The study of human development focuses on behavioural and psychological development from conception through later life. Emphasis is on the processes and mechanisms underlying developmental change and stability and the contexts in which development takes place. Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. For example, psychology studies the brain, sensation and perception, motivation, intelligence, emotions, memory, psychological disorders, and much more. Developmental Psychology is a subfield of psychology. Its focus is on studying the changes that take place across our life span. Development is defined as changes in our physical structure, thought, and behaviour due to genetics or the environment. Development is life long and also can be a very personal thing.

Development incorporates change over time. We all change as we mature. Some of those changes are due to experience and others to our physiology. Developmental psychology is concerned with the patterns and processes of change throughout our lifetimes. A significant question in developmental psychology is the relation between innateness and environmental influence in regard to any particular aspect of development – put in more easy terms nature vs. nurture.

This certificate is designed for people working with children or teenagers; or interested in a pursuing a career of working with youth.

It is designed to provide a foundation for understanding the mind of a child and the way it changes and develops as they grow toward adolescence and eventually adulthood. This course is internationally accredited through I.A.R.C

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Course Code	VPS003
Fee Code	CT
Number of Modules	6
Duration (approx)	600 hours

Course Structure

It consists of 6 modules (click on each module for detailed information)

Introduction Psychology 
There are seven lessons in this course, as follows:

1. The nature and scope of Psychology
2. Neurological basis of behaviour
3. Environmental effects on behaviour
4. Consciousness and perception
5. Personality
6. Psychological development
7. Needs, drives and motivation

Child Psychology
There are 12 lessons as follows:

1. Introduction to Child Psychology
2. The Newborn Infant
3. States and Senses of the Infant
4. Learning
5. Emotions and Socialisation
6. Cognitive Development
7. Language Development
8. Intelligence
9. Socialisation – Part A
10. Morality
11. Sexuality
12. Socialisation – Part B

Educational Psychology
Seven lessons as follows:

1. Introduction –Development & Learning Theory 
2. Behavioural Learning 
3. Information Processing 
4. Memory Retention & Loss 
5. Individual Needs 
6. Constructivist Learning 
7. Motivation 

Developmental Psychology
The course is divided into ten lessons as follows: 

1. Introduction - Theoretical approaches and key concepts 
2. Early childhood – cognitive & social development in the first 6 years 
3. Middle childhood – cognitive, moral & social development in the school years 
4. Challenges of middle childhood 
5. Adolescence – cognitive, moral and social development 
6. Challenges of adolescence 
7. Adulthood – cognitive and psychosocial development in early and middle adulthood 
8. Challenges of adulthood 
9. Late adulthood – cognitive and psychosocial changes in the elderly 
10. Challenges of late adulthood

Career Counselling
The course contains ten lessons, as follows:

1. Introduction – Scope and Nature of Careers Counselling
2. Nature of Careers – What is a career, what makes it successful
3. Careers Advice Resources – Brochures, Publications, Web Sites
4. Services – Where can people get help (Social Services, Work Experience, Education)
5. Developing Counselling Skills
6. Conducting a Counselling Session
7. Counselling Students and School Leavers
8. Counselling Adults (inexperienced or facing career change)
9. Job Prospecting – How to find work…resumes, etc
10. Nurturing and Growing a career once it has started

Relationships and Communications Counselling
The course is divided into seven lessons as follows:

1. Communication in emerging relationships
2. Communication behaviour and needs
3. Communication and the environment
4. Communication patterns in relationships
5. Maintaining relationships
6. Relationship breakdown
7. Evaluation of communication techniques within relationships

Some Sample Notes from our Careers Counselling Course -

A career is more than a job. It is consistent participation on a chosen vocation or field of work, such a social work, office administration, law or horticulture, and includes all levels of participation. A career refers to a person’s whole work-related life, and therefore it encompasses both the person’s occupation (perhaps as a landscaper) and the field of work in which they have been primarily involved (such as horticulture).

Many people simply ‘fall’ into a career by gaining a job in a particular area, then staying in that area because of the experience they have acquired and the familiarity of that kind of work. Other people choose a career on impulse, or because their friend is in that career, or their father or mother was, or a job opportunity arose in that career. This can work very well with some people, and lead to satisfying careers.

However, the pervasiveness of job dissatisfaction, depression and disinterest among employed persons indicates that it might not be wise to let the job market or external influences determine a career. The most consistently effective route to career building is to plan for a career that allows the individual to utilise his or her particular skills, interests and aptitudes, and that they feel good about. A successful career is one that nurtures the person’s self-esteem and sense of worth while providing for their living needs, and corresponds with their values.

Because a career does not just happen but is developed over a period of time, it requires a level of commitment and persistence in one field that go far beyond simple job-seeking. Therefore, the careers counsellor needs first to determine whether the client wants help just looking for a job or wants guidance and support in building a career. Clients who want or are compelled to make a career change may actually look for a new job and are not really interested in developing long-term career goals in a new field. In general, however, both paths are built upon the same principles of identifying goals, deciding on a field or job that will allow the individual to achieve those goals, and determining how to go about getting work in that job or field.