The Centre offers a volunteer counselling program to train volunteers to become counsellors with the Centre. Volunteers receive approximately 160 hours of training with professional counsellor/educators in a ten month, one evening a week program. In return they commit to offering the Centre 250 hours of counselling once they graduate. In addition to the weekly training evening, there are two weekend workshops, reading requirements and co-counselling practice. The training involves both personal growth work and the development of counselling skills in a variety of counselling approaches. Counsellors receive regular, ongoing supervision of their counselling through the Centre. Our valued volunteers often describe the training as life changing.

The training program begins in September and ends in June each year. Eighteen people are chosen to participate from those interviewed. Applications for the training program are available annually in the Spring.

Citizens' is now taking applications for the fall counsellor training program.
Download the forms here:

Training Application

Question & Answer Guide

 

If you feel that you or a company or organization that you know might be interested in financially sponsoring a spot in our training program, please contact the Centre to discuss this further. Donations are tax deductible.

 

 

 

"I learned a tonne about myself through doing the training program at Citizens' Counselling Centre. Then, by providing counselling to the Centre's clients, I learned that I had such a passion for counselling, that I entered a Master's Program and became a professional counsellor. Every experience I have had at Citizens' Counselling–from being a trainee, to being a counsellor, to leading groups, to being a training assistant, to simply being a member of this vibrant community, has had its own reward."

 

Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.
       – William Jennings Bryan