We’re often asked the following questions, but if these don’t answer your query please get in touch – we’re always happy to answer your questions in person.
The HG Diploma was originally designed for people working in mental health, education or social services, who would like to develop their skills, knowledge and effectiveness, however, because the course deals with fundamental issues that affect all human beings, and the approach provides a highly practical framework for improving emotional health and wellbeing, other professions find it hugely beneficial too (these include: education, social work, emergency services, coaching, business consultancy, parenting programmes, physical health, chaplains, diplomacy, back-to-work schemes and more). Some people also take it for their own personal development too.
The course is also suitable for anyone wanting to embark on a career in counselling or psychotherapy for the first time, or who would like to use the skills and knowledge they will learn in other areas – our training is presented in clear, jargon-free language to make it as easily accessible and beneficial to as many people as possible. This, combined with the flexibility of the part-time course structure, enables anyone with the appropriate aptitude to progress through the Diploma at a pace that suits them.
People from a wide range of caring professions have taken the Diploma, including: counsellors, psychiatric nurses, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, speech therapists, psychotherapists, consultant physicians, occupational therapists, psychologists, childcare managers, teachers, police counsellors, family court welfare officers, drug project managers, nurses, GPs, youth workers, social workers, addiction counsellors, sports psychologists, complementary therapists, mental health charities, community development consultants and midwives (you can read some of their comments here).
The appeal of the Human Givens Diploma is reaching far and wide – English speaking professionals have come from all over the world to attend, including: America, Brasil, Canada, France, Italy, Malta, Scandinavia, Ireland and South Africa, as well as from Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. The United Nations have sent someone on the course and in 2017 the Diploma was taught in America for the first time.
No. Although our courses are primarily for the caring professions, all of our training is presented as clearly as possible without jargon so that anyone who is interested in the subject matter, whether for professional or personal reasons, can benefit from the material covered.
Human Givens College is dedicated to spreading high quality information about mental health and wellbeing to as many people as possible, worldwide.
We’ve designed our part-time Diploma to be as flexible as possible so you can fit it in around your other commitments and work through it at a pace that suits you.
Students typically take between 1.5—3 years to complete the training and associated therapeutic practice, depending on their previous professional experience, aptitude and individual circumstances. We recommend that you take plenty of time to thoroughly absorb what you are learning and to practice your new skills as often as possible. Some elements of the training are completed online, the rest is taught in person. Students are also expected to carry out home study, including a reading list, and therapeutic practice under close supervision with an HGI-accredited supervisor.
Yes, once you’ve successfully passed your Part 3 assessment, you are eligible to join the Human Givens Institute as a Registered Member and be entered on the HGI’s Professional Register which is independently accredited in the UK by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care – the same organisation that accredits the registers of BACP, the National Counselling Society, UKCP and others. The PSA is accountable to the UK parliament.
Yes. The HG Diploma is a recognised part of the SCoPEd national training framework for counselling and psychotherapy, with approved routes for its graduates to progress through the framework’s 3 columns.
Successfully completing all 3 parts of the HG Diploma puts you in Column A of the framework. (All newly trained therapists and counsellors start at Column A, they are then able to move to Column B, then C should they wish, once they have gained sufficient therapeutic practice, experience and ongoing appropriate learning and development.)
Work has since been carried out by each separate organisation to identify appropriate pathways for their own members to transition between the SCoPEd framework’s 3 columns, given the appropriate experience and training; these pathways were shared and agreed with their fellow organisations.
Employers are already beginning to reference the SCoPEd framework’s columns when advertising positions.
The HGI has worked closed with HG College to develop the routes for all Human Givens Diploma graduates to transition between Columns A, B and C should they wish to do so.
Ideally you would complete all of Part 1 within 2 years of starting it, so the knowledge and skills remain fresh when you take Part 2. You must have completed all of Part 1 before attending the first week of Part 2, but you can apply for Part 2 before you’ve finished them.
Once you’ve successfully passed Part 2, you have two years in which to take and pass Part 3 to become a fully qualified human givens practitioner. If you go over that time, you will need to retake some of the training, please contact the office for details.
For full details of the fees for all 3 parts of the Diploma course, click here.
