The Accidental Counsellor Training

Connect and Influence Positive Change in People Without Burning Out. A Solutions Focused Approach.
If You Are Not Trained as a Counsellor and Find Yourself in Counselling Situations by Accident.
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Endorsed Professional Development Training

        

Completing The Accidental Counsellor Course will contribute 6 hours and 30 minutes of NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Registered PD addressing 1.4.2, 1.6.2, 3.5.2, 4.1.2, 5.2.2, 7.1.2 from the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers towards maintaining Proficient Teacher Accreditation in NSW.

The Accidental Counsellor Course has been extremely valuable for our network and the strategies are fantastic to apply in any field of work when dealing with people. In our Boarding School context, it is essential for staff to have the confidence to have difficult conversations with teenagers, understand where they are coming from and know when to refer them to more experienced staff.
The three hour tailored session Rocky ran for our group was extremely practicable, engaging and achieved the results we were after. I am sure the online training modules will provide the same high-quality learning that we received in the live session. I strongly recommend this course to others. Thanks Rocky!

Thomas Dunsmore, General Manager
Australian Boarding Schools Association

I found your virtual training to be excellent - engaging and informative - and it was just as good online as when training is delivered in the classroom. The virtual break-out rooms, group chats and side discussions all worked brilliantly, keeping us engaged while also interacting with other attendees just as much as in traditional training. This has changed my perspective of virtual training and I'll definitely be using it going forwards for our regionally located, state-wide team. Great job!

John
CEO in the Not For Profit Sector

I was lucky enough to try out some techniques with a year eight girl today and I felt 100% more confident speaking to a young girl who has been reluctant to open up to anybody and has been in and out of hospital over the past month. Before I knew it 45 minutes had passed and I had said barely anything. The student said “it was nice to actually talk and not be lectured”. Very powerful tools rocky!!! Cheers.

Blair

Kelly, Jane and I attended the March Accidental Counsellor Training and have been following your techniques and it has made such an impact on our new Pastoral Care Centre. We have had many positive comments from students, teachers and parents, with parents calling us to ask us to help their child. We feel like we now have a solid philosophy to inform our decisions and a very clear vision of how we can best help our students. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with us….. don’t think we would still be coping without your invaluable guidance.

Kirstie Brass
Orana Steiner School, Canberra

Hi Rocky, Thanks so much for last week’s professional development. I have been teaching for more years than I am willing to admit and don’t often put pen to paper but on this occasion I feel compelled to do so. Your two day “Accidental counselling course” left me with many tools and a whole new outlook on helping my very needy students. I feel invigorated and empowered by my learning, the techniques you taught me, I have no doubt will make me more effective not only at a school level but also on a personal level. I left on Thursday afternoon feeling a little overwhelmed but in the days that followed it all unravelled and I started to make sense of it all. The clarity of my mind on Monday morning when I was called upon to use my new learning was a really exciting moment for me, when for the first time I started to listen to one of my students in a whole new way. I really can’t thank you enough and would highly recommend the accidental counselling course to anyone involved with children. Kind Regards.

David Toogood
Karningul School

As Deputy Principal of a large primary school, I am often faced with situations where I need to provide guidance and support for students. Having recently completed the course, I have already used many of the strategies back at school and now feel more confident and well-equipped to deal with student issues. The course was practical, action-packed and opened my mind to the many ways we can speak with and support students. I now feel better-equipped to manage the “difficult conversations” when my school counsellor isn’t on site. The added bonus is that many of the strategies will prove effective in my personal life as well. Thanks Rocky! I will definitely be recommending the course to my staff.

