Nibbana Integrated Course for Counseling skills (NICCS) is India’s first-ever 1-year full-time training program in counseling skills, available for graduates from ANY discipline who wish to become a Certified Counselor.
Get ready to open your own counseling practice
Become a certified counselor
Choose your program with care:
With a sharp rise in demand for counselors and therapists worldwide and especially in India, there is a corresponding demand for reliable courses and training programs in counseling and psychotherapy. There are multifarious courses available- short term workshops, theory courses and even postgraduate degrees both online and offline that permits one to become a counselor. However we at Nibbana staunchly believe that it is only when theoretical knowledge is combined with practical application can one emerge as a competent counselor. NICCS is the only full time year long training program in India that offers a combination of theory, practice, internship, client supervision and personal work for the aspiring counselors. Call us now to know more (10:00 AM – 5:00 PM).
Apart from being an ideal course for anyone aspiring to become a counselor, NICCS is also perfect bridge program for Psychology graduates, Doctors, Social work students before they decide the area of higher studies. It is also an enhancement program for those already in the field of counseling or healing. Yoga practitioners, acupuncture specialists or even energy healers can do this program to add a psychological dimension to their profession with this course. See what our alumni have to say about NICCS. Read what our trainees have to say about our course
Learn from the best
Be it hands on training or theoretical knowledge NICCS offers its trainees wide exposure to a variety of psychological theories, models and framework and an opportunity to train under renowned mental health experts and international practitioners of psychotherapy.
The faculty are a team of highly skilled and diverse team of counselors, medical experts and psychologists from India, Germany, England, and South Africa. The experts with a wide range of different specializations in the field of counseling and psychotherapy will take the trainees through theory and practice of different models and framework
NICCS – Scope and Job Opportunities:
Most corporate houses, schools, hospitals, NGOs, and other organisations have in house counselors. Health insurance policies are beginning to cover mental illnesses. Fields such as career counseling, substance abuse counseling, and anger management are growing at a fast pace. A good therapist is in demand anywhere. Our alumni have found suitable placement and many have their own thriving private practices. We even train you on how to set up your own successful private practice. Read TestimonialsNICCS is created with the prime intention of creating a breed of competent counselors grounded in values of ethics and empathy.The program’s design robustifies the trainees to take an integrative approach to counseling and empowers them to handle a variety of mental health issues that contemporary living causesAny degree holder in the age of 18-60 can apply for the NICCS program. Check out eligibility criteria
NICCS salient features
Focuses on integrating theory and skill developmentBridges the gap between learning and practiceExposes students to various schools and models of counselingIntroduces students to leading experts in the field of mental healthEnhances a counselor’s ability to choose from a variety of counseling optionsBuilds confidence through hands-on experienceHelps students forge a meaningful identity as a counselor and a path to professional successGives a sound working knowledge of various schools of thought and therapeutic techniques.Trains the students rigorously in the Integrative approach to counseling and psychotherapyWho is it for?
Those with a passion for psychology.Those who dream of a career as counselors or therapistsThose who enjoy working with individuals, couples, families, or groups in a supportive wayThose seeking to set up a professional counseling practiceThose who wish to enhance their interpersonal and managerial skills by including counseling as a key componentThose who are accepting, respectful, and understanding of othersThose who want to make a positive change in their own and other peoples’ livesWho can apply for the course?
The applicant should be
Between 21 and 60 years of age.A graduate (in any discipline). Exceptions can be made if the applicant is already working in the field of mental health..Fluent in the English language, as it is the medium of instruction.An Indian Citizen.willing to invest one year to complete the course as 80% attendance is compulsory.Since this is a program in mental health, the candidate must already be in a good state of mental health and additionally be open to working in a group, receive feedback and be willing to engage in self-reflection. Unlike other theory courses, NICCS is demanding of its counselor candidates to be introspective and curious about their own mental health before seeking to offer counsel to others.
