Centre for Professional Development and Lifelong Learning

Counselling

Effective counselling can change lives.  In the workplace, access to counselling can enhance employee morale, ability to cope with difficult people and tasks and increase productivity.  In the community setting, timely and meaningful intervention can help to rebuild broken relationships, and to avert the occurrence of societal ills such as abuse, violence and suicide.  Delivered by seasoned counsellors, our courses (beginners, intermediate and advanced) provide participants with the practical and theoretical toolbox necessary to make a real difference in the lives of others.

Counselling

Workplace and Community Counselling Skills

Workplace and Community Counselling Skills

Overview

Effective counselling and psychosocial support can help vulnerable individuals past challenges such as stress, distress, planned violence, the breakdown of relationships, challenges, suicide and burnout. This course is designed to equip individuals who, as a consequence of community or work related roles, are often called on to offer emotional support, but have no formal training in mental health or counselling. You will take away a practical counselling tool kit, and be positioned to transition to advanced training in counselling.

​Mode of Delivery: Face-to-Face ONLINE

What will I Learn?

By the end of the course, delegates should be able to:
  • Determine when and how to refer individuals for additional counselling services;
  • Utilize basic counselling tools and techniques to assist distressed individuals in their workplace and community;
  • Employ numerous listening and responding skills when providing counselling support.

Who Should do this Course

This course is aimed at persons who do not have a mental health background but provide psychosocial support in community or paid work environments (e.g. volunteers, HR practitioners, teachers, nurses).

Important Information

This course has been offered at a special rate, CLICK HERE to view Terms and Conditions

For our International/ Regional delegates who have successfully completed the requirements of obtaining their Certification, The Centre for Professional Development and Lifelong Learning would be more than happy to deliver your Certificate via a courier service for which you would be required to bear the cost. This sum must be paid to The UWI, Cave Hill Campus prior to dispatch of the certificate.

For more details, email cpdll@cavehill.uwi.edu and a representative will guide you accordingly.”

 

At a Glance

  • Registration: Open
  • Date: March 17-31, 2026
  • Time: Tuesdays & Thursdays; 5-8 PM
  • Duration: 2.5 weeks (15 hours)
  • Certificate Awarded: Professional Development Certificate of Competence
  • Course Code: PDLL 118
  • CEUs: 1.5
  • Capacity: 40
  • Cost: BBD$750.00/USD$375.00

The following topics will be addressed:

  • What is psychosocial support
  • Ethics and personal boundaries
  • Confidentiality
  • When to report and/or refer
  • How to refer and to whom
  • Helping people to make their own decisions
  • Active listening
  • A model for counselling
  • Stress and Distress
  • Coping
  • Suicidality
  • Psychological First Aid
  • Supportive Communication
  • Burnout and stress management
Students should be willing to learn basic counselling skills to enhance their work or progress to advanced training in counselling. Ideally, students should have some experience in caring for others (e.g. club work) and have a clean criminal record. In addition, if they have had a painful or traumatic experience, they should be able to talk about it without being overwhelmed.

This course will be fully interactive and will be conducted using an online platform using a combination of methods including presentations, discussions, case studies and role plays in break out rooms. face to face using a combination of methods, inclusive of: facilitator-led multi-media presentations and discussions, case studies, and role plays.

Joana Matthews

Qualifications: MBA, MSc. (Dist.), BA (Dist.), MBPsS, Mrs. Joana Matthews is a qualified Counsellor who has years of experience in education, youth development and psychology. She has a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology and is a current graduate student of Business and Human Resource Management. She is a graduate member of the British Psychology Society and a member of the Association of MBAs. Joana believes in evidence- based practices for prevention, intervention and response, and is passionate about alleviating the distress of her clients. Joana has published research about family risk factors and Conduct Disorder. Joana has been in private practice since 2012. Her practice involves counselling as well as consultancies in the areas of vocational counselling, positive behaviour support and mental health wellness in the workplace.