No. There is no requirement to write essays on the Diploma. Our practical training is not overly academic – it is presented in clear language by expert tutors with a wealth of practical experience, making it equally suitable for anyone already working in the caring professions or those new to psychotherapy.
There is, however, a 2 hour written examination at the end of the Part 2 course – if you have any concerns about taking an exam, please contact us to discuss what options are available to help you.
Students taking the full Practitioner Level (Part 3) are required to write a Personal Development Plan as part of their final assessment, again help is available with this if you need it.
Yes. You do not need to pay for the whole Diploma at once – and you can spread the cost of your Part 1 courses over 3 months by choosing PayPal’s PayLater option at the checkout (you will need a PayPal account and credit approval from them to use this option).
Parts 2 and 3
As long as the total fees have been paid before you attend a course, we are happy for you to pay your Part 2 or Part 3 fees in installments. Please contact our office to find out more.
The cost of taking the Diploma is the total amount you pay for all 3 stages – plus additional costs such as supervision when undertaking Part 3.
There is no need to apply to start Part 1 of the Diploma – you can begin Part 1 whenever you like. The course has been designed to be as flexible as possible so you can fit it in around your other commitments and progress at a pace that suits you. Working like this also helps you to decide whether our training is right for you.
Part 2
To apply to take Part 2 you need to complete an application form and send it to the College with your registration fee of £300. For full information, see: How to apply > It helps to get your application for Part 2 in as early as possible – ideally 6 months in advance – as places tend to fill up. You don’t need to have finished all of the Part 1 courses when you apply.
Part 3
Between Part 2 and Part 3 you will work with your supervisor and a minimum of 10 different clients to build upon, thoroughly absorb and practice what you’ve learnt so far in order to gain enough experience and therapeutic practice to take Part 3. Your supervisor will then advise you when they think you will be ready to apply for Part 3.
Yes. We are very happy to discuss this with you and often help students work out a personalised plan of the best dates to attend the different courses for Part 1, as well as looking at options for Part 2.
Please contact Fiona Heffernan, on +44 (0)1323 811690 or via our enquiry form, she will be happy to help.
Yes. Our Part 1 courses, Part 2 and Part 3 of the Diploma, have all been independently assessed by the internationally recognisedCPD Standards Office.
The HG Diploma is also a recognised part of the new SCoPEd national training framework for counselling and psychotherapy, with approved routes for its graduates to progress through the framework’s 3 columns.
The human givens approach is a genuinely holistic joined-up approach, which takes into account the biological, psychological and social factors of a person’s life. It is informed by the very latest research from various disciplines, including neuroscience, which it combines with a powerful ‘tool box’ of the most effective therapeutic skills and psychological interventions to help people move on in their lives as quickly as possible, ancient wisdom and unique insights of its own.
It is a highly respectful, humane and down-to-earth approach, which empowers people by giving them the knowledge and skills to maintain their own mental health and enables therapists to work creatively, tailoring their therapeutic interventions to each individual.
Many counselling and psychotherapy training courses – even at degree level – fail to give people enough information and skills to be really effective. This lets down the increasing numbers of people seeking help for psychological distress, sometimes harms people (for example, some approaches unintentionally make depression worse) and wastes time and money. This diploma course was created to provide that missing knowledge and to teach the necessary skills so people can be genuinely more effective at helping others.
It is a scientifically sound, skills-based qualification, which enables practitioners to tailor their therapeutic interventions to each individual client, young or old.
No. One of the many myths that grew up in the field is that practitioners need to undergo many hours of psychotherapy or counselling themselves. We are clear about this ‘requirement’. Extensive research shows conclusively that therapists who have personal counselling are not more effective.1,2 Moreover, the type of counselling that many trainees are required to undergo can actually be harmful to them.3,4
People only need counselling or therapy when their lives aren’t working. Just as we only need to take medicine when we are ill – and then in the right quantity, and at the right time, from someone who really understands our condition. What you need to become a therapist or counsellor is intelligence, aptitude, spare capacity and life experience.
