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Our Team

Neil Morrison
For nearly twenty eight years we have provided counselling courses for the caring professions, voluntary sectors, and individual students, both in the UK, and overseas. From basic Certificate courses, right through to advanced two year Diploma courses, students have turned to the Institute over the years for additional professional qualifications and to develop their own personal skills.
Fin Collins
External Examiner
I have spent my career working in the field of psychological therapy from both a clinical and academic setting. I initially trained as a registered mental health nurse and over the years built on this foundation by undertaking further studies including a MPhil (Psychology) at Glasgow University. I lectured at the University West of Scotland where I developed and delivered the CBT modules to degree level .This has allowed me to work with people experiencing symptoms of psychological distress.

I am a clinical specialist in treating psychological trauma, being one of the few accredited EMDR therapists in Scotland and currently practice within an organization supporting people affected by murder and suicide. I also utilize a range of therapeutic techniques to tailor therapy to the needs of the individual. I have successfully used this approach to treat anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, depression and eating disorders.

I can be contacted via e-mail at findleycollins@btinternet.com to discuss any issues you might like addressed.

Board of Studies

The Board's purpose is to oversee and ensure the high academic standing of the Institute by advising on educational standards and policies, and also on matters of accreditation. The Board is comprised of senior personnel from education, the caring professions, and pastoral ministries.

Course Tutors

The qualifications of the academic staff reflect the high level of the Institute's courses. Our tutors are qualified at least to Degree level or equivalent with postgraduate qualifications in their profession. The input from course tutors enables our courses to become more personal and helpful to you as you study. Your tutor will assess your assignments, offering constructive feedback and guidance.

External Examiner

Gillian L Walton RGN, DIP Palliative Care, BSc (Hons), MSc, PG DIP Education is the Director of Programmes of the Department of Public Health and Wellbeing at Northumbria University, Newcastle.

Internal Examiner

Dr Mark Gillespie, NMC, EdT, MSc has 18 years of experience as a nurse lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland involved in all aspects of the development and delivery of nurse education and 19 years of experience working as a CPN and Clinical Nurse Specialist in a range of mental health care settings. Dr Gillespie has publications in a wide range of books and journals within the areas of nursing and mental health.

Your Studies Advisors

Our Student Advisors are here to help you get the most out of your time with us. Alan and Dorothy are our student advisors. Please feel free to call for their advice on 0141 204 2230 should you have any course queries. Alan has been with the Institute for over 20 years and is able to use this experience and expertise to advise and guide you on our wide range of counselling, CBT and other helping intervention courses.

Institute of Counselling
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Certificate in Grief and Bereavement
The course was very insightful. It gave me all the tools i needed to understand the reasoning behind how and why you take the approach to help the bereaved. Maria was informative with her comments.
Sarah O, 1 day ago
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Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
The course was excellent I thought.
Robert P, 7 days ago
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Certificate in Christian Counselling
The Certificate in Christian Counselling has been a deeply enriching and formative experience. The course content was well-structured and thoughtfully integrated Christian principles with core counselling approaches like Carl Rogers’ person-centred model, Egan’s framework, and Gerkin’s pastoral method. Each assignment encouraged meaningful reflection and personal growth, and I felt the course struck a strong balance between theory and application. The distance learning format offered excellent flexibility, allowing me to engage with the material at my own pace while still feeling supported. Marie Murphy has been a consistently encouraging and insightful tutor. Her feedback was clear, constructive, and respectful, always delivered in a way that fostered confidence and deepened my understanding. I truly appreciated her presence throughout the course. One suggestion would be to include brief recorded introductions for each module or a short recommended reading list to support further learning. Overall, I’m very grateful for this experience and would gladly recommend it to others seeking a spiritually grounded approach to counselling.
Sebastian S, 15 days ago
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Certificate in Counselling
Really insightful course that's provided some foundational knowledge surrounding counselling skills in practice. Dr Marie Murphy was an incredibly helpful marker who always provided great feedback and insight (while always answering any questions I had). Highly recommend.
Paul W, 25 days ago
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Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
I really appreciate the support and guidance Dr Marie Murphy has given me during my studies. I really appreciated her patience and kindness since English is not my first language. She was always there to help me with assignments and gave clear and thoughtful feedback, which made the learning process so much easier and more enjoyable. Her quick responses and support kept me focused and feeling confident during the course. I’m super grateful for her help and would definitely recommend her to anyone in need of a friendly and supportive tutor!
Gabriele G, 28 days ago
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Certificate in CBT 2 (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
I really enjoyed this course even though I became very ill half way through but I was very kindly given a extra 3 months to finished the course which I’m very grateful for ,I’m really enjoying the courses and really looking forward to moving on to the next one
Rebecca R, 28 days ago
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Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
The course has been challenging and very rewarding. The tutor has been excellent! Patient, very supportive and professional in knowledge. Course content and materials very clear and concise, providing information relevant to tasks. Well worth the journey! Overall, I would rate the course excellent!
Mark H, 37 days ago
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Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
The course material is presented in a great and easy to understand way. The colourful pictures and diagrams enhance the course material. The content of the material was interessting and keeps one engaged without it being overwhelming, it is a great mix. It is great to have a tutor assigned to a student where one can get help and support and ask questions. I appreciated my tutor`s feedback on my assignments. And I particularly appreciated the clarifications regarding the TMA and the word count for each different section, and help to clarify the referencing system.
Caroline T, 50 days ago
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Certificate in CBT 2 (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
Great Support from my Tutor . Not only helped me personally , and hopefully in time i will be able to help others.
David P, 75 days ago
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Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (Credit rated at SCQF level 8)
The course provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Through its structured materials, I was able to develop essential CBT skills that are crucial for effective practice in the field of mental health support. The knowledge I got has significantly enhanced my confidence as a mental health support counselor, enabling me to apply these techniques in real-world situations with greater assurance. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Marie Murphy for her exceptional support throughout the course. Her insightful feedback was invaluable in helping me refine my skills and deepen my understanding of the material. I am confident that I will revisit the course materials in the future, as they are well-organized and serve as a valuable resource for ongoing learning and professional development.
Liliia K, 127 days ago