Testimonials
“I CAN’T SPEAK HIGHLY ENOUGH of this Cara course. Deborah and Ray’s support of me personally, their knowledge from many years of experience and careful well-researched training has influenced and made me who I am as a practitioner.
They guide the course with efficiency and rigour. Their expectations for the professional and personal standards of their students means that they consistently produce counsellors who work with a strong ethical, empathic and compassionate practice.” TRACY PORTMAN – LEVEL 4 STUDENT
“THE TRAINING THROUGH CARA Counselling has been brilliantly delivered to enable me to fully understand all the aspects of how to become a competent therapeutic counsellor. The structure and process has been valuably significant in enabling me to work on self awareness, the process of the counsellor and client, the ethical framework, then the different theories to enable effective practice.
I developed a wealth of understanding and confidence in my skills, an in-depth understanding of theory and practice of counselling and the opportunity to practice my skills in peer counselling.
I now feel able to further develop my understanding and knowledge with a view to eventually working effectively in private practice. I feel this journey has changed me dramatically and I have personally developed and grown in self worth, belief and acceptance of self. This I feel has been nurtured in the professional skills of the tutors who have supported, encouraged and guided me in this process. I cannot recommend this course enough although be prepared to be a different person when qualifying.” LISA SUTTON – LEVEL 4 STUDENT
“MY BACKGROUND IN graphic design left me feeling isolated and unfulfilled. I felt I wanted to work with people and use what I’d learnt from my own difficult life experiences to help and support others.
The Level 4 Diploma has been a life changing experience for me. I particularly connected with Attachment Theory and Transactional Analysis both of which opened up a new and valuable depth of self-awareness for me which has allowed me to make lots of positive change in my own life and support my clients to do the same.
I think the intensity of the work set on this particular course, combined with the wonderful congruence of the tutors, made this course deeply moving, very challenging, emotional and highly educational. It has prepared me very well for my career in counselling, I feel grounded, well-educated and confident in my work. I have gained so much important self-awareness whilst feeling so valued and supported. Amazing, thank you Cara!
I am planning to specialise in supporting and counselling people with severe mental health issues, I am also interested with working with clients with Autism. In addition to this I am interested in working within the Police Force supporting both victims of crime and police officers who may be suffering from trauma. I also plan to create a training course or provide education on the importance of providing a secure base to new parents and parents to be.” VICTORIA SANDIFORD – LEVEL 4 STUDENT
“I’M EXTREMELY HAPPY that I chose to train with Cara Counselling. This course is supportive, challenging and got me ready for real world counselling. Between the top notch theoretical training and the outstanding experiential days, I was always learning about myself and counselling.” HANNAH STOCKS – LEVEL 4 STUDENT
“I’VE JUST COMPLETED the 1st year of the Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling at Worthing College. I can honestly say that it has been one of the most amazing, full-on, life-changing experiences I’ve ever had. Through Deb and Ray’s support, teaching and encouragement, and the support of my peers, I have grown immeasurably as a person. I understand who I am better, acknowledge and am more accepting of my strengths and weaknesses, and am more kind and compassionate towards myself, which allows me to show greater empathy towards others.
If you’re looking for a course that will provide incredible experiential learning, a supportive, growth-enhancing environment, prepare you for placement and train you to become an ethical, reflective therapeutic practitioner, this is the one to choose. The challenge to ‘know thyself’ can be taken up with both hands!
This course has been invaluable. It has prepared me for a career in counselling with the emphasis on skills practice as well as a thorough grounding in the main counselling models and theories. At the end of the first year I felt ready to start my training placement knowing I had the tools to be a safe, supportive counsellor.” LEVEL 4 STUDENT
“DEBORAH & RAY’S TEACHING and guidance puts the emphasis on the practice of counselling, weaving that together with theory from Level 3 onwards.
Their constructive feedback and support encourages personal growth and after two years studying with them (so far), I feel confident that I have a firm foundation on which to build.
They invest wholeheartedly in the teaching process and you really get the impression they’re behind their students. We’ve had many laughs in class along the way and I can’t imagine finding better tutors.” LEVEL 3 STUDENT
“IF YOU ARE KEEN to be more in touch with yourself, to develop helping relationships and to improve how you deal generally with people in your life then I would say the Level 2 Counselling Skills course is for you. The tutors, Ray and Deborah, facilitate safe, structured lessons which encourage openness and acceptance and the opportunity to honestly share and explore varied experiences, alongside practising and developing basic listening skills.
