Diploma & BSc (Hons) in Addiction Counselling

Eligibility:

• Applicants should possess a maturity to reflect on their own development as a person.
• Relevant experience is an advantage but not essential.
• Entry is by application form and interview.

Students can expect to be provided with advice and support concerning any learning difficulties that they may encounter. Any diagnosed learning difficulty, e.g. dyslexia, must be noted on application.

Students require sufficient IT skills to complete the course. Workshops including essay skills will be provided to assist with the practicalities of written work. These workshops are currently provided free and attendance is mandatory.
In years 3 & 4 as degree students become more independent learners, tutorials, seminar, and career development sessions will be provided.

YEAR 1

• Personal & Lifespan Development
• Skills & Strategies of Counselling
• Addiction: Theories & Approaches

AWARD: PCI COLLEGE CERTIFICATE IN ADDICTION COUNSELLING

YEAR 2

• Humanistic & Cognitive-Behavioural Approaches
• Personal Development & Advanced Counselling Skills
• Universal Issues in Counselling: (Loss & Sexuality)
• Clinical Placement - Part 1

Additional Course Requirements:

• At least 100 hours of work with clients
• Attend 25 sessions with a qualified supervisor to review your client work
• 50 hours personal therapy

AWARD: PCI COLLEGE DIPLOMA IN ADDICTION COUNSELLING
(Need to continue to Degree for Professional Qualification)

YEAR 3

• Family/Systemic Counselling: Theory & Skills
• Clinical Placement - Part 2
• Research Methods
• Personal & Professional Development

YEAR 4

• Clinical Placement - Case Study
• Proposition Essay
• Plus two of the following:
• Drug Abuse in Ireland
• Sexual Addictions
• Dual Diagnosis

Additional Course Requirements:

• At least 400 hours of work with clients (including hours completed for Diploma)
• Attend 100 sessions with a qualified supervisor to review your client work (including hours completed for Diploma)
• 100 hours personal therapy  (including hours completed for Diploma)

AWARD: MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY
BSC (HONS) IN ADDICTION COUNSELLING
Professional Qualification Recognised by the IAAAC
(Irish Association of Alcohol & Addiction Counsellors)
 

All PCI College Lecturers are highly qualified, experienced individuals who hold a minimum of a Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy or a Diploma in Addiction Counselling and are practising Counsellors accredited with the IACP. Many hold MSc.s in specialist fields.

Students are supported through the degree programmes by our Core Tutors, making this a truly unique adult education experience.

Since our foundation we have taken the steps necessary to ensure the delivery of a quality service in an environment that is characterised by an attitude to adult learners that is supportive and encouraging. We aim to provide an experience of learning that will develop in students a hunger for reflective and critical analysis.

Our learning programmes are designed to be participative, experiential and to draw whenever possible on prior lived experience. The academic value of programmes is enhanced by a learning environment that is warm, transparent, and genuine. Learners and staff interact in a mutual effort to engage in and promote the concept of lifelong learning.

Our Core Tutors take a holistic view of the student. They provide support through one-to-one and group sessions for students facing academic and non-academic problems. In co-operation with our lecturers, and other college departments, they monitor student participation in professional degree programmes including academic assignments, clinical work, and personal development.

For a full list of our Core Training Staff, please click here.

Addiction Counselling is a fulfilling career and can change your life as well as others. Alcohol and Addiction Counsellors are specifically trained to relate to and treat people who are concerned about their use of alcohol, other mood altering drugs, whether street drugs or prescription medication and other addictive behaviours like gambling, food, sex, internet, shopping and others. Addiction Counsellors work to alleviate personal suffering and encourage change.

Once you have completed our Degree in Addiction Counselling, you have completed the training requirements for accreditation with the IAAAC. For full information on becoming accredited with the IAAAC, please click here. The Irish Association for Alcohol and Addiction Counsellors (IAAAC) is an organisation that promotes the highest standards in Addiction counselling. IAAAC accredit those applicant counsellors who have qualified by completing the required academic third level degree and have subsequently gained the required work practice in addiction therapy. Established since 1990, their database shows almost one thousand memberships.

Today more than ever there is a massive need for trained addiction counsellors and psychotherapists in Ireland. Indeed there is increased acknowledgement of the growing need for Counsellors within the HSE, Community Primary Care Groups, Schools and the Private Sector. Our BSc (Hons) in Addiction Counselling ensures that you have equipped yourself with the necessary qualification and training to be recognised and effective. Once you have completed your professional training, there are many routes open to you; You may wish to set up a Private Practice, join an agency or work for an organisation such as the HSE, a School, a Charity or a State-Body.

If you would like to continue your education, PCI College now offer a Masters in Integrative Counselling.

What’s the deadline for Degree course applications?
There is no deadline.  The course is filled on a first come, first served basis.  We have no closing date, however, the first round of interviews are held in March each year.  Degree courses only commence in February and September of each year. Those that are successful at interview are offered their first choice of time and location.  We recommend that you send in your application as soon as possible otherwise you may not get your first choice.

Can I get accredited with the IAAAC after completing this course?
Yes, our BSc (Hons) in Addiction Counselling is now the only course recognised by the IAAAC.

What level on the NFQ is the course?
The BSc (Hons) in Addiction Counselling is awarded by MU University and is Level 8 on NFQ.

How many are in a class?
We keep classes small in year 1 and year 2 (18 students), we aim to provide students with experiences and opportunities which will enable them to develop their potential in a supportive, stimulating and challenging environment, where ideas are discussed freely and where there is a sense of sharing in a continuing process of self-discovery.

Do the College help students source the 400 hours Counselling Practice?
Yes, we have a Clinical Placement Officer who helps students find placements within organisations that we have relationships with. We also offer a Low Cost Counselling service from the college which is designed to assist students complete their necessary client work and because we believe that lack of funds should not be a barrier for people who need counselling

Are there any exams?
No, the course is all continuous assessment.

I have been out of education awhile; I am concerned about the assignments?
We have an essay writing workshop at the start of each year to outline how to write and reference assignments properly and outline the standard expected each year. We also have readers in place which you can send your assignments to, to be checked before marking.

Are the fees taxes deductable?
Yes

Is there a Payment Scheme?
In order to facilitate students, PCI College introduced a payment plan. The course can be paid in 3 fixed payments due in September, November & February. There is no extra charge for this option.

Is the BSc programme accredited by Higher Education and Training Awards Council of Ireland (HETAC)? 
No, the BSc Programme is not accredited with HETAC, this course is validated by Middlesex University.  PCI College are an accredited HETAC provider and also offer a BA in Counselling & Psychotherapy which is accredited by HETAC.

What job opportunities are there for addiction counsellors?
The field of counselling & psychotherapy is very broad.  Some graduates are working part-time in private practice, some are working full time in e.g. HSE or schools or addiction centres or charities etc, and some have pursued their own area of interest by providing a new service in their community.  From surveys of graduates, most are working at least part-time in counselling & psychotherapy but some are simply continuing with their original career e.g. teachers, Garda Síochána etc.