Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Start date(s): September 2026
- Centre(s): Greenheys
- Course duration: 2 years (part-time)
- Fee for 2026/27: £3500 (please see funding tab for further information)
Course details
The Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling qualification gives you practitioner status to conduct yourself as a counselling practitioner. You will develop your therapeutic counselling skills and be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of counselling in a therapeutic setting.
This course is an approved cpcab qualification.
On this course, you will be learning the Integrative Approach to Counselling and cover the following topics:
- Professional organisational issues in counselling: ethics, standards, supervision, confidentiality, boundaries, potential organisational conflict and relationships.
- Counselling in a diverse society: impact of difference on client and counsellor relationship and cultural impact on the therapeutic relationship.
- Advanced counselling skills: managing therapeutic counselling work and placing.
- Counselling theory: analysis of one model of counselling and comparisons of other therapeutic models.
- Research methodologies: recognise the importance of research in counselling practice.
- Self-awareness for counsellors: relating theory to practice and consider the importance of self in relation to others and the therapeutic relationship.
- Counselling placement (100 hours of client contact): linking theory to practice and evaluation of the supervisory process in relation to client and counsellor.
This course is delivered face-to-face in a classroom at our adult learning centres.
For this course, you will be required to create a portfolio of evidence meeting the assessment criteria for the qualification.
You will be assessed through a variety of assessment methods, including written assignments, a research project, video-recorded practical assessments and fitness-to-practice assessments from your tutor. Your external supervisor will also produce a report on your progress at 50 hours and 100 hours of client placement.
For this course, you will need to have a Level 2 English and maths qualification.
You will also need to have completed the Level 3 Diploma in Counselling prior to joining the course.
You will also need access to a laptop or PC and be digitally confident to complete assignments throughout the course. You can apply to our Chromebook loan system if you do not have a suitable device.
For the 2026/27 academic year the fee for this course is £3500.
Learners can request financial support to help partially cover this fee through an Advanced Learner Loan to the sum of £2882.
We will then arrange for you to pay the remaining balance directly to Manchester Adult Education Service in instalments throughout the duration of your course.
Career and progression routes
After successfully completing this course, you may wish to progress onto higher level counselling courses with other education providers such as:
- Level 5 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling
- Level 5 Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Skills and Theory
- Level 5 Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling
- Level 5 Diploma in Counselling Children and Young People.
You may also wish to explore the higher education route and attend university.
This course also allows you to gain the knowledge, understanding and skills required for employment within the counselling profession.