Leigh Robertson
Grafton Public School

I would like to take a moment to tell you what a great experience I had at your workshop. I have been a teacher for 19 years and have participated in sessions such as BoysTalk, and completed units on Interpersonal Relationships at Uni. I found your workshop to be informative, challenging (in a good way), and most importantly it contained skills that are immediately useful. I found myself using some of the techniques covered in the following week with great success. When I got to work on Monday I immediately recommended you to the schools’ Executive Leaders as something to be considered for our staff PD. Whilst it may not suit everyone (as not everyone is comfortable being a counsellor), your workshop would be an invaluable experience for anyone interested in developing their skills as a counsellor, either as a career pathway or as an ‘accidental’ counsellor.

Dale Evans
Charles Campbell College Adelaide

Join The Accidental Counsellor Community

$198

for 1 person

$660

for 5 staff

$1200

for 10 staff

$1650

for 15 staff

$1980

for 25 staff

$2970

for 50 staff
Get started easily
Training Designed and Tailored Specifically for your Team.At a date and time you choose. Facilitator and your Team collaborate in Real Time. Live and Online Via Zoom Video Conference 30 Minute Training 60 Minute Training 90 Minute Training 3 Hours of Training Full day (6 Hours of Training)
PLUS Join an Additional Full Day Live Conference Via Zoom Online Video.Interact with your facilitator and other participants in real time. Choose from scheduled dates.
12 Month Subscription to Ever Expanding Library of World Class Mental Health and Wellbeing Coursesaccess anywhere, anytime, anyway at your own pace (currently 40 courses)
Online Accidental Counsellor Level 1 to do in your own time (9.5 hours)
Online Accidental Counsellor Level 2 to do in your own time (6 hours)
Click Here To Start Now

You Are An
Accidental Counsellor

You have difficult conversations often in your role. Perhaps you are a member of a school staff or perhaps an allied health professional or community service worker, regardless – you support the people in your care and that can mean responding to their pain and suffering.

The problem is you have no (or little) counseling training – why should you? You are not a “counselor” and don’t do therapy and clinical counseling work. That doesn’t prevent you often being in the “front line” responding to people’s pain, upset and suffering.

Register Now

Rocky Biasi

Founder & Trainer

Why I Created The Accidental
Counsellor Training

Hi my name is Rocky Biasi and as a high school teacher and school counsellor (currently in private practice) I could see the value and importance in providing basic counselling training to school staff not trained as counsellors.

Thousands of school staff have completed my accidental counsellor training and increasingly other accidental counsellors including allied health professionals and community service workers have attended also.

The training is endorsed by:

  • NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
  • Australian Community Workers Association (ACWA)
  • ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI)
 

The Accidental Counsellor Training Goes Digital
With Zoom Video Conferencing

In 2008 I created the Accidental Counsellor Training because of my experience as a high school teacher, school counsellor also in private practice.

Since that time we have presented the Accidental Counsellor Training to over 10 thousand people both face to face and online across Australia, NZ and Asia.

New Circumstances

With the rapidly developing circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 virus presenting the Accidental Counsellor Training face to face is no longer possible due to government bans and restrictions to travel and social gatherings.

Unprecedented Health, Economic and Social Consequences

The health, social and economic impact we are experiencing has unprecedented multiplier effects through all aspects of our lives including our mental health and wellbeing.

In these uncertain and unprecedented times many people are worried about what the future holds for their health, jobs, businesses and family and friends especially the elderly.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support Needed Now

For helpers like you who are often counselling or coaching people in your care you may also be feeling helpless and uncertain about how to best respond to other people’s emotional distress along with your own.

The Accidental Counsellor Training Empowers You To Change Lives

When you complete the Accidental Counsellor Training you will:

  • Feel more confident and certain in how to best respond to the person in need.
  • Increase and enhance your own wellbeing and that of your client. This builds resilience.
  • Connect to the person and their pain and suffering. Your client then feels safe and trusts you more. As a result transformation and healing takes place.
  • Empower the client to discover their own solutions or as I like to call it (next best step). You move from giving to receiving solutions.
Register Now

The Accidental Counsellor Training

Same insight, Same facilitator, Same quality content with a different delivery method
The Accidental Counsellor Training will focus on 3 core themes:

  • Wellbeing
  • Connection
  • Influence

WELLBEING

As an Accidental Counsellor a focus on your wellbeing and self care is essential to avoid burnout.

