Self-test: Is the "Consultant (Cert.)" course the right one for me?

What does everyday working life look like?

Advice is available in countless, very different areas: Insurance advice, travel advice, advice on baby nutrition, nutritional advice in general, etc. What all forms of counseling have in common is the counseling situation: counseling is usually a conversation between counselors and individuals or groups in which information is passed on or certain actions are encouraged.

The advice we are talking about here isCounseling in the psychosocial field. Counselors advise their clients and try to help them gain clarity on specific topics, questions or problems and make decisions easier. This often involvesRelationship issues, dealing with stress and unfavorable behavioral patterns (addiction, anxiety) or questions of career and life design. Those receiving counseling develop their own ability to solve problems with the help of their counselor. Unlike psychotherapy, counseling does not treat (or diagnose) mental disorders, but offers practical help with current concerns. However, counselors recognize when it is appropriate to refer a client to a psychologically trained specialist for therapy.

At the beginning of a consultation, the topic is defined, the initial situation is evaluated and the consulting assignment is jointly defined. From this, the counselor draws up a counseling plan. The methods used are diverse and range from process-oriented or body-centered approaches to talk therapy, transactional analysis and mental techniques to Christian or spiritually oriented counseling approaches.

Counseling processes often involve a series of sessions and last a few weeks or months. Counseling tasks are often carried out in the context of one's own field of work, including the management or training of employees, but can be carried out in many different forms - up to and including self-employment - and, depending on the situation and assignment, involve tasks such as client administration, management, etc.

Who is the "Counselor (Cert.)" course suitable for?

Target group:

Courses and training programs in the area of consulting are aimed at people,

• who want to familiarize themselves with psychological topics and the forms of discussion, tasks, possibilities and limits of counselling
• who would like to perform advisory and/or support functions in their profession or in a voluntary capacity
• who are prepared to engage in a longer personal learning process.

Required qualities and skills:

• Empathy
• psychological interest
• Patience and flexibility
• good verbal expression
• Mental resilience
• Ability to self-reflect
• Sense of responsibility and discretion

Prerequisites

The conditions for admission to counselor training courses vary greatly and are set by the individual schools. Some schools do not require any specific prior education, but only a minimum age of 20 years or a minimum level of professional experience, while others require a basic education or work in the medical, social, adult education or similar field. field.

Many schools require an aptitude test for admission to the 3-4.5-year courses.

Admission to continuing education courses at universities and universities of applied sciences generally requires a university degree or a higher vocational education qualification and professional experience. It is often also possible to be admitted by submitting personal documents (so-called "sur dossier")

Learning material / learning content - skills taught

Training courses in counseling teach participants certain or various methods and concepts of psychosocial counseling - with different focuses and in varying depth depending on the training objective, duration and scope.

The training topics generally include:

• Psychological and method-specific basics
• Self-reflection, human image, ethics
• Areas of application of the consulting method(s)
• Counseling setting and course of the session (initial phase, action phase, integration phase and reorientation)
• Conversation / consultation
• Differentiation (e.g. against therapy), triage as a competence

Upon successful completion, participants will be able to advise individuals, teams and organizations. They will be able to plan, implement and evaluate counseling processes, know how to establish a professional relationship, define the objectives and course of the counseling session together with the client and react appropriately in critical situations.

Costs

The cost of training in counseling depends on the type and duration of the course, but is in the order of several thousand francs. For example, there are

• Training courses with 14 course days spread in blocks over one year at a cost of around CHF 5,500
• CAS at Universities of Applied Sciences and Universities cost around CHF 5000-7500.
• The costs for courses lasting 3-4.5 years range from around CHF 17,000 to CHF 25,000. In addition, there are often costs for the admission procedure, examinations and teaching materials. There may also be costs for external accommodation, seminar fees, etc.

The costs are usually invoiced in advance and by semester or per module.

If you then continue your education and pass the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) to become a psychosocial counselor with a federal diploma, you can apply for financial support from the federal government and receive up to 50% of the course costs paid back after passing the federal examination.

Course form and duration

Training courses in counseling are often modular in design withBasic modulesandAdvanced modules of varying scope and intensity. There are both compact introductory courses and courses that take place on one or two days spread over a longer period of time, thus allowing time for the necessary self-awareness and supervision that are also part of the training.

Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences also offer numerousCAS(Certificates of Advanced Studies) in counseling. The focus is often on an introduction to counseling in a specific context, such as "Counseling groups and teams", "Counseling in education", "Counseling in old age", etc.

The majority of courses are face-to-face and often take place on specific weekdays or weekends.Comprehensive training courses last 3-4.5 years.

For theRecognition by the industry association SGfB(Swiss Association for Counseling), training must include the following elements:

• At least 600 lessons in theory, self-awareness and supervision
• a written paper
• an oral examination
• At least 30 hours of client-related supervision

Once you have completed a counseling training course recognized by the SGfB, you are eligible for the Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education (Achtung: Englisch wie gleichg. Diploma in psychsozialer Beratung (AFPE)).

Conclusion

Upon successful completion of training in counseling, you will receive the corresponding school diploma or certificate. The titles awarded vary depending on the school and methodological direction, e.g:

• Consultant SGfB
• Existential analytical counselor
• Body-centered psychological counselor IKP
• Person-centered counseling pcaSuisse
• Psychosynthesis consultant

Some of the certificates or diplomas are recognized by the SGfB (Swiss Association for Counselling).

By completing a training course recognized by the SGfB and providing the necessary practical experience, you will be able to take the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) and obtain the Federal Diploma in Psychosocial Counselling.