1Course description
The six-month Counselling Practical Internship at the National Institute of Applied Psychology (NIAP) provides structured training in foundational counselling skills and ethical helping practices. The curriculum covers rapport building, active listening, empathic communication, preliminary helping interviews, case documentation, goal setting, introductory counselling approaches, stress-management strategies and referral awareness.
Through demonstrations, simulated counselling sessions, case-based learning, reflective practice and authorised supervised observation, trainees strengthen their communication skills, professional boundaries, cultural sensitivity and understanding of client-centred support. The programme emphasises confidentiality, client safety and working within the limits of training and competence.
2Month-wise modules
Module 1
Foundations of Counselling
Month 1 · 40 hours
Theory
- •Meaning, nature, scope and objectives of counselling
- •Counselling, psychotherapy, coaching and advice-giving: key distinctions
- •Roles and responsibilities of counsellors
- •Overview of person-centred, cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic and solution-focused approaches
- •Basic principles of human development and behaviour
- •Counselling settings: educational, family, community, workplace and mental health services
- •Professional values, cultural awareness and reflective practice
Practical
- •Observation of counselling demonstrations
- •Self-awareness and values exercises
- •Identification of effective and ineffective helping responses
Module 2
Communication and Helping Skills
Month 2 · 60 hours
Theory
- •Establishing rapport and psychological safety
- •Active listening and attending behaviour
- •Open-ended and closed-ended questions
- •Empathy, paraphrasing and reflection of feelings
- •Clarification, summarising and appropriate silence
- •Verbal and non-verbal communication
- •Responding to hesitation, emotional expression and resistance
- •Beginning and ending a counselling conversation
Practical
- •Structured listening exercises
- •Empathy and reflection role-plays
- •Peer observation and feedback
- •Counselling skills checklists
Module 3
Counselling Interviews and Case Documentation
Month 3 · 70 hours
Theory
- •Preparing for an initial counselling session
- •Exploring presenting concerns and client expectations
- •Gathering relevant personal, family, educational, occupational and social history
- •Identifying client strengths, needs and support systems
- •Collaborative goal setting and preliminary helping plans
- •Informed consent and limits of confidentiality
- •Session notes, progress records and secure recordkeeping
- •Referral criteria and limits of a counsellor's role
Practical
- •Simulated intake interviews
- •Preparation of case summaries
- •Sample counselling notes
- •Informed-consent discussions and referral exercises
Module 4
Counselling Approaches and Helping Strategies
Month 4 · 70 hours
Theory
- •Person-centred counselling: empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard
- •Introduction to cognitive behavioural approaches
- •Relationships between thoughts, feelings and behaviours
- •Solution-focused questions and strengths-based practice
- •Psychoeducation and collaborative problem-solving
- •Basic stress-management and relaxation strategies
- •Motivational interviewing fundamentals
- •Goal setting, action planning and reviewing progress
Practical
- •Role-play using fictional case scenarios
- •Developing basic helping plans
- •Practising goal-setting conversations
- •Supervisor feedback on counselling skills
Module 5
Counselling Applications and Risk Awareness
Month 5 · 80 hours
Theory
- •Academic stress and adjustment difficulties
- •Career exploration and decision-making
- •Relationship and family communication difficulties
- •Grief, loss and major life transitions
- •Supportive counselling for stress, anxiety and low mood
- •Counselling considerations for adolescents and young adults
- •Cultural, family and community influences
- •Recognising abuse, self-harm and suicide risk
- •Crisis escalation, safety procedures and referral pathways
- •Multidisciplinary collaboration
Practical
- •Case-based discussions
- •Simulated challenging conversations
- •Referral and risk-escalation exercises
- •Supervised observation where authorised
Module 6
Supervised Practicum and Final Evaluation
Month 6 · 80 hours
Theory
- •Integration of communication and interviewing skills
- •Ethical review of counselling situations
- •Professional boundaries and confidentiality
- •Reflective practice and use of supervision
Practical
- •Supervised observation in an authorised setting, where available
- •Simulated or authorised supervised helping interviews
- •Preparation of case summaries and goal plans
- •Session documentation and reflective records
- •De-identified case presentation
- •Final internship portfolio, report and viva voce
3Learning outcomes
By the end of the internship, trainees should be able to:
- Explain the purpose, scope and limitations of counselling.
- Demonstrate rapport-building, active listening and empathic communication.
- Conduct a structured preliminary helping interview in a simulated or appropriately supervised setting.
- Identify client concerns, strengths and collaboratively agreed goals.
- Demonstrate introductory counselling strategies within their level of training.
- Prepare concise, factual and confidential counselling notes.
- Recognise urgent risk indicators and follow appropriate escalation and referral procedures.
- Apply cultural sensitivity, professional boundaries and ethical principles.
- Use reflection and supervisor feedback to improve their practical skills.
4Training hours
| Foundations of counselling | 40 hrs |
| Communication and helping skills | 60 hrs |
| Interviews and documentation | 70 hrs |
| Counselling approaches | 70 hrs |
| Applications and risk awareness | 80 hrs |
| Supervised practicum and final evaluation | 80 hrs |
| Total (6 months) | 400 hrs |
5Assessment
| Attendance and professional conduct | 10% |
| Counselling role-play and communication skills | 20% |
| Initial interview and case-note assignment | 15% |
| Counselling plan and intervention exercise | 15% |
| Case presentation and reflective journal | 20% |
| Final internship report and viva voce | 20% |
| Total | 100% |
Completion requires the approved training hours, submitted assignments and satisfactory practical and ethical competence.
6Records and assignments
- Attendance and training-hours logbook
- Counselling skills practice checklist
- Role-play observation and feedback forms
- Simulated intake interview and case summary
- Sample counselling session notes
- Collaborative goal-setting and helping-plan assignment
- Risk-recognition and referral exercise
- Reflective journal
- De-identified case presentation, where permitted
- Final internship report and supervisor evaluation
7Eligibility and supervision
- Eligibility:
- Psychology students or graduates, subject to NIAP's approved admission criteria.
- Supervision:
- Client-related activities are authorised and supervised by an appropriately qualified professional.
- Client protection:
- Informed consent and confidentiality, including their limits, are explained before relevant activities.
- Professional boundaries:
- Trainees do not independently manage high-risk cases or provide services beyond their competence.
- Referral:
- Cases needing specialist assessment or emergency intervention are escalated through established procedures.
- Privacy:
- Fictional or de-identified case material is used in assignments and presentations.