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Whitestone International College of Innovation delivers quality-assured, standards-aligned programmes that integrate academic rigour, industry relevance, and digital fluency to develop principled leaders who deliver measurable impact.

Courses

Whitestone International Diploma in Counselling and Mental Health Support

The diploma introduces foundational concepts in mental health awareness, helping relationships, basic counselling skills, communication, boundaries, ethics, safeguarding, and referral pathways. It is designed for roles where supportive listening, sensitive communication, and appropriate signposting are needed – not for diagnosing, treating, or providing psychotherapy.

Course Overview

The Whitestone International Diploma in Counselling and Mental Health Support is a 12-month vocational programme designed to develop a structured, ethical, and practical understanding of how to support individuals experiencing mental health difficulties, within clearly defined non-clinical boundaries.

Learners will explore how to listen effectively, convey empathy, respond to distress, and encourage help-seeking, while understanding limits of their role and the importance of working alongside qualified mental health practitioners and services. The emphasis is on safe, ethical, person-centred support, not on clinical intervention.

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to contribute to counselling support environments, wellbeing initiatives, and mental health awareness programmes, and to act as responsible, informed supporters within organisations and communities.

This diploma does not qualify graduates as clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, or licensed counsellors. It is a vocational, non-regulated programme focused on supportive roles and appropriate referral.

Why This Course is Important?

Individuals across workplaces, education, and communities experience stress, anxiety, low mood, and other difficulties that affect functioning, relationships, and safety.
Staff and volunteers who understand how to listen, respond, and signpost appropriately can help reduce stigma, encourage early help-seeking, and provide compassionate support.
Training in ethics, limits of competence, and referral helps ensure that support remains safe, respectful, and aligned with the role holder’s responsibilities and capabilities.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this programme, participants will be able to:

Explain foundational concepts of mental health, mental wellbeing, and common mental health challenges at an awareness level (non-diagnostic).
Demonstrate basic counselling-related skills such as active listening, empathy, reflection, and supportive questioning within appropriate boundaries.
Establish and maintain safe, time-bound, and role-appropriate helping relationships, including confidentiality limits and clear expectations.
Recognise warning signs of distress, potential risk, or crisis, and understand when and how to seek help from appropriate professionals or services.
Apply ethical principles such as respect, non-judgement, dignity, and cultural sensitivity when supporting individuals.
Work within organisational policies relating to safeguarding, mental health support, and referral, recording and communicating information appropriately.
Reflect on their own wellbeing, biases, and limitations, and take steps to maintain personal resilience and self-care in emotionally demanding contexts.

Target Audience

Individuals working in or aspiring to roles such as Support Worker, Wellbeing Assistant, Student Support Officer, Community Outreach Worker, Pastoral Assistant, or HR/People Support roles.
Staff in education, community organisations, NGOs, faith-based organisations, youth work, and frontline services who encounter individuals with mental health needs.
Managers and team leaders who wish to handle sensitive conversations about stress, wellbeing, and mental health more confidently and appropriately.
Volunteers or peer supporters who want a structured, ethical foundation in mental health support and counselling-related skills, within clear non-clinical limits.

Entry Requirements

Programme Structure & Modules

Module 1 – Foundations of Mental Health, Wellbeing & Helping Roles

Concepts of mental health, mental illness, psychological distress, and wellbeing at an awareness level.
Influences on mental health: biological, psychological, social, and environmental (high level, non-clinical).
The continuum of mental health: from wellbeing to significant distress, at a conceptual level.
Roles in mental health care: clinical professionals, support workers, volunteers, peer supporters, managers – and how they differ.
Understanding the scope and limitations of counselling and mental health support roles in non-clinical settings.

Module 2 – Core Helping Skills: Listening, Empathy & Supportive Communication

Principles of person-centred, non-judgemental support.
Active listening skills: attending, reflecting, summarising, clarifying, and validating feelings.
Using supportive, open questions to understand a person’s experience, without probing beyond role boundaries.
Responding to emotions such as sadness, anxiety, anger, and frustration in a calm and respectful way.
Maintaining appropriate professional distance while still being warm, respectful, and compassionate.

Module 3 – Common Mental Health Difficulties: Awareness & Signposting

Awareness-level understanding of common mental health challenges, such as stress-related problems, low mood, anxiety-related difficulties, and basic awareness of trauma, loss, and grief.
Recognising observable signs and behavioural indicators of possible distress (non-diagnostic).
Understanding how mental health difficulties can impact work, study, relationships, and daily functioning.
The importance of early help-seeking, regular support, and the role of formal mental health services.
Principles of signposting and referral: encouraging the person to access appropriate professional help, within organisational policies and local resources.