A focus on your wellbeing and self-care allows you to connect to the stories of pain and suffering you hear from the people you support.

CONNECT

We connect to people’s stories of pain and suffering by listening and acknowledging and validating their experience.

It’s with this deep connection that safety and trust increases and the person begins to calm down. Then if appropriate you can ask questions to help the person discover their “next best step”.

INFLUENCE

Using practical “Solution Focused” questions and language patterns means you are not giving advice but more facilitating and empowering the person to take their next best step.

The Accidental Counsellor Training
going digital means we can make it:

More accessible
Blending different learning styles
More convenient
More affordable

More affordable because you receive the 9.5 hour pre recorded online Accidental Counsellor for FREE!
More affordable because without the venue, catering and travel expenses we can make the same quality training half price!

The Accidental Counsellor Goes Digital with Quality Online Education and Training Design
Over 3 thousand people have accessed the Accidental Counsellor Training online. They have been able to go through the material anywhere, anytime and at their own pace via our website or mobile app. This is known as asynchronous learning.

When it comes to online education, best practice is a combination of asynchronous and synchronous learning.
Synchronous learning is the kind of learning that happens in real time. This means that you, your classmates, and your instructor interact in a specific virtual place, through a specific online medium, at a specific time. In other words, it’s not exactly anywhere, anyhow, anytime. Methods of synchronous online learning include video conferencing, teleconferencing, live chatting, and live-streaming lectures.

And this is exactly what we are offering you with the Online Accidental Counsellor Training a blended approach that includes both asynchronous and synchronous online learning.

That means you get:

  • 1. Access to the Online Accidental Counsellor Training (9.5 hours) that you can access anywhere, anytime, anyhow this is asynchronous learning.
  • 2. Live video teleconference this is where you will attend live and interact with the presenter, other participants as you would at a face to face training. This is known as synchronous learning.

You’ll be able to join the live video teleconference from the safety and comfort of your own home or school or workplace.

How Zoom Teleconferencing Works
The great news is that Zoom video teleconference has all of the elements of a face to face training.

  • 1. When you attend a face to face training there is discussion with other participants in small groups and then back to the whole group. We can do that in Zoom breakout rooms.
  • 2. At a face to face workshop people seek out one on one conversation with me to ask questions or clarify something in the training or perhaps consult on a case they are involved in You can do that also online sending me private messages and we are also providing you with an opportunity to schedule a call with me after the event or on another day.

Here are some more details about the live Video Conference

  • Video Conference Live Online Workshops run from 9 am – 2.30pm
  • Introduction to the training and technology 9am to 9.30am
  • Session 1. 9.30am-10.30am Break 1 (15 min)
  • Session 2. 10.45am – 11.45am Break 2 (30 minute)
  • Session 3. 12.15am to 1.15pm Break 3 (15 minute)
  • Session 4. 1.30 pm to 2.30.pm

What do I need to participate? To participate in this session you need the following:

  • 1. A laptop or computer which will be used to participate in the Zoom conference call. On this you will see the presenter, the slides, instructions and all demonstrations. Many of our schools and organisations connect their laptop to a big screen/projector.
  • 2. If you choose to use the digital copy of the 62 page manual for the day you’ll need to access that from another computer, laptop or device.
  • 3. Pen & Paper for any notes/workbook activities if you choose to print a hard copy of the manual.
  • 4. The microphone on your laptop/computer/tablet will allow you to ask questions and participate as an active attendee.
  • 5. For a better listening experience we recommend using headphones. This can be the same as what you use with your phone currently.
  • 6. When you click through, you’ll need to download the Zoom application to connect with the call so please join a couple of minutes early to do so.

MODULE 1

Know the 3 Accidental Counsellor components that increase wellness, connection & influential communication.

