MSF-SUSS Family Counselling Certification Programme

The well-being of families has always been a fundamental concern for the government. With an increasing trend in the cases of family issues, there is a pressing need to hire and train more family counsellors to look into family development and well-being. It is also important to continuously upskill family counsellors so that they are well-equipped to deal with family issues.

On 14 August 2020, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build a pipeline of family counsellors and to equip the family counsellors with the knowledge and skills to address family relationship issues in the community. This will open up more job opportunities for individuals who are passionate about making a difference in families and serving the community.

Although the MSF-SUSS FCCP is designed for counsellors hired by agencies under the Strengthening Families Programme@Family Service Centre (FAM@FSC), the programme courses are available to members of public for their professional development or personal interest. These programme courses will be offered as Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses which are non-credit bearing and non-accredited.

The MSF-SUSS FCCP consists of 10 courses, namely 5 foundational courses and 5 core courses.

The duration of each course is 28 hours, with the exception of course CET332 Practicum: Specialised Counselling Skills which is conducted over 4 months.

Please see the table below for the synopses of the courses. (You may click on the course title to access the individual course webpage.)

S/N	Course	Synopsis
1	(CET330) Micro and Advanced Skills in Counselling	This course focuses on the application of counselling skills. Lessons will be conducted in the training laboratory and classroom. Participants will have the opportunity to practise their micro-counselling skills through role-plays under live supervision. Participants are also required to reflect on their experiences to demonstrate self-awareness and develop qualities of an effective counsellor through therapeutic presence. Participants will learn how their culture, personal values and beliefs can impact the counselling process.
2	(CET331) Theories and Techniques in Counselling	This course gives an overview of major theories and techniques in counselling. It focuses on the application of psychotherapy approaches and theories in various settings, especially in the community. This course will also equip participants with the knowledge and skills to apply integrative approaches in counselling when dealing with clients from diverse backgrounds and presenting issues. Ethical and professional issues relating to participants’ work in family counselling will also be discussed.
3	(CET332) Practicum: Specialised Counselling Skills	This course aims to strengthen the practical skills of the participants and to help them develop their own individualised style in counselling. It aims to help participants specialise in counselling models. Experienced practitioners in family counselling will supervise participants individually.
4	(CET333) Human Development: A Psychosocial Approach	This course focuses on the theories and practice of psychosocial developments from infancy to old age. Understanding the psychosocial aspects of life span development and their implications for counselling will enhance participants’ skills and effectiveness in relating to clients from various age groups.
5	(CET334) Counselling in a Multicultural Context	The aim of this course is to provide awareness and understanding of multicultural counselling and therapy. Participants will learn how to handle ethical dilemmas with reference to the Code of Ethics. This course also equips participants with the skills to identify the factors in the multicultural contexts that influence their client’s behaviour. Participants will also explore the impact of these factors on the client’s behaviour and reflect on their own practice.

Synopses of MSF-SUSS FCCP Core Courses

S/N	Course	Synopsis
1	(CET335) Counselling Children and Adolescents	This course takes a practice-based approach to counselling children and adolescents using theories on development, family, culture and ethics. Participants will learn and apply both theoretical and technical components of child and adolescent psychotherapeutic work across a common structural-procedural psychotherapeutic process.
2	(CET336) Couple Counselling: The Gottman Approach	This course focuses on couple counselling based on the clinical work and research done by Drs John and Julie Gottman over the past 30 years. The Gottman Method is an approach to couple counselling that includes a thorough assessment of the couple’s relationship and integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory. The course aims to equip participants with knowledge and skills for assessment and intervention in couple counselling, based on the Gottman Approach which is developed by Eagles Mediation & Counselling Centre Ltd (‘EMCC”) with consent from The Gottman Institute, USA. EMCC is the exclusive institutional partner of The Gottman Institute in Singapore.
3	(CET337) Narrative Therapy in Family Counselling	This course focuses on building the skills of narrative practices with individual(s) and couples in family counselling. Participants will hone their skills in Narrative Therapy through role-plays and group activities in class. The course will feature key narrative ideas and practices, including recent developments in narrative therapy: externalising conversations, re-authoring conversations, outsider-witness practices, remembering conversations, listening for alternative storylines, and documenting change.
4	(CET338) Structural Family Therapy	This course focuses on the application of practical counselling skills and techniques on families using the Structural Family Therapy (SFT) model. Participants will learn the theoretical concepts and framework of the SFT model developed by Salvador Minuchin. Participants will analyse the SFT model to determine how the model can be used to guide their approach to working with families. Participants will also learn clinical practice issues central to a systemic approach to family counselling through videos of family interviews. This course encourages participants to draw on their previous experiences and to apply the course materials through role-plays.
5	(CET339) Couple Counselling: Emotionally-Focused Therapy	This course provides participants with theories on love relationship and attachment between adults, as well as the process of addressing and healing distressed relationships. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is an experiential/systemic therapy which focuses on helping spouses/partners restructure the emotional responses that maintain their negative interaction patterns. Participants will learn the nine therapeutic steps in EFT. The course will also equip participants with basic EFT skills to direct couples away from conflict deadlocks into forming new bonding interactions in their relationships.

The SUSS Certificate of Completion will be awarded to participants upon completion of each course.

