CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2)
Are you looking to train as a counsellor? If you are hoping to take the first step to a new career as a qualified counsellor, psychotherapist or life coach, our Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2) is for you. Designed and delivered by an experienced, doctoral-trained clinical psychologist who has provided therapy for over 10 years, this is a career-enhancing qualification to equip you with life changing counselling skills. This is a practical, online course with expert tutors to help you take the first step towards a career in counselling.
Now taking applications for our February 2027 cohort, complete the qualification over 6 months fast-track.
Counselling skills are in demand across sectors. Whether you might go on to further training as a counsellor, or you are looking to strengthen your employability in any people-facing role, this course offers a robust, recognised qualification to help further your career. It is accredited and fully approved by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body, meaning you will leave the course with an Ofqual-regulated qualification that is recognised by counselling and psychotherapy bodies as the first step towards becoming a counsellor.
Our previous students have rated our courses as 'Excellent', stating "an extremely high standard of teaching", "I enjoyed the course and learning all the new skills and knowledge it gave me", and our previous cohorts have gone on to further training in counselling, psychotherapy and coaching. You can learn all about the course below and apply directly via the Apply Now button.
Hear from the trainer
Our Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills is delivered as follows:
Duration: 90 hours live taught total, 6 hours per session over 15 sessions
Dates: February 22nd on Thursdays 10am-5pm
Format: Online
Accredited by: CPCAB
Entry requirements: Able to study in the UK, age 18+, no other requirements
Cost: £975 + £185 CPCAB registration fee
Use the enquiry form at the bottom of the page with any specific questions, or the link below to book a free consultation to discuss suitability with the Course Director, Dr Alastair Pipkin. Or, if you are ready to apply, click Apply Now to be taken to the application form.
About The Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills
A Robust Qualification in Counselling Skills to Further Your Career
This practical, regulated Level 2 Certificate offers all of the knowledge and skills involved in core counselling skills. It is nationally recognised as the first step towards further, formal training as a counsellor/psychotherapist, alongside being an employability-boosting qualification for any people-facing roles. Completion of the Level 2 Certificate enables you to progress to the CPCAB’s Level 3 Certificate, and the Level 4 Diploma after that, which typically qualifies you to practice.
The course uses a mixture of didactic, experiential and interactive teaching, alongside independent study. In each session, you will practice counselling skills and receive both tutor- and peer-feedback to support your development. The assignments are all practical, including two actual recorded skills demonstrations, meaning you leave with tangible, real skills.
Course Content and Sessions
The course covers the following 15 live delivered sessions split into five blocks:
Defining the counselling role, limits, boundaries, scope, onward referral, confidentiality
Welcoming, establishing safety, non-verbal communication, warmth, unconditional positive regard
Empathy, judgements, feelings, bias and the listener's self
Responding skills, questioning skills, staying with the helpee's content and agenda
Personal history, self-and-other in counselling and endings
The course includes the following resources:
A full reference list on expert approaches to counselling skills
Crib sheets on listening skills, empathy, managing bias and judgments, confidentiality and boundaries
Full live evaluation of your listening skills by a clinical psychologist and personalised feedback
Demonstrations of counselling skills
Personalised career development guidance
You Will Gain:
An in-depth understanding of the theory and practice of counselling skills
Hands-on experience of using counselling skills in practice
A fully regulated and recognised Level 2 Certificate, awarded by the CPCAB
Confidence to use counselling skills in a range of settings
Confidence to know your next careers steps as well as your limits
A recognised qualification to further your career in your current/future role or a step towards future counselling/psychotherapy qualifications
A supportive, developmentally-focused environment with colleagues and peers
Previous students said:
"I thoroughly enjoyed the course and learning new skills and knowledge it provided me with. I am looking to do a further course and would have most definitely applied to do it with the same centre had they had offered it. The course content and teaching were excellent."
"An extremely high standard of teaching."
"I’m sad it is coming to an end. Alastair is a great teacher and explains things very well then checking back we all are clear and understand and if we have any questions. I am looking to complete a lower level counselling course but then complete a coaching qualification and if there were any courses related to this or they were offered by Unlock Psychology I would definitely complete here."
"I've gained knowledge of criteria and thresholds, how to go forward and set this up in my practice."
"Found it a nice ease into the course with a good balance of active engagement and content. Did not feel too overwhelming."
