Wessex Counselling Service

COUNSELLING TRAINING AND COUNSELLING COURSES IN SOMERSET AND THE SOUTH WEST

Wessex is a non-profit making organisation which has been has been providing a counselling service and counselling training since 1983. All our courses are nationally accredited by the Westminster Pastoral Foundation (wpf), the leading national training body for psychodynamic counselling. This means that our training is rigorous, regulated and of the highest validated standards.

Training and the Counselling Service

Wessex provides confidential, affordable and professional psychodynamic counselling for individuals and couples in Frome and the surrounding area. We are part of the largest national network of counselling centres in the UK and the counselling service is accredited by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

Our busy and dynamic counselling service works hand in hand with our training provision which means that we are one of the few training providers in the region who provide their own clinical placements for Diploma and Advanced Diploma students. Whilst the total numbers of client hours for students cannot be guaranteed, as client numbers and suitability do fluctuate, most of our students complete their required number of client hours working with Wessex clients. In a small number of cases students may need to find placements outside of WCS.

The Venue and Facilities

Fairfield House, on King Street, in the centre of Frome is a counselling and counselling training centre. The centre has a professional and friendly atmosphere with dedicated training and consulting rooms. The main training room has been recently refurbished and houses a small but important library area. Students have access to all the key texts and monthly loans of all books is an inclusive provision of the training. Though space is limited, students benefit from formal and informal association with qualified practitioners in a busy practice. You are welcome to visit us to see the facilities, please telephone to arrange a convenient time.

Psychodynamic Counselling

Psychodynamic counselling gives a great deal of significance to the role of early experience in shaping our psychological development and our relationships as adults. Central to the approach is that we are influenced by thoughts, desires, fears, anxieties and fantasies of which we are barely aware. Being able to bring these unconscious mental processes more into conscious awareness is seen as a key way of helping a person live a more fulfilling life.

We run a pre-vocational Listening and Communication Skills Course, a 10 week course which is repeated throughout the year. Based on the fundamental principles of counselling skills this course is designed to improve how you listen, relate and communicate with others, especially those you are trying to help. This course will be helpful to anyone in their working lives and will benefit you in situations where communication is important. It is also a useful preparatory course if you are considering counselling training.

Our core training operates in three stages:

Stage One: The Foundation Year in Counselling Skills is a good introduction to psychodynamic counselling and the development of key counselling skills. This is also the first year of the Diploma training.

Stage Two: The Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling qualifies participants to work competently and effectively as counsellors in an organisational setting.

Stage Three: The Advanced Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling qualifies participants to work independently in private practice. It is also a good grounding for those wishing to go on to train as psychotherapists.

We also run a variety of post-qualification courses including CPD workshops, seminars and an MA in Counselling in conjunction with Bath Spa University