Practical training for counsellors-in-training • Online • Professionally delivered • Research-led.

The Mock Client Series

Start with confidence. Learn how to hold a counselling process from first contact to ending.

An eight-session online programme that teaches trainee counsellors how to conduct short-term counselling with clarity, clinical integrity and professional presence. Each session pairs a pre-recorded video with practical exercises, written assignments and structured feedback opportunities.

Enrolments open for the next intake.

Who this is for

• Trainee counsellors and trainee psychologists who require practical experience of client work.

• Early-career practitioners seeking a structured model for short-term counselling.

• Training departments and supervision teams looking for a repeatable, theory-grounded training module.

Why this programme matters

Many trainees learn theory but remain unsure how to begin with a client. The Mock Client Series provides a step-by-step pathway that teaches the opening, the middle and the ending of short-term work. It links practice directly to major psychological theory so that every clinical decision is grounded and defendable.

Session outline

1. Session 1 - First Meeting: Rapport, informed consent, contracting (Freud, Bowlby, Winnicott).

2. Session 2 - Building the Alliance: Active listening, empathy, early tests of trust (Sullivan, Winnicott).

3. Session 3 - Exploring the Client's Story: Projection, splitting, archetypal patterns (Klein, Jung).

4. Session 4 - Desire, Needs and Growth: Sexuality, desire, personal growth and brief note on transference (Horney, Kinsey, Perel).

5. Session 5 - Trauma and Intimacy: Body memory, regulation, attachment and safety (van der Kolk, Bowlby, Winnicott).

6. Session 6 - The Body and Regulation: Grounding, pacing, somatic awareness (Siegel, van der Kolk).

7. Session 7 - Vulnerability, Power and Rupture: Shame, mutual recognition, rupture-repair practice (Brown, Benjamin).

8. Session 8 - Integration and Endings: Consolidation, ethical closure, professional next steps (integrative).

Learning outcomes

By the end of the series, participants will be able to:

• Conduct a clear and professional first session, including informed consent and contracting.

• Build and sustain a therapeutic alliance using active listening and reflective practice.

• Identify attachment and relational patterns and respond in ways that improve client safety.

• Address sensitive topics such as desire and trauma with proportionate, evidence-based responses.

• Manage ruptures, maintain boundaries and complete ethical endings.

Core features

• Video/audio - concise, clinical guidance for each session.

• Downloadable session notes - theory, practical prompts and reflection questions.

• Structured assignments - transcripts, reflections and case responses with clear marking criteria.

• Optional live supervision - small-group clinical supervision available as an add-on for trainees seeking observed practice.

• Professional standards - emphasis on informed consent, confidentiality, safeguarding and GDPR-compliant record keeping.

• Assessment: Written assignments and case reflections designed for formative feedback.

Pricing and access

Course + Group Counselling Hybrid • Fixed Fees • Selective Enrolment

1. Self-Paced Access (Content Only)

• Six structured weekly modules (readings, reflections, exercises)

• Independent study, no facilitator interaction

• Certificate of completion

2. Core Cohort (Course + Written Feedback)

• Six modules with weekly personalised written responses (72 - hour turnaround)

• Private, invite-only cohort community

• One group Q&A call (educational, not therapeutic)

• Enhanced certificate of completion

3. Therapeutic Cohort (Course + Group Counselling)

• Six modules with written feedback

• Six weekly live group counselling sessions (60 - 90 minutes)

• Small group size (6 -10 participants)

• Sessions scheduled after written work for depth and preparation

• Premium certificate of completion

Enrolment

Victory Within™ programmes are offered at fixed fees, with no hidden costs.
Fees and cohort details are provided by email to applicants who are accepted into the programme.

To apply, submit your expression of interest. Shortlisted applicants will be contacted directly with full programme details.

Next steps / Call to action

• Apply for the next intake - limited places per cohort to preserve quality and clinical oversight.

Course Timeline

• All course materials and platform details will be released on 5 January 2026.

• The course officially begins on Wednesday, 14 January 2026, and runs for 8 weeks.

• A two-week buffer is built in (until mid-December) to allow for flexibility in case of delays.

• New session material will be released each Wednesday, and you will have one week to complete the work and submit your tasks (if you are on the cohort or group feedback option).

Legal and safeguarding reminder

This programme is a professional training module and not a substitute for clinical supervision or emergency care. Should a participating trainee identify immediate risk in a client, they must follow local safeguarding procedures and escalate to appropriate emergency services or supervisors.

Victory Within™ Academia evidence-based training in intimacy, desire and relational practice.