The Couples Counselling Diploma!

Why We Created This Diploma

Over the past seven years, more than 1,000 therapists have trusted The Counselling Academy with their couples counselling training.

But we had a problem. Our original toolkit was heavily heteronormative. It assumed couples looked a certain way, loved a certain way, and faced certain problems. That's not the reality of modern relationships.

So we didn't just update it. We rebuilt it from the ground up.

The result is a comprehensive diploma programme that prepares you for the couples who actually walk through your door: diverse relationships, complex presentations, neurodivergent partners, digital-age challenges, and yes, sometimes the painful decision to separate well.

This isn't a weekend workshop or a handful of PDFs. This is a complete professional qualification.

Part 1: The Theory

10 modules of brand new content covering everything from the therapeutic triangle and systemic perspectives to working with high-need situations and diverse relationship structures. This is the foundation that turns a counsellor into a couples therapist.

Part 2: The Toolkit

20 practical modules giving you the interventions, frameworks, and techniques you need. From attachment and communication through to affair recovery, neurodiversity, and supporting couples through separation. Every module designed for immediate use with real clients.

Part 3: The Toolbox

Over 100 professionally designed handouts, worksheets, and resources ready to use with your clients. Assessment tools, conversation guides, psychoeducation handouts, treatment planning templates, and practical exercises for every stage of couples work. Plus recommended reading lists for both you and your clients. This alone would take you months to create yourself.

By The Numbers 

50+ CPD hours of comprehensive training

30 in-depth modules across theory and practical application

Over 100 ready-to-use handouts and client resources

Lifetime access to all materials and future updates

1,000+ therapists already trained through our programmes

Who Is This For?

This diploma is designed for qualified counsellors and therapists who want to work confidently with couples.

You might be:

→ A counsellor who's been asked to see couples but doesn't feel equipped

→ Already doing some couples work but want proper training and better tools

→ Looking to expand your private practice and increase your income

→ Wanting a specialism that's always in demand

→ Tired of turning away couples because you don't have the training

What Makes This Different

Learning Through Real Cases

Every module is built around detailed case studies that follow couples through their therapeutic journey. You won't just learn techniques in the abstract, you'll see how assessment unfolds, how interventions are timed, how setbacks are handled, and how progress develops over time. By the time you finish, you'll have watched dozens of couples navigate everything from communication breakdowns to affair recovery to separation, giving you a mental library of "I've seen something like this before" to draw on with your own clients.

It's Actually Inclusive

Not as an afterthought or a single module tagged on the end. This programme was rebuilt from scratch to address LGBTQ+ relationships, polyamory, cultural diversity, and neurodivergent couples throughout. Because that's who you'll actually be working with.

It Covers What Others Avoid

Sexual difficulties. Domestic abuse screening. Addiction. Affairs. Separation and divorce. These aren't comfortable topics, but they're the reality of couples work. We give you the training and the tools to handle them professionally.

Theory and Practice Together

Too many courses give you theory without tools, or tools without understanding why they work. This diploma gives you both. You'll understand the systemic and attachment principles behind your interventions, making you adaptable rather than just following scripts.

Resources You Can Actually Use

98 handouts isn't just a number. It's intake forms, assessment tools, psychoeducation sheets, worksheets for specific issues, conversation guides, safety plans, and treatment templates. All professionally designed and ready for your practice from day one.

Your Not On Your Own

Training is just the beginning. What happens when you're sitting with a difficult couple and don't know what to do next?

Private Facebook Community

Join a community of couples therapists who've been supporting each other for nearly 8 years. Ask questions, share challenges, get advice from experienced practitioners. This is where real learning happens.

Monthly Peer Supervision

We offer a monthly low-cost peer supervision session via Zoom. Regular professional support without the hefty price tag of private supervision.

Your First Couple Support

Nervous about your first couple after qualifying? We offer a free Zoom call to support you through it. Because we remember what that feels like.

A Note of Accreditation

We're often asked whether our training is accredited by external bodies. The short answer is: we choose not to be.