Module 4 – Ethics, Boundaries, Safeguarding & Risk Awareness

Ethical principles in counselling and mental health support: confidentiality, informed consent, respect, and non-exploitation.
Role boundaries: what supporters can and cannot do; avoiding giving clinical advice, making promises they cannot keep, or attempting therapy.
Understanding limits of confidentiality, including when there may be a duty to share concerns (e.g. risk to self or others, safeguarding policies – high-level, non-legal).
Recognising red-flag indicators of potential risk, such as talk of self-harm or harm to others, and knowing when to escalate concerns to appropriate services or responsible persons.
Safeguarding awareness: protecting children, young people, and vulnerable adults, in line with organisational procedures and local frameworks.

Module 5 – Working in Organisational & Community Settings

Integrating counselling and mental health support skills into schools, colleges, workplaces, community programmes, and support services.
Working as part of a multi-disciplinary or multi-agency network, respecting roles and communication protocols.
Record-keeping: writing brief, factual notes where required, using respectful language and maintaining privacy.
Group awareness: supporting wellbeing initiatives, psychoeducation sessions, or awareness campaigns (at a basic planning and support level).
Cultural sensitivity and diversity: understanding how culture, religion, gender, age, and social context influence mental health and help-seeking.

Module 6 – Reflective Practice, Self-Care & Professional Growth

The importance of self-awareness: personal triggers, biases, and limitations in support roles.
Reflective practice: simple tools for reflection, supervision/support structures, and peer discussion (non-clinical).
Recognising signs of emotional fatigue, stress, or vicarious impact from supporting others.
Strategies for self-care, boundary maintenance, and seeking support for oneself when needed.
Planning a professional development pathway in counselling support, wellbeing roles, or further study (e.g. progression to higher-level counselling or psychology-related programmes, subject to entry criteria).

Awarding Body

Whitestone International College of Innovation

United Kingdom

Qualification Type

International Diploma – Vocational Qualification

(Industry-aligned qualification issued by Whitestone International College of Innovation, UK)

Assessment & Certification

Assessment Methods Include:

Written assignments on mental health awareness, ethical practice, and helping principles.
Observation (where feasible) or evaluation of role-plays and simulated support conversations with structured feedback.
Reflective journals or written reflections on learning, self-awareness, and challenges.
Practical tasks involving scenario-based signposting, boundary decisions, and communication planning.
Final Capstone Practice Portfolio/Project and, where possible, a short professional discussion or presentation.

To obtain the diploma, learners must successfully complete all module assessments and the capstone portfolio/project in line with Whitestone’s academic standards.

Certification:

On successful completion, participants will be awarded:

Whitestone International Diploma in Counselling and Mental Health Support Issued by Whitestone International College of Innovation, United Kingdom

Benefits of Attending

Provides a clear, ethical, and practical foundation in counselling-related helping skills and mental health support, within non-clinical boundaries.
Enhances the learner’s ability to listen, respond, and signpost in a safe, respectful, and culturally sensitive manner.
Increases employability and effectiveness in roles involving wellbeing, pastoral care, support, HR, education, and community work.
Supports organisations seeking to build mentally healthier, more supportive environments for staff, students, and service users.
Offers a strong base for further study in counselling, psychology, social work, mental health support, or related disciplines, subject to formal entry requirements and professional regulations.

Industry Alignment

The programme reflects contemporary, non-clinical practice in mental health support and counselling-related roles, including:

Emphasis on listening, empathy, boundaries, and ethical conduct.
Focus on risk awareness, safeguarding, and timely referral, rather than independent clinical work.
Recognition of the importance of self-care, reflective practice, and ongoing supervision/support for those working with emotional issues.

£2000

£ 0

Industry-focused programmes with global standards.
Practical skills for real-world success.
Academic excellence with career-ready outcomes.

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Progression & Academic Pathways

Graduates of the Whitestone International Diploma in Counselling and Mental Health Support may:

Progress to higher-level diplomas or degrees in Counselling, Psychology, Social Care, Mental Health Support, or related areas, subject to admission criteria.
Enhance their suitability for roles in support services, education, HR, pastoral care, community programmes, and wellbeing initiatives.
Use this diploma as part of a structured journey towards professionally regulated counselling or mental health qualifications, where they meet the requirements of relevant bodies and institutions.

Together We Learn, Together We Grow

At Whitestone, we believe in collaborative learning where students and faculty grow together through knowledge and experience. Our supportive community fosters teamwork, innovation, and shared success.

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London, united kingdom

+44 20 3727 6493

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college.org.uk