Counselling HNC

Course overview

Before applying to this course, you must have undertaken our Level 6 Counselling for Beginners (or other equivalent training in counselling). These are essential steps in our counselling training pathway, which culminates in our new Higher National Diploma, which we hope to launch in August 2026 and, if completed, enables students to apply to become a Registered Counsellor with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Counselling is a unique way of helping people to become a more authentic and complete version of themselves. This requires enhancing our communication and listening skills, as well as a broad understanding of theories of human psychological and personality development.

Our HNC aims to offer you a transformative experience in which you will learn to recognise, confront and challenge your inner processes, identify your psychological and emotional strengths, and identify the areas that most require development and growth.

The HNC is aimed at those working in or seeking to work in a variety of counselling settings. It may also be attractive to workers in the wider care, advice or guidance settings where counselling skills are becoming increasingly important. The course is the gateway to the Higher National Diploma in Counselling, which, upon successful completion, allows students to apply to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy for registration as fully qualified counsellors. The course is also sufficient to equip students to apply for post-graduate studies at the university level in counselling or other related fields, and many of our students progress to Edinburgh University, Abertay University and Strathclyde University. 

The course recognises and responds to changes in counselling provision across the profession and provides a flexible framework to meet employers' changing needs in the sector.

The course emphasises your personal development, and over the year (or two years part-time), you will work on building strong self-awareness and assertiveness, developing challenging skills, and learning to work with confrontation. The course will direct you towards reflective practice and facilitate the emergence of your unique style of listening and helping.

All courses depend on there being sufficient students allocated to them.

For more information, contact: scott.hislen@edinburghcollege.ac.uk.

• The course involves a significant study of historical and contemporary theories and concepts around counselling and psychotherapy. This includes Person-Centred and other Humanistic approaches, Freudian and other Psychodynamic approaches and Cognitive and Behavioural approaches.
• A Personal Development group runs throughout the course, intertwined with modules in Group Counselling Skills, Self-Evaluation, and Personal Effectiveness, to develop your understanding of yourself, your relationships with others, and your past and its impact on who you are today. We also look at self-care and building your resilience when dealing with difficult situations and listening to difficult material in listening sessions.
• You will also study counselling approaches to Loss, Grief and Bereavement, Counselling Supervision and other subjects relevant to the counselling field.
• Counselling Skills training continues throughout the course, working with colleagues in the classroom.
• There is a compulsory residential weekend course (Saturday and Sunday) in May or June 2025.

Placement information

• At the HNC level, you do not need to be in placement, but it is very highly recommended that you undertake some work in the helping professions relevant to counselling to build up your experience base, particularly if you want to progress to the HND in counselling.

How the course is assessed

• A Graded Unit. This equates to approximately 480 hours of study (or an alternative Unit if directed by the SQA).
• Practical and experiential work is an essential component of the course, and students are assessed on their participation, attendance and ability to reflect on their practice.
• This course is also assessed through reports, essays, practical sessions and SQA national assessments.

Number of days per week

• Full-time over one year: three days per week (Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday 9 AM to 4 PM) 
• Part-time over two years: one day per week (Currently Tuesday 1.15 PM to 7.45 PM).
• The days and times are subject to change.

Entry requirements

• Applicants must have completed the Level 6 Counselling for Beginners course at Edinburgh College.
• We may also consider applicants who have completed alternative relevant qualifications, such as a COSCA Counselling Skills Certificate.
• You may also be eligible if you have previously completed both Level 5 Introduction to Counselling and Level 6 Counselling Theory for Practice.
• All eligible applicants will be invited to attend a group interview as part of the selection process.

English Proficiency Requirements

Progression and Articulation Routes

• Higher National Diploma level training in Counselling (BACP Registration).
• University entrance to Mental Health Nursing, Social Sciences, or Post-Graduate Counselling Courses.
• Employment in the mental health and voluntary sectors.

Career options

• Employment in the mental health and voluntary sectors.