However, if a student (or their supervisor or tutor) recognises that something has arisen for them during training, perhaps a subject discussed brings to light a previous trauma or they are experiencing problems in their personal lives, then we always recommend, if applicable, that the student receives the appropriate therapy or counselling to help them address the issue, both for their own wellbeing and to ensure that they have enough spare emotional and cognitive capacity to help others effectively (eg. by not being emotionally ‘triggered’ by subjects brought to the therapy room).
The College and HGI also encourage all qualified HG therapists to look after their own wellbeing in this way; we run additional courses to help therapists and caring professionals look after their own wellbeing, such as How to Avoid Burnout and Developing Self-Compassion.
Throughout the various stages of the Diploma, students have plenty of opportunity to experiencing what it is like to ‘be the client’ and to receive therapy and counselling as they practise their therapeutic skills with their colleagues and take part in practical assessments.
1. People do not need counselling before doing counselling: The objective evidence for this view is overwhelming. See Russell, R. (1993), Report on Effective Psychotherapy: Legislative Testimony. Hilgarth Press, which was later endorsed by the American Psychological Association.
2. See also Hogan, D.B. The Regulation of Psychotherapists, 4 vols. Ballinger.
3. Dawe, R. M. (1994). House of Cards: Psychology and psychotherapy built on myth. Simon & Schuster.
4. Dineen, T. (1996). Manufacturing Victims: What the psychology industry is doing to people. Robert Davies.
To be accredited to practice as a human givens practitioner you need to complete the Human Givens Diploma to Practitioner Assessment Level – what we call Part 3.
Yes, if you want to become a fully-qualified Human Givens practitioner – in which case you need to have successfully completed all 3 parts of the HG Diploma training with Human Givens College and fulfilled the HGI’s criteria for Registered Membership.
Some people take the Diploma up to Part 2 level as they feel this gives them profoundly useful insights, psychological understandings and effective therapeutic skills that they can use to benefit their existing career or field of work. Others take the Diploma up to Part 2 for their own personal interest and development.
Yes. Every course that makes up Part 1 of the Diploma has a set of accompanying notes, which complement the training.
There is also a Reading List for Part 2 (none of which is overly academic) and you are encouraged to start that as soon as you like, ideally while you are working your way through Part 1. The list also includes guidance on reading the suggested texts critically, to help develop your understanding and deepen your learning.
When you are on Part 2 you will also receive a comprehensive course manual to read all the way through before the attending the first week.
8 of the Part 1 diploma-linked courses are available online – these give you the opportunity to learn from the co-founders of the human givens approach, Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell, and to complete some of the required elements remotely.
The remaining elements of the HG Diploma are carried out in person. This is because effective psychotherapy and counselling involves a wide range of subtle and often powerful therapeutic techniques (such as rewind) which need to be demonstrated and practised in person, under the careful guidance of a highly experienced tutor, with plenty of opportunity for asking questions and recapping on elements students might find more difficult. Practical assessments of therapy also need to be carried out in person, so that students can be assessed fairly and effectively.
Yes. There is increasing international interest in the human givens approach and 8 of the Part 1 courses, as well as several others, are available online to help more people access the beneficial information and techniques we teach.
Some students travel to the UK to complete the remaining in-person elements of the Diploma (we have created two ‘fast track’ weeks of Part 1 courses to help people complete lots of courses at once), but we appreciate that this isn’t possible for everyone.
We have taken our training to the USA, and also run a bespoke Part 1 and Part 2 course in the UK for a group of students who flew in together from South America. We try to be as accommodating and flexible as possible and are always open to suggestions from groups who would like to do this type of training, whether in the UK or abroad – please contact us if you would like to discuss your training requirements.
In order for students to proceed to the final Part 3 assessment, their supervisor-tutor must be satisfied that they have been able to work safely, effectively and ethically with a minimum of 10 different clients. As well as helping you to further develop your clinical skills, your supervisor-tutor will guide you as to the types of cases you can usefully and safely work with at this stage; will encourage you to use outcome measures; and give you guidance with regard to safeguarding and working ethically. They will also advise you on how you can find suitable clients.
Most trainees will need to work with significantly more clients to reach the required standard, it totally depends on how much previous therapeutic experience a student has. It is important to note, that progression onto Part 3 is determined by your readiness and not by the number of clients seen.
For more information on working towards Part 3, click here >
It is not essential to do the courses in a specific order – if you would like one, a suggested order for Part 1 courses is shown here.