NICCS Modules
Basics of psychology
Psychology is the science of the mind, of the individual and social behaviour. This module includes the study of conscious and unconscious states, perception, feeling, thought, emotion, motivation, intelligence, and personality.
Psychiatry for counselors
Psychiatry is the medical specialization devoted to mental illness, emotional disorders, and behavioural problems. A trained psychiatrist is a physician with a medical degree who can prescribe medicine and a range of other therapies. By studying the basics of psychiatry, counselors will learn when to refer a client to a psychiatrist and how counseling can interface with other therapies.
Behavioural psychology
Behaviourism, also known as Behavioural Psychology, is a theory of learning based on the idea that all behaviours are acquired through conditioning. Conditioning occurs through interaction with the environment. According to this school of thought, behaviour can be studied in a systematic and observable manner regardless of internal mental states. Behaviorists believe that our responses to environmental stimuli shape all our actions. Behaviour analysis is often used as a therapeutic technique to help children with autism and developmental delays to acquire new skills.
Dr.Mohan Raj with the NICCS trainees while teaching Clinical Psychiatry for Counsellors
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a psycho-social intervention that focuses on changing the automatic negative thoughts that contribute emotional difficulties, depression, and anxiety. Through CBT, these thinking errors and negative thoughts are identified, challenged, and replaced with more objective, realistic thoughts. CBT is very effective in treating Anxiety, Depression, Panic Attacks, Addictions, Eating Disorders, Anger and Phobias. CBT can also help clients manage their problems by changing unhelpful behaviors, improving the regulation of emotions, and developing personal coping strategies
Diane Salters, Transactional Analyst from South Africa while teaching Script Work, TA
Transactional analysis (TA)
Transactional analysis, developed by psychiatrist Dr.Eric Berne in the 1950s, examines a person's relationships and transactions with others. Transactional Analysis (TA), explores Ego States, Time Structuring, Defence Mechanisms, Games and Scripts of a human when he interacts with the world. The goal of Transactional Analysis is to strengthen the client’s Adult state and help the individual in therapy to gain and maintain autonomy.
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a psychological approach that involves analysing strategies used by successful individuals and applying them to our life to reach a personal goal. Neuro-linguistic programming is the practice of understanding how people organise their thinking, feeling, language and behaviour. NLP provides people with a methodology to model outstanding performances achieved by geniuses and leaders in their field. Practitioners have applied NLP commercially to achieve work-orientated goals, such as improved productivity or job progression. More widely, it has been applied as a therapy for psychological disorders, including phobias, depression, generalized anxiety disorders or GAD, and post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.
Gestalt therapy
Gestalt, a German word for “form” or “shape”, refers to the idea that natural systems and their properties should be viewed as wholes, not as collections of parts. Gestalt therapy emphasizes personal responsibility, and focuses upon the individual's experience in the present moment, which includes the therapist–client relationship, the environmental and social contexts of a person's life, and the self-regulating adjustments people make as a result of their overall situation.
Gestalt Therapy developed by Fritz Perls, Laura Perls and Paul Goodman in the 1940s and 50s has been effective in treating clients with personality disorders. Gestalt Therapy is also effective in counseling groups, couples, and families
Personal work
The course requires all trainees to have had therapy themselves or to be in therapy during their training. This is not only so you can experience therapy from the client’s point of view but also for personal development and to help you cope with issues and emotions raised when counseling others.
Supervision
All trainees who are working with clients will receive supervision from a qualified practitioner. To qualify for certification, trainees must have at least 1.5 hours of supervision per month. A supervisor is a professional mentor who helps the trainee develop skills and work to best practice standards while providing personal and psychological support.
Internship
Trainees will take up a counseling internship in their area of their choice towards the end of the course. Work would be documented (while respecting client confidentiality) for evaluation.
Mallika Ganapathy, Special Needs Educator with NICCS Batch 3
Alexandra Piotrowska, Certified Transactional Analyst from London with the NICCS Trainees during ‘Shame to Compassion’ workshop
