Summary
Programme Name: Certificate in Practice of Counselling Skills in Healthcare
Eligibility:
Master's degree in Psychology / Social Work/ Human Development
OR
Healthcare professionals, health counsellors who are working with patients (minimum 2 years of experience)
OR
Medical / Nursing Professionals / Nutritionists
Programme Fees: 32600/-
Counselling
Introduction of the Sector
Counselling is a professional service which aims at supporting individuals in managing and overcoming emotional, psychological, and behavioural challenges. By creating a safe, non- judgemental environment, counsellors empower clients to explore their thoughts and feelings, develop coping strategies, and work towards improved mental well-being and emotional resilience.
Counselling plays a vital role in healthcare. Multiple psychological – behavioural issues are associated with the health condition of an individual. All such issues are addressed in health counselling which help individuals to achieve the physical and psychological well-being.
Certificate in Practice of Counselling Skills in Healthcare
Programme Introduction
- Lifestyle diseases / Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, kidney diseases, etc are collectively responsible for 74% of all deaths worldwide. Tobacco use, physical inactivity, stress, the harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diets and air pollution increase the risk of dying from these diseases.
- According to the various sources, lifestyle / non-communicable diseases (NCDs) contribute to around 5.87 million (60%) of all deaths in India. Four types of NCDs - cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes make the largest contribution to morbidity and mortality in India.
- Counselling plays a major role in the prevention and management of the NCDs because individuals who are prone to it, are supposed to make the lifestyle changes. It has been proved that mere advice or health education is not enough to bring the lifestyle or behaviour changes. Thorough personal intervention through counselling and psychotherapeutic techniques is required.
- Prevention of NCDs and control intervention are important parts of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke (NPCDCS). Counselling is a key component in this programme.
- Considering this, the School of Skill Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai offers the Short-term Skill Enhancement Programme (StSEP) - Certificate in Practice of Counselling Skills in Healthcare.
- This programme aims to equip the psychologists, social workers, nutritionists, health counsellors and healthcare professionals with counselling skills and psychotherapeutic techniques required for counselling the NCD patients.
Eligibility for Admission
- Master's degree in Psychology / Social Work/ Human Development
OR
- Healthcare professionals, health counsellors who are working with patients (minimum 2 years of experience)
OR
- Medical / Nursing Professionals / Nutritionists
Skill enhancement
The specialised skill gained through this training/certification programme will give the participants upper hand in health counselling.
Career prospects/ job roles
Health counselling is a new area of work for the clinical and counselling psychologists. The skills learnt in the programme will help them build their health counselling practice.
- The position of “counsellors” holds a good place/space in the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke (NPCDCS), and in various health programmes and hospitals including NCD Clinics, Cancer hospitals, Palliative Care Centres, etc.
- This StSEP programme will enable health counsellors, nutritionists, and other healthcare professionals to develop the competencies needed to address the deeper psychological issues of their patients, and yield improved outcomes.
The curriculum/course content:
| Sr. No. | Course title | Credits |
Hours |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brief introduction to non-communicable diseases | 1 | 15 | |
| 2 | Body mind interconnectedness | 2 | 30 | |
| 3 | Dealing with the diagnosis and psychological reactions | 1.5 | 22.5 | |
| 4 | Basic counselling skills and supportive counselling skills | 2 | 30 | |
| 5 | Behavioural and cognitive counselling skills | 2 | 30 | |
| 6 | Counselling for enhancing health behaviours, | 2 | 30 | |
| 7 | Counselling messages for managing non-communicable diseases | 2 | 30 | |
| 8 | Counselling terminally ill patients and their family members | 0.5 | 7.5 | |
| 9 | Skill Training | 3 | 90 | |
| Total | 16 | 285 |
Additional information
- Internship / on-the-job training for minimum 90 hours is a compulsory part of the programme (Skill training of 3-4 weeks).
- Skill training partners: Sukoon Nilaya Palliative Care Centre and other organisations in the field.
- Programme fees: Rs 32,600/- [(Tuition Fees Rs. 30,000/- + Exam Fees Rs. 1600/- ) and Internship fee Rs. 1000/-]. Please note: Internship fee of Rs. 1000/- will be collected offline.
- Mode of programme delivery: This is a part time offline programme offered from TISS Mumbai campus. Classes will be conducted on weekends / early morning / in the evening as per the mutual convenience of faculty and applicants. A few classes may be delivered online as required.
- Last date of application: 25th March, 2026
- Programme start date: 02nd April, 2026
- Selection process: Only fully completed applications will be considered for review. The applicants will be shortlisted on the basis of qualification and relevant experience. The final selection of applicants will be determined by the School of Skill Education. Applicants working in the field may contact to discuss about the details.
- For more information: contact- (022) 25525606/607 or email at shivaranjani.kulkarni@sve.tiss.edu / vaishnavi.ambekar@sve.tiss.edu
- Click here to apply – https://forms.gle/ctxUvAx2F3xTowad9