A great introductory course to start with is: The Therapeutic Power of Language, this gives you a great range of skills and techniques that are widely applicable whatever you decide to next, and the chance to meet one of the Part 2 Diploma Tutors.
Even if you have previously taken other psychotherapy or counselling courses, or taken a psychology degree, we still require you to attend all parts of the Human Givens Diploma course. This is because, not having assessed other training, we cannot vouch for the quality of what you have been taught.
The psychological skills and information we teach are incredibly effective, but also very powerful and must be used with care, it is therefore essential that you complete and practise all elements of the Diploma course.
Although this is fine for Part 1 courses, we do not recommend this for Part 2 and 3. Your learning overall will be improved by taking the Part 2 course separately and each having your own space to process your learning. With your partner there, inevitably some of your attention will be drawn to them, leaving you less mental space to learn.
We are also aware from experience that having a couple in the room can affect the dynamics of the student group as a whole, which can impact on everyone’s learning experience. During therapeutic practice work, students sometimes work with issues, share information or come to realisations about themselves and/or their lives, which might put themselves, their fellow students or their partner in an awkward or conflicting position. To avoid these ethical conflicts and to ensure everyone can learn to their potential we strongly recommend students do not undertake Part 2 or Part 3 with their partners.
Work-based placements are not currently a mandatory aspect of the course, but we actively encourage our students to get as much practical experience as possible and to continually practise their new skills, either in their own current place of work, or through voluntary positions.
The opportunity for these sometimes come up in practices where human givens therapists are already working, and the HGI has a nationwide network of HG therapist peer-groups who can help students with advice on finding suitable practical experience if needs be.
Your supervisor will also be on hand to help you select and find suitable clients.
We are currently looking into the possibility of doing this, but don’t unfortunately have any available at the moment.
If you have been the subject of any substantiated complaint, in any previous formal role, or have any pending or current court or disiplinary proceedings against you, this would need to be declared after completing and passing Part 2 when you apply to register for Trainee Membership of the HGI, which is an integral requirement of continuing your Diploma training to fully qualified HG therapist status by taking Part 3 and joining the HGI as a Registered Member.
Depending on your particular circumstances and outcomes, this might affect your eligibility to join the HGI. If you would like to discuss whether this applies in your own circumstances, please contact us.
You need to know how to quickly set about treating depression, anger and anxiety disorders, addiction, compulsions, trauma, sexual and relationship problems. The effective counselling checklist produced by the HGI outlines what a member of the public seeking help should expect from any form of counselling or psychotherapeutic intervention.
It can also help counsellors and other health professionals assess whether they need more training to deal with serious emotional distress (by simply asking themselves how confident they feel about doing everything on the list).
Yes. We have a number of therapists who specialise in working with neurodiverse clients. This crucial topic is covered during both Part 2 and Part 3 of the Diploma.
Yes. We have had many students on the course who are neurodivergent and are keen to ensure that all our students feel supported and accommodated. If you are part of the Neurodiverse community, please let us know – we are committed to creating an inclusive learning environment for everyone.
No. The course warmly welcomes anyone beginning their journey in counselling or psychotherapy – it has been designed in such a way that it is equally suitable for professionals already working in mental health or wellbeing, or any other profession, or someone starting out. The therapeutic skills and psychological knowledge you will gain are widely applicable.
We present our training in clear, jargon-free language, ensuring it’s accessible and beneficial to everyone. We do, however, recommend that you explore a few of our courses and workshops first to see if they resonate with you. A great starting point would be to attend our two-day workshop, The Therapeutic Power of Language. – or to take one of our Diploma-linked online courses.
Everyone aged 18 and above is welcome to join our Diploma course. We have a diverse range of students from all walks of life, including some therapists who are in their 70s and others in their early 20s. We understand that everyone’s journey is unique, and there is no age limit to training with us. Rest assured, we provide plenty of support and guidance to all our students, regardless of age.
Given the flexibility of our part-time course, all students have ample time to complete all part 1 courses. Ideally, this would be within a two-year window to ensure retention of all that you have learned.
Join us at our next Diploma Open Evening – Live Online
Wed 8th October – find out more >
