defining and Maintaining Boundaries
  • Code of Ethics and Practice, Moral, Ethical and Legal Issues
  • The Counselling Relationship, Confidentiality, Transference
  • Ending Counselling, Referrals, Client in Crisis, Supervision
Unit 4: Counselling Skills and Theory Update +
  • The Structure of Counselling and Theoretical Approaches
  • Paraphrasing, Summarizing, Reflecting
  • Guided Discovery through open ended questioning
  • The Counsellor's Role and what Counselling is NOT
Unit 5: Psychodynamic Counselling +
  • Key Concepts and Defence Mechanisms
  • Freud's Structural Theory
  • Transference and Countertransference
  • Object Relations Theory
Unit 6: Attachment Theory and the Strange Situation +
  • John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth
  • Stages of Attachment and Four Attachment Styles
  • Attachment Styles and T.A. Life Positions
Unit 7: Gestalt Therapy +
  • Wholeness and Integration, Awareness, Ground and Figure
  • Five Layers of Neurosis and Field Theory
  • Unfinished Business, Empty Chair, Closure and Resolution
Unit 8: Phenomenological and Humanistic Approaches +
  • The Meaning of Phenomenology in Relation to Clients
  • Rogers and the Person-Centred Approach
  • Maslow and Humanism, The Existential Approach
Unit 9: Transactional Analysis +
  • Ego States, Life Positions, Life Scripts
  • Karpman's Drama Triangle
  • Contamination and Exclusion of Ego States
  • Games People Play
Unit 10: Grief Counselling +
  • The Five Stages of Grief
  • Attachment, Loss and the Experience of Grief
  • Dual Process Method and Worden's Four Tasks
Unit 11: Narrative Therapy +
  • Prominent Social Discourse and Problem Saturated Stories
  • Externalising and Deconstruction
Unit 12: Family Counselling +
  • Family Sculpting: Theory and Case Studies
  • Bowen's System Theory and Strength Based Family Therapy
  • Family Therapy Techniques and Applications
Unit 13: Couples' Counselling +
  • Unconscious Dynamics of Relationships
  • Transactional Analysis and Couples' Counselling
  • The Gottman Method
Unit 14: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy +
  • Evolution of Behaviour Therapy
  • The Cognitive Emphasis and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy
Unit 15: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion +
  • Ethical practices regarding age, disability, gender, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and more
  • Anti-Discriminatory Practices and Mental Health Competency
  • Safeguarding and Suicide Awareness
Unit 16: Preparing for Placement +
  • Case Studies and Practice Sessions with staff and peer feedback
  • Fit to Practice Letter and Four Way Agreements
  • Supervision

Next steps

If you feel this training is right for you, the next step is to complete the application and enrolment form. This is used to assess suitability and readiness for Level 5 study.

Eligibility Checker

Welcome. This is your eligibility check for the Counselling and Clinical Hypnotherapy dual diploma.

There is a real person at the other end of this, carefully reading every application. We will not add you to a mailing list or bombard you with emails.

  • Two references Name, relationship, email address, and phone number for each referee.
  • A summary of your education, qualifications, and employment You do not need certificates right now, just a brief overview. We will ask to see evidence at interview.
  • Disclosure information We will ask about any medical, psychological, or criminal history.
A brief summary is fine. Formal and informal learning both count.
Having a condition does not automatically prevent you from training. We ask so we can support you properly.
Declarations

Human check

Thank you. Your application has been submitted. Please now book your interview slot below.

How Our Dual Diploma Compares

Our Level 5 Dual Diploma combines Integrative Counselling and Clinical Hypnotherapy into a single, coherent training pathway. Below is a clear comparison between UK Therapy Guild and other providers offering similar qualifications.

Counselling + Hypnotherapy Level 5 Professional Training Designed for Adult Learners
FeatureUK Therapy GuildOthers
Total qualification Level 5 Integrative Counselling
+ Level 5 Clinical Hypnotherapy
(Dual Diploma taken together)		 Level 4 or Level 5 delivered separately
Often staged over multiple certificated courses
Total price £3,750
Both qualifications included		 £6,283.89
Counselling and hypnotherapy combined
Course duration 2 academic years 2 to 3 years
Entry requirements No formal qualifications required
Life experience welcomed. For learners without a Level 3 certificate, additional Level 3 content is covered within the programme to bring students up to speed. This learning is not certificated and does not require a separate course. 		Level 4 qualification required
Earlier levels must usually be completed and certificated before progression
Delivery format 80% in person, 1 day per week in term time
20% online via a dedicated eLearning platform		 Higher reliance on classroom or online only delivery
Class size Small, personalised cohorts
Typically under 30 learners		 Larger groups
Accreditation NCIP
ACCPH
GHSC		 NCIP
ACCPH
Other awarding bodies
Guided learning support Guided learning hours are supported through our extensive eLearning materials and structured online resources Varies by course and pathway
Professional focus Integrated therapeutic practice across counselling and hypnotherapy Often modality specific

In addition to university and college routes, Liverpool students may also choose professional training providers such as the UK Therapy Guild. The UK Therapy Guild offers diploma-level counselling and psychotherapy training accredited by recognised professional bodies including the NCIP and ACCPH. Graduates can progress towards BACP registration via the BACP Proficiency Route, following successful completion of training and required practice hours.