I quickly got hooked on this personal journey and valued the tutors encouragement and feedback and regard for developing at my own pace. I always felt that they were there if I needed support. I think the challenge of this course lay in being responsible for my own learning in a way I had not experienced before and consequently I felt the more I put into it, the more I got out of it. It has taught me a lot about myself and others and how we all interact.
I don’t know where all this new-found desire to grow, learn and develop as a person will lead me but I do know it is changing me for the better and that I don’t want it to end. It has been immensely rewarding.” LEVEL 2 STUDENT
I STARTED MY THERAPEUTIC JOURNEY with Cara a few years ago on the level 2 and 3. Due to changes in my life I was unable to carry straight on to the level 4 although I had really wanted to. However it was through what I had learnt in the earlier levels which led to me working in a therapeutic provision. It was there they recognised key skills and attitudes which I had developed through my Cara training and they offered me, not only a job as a trainee therapist but to invest in my training to complete my level 4. I accepted but knew I had to complete this with Cara.
It is hard to write down in a few words what I have learnt, gained and discovered about myself whilst learning with Cara and everyone’s experience will be different but it will be an experience! Also finding a provision which held me so safely whilst my life changed dramatically, who views each student as unique individuals, with tutors who practise what they preach in terms of ethics and respect, for me is like gold dust.
I will be forever grateful for what Cara’s learning has provided with me and where they have led me both professionally and personally. I can’t recommend this experience enough for anyone who feels ready for it. KIM ELLIOT – LEVEL 4 STUDENT
THESE PAST FOUR YEARS have been so very important and special to me. Three fundamental and powerful forces came together and triggered a rebirth of sorts. One: the ‘real’ voice within me was resurrected after many years in limbo and the words that unfurled became the keys to creativity, liberation, understanding and the desire to give my own life and the lives of others more meaning. Two: I was met with an acceptance and permission to explore. I have been seen, heard, respected and valued. It has felt like love and enabled me to dive deep and grow in so many directions. Three: the course content has been masterfully and developmentally crafted with a plethora of topics and an ethical underpinning matched to every level that develops counselling skills, knowledge and theory within a challenging, experiential learning environment to be fit for practice as a counsellor.
“It hasn’t always been a bed of roses, but why would one want it to be? If it were comfortable, the bar would never be raised for reflection, new experiences and self-development. I’ve learned to face my hurts and insecurities, to see more clearly, to share more confidently and to listen with greater tolerance (still working on this last one). My softer, more sensitive, romantic, intellectual, spiritual sides have been accepted and given a platform alongside their more established, contradictory parts. I am tough and tender, brave and afraid, strong and struggling… we all are; but our many diverse parts don’t always get the airtime they deserve nor the balance they need. And all this growth translates into insight and empathy when counselling our clients. Cara has equipped me for practice and cemented the belief that I can be a competent counsellor while nurturing my personal needs and leanings. That’s no mean feat.
The price to pay for such a wonderful experience is its ending. It’s been real. It’s been such a journey. I’ve felt so exposed and yet so safe. Never, ever dull and full of joyous moments. I’ve felt alive. I’ve never felt so at home. I’ve never worked so hard nor felt something matters so much. We all need to be listened to, understood and empathised with and Cara champions this need for their students and on a wider platform – from the Level 2 through to the Diploma. I did it my way (yep, let’s never forget the importance of autonomy) but I was encouraged to find my own way with the very best support and guidance any trainee counsellor could ever wish for. How lucky I have been to have spent four years of counselling training with the Cara team. Thank you so much. EITHNE LEHANE – LEVEL 4 STUDENT
Tutors Say
“Most impressive, is how collaborative Level 4 students are. That is not to say there weren’t difficulties and conflicts, of course there were, but they were so invested in getting the most out of their learning and each other that they went the extra mile every time. I have never laughed so much, the people in this group had a tremendous capacity for fun. The experiential days were the best, the introduction of these into the syllabus has made such an impact. This group were risk-taking and had courage, love and empathy in abundance.” DEBORAH FLYNN-HARLAND – CARA TUTOR
“Students are very supportive of each other. Despite experiencing personal difficulties during the Diploma course they found the resilience to continue to engage with one another. It’s good to see how each received reassurance and acceptance, enabling them to gain more insight of self and others. As they continue on their journey, perspectives are changed and students discover that they are much more now, than when they first started.” RAY BURNS – CARA TUTOR
