Introduction to counselling skills in the workplace

Course summary

In organisations, we often encounter a range of complex and sensitive conversations with our team members and colleagues. This one-day course has been specifically developed to give individuals the skills and confidence to support people in the workplace as well as knowing about personal and professional boundaries.

This one-day introduction to counselling skills in the workplace training covers basic, and safe, counselling skills which you can use to be supportive of others and improve your personal and professional relationships. You’ll learn more about listening skills and responding skills and there are several opportunities for practice in a safe and confidential environment.

This course won’t teach you how to be a counsellor, but it will provide you with a practical toolkit which you can use in a range of contexts. You will be introduced to the person centred approach to counselling and how this can be applied in the workplace.
You will learn how to communicate in a confident supportive way, with a focus on developing skills that will benefit you, your colleagues, and your organisation.

Course dates and location

We can deliver this course virtually for your organisation, on a date and time that suits you. If you have four or more people who would like to attend this course then group training could be the most cost-effective option. Contact one of our Training Coordinators on 020 7490 3030 or email for more information and a quote.

If you would like to attend this course then register your interest with us. Currently, this course is run on request meaning that a date will be scheduled once we have at least three people interested in attending this course. 

  • There are no dates available at the moment.
  • Course outline

    The course will cover: 

    • counselling and its underpinning philosophies
      • person centered therapy
      • cognitive behavioral therapy
      • psychodynamic therapy
    • problems in the workplace
      • what are they and where do they come from
    • the core conditions
      • empathy
      • unconditional positive regard
      • congruence
    • establishing and maintaining a helping relationship
      • contracting as a helper
      • the importance of boundaries
      • barriers to effective helping
    • counselling skills
      • active listening such as paraphrasing and the use of questions
      • non-verbal communication
      • giving advice?
      • ending a session appropriately
      • other counselling tools
    • mental health in the work place
      • supporting someone to further support
      • self-care
    • a year of free support

    All our training courses are delivered virtually. The webinar systems used do not require software download.

  • Who is this course for?

    This Counselling skills in the workplace course It is a particularly useful for team leaders or managers who may, as part of their role, need to develop and support junior colleagues

  • What will this course help me do: learning outcomes?

    At the end of our Introduction to counselling skills course you will:
    • identify the qualities and behaviours of effective counsellors/helpers
    • understand the types of counselling and their underpinning philosophies
    • develop skills in establishing and maintaining a helping relationship
    • develop and awareness of barriers to effective helping
    • understand your limitations as a helper and how to refer for other support
    • understand the importance of boundaries in counselling/helping relationships
    • gain experience in using active listening skills such as a paraphrasing and questioning
    • learn to deliver advice in a way that respects the autonomy of a colleague
    • appreciate the significance of effective self-care strategies when supporting colleagues in the workplace

  • Course fee
    • £469 plus VAT not-for-profit price (applies to charities and all other not-for-profit organisations, including public sector and housing)
    • £522 plus VAT standard price (applies to all other organisations)