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Bachelor of Counselling


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LEVEL 7

3 Years

BYOD

Bachelor of Counselling

It prepares students for work in a range of fields such as parishes, churches, family and health support services, community agency work and advocacy roles.

A Person-Centred approach is developed within a Christian faith-based learning environment. Openness toward diversity in culture, spirituality and worldview is highly valued, as is the importance of developing a mission or purpose in one’s life.

During this intensive year of study, students develop a strong understanding of counselling theory, including counselling process, self-awareness, human development, personal and professional boundaries, and principles of psychology.

On-campus counselling classes enhance the theoretical depth of students’ knowledge and awareness, underpinning the practical counselling experience. Over the two final years of study, students will complete 200 hours of face-to-face counselling practice within an approved agency, along with a minimum of one hour of external clinical supervision for every five hours of counselling practice.

The programme is underpinned by three core values and philosophical themes of learning which are embedded throughout all papers: Self-awareness, cultural sensitivity, and Christian worldview.

As Vision College offers the Bachelor of Counselling from a Christian faith-based perspective, it is intended to develop graduates who can enter the counselling field with the competence to work through body, mind and spiritual wellness, valuing the uniqueness of each individual in achieving holistic wellbeing or Te Whare Tapa Whā.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Counselling will have completed the requirements for provisional membership to the relevant professional bodies New Zealand Christian Counsellors Association (NZCCA) and New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC). This degree is accredited by the New Zealand Association of Counsellors.

Before you complete your online enrolment, please Click Here to download our application booklet. This will give you a clear understanding of the process to follow and all of the required documents to enable you to enrol. Once you have enrolled online, you can then complete these additional documents and email them to christchurch@visioncollege.ac.nz.

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts.
Use them well to serve one another.
– 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)

 

Available Campuses: Christchurch

Upcoming Intakes

Christchurch
6 Feb 2023

Fees

Domestic Fees
$18,450 (3 Years)

International Fees *
$50,022 (3 Years)

Fees listed are indicative only and may vary with course selection. Exact fees can be confirmed when you enquire or apply.
* International learners are required to pay additional costs to attend one of our courses or programmes. These additional costs include medical and travel insurance cover.

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WHAT WILL YOU LEARN

Year 1 - CORE PAPERS

  • Person-Centred Counselling
    Introducing the philosophy and approach to Person-Centred Counselling in which you will develop both personally and professionally in its practice and processes.
  • Counselling Approaches
    Introducing major contemporary approaches to counselling from historical and theoretical perspectives.
  • Introduction to Psychology, Assessment & Critical Thinking
    Introducing the concepts and principles of psychology and their application to human behaviour and counselling. You will also be familiarised with the application of assessment, including case formulation, goal setting and risk assessment.
  • Introduction into Theology
    Introducing basic Christian theology and identifying strategies for integrating theology into person-Centred counselling.
  • Personal and Professional Formation
    Developing awareness of personal and professional boundaries, personality, Christian spirituality and holistic wellbeing.
  • Aotearoa New Zealand Society
    Introducing sociological and cultural perspectives for understanding Aotearoa New Zealand society, including the significance of the Treaty of Waitangi, issues of social and cultural diversity, and questions of power and justice.
  • Lifespan Human Development
    Describing human development across the lifespan from a holistic perspective, introduce attachment theory, and explore their relevance to counselling practice in Aotearoa New Zealand

YEAR 2 - CORE PAPERS

  • Person-Centred Counselling
    Developing personal awareness and apply Person-Centred theory and practice in placement work with clients
  • Personal and Professional Integration
    Integrating self-awareness, personal growth, Christian spirituality, and person-centred philosophy into a holistic way of being personal and professional.
  • Supervised Professional Practice
    Developing professional competency by integrating theoretical learning into supervised counselling practice within an approved agency context.
  • Working with Contextual Issues
    Evaluating and applying therapeutic models and interventions, and developing professional competencies, around contextual issues.
  • Cultural Competency for Counselling in Aotearoa NZ
    Developing competency and ethical cultural practices counselling Māori and other cultures in Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • Working with Family Members
    Exploring the concept of family and relationships from historical, cultural, and Christian perspectives

YEAR 3 - CORE PAPERS

  • Personal and Professional Integration
    Reviewing personal and professional integration as a practising counsellor.
  • Supervised Professional Practice
    Further extending the integration of counselling theory and practice within an approved setting, and developing a professional practice and identity.
  • Mental Health and Disorders
    Developing holistic knowledge of mental health and disorders, identifying appropriate approaches and interventions for these presentations, applying this knowledge to counselling practice, and exploring ethical, cultural, and spiritual perspectives on mental health care.
  • Working with Contemporary Ethical Issues
    Developing professional competencies around contemporary issues in counselling, integrating ethical, legal and Biblical knowledge and understanding.

Year 3 - Electives

  • Introduction to Research
  • Creative Therapies
  • Counselling Children and Young People
  • Grief and Loss Counselling
  • Alcohol, Drugs, and Addictions
  • Abuse and Trauma Counselling
  • Working with Couple Relationships
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS WILL YOU GET

Bachelor of Counselling (Level 7)

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
  • For students aged 24+.
  • Complete a New Zealand Police Vetting Service Request and Consent Form.
  • Provide evidence of good character and personal attributes via referee reports.
  • Provide evidence of ability to succeed at undergraduate study level. The application process requires applicants to submit written work which will be evaluated for literacy and comprehension levels.
  • Attend an interactive group selection day and an individual interview as part of the application process. Applicants need to show their ability, and readiness, to fully engage with the course requirements.
  • Provide evidence of an appropriate level of computer literacy. This will be evaluated during the selection process.
  • Applicants may be encouraged to complete a Tertiary level study preparation certificate or equivalent prior to commencement depending upon academic skills/ability.
  • Domestic applicants whose first language is not English will be interviewed to assess their level of English competency and may be required to complete a placement indicator test.

Provisional Entry:

  • Provisional Entry may be granted to domestic applicants who do not meet the criteria above, but present evidence of ability to succeed and are able to show they are well prepared to study the programme.

International Students:

  • International students for whom English is a second language must have an IELTS Academic score of 6.5 with no individual band lower than 6.0, or a recognised equivalent test.
  • International students are required to obtain a police certificate from their country of origin.

 

BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE REQUIREMENTS

Our Counselling programmes require you to bring your own device (BYOD) for study at Vision College.
Below are the minimum specifications required for this programme, anything less than this will not open the programmes required.

Windows 10 Operating System (from January 2020 any Windows version less than 10 will not be able to connect to the ATC Vision College wireless network)
Intel Celeron
4GB of memory
320GB+ Hard Drive or 128GB+ Solid State Drive
Across our programmes we use Microsoft Windows based applications.

Career Opportunities

Psychotherapist - Kaihaumanu Hinengaro

Psychotherapists help individuals, couples or groups identify, understand, and manage emotional and behavioural problems.

Youth Worker - Kaimahi Taiohi

Youth workers support young people, work with them and their families, help them build healthy connections, and give guidance in health, education, training and employment.

Become a Counsellor - Kaitohutohu

Counsellors help people to deal with their feelings and responses, solve problems and create change in their lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! Over the second and third years of the Bachelor of Counselling course you will complete over 200 hours of face-to-face supervised counselling practice. This will give you the chance to experience what its like working in a counselling profession, while learning valuable knowledge and skills.

Yes! Each year of the Bachelor of Counselling is able to be taken part time and spread over two years. Complete the full degree in 3-6 years

Studying for a qualification is a serious commitment, like a full-time job, so any work should be part-time and not interfere with your classes or study.

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