We become Accidental Counsellors when we respond to another person’s distress. Often our desire to help can become counter-productive! When you get clarity around the Accidental Counsellor framework it makes helping people easier because you have a process and framework to guide you.

At The Accidental Counsellor Training, you’ll learn how to:

  • Identify the 3 components to influence change for yourself and clients.
  • Respond to a “client’s” emotional pain to facilitate healing.
  • Identify wellness habits to your own life and help clients improve wellbeing.

MODULE 2

Apply The Psychology of Influence strategies to help people create transformational change in their lives.

A person is in distress. We desperately want to help them. The problem is that our “helpful interventions” can be more harmful than helpful.

This is what can happen when we rush in to help, when we tell people what they need to do to fix their problem.

Rather then telling people how to fix their problems we are much more helpful in guiding the client to identify “their next best action”. When a client identifies a possible next step (and why they need to take it) they are more empowered to take action

At The Accidental Counsellor Training, you’ll learn how to:

  • Implement the key principles and concepts using Psychology of Influence strategies.
  • Ask strategic questions that help the client discover “next best” actions to help move them forward.
  • Focus the client on “their reason” for taking action. To be clear on their “why”. As a result the client is more motivated and inspired to take action.

MODULE 3

Create wellness habits to help you establish boundaries that make you more effective in your role.

Accidental Counsellors are also known as “helpers”. One of the biggest challenges for those in the ‘helping role’ is facing their own limits in that role.

Setting appropriate boundaries is the core of the work of helping others.

Setting boundaries ensures we do not burn out, and that our “helping” does not enable the problem to continue.

At The Accidental Counsellor Training, you’ll learn how to:

  • Identify evidence based wellbeing habits.
  • Create wellbeing habits for yourself and clients.
  • Assess when a problem needs to be referred.

MODULE 4

Identify and implement the four essential communication aspects.

You think you are listening, understanding a person’s problem when they communicate. Yet they keep repeating themselves or come back to speak about the same problem over and over again.

These are two simple signs that indicate that while you think you are “getting them” they don’t feel the same.

How can you know with 100% certainty that you understand what is being communicated?

How can you be sure the person speaking FEELS you understand?

Understanding the four communication aspects will help you avoid this communication error

At The Accidental Counsellor Training, you’ll learn how to:

  • Identify the four key communication aspects that enable you to build rapport and influence.
  • Understand the communication preferences people use and as a result make them feel understood.
  • Apply the 4 keys to active listening.

MODULE 5

How to establish the purpose of the interview to move the client toward future possibilities.

It can be overwhelming to know what part of the “client’s” communication to focus on.

Knowing how to quickly assess and gain clarity about the goal or aim of the interview/conversation allows focus toward a possible solution.

It’s important that the goal is something the client is engaged with, specific, achievable and within the person’s control.

At The Accidental Counsellor Training, you’ll learn how to:

  • Focus the client toward future possibilities rather than focus on the past or over analyse the problem.
  • Become clear about the purpose, goal and aim of the conversation.
  • Determine if the goal is something the client is motivated to achieve

MODULE 6

How to Move The Client Toward Solutions With The Miracle Question.

An easy trap for an Accidental Counsellor to fall into is to become overly analytical. That is, putting too much focus on the problem and why the problem may be occurring.

What’s much more useful is to connect with the person’s pain but then “pivot” the conversation onto the “future without the problem”.

This is the goal of the “Miracle Question”. It allows the client to imagine what their day would be like if the problem was not there.

How would they be thinking, feeling and behaving?

When we have these descriptions in clear, concrete, specific terms we can focus the client on doing the things they know can make a difference

At The Accidental Counsellor Training, you’ll learn how to:

  • Ask the “Miracle Question” in your own unique way.
  • Unpack what the future would be like without the problem.
  • Focus the client on the “next best step” for them.

MODULE 7

How to Identify Existing Strengths With The Exception Question.

