Specialist Diploma in Relationship and Marital Counselling

Course details

The programme has been designed for:

Interested participants who have no experience in counselling but are willing to gain a basic entry qualification to professional counselling.
Professionals who wish to develop counselling skills and knowledge for application in their work areas such as in health, social services, educational, customer service, human resource and supervisory work settings.
Interested people with aspiration of becoming relationship and marital counsellor.
Professionals who wish to improve their skills and working with couples and helping them with their issues.
Couples who want to have more awareness on themselves and learn how to handle their own relationships.
The programme provides participants with:

A professional basic entry qualification to counselling
Opportunities for personal growth
Acquisition of crucial interpersonal skills and related knowledge.
An entry level qualifications in relationship and marital counselling
A knowledge on nature and issues on relationship and marriage as well as different techniques on counselling couples
The programme aims to:

Provide a basic level of knowledge about major approaches to counselling and psychotherapy.
Provide training in basic counselling skills and practice introduce the ethical and professional issues faced by counsellors in human service industries.
Introduce a basic level of knowledge and skills in working with different client groups and specific client issues.
Provide training for aspiring relationship and marital counsellors.
The programme features:

Integrates the 3 areas salient to counsellor training programmes:
Personal growth
Theoretical and research-based knowledge in counselling psychology
Skills in counselling.
Students are taught a range of counselling skills that can be applied across work settings and client groups.
Focuses on developing counsellor awareness including:
How the student's interpersonal style affects the counselling process
Students learning to reflect and learn from their training experiences.
Knowledge in understanding relationship and marriage.
Foundations skills on relationship and marriage counselling
Teaching Methods and Assessment

The programme will be delivered through lectures, group discussions, practical demonstrations, video presentations, practical and experiential exercises, case studies, and role-plays. Students will be assessed through written assignments, projects, oral presentations, and videotaped counselling project/examination.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the course, applicants must fulfil the following conditions:

Diploma holders in any field
Be at least 18 years of age
Mature-aged applicants not meeting the admission requirements are invited to apply as the program recognises relevant life experiences that students bring with them.
Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants may need to attend an interview.
Programme Modules

Participants are required to complete 4 modules that include:

Foundations of Counselling - Introduction to Counselling
- Counsellor Awareness
- Counselling Skills
- Counselling Process and Model
- Cognitive Interventions
- The Therapeutic Alliancea
- - Ms Jane Eirene Santos
- Mr Tan Choon Hooi, Klein
- Ms Karen Sciberras
- Mdm Tan Lay Geok
Counselling Psychology: Theory and Practice - Major theories of Counselling and Psychotherapy
- Theory-based Intervention Techniques/Styles
- Human Lifespan Development
- Counselling Specific Client Groups
- Multicultural Issues in Counselling
- Ethical and Professional Issues in Counselling
- - Ms Jane Eirene Santos
- Mr Tan Choon Hooi, Klein
- Ms Karen Sciberras
- Mdm Tan Lay Geok
Counselling on Specific Client Issues - Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Grief and Loss
- Self-esteem Issues
- Addiction Issues
- Relationship Issues
- Trauma
- - Ms Jane Eirene Santos
- Mr Tan Choon Hooi, Klein
- Ms Karen Sciberras
- Mdm Tan Lay Geok
Relationship & Marital
Counselling - Understanding Relationships, Divorce, Remarriage, Separation
- Family of Origin
- Communication Skills and Conflict Resolution
- Premarital Relationship and Counselling
- Solution and Problem Focused Therapy
- Emotion Focused Therapy
- Integrative Behavioural Couple Therapy
- Imago Therapy
- Couple Issues: Domestic Violence, Infidelity and Intimacy
- Couple Issues: Addictions, Stresses in Marriage (Financial Issues, Work, Children, In-laws)
- Keeping the marriage alive, rekindling the burning flame
- Self and Couple Assessment - Ms Jane Eirene Santos
- Mr Tan Choon Hooi, Klein
- Ms Karen Sciberras
- Mdm Ta