Are you passionate about helping those who are suffering right now from mental health problems? All too often superb professionals and parents with such warmth in their hearts can be left feeling helpless and hopeless because they just don't have the knowledge and skills to support children and young people properly.
This flexible training programme co-run by The Institute for Arts in Therapy and Education (Academic Partner of the University of East London) and Centre for Child Mental Health will support you develop the skills you need to make a real difference.
As part of this course you will also receive a Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
How to Apply: Complete an online application form and we'll be in touch.
Who it is for: Anyone working with children and young people or parents who would like to develop their skills, or those looking for a stepping stone to a career in Counselling.
Duration/Format: 10 x 2 hr pre recorded modules & 2 x webinars (watch anytime to suit you), plus 6 x live online days: 27th & 28th Sept 2025, 25th & 26th Oct 2025, 22nd & 23rd Nov 2025.
Admission Requirements: Anyone working with children and young people, no prior experience required.
Next Start Date: 27th Sept (live online days), self study modules can be started anytime.
Fees: £995
About the training
- Gain key counselling skills to enable you to develop a meaningful dialogue with a child/teenager in ways which enable them to develop psychological awareness and be able to process painful life events in the safety of a warm empathic therapeutic relationship.
- Learn skills in forming a working alliance, active listening, developing therapeutic presence, unconditional positive regard, how to voice validating empathic responses, collaborative sense making, narrative competence (how to respond to their story about a key life event) use of arts and imagery to deepen communication
- Provide corrective emotional experience to enable children/ young people to develop self-compassion, assertiveness, self-worth
- Gain a wealth of knowledge of the causes and healing of mental health problems.
Part One: Child and Adolescent Mental Health
As this is a rolling programme, you can complete part one at any time. Once accepted on the course, you will be given access to all 10 x 2 hours sessions (recorded). Alternatively, depending which month you join, you can choose to attend session/s live streamed instead.
- 10 x 2-hour child and adolescent mental health forums (one or two Thursday evenings a month or watch the recording in your own time). For dates, please see: www.childmentalhealthcentre.org/online-courses
- 2 additional mental health webinars on therapeutic relational skills (watch in your own time)
- Assessment: Multiple choice to assess your assimilation of the course content.
- On successful pass of the Part 1 assessment you will receive a Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
- Please note that it is fine to begin Part 2 before you have completed Part 1.
Part Two: From Mental Health Theory to Therapeutic Practice: Counselling Skills
Days run from 10 am to 5pm each day
- 27th and 28th September 2025 (online)
- 25th and 26th October 2025 (online)
- 22nd and 23rd November 2025 (online)
The final day will include an assessment. You can attend the training without doing the assessment and will receive a Certificate of Attendance rather than the full award.
If you have any questions about the course feel free to email us at
