Fundamental Counselling Skills

Course Overview

Some people naturally gravitate to others for advice and support, whether at work or among friends. But effective helping conversations require more than just a listening ear, they need fundamental counselling skills, structure and self-awareness.

The Fundamental Counselling Skills micro-credential introduces you to the essential principles, processes and techniques that form the foundation of effective counselling.

In this six-week course, explore the Relational Skills Model, learn how to build trust, create a supportive environment and guide meaningful conversations.

Through videos, readings and discussions, you’ll gain practical skills in active listening, paraphrasing, summarising, identifying emotions, goal setting and learning how to foster self-management strategies. Develop as a reflective practitioner, regularly assessing and refining your communication approach.

By the end of this course, you’ll have a structured framework for establishing, deepening and maintaining helping relationships in professional settings or everyday interactions.

If you’re looking to strengthen your ability to support and empower others, this course will provide basic counselling knowledge and skills to make a meaningful impact.

FAQs

Dates

• Class of 2025 October: 6 October – 16 November
• Class of 2026 February: 9 February – 22 March
• Class of 2026 March: 9 March – 19 April

There are no online classes. Course content is released on a weekly basis allowing you to work through course material, and meet weekly targets, at a time that is most convenient to you.

Certification

Upon completion, you will receive a digital certificate of competence and badge. Your certificate and badge can be shared on 100+ social media platforms, allowing you to share your achievement with a single click.

Stackable Credentials

Stack specified combinations of micro-credentials and they can be recognised as equivalent to a module within the Bachelor of Applied Social Science Degree at SACAP. Fundamental Counselling Skills can be stacked with Deepening Your Counselling Skills, and if you meet the minimum entrance criteria, you can enrol for the Bachelor of Applied Social Science Degree and apply for module exemption.

What You’ll Learn

Over the course of six (6) weeks, through videos, readings and discussions, you will explore the following topics:

Week 1: First phase of the Relational Skills Model: Getting to know the person and engage with them.

Week 2: Second phase of the Relational Skills Model: Creating a safe and comfortable environment for the client, as well as assessment and problem-identification.

Week 3: Third phase of the Relational Skills Model: Exploring the presenting issues in more depth.

Week 4: Fourth phase of the Relational Skills Model: Setting goals and evaluating possible strategies.

Week 5: Fifth phase of the Relational Skills Model: Ways to support and encourage the client to implement their goals, maintain change, and develop self-management strategies.

Week 6: Integration of all your observations, journaling and feedback received to date – creating your own development plan.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate self-reflective evaluation of applied skills in setting up a helping relationship.
• Develop a helping relationship, work with a helping relationship, deepen the established helping relationship and maintain and end a helping relationship.
• Design a development plan for improving your identified skills.

The Team

The SACAP Global team brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience across various disciplines. Our expert short course developers and dedicated support team are passionate about sharing their insights to help you get the most out of your online learning journey.