Regardless of the magnitude of the problems, there are situations or times when the problem does not happen or is less severe.

These are called EXCEPTIONS to the problem.

Solutions can be unearthed by examining the differences between times when the problem has occurred and times when it has not.

Clients often simply need to do more of what is already working, until the problem no longer exists

At The Accidental Counsellor Training, you’ll learn how to:

  • Help the client identify strengths – when they can manage the problem better, easier etc.
  • Help the client reframe obstacles and problems. As a result the client gains new positive perspectives on an old problem.
  • Create a framework that identifies the problem, looks for exceptions to the problem and the differences those exceptions have made to the client in the past.

MODULE 8

How to Identify The Next Step and Make Quick Assessments with The Scaling Question.

How useful would this be for you where zero is not at all and 10 is very useful.

That is a quick example of a scaling question.

Scaling questions can be used to assess the Client’s esteem, self confidence, investment in change, willingness to work hard to bring about desired changes, prioritizing of the problems to be solved, perceptions of hopefulness, evaluation of progress and so on – things considered too abstract to concretise

At The Accidental Counsellor Training, you’ll learn how to:

  • Identify the problem to scale.
  • Move a client up the scale toward their goal.
  • Ask the scaling question in three different ways to gain greater impact in what the next step “up” could be for the client.

TESTIMONIAL

What Our Participants Say

I have already used some of the tips I learnt at the training with an irate parent and a cranky student, with great success! Thank you.

Catherine Pearse
Heathcote High School

Hi Rocky,I Have used your techniques twice already and it was FABULOUS! (obviously not seemless – more practise needed) but i had direction and focus and purpose and just a really positive vibe in both conversations. Love it. Thanks heaps.

Tricia Bradley

Join The Accidental Counsellor Community

$198

for 1 person

$660

for 5 staff

$1200

for 10 staff

$1650

for 15 staff

$1980

for 25 staff

$2970

for 50 staff
Get started easily
Training Designed and Tailored Specifically for your Team.At a date and time you choose. Facilitator and your Team collaborate in Real Time. Live and Online Via Zoom Video Conference 30 Minute Training 60 Minute Training 90 Minute Training 3 Hours of Training Full day (6 Hours of Training)
PLUS Join an Additional Full Day Live Conference Via Zoom Online Video.Interact with your facilitator and other participants in real time. Choose from scheduled dates.
12 Month Subscription to Ever Expanding Library of World Class Mental Health and Wellbeing Coursesaccess anywhere, anytime, anyway at your own pace (currently 20+ courses)
Online Accidental Counsellor Level 1 to do in your own time (9.5 hours)
Online Accidental Counsellor Level 2 to do in your own time (6 hours)
Click Here To Start Now

IF YOU ARE WONDERING

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the Accidental Counsellor Training For?

This training is for you if you are looking for practical skills to help you respond to the upset and distress you encounter in your role.

What is the length of the Accidental Counsellor Training?

The Accidental Counsellor Training face to face is a full day training 9am to 2.30pm. We also run shorter sessions to suit your needs. Online the training is 9.5 hours and is part of a range of mental health and wellbeing courses and resources in our online membership section.

How do I access the Training?

There are 3 ways you can access the Accidental Counsellor Training:

  1. Live and online with zoom video – Click here to find a date that works for you.
  2. Online at your pace and time.
  3. Designed specifically for your staff or team.

Is the training registered for professional development hours?

Yes with NESA 9.5 hours online and 6.5 hours face to face and for 5 hours with TQI and also with the ACSWA.

What can I expect from the Training?

The Accidental Counsellor Training will help you manage your own wellbeing and self care so you can be in the best state to listen and connect to the stories or pain and distress you hear from the people you support. The training will also show you how to use Solution Focused Questions to help the person create positive change.

How much does it cost.

Click here and select if you are looking to attend a public event, do it online or host a training in-house.

Connect and Influence without Burning Out
Accidental Counsellor Training
FREE 80min Short Course