Do I need previous counselling experience?

No. The course is suitable for people who are new to counselling, as well as those working in people-centered roles who would like to strengthen their communication and relational skills.

Is this an accredited qualification?

No. Counselling Foundamentals is a non-accredited introductory course. It does not qualify participants to practice professionally as counsellors.

Will I practice counselling skills?

Yes. The course includes partner exercises, simulated sessions, demonstrations adn group activities to help you apply what you are learning.

What are the two ProcessWork counselling sessions?

You will be assigned a first-year Graduate Diploma trainee counsellor and participate in two online counselling sessions. These sessions allow you to experience ProcessWork from the client's perspective and support the integration of your learning.

Is this suitable if I am unsure about becoming a counsellor?

Yes. The course gives you an opportunity to experience introductory counselling training and the Pathways approach before deciding whether you would like to pursue a longer qualification.

Will completing this course guarantee entry into the Graduate Diploma?

No. The course may contribute to an alternative entry pathway for applicants who do not hold the usual formal qualification. Admission decisions are made individually and consider the applicant's education, professional and life experience, readiness and suitability for postgraduate study.

How much does the course cost?

The course fee is $1,000. If you successfully complete the course and subsequently enrol in the Graduate Diploma, $250 will be credited towards your Graduate Diploma course fees.

Foundations of Counselling:
A 7-week online Bridging Course

Got the passion but not quite the credentials? Try this pathway that will help build your equivalency!

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Format

Fully Online
7 Live interactive classes via Zoom
Hands on practice
TWO ProcessWork counselling sessions with a GD trainee counsellor

Duration and Time Commitment

7 teaching weeks
2-3 hours of engagement with weekly resources
Additional reflection time

Class Length

7 x 1 hour live classes 12pm - 1pm AEST
Assessments and other learning all on online learning platform

Fee

$1000 (with $250 credited to Graduate Diploma course)

Are you interested in becoming a counsellor, developing strong communication skills or exploring whether counselling and psychotherapy are right for you?

Counselling Fundamentals

A Process-Oriented Approach is a practical and experiential seven-week online course introducing the foundational skills and ideas that underpin effective counselling relationships.

Grounded in Arnold Mindell's Process-Oriented Psychology- also known as ProcessWork- the course will teach you to listen beyond words and notice how a person's experience may be communicated through emotions, body sensations, movement, sounds, images, dreams and relationship patterns.

You will learn through live classes, demonstrations, practical exercises, reflective activities and your own experience of ProcessWork counselling.

No previous counselling experience is required.

At Pathways Psychology Institute, we believe counselling cannot be learnt from theory alone.

Our teaching is experiential, relational and hands-on. Rather than relying on formulas or fixed techniques, ProcessWork encourages us to approach each person with curiosity and to follow the unique way the experience unfolds.

Throughout the course, you will practice foundational counselling skills while developing the self-awareness, presence and openness needed to use those skills with care.

Difference is our Strength

Who is this course for?

Do you want to strengthen your listening, communication and relationship skills?

Are you interested in trauma-informed practice, personal development or ProcessWork?

Are you exploring a possible alternative entry pathway into our Graduate Diploma?

THEN THIS COURSE WILL SUIT YOU!

Your Seven-Week Learning Journey

2026-2027 Class Dates

Week	Date	Time
1	Monday 16 November 2026	12:00pm - 1:00pm
2	Monday 23 November 2026	12:00pm - 1:00pm
3	Tuesday 8 December 2026	12:00pm - 1:00pm
4	Monday 14 December 2026	12:00pm - 1:00pm
5	Monday 11 January 2027	12:00pm - 1:00pm
6	Monday 18 January 2027	12:00pm - 1:00pm
7	Monday 25 January 2027	12:00pm - 1:00pm

What will you learn?

Track the Unfolding Process

Learn to notice the subtle and dynamic flow of human experience across verbal and non-verbal communication. You will begin exploring how experience can be expressed through body sensations, movement, sound, images, dreams and relationship pattern

CULTIVATE DEEPER PRESENCE

Develop a "not-knowing mind" - an open and non-judgemental attitude that allows you to be genuinely present with another person without rushing to interpret, advise or solve their problem

Develop foundational counselling skills

Practice active listening, empathy, unconditional positive regard and skilful questioning through distinctive lens of ProcessWork

Recognise opportunities for growth

Learn about "edges", "flirts", "hot spots" and "trouble spots"- moments of uncertainty, discomfort or conflict that may offer valuable opportunities for awareness and change

Explore Deep democracy

Discover the ProcessWork principle of Deep Democracy, which values the different voices, feelings and experiences present within an individual, relationship, group or wider system

Strengthen your self-awareness

Explore how your own responses and inner attitudes influence the way you listen and relate to others. You will be introduced to meta-skills and Ghost Roles as tools for developing greater awareness and congruence

What you may gain from the course

Develop foundational listening and communication skills
Understand introductory ProcessWork concepts
Recognise verbal and non-verbal channels of communication
Strengthen your empathy, curiosity and therapeutic presence
Use foundational questioning and amplification skills
Increase your self-awareness and understanding of meta-skills
Explore edges, secondary signals and Deep Democracy
Experience ProcessWork counselling as a client
Integrate your learning within a supported counselling conversation
Make a more informed decision about undertaking further counselling study

Frequently asked questions

Begin your counselling journey

You do not need to have your future completely mapped out.

Counselling Fundamentals offers a supportive place to begin- where you can develop practical skills, deepen your self-awareness and experience a different way of understanding people, relationships and charge.

Discover whether counselling and ProcessWork are the right next step for you.

Foundations of Counselling: A 7-week online Bridging Course