After eight years of training counsellors, we've seen first-hand that many accreditation schemes function as gatekeeping systems, charging ongoing fees, limiting innovation, and offering little benefit beyond a badge. Our focus is on delivering practical, clinically effective training that you can use with real clients, not on joining pay-to-enter membership clubs.

Our courses are grounded in professional experience, evidence-based methods, and a proven track record of graduates who use these skills confidently in their practice.

You will receive a physical diploma certificate posted to your address, plus a digital download for your records.

Conclusion

Couples work is rewarding, challenging, and always in demand. Every week, therapists turn away couples because they don't feel qualified. This diploma changes that.

You'll finish this programme with the theory to understand what's happening in the room, the tools to intervene effectively, and 98 resources ready to use with your very first couple.

Ready to transform your practice?


Course curriculum

    1. Special Course Terms

    2. Registration Form

    3. Our Secret Facebook Group - Peer Supervision

    1. Printable Slides

    2. Sub Module 1.1 - Introduction to the Therapeutic Triangle

    3. Sub Module 1.2 - Introduction to the Therapeutic Triangle Continued

    1. Printable Slides

    2. Sub Module 2.1 - Transference and Countertransference in Couples Work

    3. Sub Module 2.2 - Transference and Countertransference in Couples Work Continued

    1. Printable Slides

    2. Sub Module 3.1 - Systemic Perspectives on the Therapist's Role

    3. Sub Module 3.2 - Systemic Perspectives on the Therapist's Role Continued

    1. Printable Slides

    2. Sub Module 4.1 - Ethical Considerations in Couples Work

    3. Sub Module 4.2 - Ethical Considerations in Couples Work Continued

    1. Printable Slides

    2. Sub Module 5.1 - Therapeutic Presence and Holding Space

    3. Sub Module 5.2 - Therapeutic Presence and Holding Space Continued

About this course

  • £995.00
  • 227 lessons
  • 30 hours of video content

Investment

Spread over 3 months on our Payment Plan option.

Course Tutors

Relationship Counsellor Esjai Mason.

Esjai is a Relate trained & Qualified Counsellor. She completed her 240hr voluntary work placement in East London & Kent. She has over 25 years in Counselling and the Voluntary Sector working with charities helping young vulnerable adults to Age concern. She is passionate about helping others heal their relationship wounds. She pulls in a vast array of theoretical modalities alongside years of Life Coaching and life experiences to work with her couple clients. She focuses on solution rather than problem based therapy, which works really well in triadic work. Esjai is also a qualified EMDR & Rewind therapist and works with PTSD & Complex PTSD.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I want to get going now, when does it start?

    The course is quite in-depth so will take some time to complete but it is available now for you to start when you are ready.

  • Is this a weekly course or can I do it at my own pace?

    The Diploma course is available in full so you can complete it at your own pace. It is a large course so its a good idea to plan weekly learning.

  • Is this a 'Live' real time course?

    No, all learning material is in way of Powerpoint presentation, video, handouts, quizzes etc so you can complete the course at your own pace.

  • Is there any support during and after the course?

    YES!!! We have a dedicated Facebook group where there is a wealth of experience to answer any questions and support you in transitioning to work with couples. This is an invaluable group. There is also low cost monthly Peer Supervision, and I offer a free 1 to 1 zoom call to support you with your first couple if you need it!

  • Do I get a certificate & how many hours CPD is it.

    Once you have completed 100% of the course, we receive notification and will send your Diploma out in the post (please ensure you have filled out the registration form at the beginning of the course. You will also be able to download a digital version from your dashboard.This course will take at least 35 hrs to complete in total.

  • How long will it take me to complete? How long do I have access to it?

    You have access to the full course for life so it's entirely led by you. As this is a Diploma course, you are looking at 50 plus hours. We would suggest to allocate a set time per week to work your way through it.

  • Is the Diploma Accredited?

    Here at The Counselling Academy - an established Counselling Training since 2018 we produce our own level of certificate. This upgraded course is a Diploma level therefore it is accredited by us and not an outside organisation that's not even run by Counsellors. Our philosophy on voluntary memberships clubs is that they are a big money making scheme that gate keeps learning.