"The balance between content and active engagement and questions worked well. Helped keep me engaged for the 3 hours."
Is this course right for you?
This course is designed for:
Anyone aged 18+ with an interest in training in the use of counselling skills
Professionals looking to develop their ability to engage deeply and meaningfully with colleagues to further their career (e.g. customer-facing roles; advocacy; health care assistants; public services; administrators)
People with an interest in progressing to further counselling, psychotherapy or life coaching qualifications
Enquire with us today for a free, no obligation consultation with the Course Director, Dr Alastair Pipkin, to discuss eligibility.
Entry Requirements:
Aged 18+
Able to study in the UK and engage fully in the 90 hour taught course
Interested in developing counselling skills to boost employability, and/or to train as a counsellor/psychotherapist
Meet The Course Director, Dr Alastair Pipkin
HCPC-Registered Clinical Psychologist, BABCP Fully Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Dr. Alastair Pipkin is a HCPC-registered clinical psychologist, fully accredited cognitive behavioural therapist with the BABCP, and an associate fellow of the higher education academy. He has setup, designed and delivered training for front-line psychological practitioners using CBT, written university-level courses in counselling and mental health, and trained hundreds of mental health professionals in CBT.
Unlock Psychology Ltd exists to provide accessible, robust, evidence-based and personalised training to equip the next generation for therapists. By sharing years of expertise in CBT, education and mental health treatment experience, the team of doctoral-trained therapists provide excellent learning environments to promote effective change.
What you'll learn
The CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2) is an Ofqual-regulated qualification, fully approved, accredited and awarded by the CPCAB.
By the end of the programme, you will be able to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
Use counselling skills ethically and safely
Establish and sustain the boundaries of the helping role
Work empathically as a helper
Focus on the helpee’s needs and concerns
Use self-awareness in helping work
Use a range of counselling skills to facilitate the helping interaction
Use feedback and reflection to enhance counselling skills
The program is delivered over 15x 6-hour live, online sessions. The cohort contains no more than 18 people to enable a mixture of live skills demonstrations, practice, group discussions, reflective activities and didactic and interactive lectures.
There are additional reading lists, resources and reflective activities to enhance your learning.
Format: The course is delivered via live, online lectures, totalling 90 hours. The course totals 170 learning hours.
Duration: The course lasts 15 teaching weeks, totalling 90 live taught, interactive workshops. You will complete additional learning and skills practice outside of the taught sessions and submit your portfolio in the final week.
Support: You will have regular tutorials with your tutor, peer learning and complete regular learning reviews.
Assessment: Assessments include a written reflective assignment, two recordings of your actual skills in practice with a peer, reflective diary entries, self-assessment, a learning review and tutor- and peer-feedback of your counselling skills
Award: You will be awarded a recognised Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills, awarded by the CPCAB. This is the first step towards formal counselling training, required before progression onto the Level 3 and Level 4 courses.
TESTIMONIALS
What Our Clients Say
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"Alastair was structured, knowledgeable, thorough and generous in sharing his expertise and knowledge with regards to assessing ADHD. I have found the training thoroughly enjoyable and interesting, and I feel much closer to being prepared to begin assessments already."
"Alastair is a great teacher and explains things very well then checking back we all are clear and understand and if we have any questions. I am looking to complete a lower level counselling course but then complete a coaching qualification and if there were any courses related to this or they were offered by Alastair / Unlock Psychology I would definitely complete here."
"I really enjoyed today, Alastair is a great lecturer who kept me awake and engaged all day! The regular breaks are extremely helpful in maintaining engagement and motivation. There is a good balance of talking and activities and i feel the information provided was extremely clear and structured well."
5
average rating from 30+ Google reviews
The CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills costs £975 plus a £185 CPCAB registration fee. There are no extra or hidden costs.
The fee includes:
All teaching materials, including lecture slides, booklets, learning materials, resources and additional webinars
All taught components and tutorial support, including personal and professional development support
Personalised, developmental feedback on your assignment, including during skills demonstrations and for career progression
Payment plans include:
Non-refundable booking deposit of £200 taken upfront to confirm your place on the course, which is then deducted from the full fee.
We offer the following payment plan options:
Upfront payment of remaining course fee comes with a £50 discount, so £725 would be due 4 weeks before the course begins, or
Monthly payments of remaining course fee over 5 months at £155 per month
Upcoming start dates:
February 2027 cohort
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