MSF-SUSS FCCP Joint Certificates

For FAM@FSC counsellors who are required to attend the MSF-SUSS FCCP courses as part of their training roadmap, they will be awarded the MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion in Foundational Counselling when they complete the 5 foundational courses, and the MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling when they complete the 5 core courses.

The overview of the MSF-SUSS FCCP for counsellors hired by FAM@FSCs is shown below.

Certificate	Courses
MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion in Foundational Counselling (5 foundational courses)	(CET330) Micro and Advanced Skills in Counselling (CET331) Theories and Techniques in Counselling (CET332) Practicum: Specialised Counselling Skills (CET333) Human Development: A Psychosocial Approach (CET334) Counselling in a Multicultural Context
MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling (5 core courses)	(CET335) Counselling Children and Adolescents (CET336) Couple Counselling: The Gottman Approach (CET337) Narrative Therapy in Family Counselling (CET338) Structural Family Therapy (CET339) Couple Counselling: Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapy

Certificate

Courses

MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion in Foundational Counselling

(5 foundational courses)

(CET330) Micro and Advanced Skills in Counselling
(CET331) Theories and Techniques in Counselling
(CET332) Practicum: Specialised Counselling Skills
(CET333) Human Development: A Psychosocial Approach
(CET334) Counselling in a Multicultural Context

MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling

(5 core courses)

(CET335) Counselling Children and Adolescents
(CET336) Couple Counselling: The Gottman Approach
(CET337) Narrative Therapy in Family Counselling
(CET338) Structural Family Therapy
(CET339) Couple Counselling: Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapy

Please note that the joint certificates would only be issued to counsellors from the FAM@FSCs and not to the members of public.

MSF-SUSS Family Counselling Certification Programme Struction

*Optional OJT blueprint as part of workplace learning.

Workplace learning will be conducted on-site at the hiring agencies for newly hired counsellors. They will undergo 1-2 months of onboarding programme before enrolling for the MSF-SUSS FCCP.

On-site workplace supervisors will provide newly hired counsellors on-job-training (OJT) to familiarise them with the agency’s standard operating procedures and the job scope of a family counsellor. SUSS will support FAM@FSCs with an optional OJT blueprint to assist them in executing the OJT process in a structured and consistent manner.

The MSF-SUSS FCCP consists of 2 tracks for counsellors hired by FAM@FSCs: Track A and Track B. Track A targets counselling graduates who will be required to complete the Specialist Certificate in Family and Couple Counselling. Track B targets mid-career professionals with qualifications in related fields, who will be required to complete the MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion in Foundational Counselling and the MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling.

Please see the table below for the entry requirements for FAM@FSC counsellors.

Entry Requirements for FAM@FSC Counsellors

Entry Requirements	Course Requirements
Track A Bachelor's Degree or Graduate Diploma or Master's Degree in Counselling and 3 years of experience working with families or children	MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling (5 core courses)
Track B Degree in related fields such as Psychology, Social Work, or Education and 3 years of experience working with families or children	MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion in Foundational Counselling (5 foundational courses) MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling(5 core courses)

Entry Requirements

Course Requirements

Track A

Bachelor's Degree or Graduate Diploma or Master's Degree in Counselling and
3 years of experience working with families or children

MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling
(5 core courses)

Track B

Degree in related fields such as Psychology, Social Work, or Education and
3 years of experience working with families or children

MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion in Foundational Counselling
(5 foundational courses)
MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling(5 core courses)

Please check your eligibility for the MSF-SUSS FCCP if you wish to seek employment with one of the FAM@FSCs.

Applicants who are interested to be hired by FAM@FSCs or DSSAs may visit the career pages of the following agencies:

DSSAs

PPIS (Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura) As-Salaam

Malay/Muslim ERM Centres

Foundational Courses:

S/N.	Course Name	Date	Duration
1	CET330 Micro and Advanced Skills in Counselling	12 - 14 February, 18 February 2025 9 am - 5.30pm	28 hours
2	CET331 Theories and Techniques in Counselling	25 - 28 February 2025 9am - 5.30pm	28 hours
3	CET332 Practicum: Specialised Counselling Skills	Mid February 2025	4 months
	Practicum eBriefing	TBC	2 hours
4	CET333 Human Development: A Psychosocial Approach	11 - 14 March 2025 9am - 5.30pm	28 hours
5	CET334 Counselling in Multicultural Context	21 March, 26 - 28 March 2025 9am - 5.30pm	28 hours

Core Courses:

S/N.	Course Name	Date	Duration
1	CET335 Counselling Children and Adolescents	13 - 16 May 2025 9 am - 5.30pm	28 hours
2	CET336 Couple Counselling: The Gottman Approach	8 - 11 April 2025 9am - 5.30pm	28 hours
3	CET337 Narrative Therapy in Family Counselling	22 - 25 April 2025 9am - 5.30pm	28 hours
4	CET338 Structural Family Therapy	6 - 9 May 2025 9am - 5.30pm	28 hours
5	CET339 Couple Counselling: Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapy	1 - 4 April 2025 9am - 5.30pm	28 hours
6	CET340 Counselling on Ageing Family Issues	20 - 23 May 2025 9am - 5.30pm	28 hours

Enquiries

For course registration and further enquiries on the certification programme, you may email to cet @suss.edu.sg.