The Level 3 Foundation course is the first stage of the training and assessment process and is the required prerequisite for our Level 4 NCPS accredited Diploma course.  The prerequisite for this course is that you have a good understanding of spoken and written English, and a willingness to fully embrace gaining new knowledge, and to be open to self-development and personal growth.

All prospective learners who apply for this course, will have a short informal chat with our Training Coordinator, prior to the course commencing. This is an opportunity to ask questions and ascertain that this course, and the potential onward pathway to the Diploma in ETC is the best fit for you.

The Level 3 course duration is 10 days, which is spread across 5 months, and is one weekend of just 2 days per month.  It is a complete course in itself and can be used for personal development alone; however, we would hope this course would act as the stepping stone to progress to the Level 4 Diploma with the aim of qualifying as a Counsellor, although, most participants do progress to the Diploma Level 4 course and graduate, and can choose to do this up to 6 months after the level 3 ends.

All AETC tutors are qualified counsellors who have their own practices and bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with the learners, and this particular course involves interactive workshops, lectures and lots of discussion, during which, learners will complete a personal journey of self-discovery, and maintain records to track their progress and document milestones.  On completion of the course and to progress to the Level 4 Diploma course, learners will submit a written assignment and to book reviews which are marked by the training team. Successful learners may then continue on to the next level of training.

This course costs just £1,200 and we offer two payment options. You can pay up front using our early bird discount, which gives you £120 off the total cost, meaning that the amount you pay is discounted to £1,080, or you can pay a small deposit of £50 and then use our easy payment plan, which allows you to spread the cost over five easier, more manageable installments of £240 per month, which are to be paid prior to each of the 5 study weekends.

The Level 3 Foundation Course will give you a good understanding of what Emotional Therapeutic Counselling (ETC) entails. The Foundation stage is devoted to understanding ETC and exploring the techniques this therapy uses. Throughout the programme you will collect a comprehensive library of unique tools, which will ultimately help you in your counselling career or for personal development. This tool set is unique to the AETC and forms the foundation for further training with us. The foundation course is specifically designed to teach aspiring counsellors to develop the skills and confidence to work with the key subjects likely to be experienced in the counselling room.

By meeting the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Societies (NCPS) rigorous standards and meticulous assessment process, our Level 4 Counselling Course has been accredited with Diploma qualification status. Our Level 4 counselling course is externally moderated to ensure consistency of excellent teaching and course content and Diploma accreditation is also acknowledgement of our professional standing with both peers and clients.

The NCPS external examiner commented in a recent report “The quality of teaching and the students’ engagement with the teaching and learning process remains outstanding’.”

Click here to see our latest NCPS Recognition report

Click here to see our Dec 2024 report

Click here to see the May 2024 report

Click here to see the Dec 2023 Report

Click here to see the Sept 2022 report

This qualification has Quality Check Recognition by the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) as a Level 3 Certificate, comprising of 90 guided learning hours and 30 hours of self-guided reading assignments, this equates to a total of 120 hours total qualification time (TQT). Learners are required to present a written presentation at the end of the course for assessment.

The 10 training days will cover the following:

• Introduction to Emotional Therapeutic Counselling (ETC)
• Understanding guilt, shame, hurt, loss, fear
• Who would benefit from ETC
• The bereavement process
• Emotional development in children
• Introduction to dreamwork
• The process of ETC
• The martyr complex
• Introduction to ETC tools and interventions
• Using visualisation, emotional expression and validation
• Parenting, misogyny, personal power, self-truth
• Family dynamics
• Catharsis
• Creative self-expression

All AETC courses are run at our offices at the Isbourne Holistic Centre in Cheltenham.

If commuting by car there are several off-site parking options available.

Bath Terrace, GL50 2BA (pay & display) – 10 minute walk.

Rodney Road, GL50 1HT (pay & display) – 2 minute walk.

Regent Arcade, GL50 1JZ (multi storey) – 10 minute walk.

If you plan to stay overnight there are countless accommodation options close by, including B & B’s, Guesthouses and Hotels, including a Holiday Inn Express and a Premier Inn. Prices range from £37.00 per night upwards and there are plenty of local shops, bars and restaurants. 

AETC Address

Isbourne Holistic Centre

2 Wolseley Terrace

Cheltenham

GL50 1TH

Level 3 Foundation (October 2025 Intake)
Weekend One October 4th and 5th 2025

Weekend Two November 1st and 2nd 2025

Weekend Three December 6th and 7th 2025

Weekend Four January 10th and 11th 2026

Weekend Five February 7th and 8th 2025