How can I get news of your courses?

Please revisit this site (we will have an opt-in newsletter soon).

Do you supply a complete catalogue of all courses?  NEW

Yes, now we do!  We are now producing a complete catalogue in both printed form and as a PDF download. For more information click here.

What is the legal status of your certificates and diplomas?

In the UK - unlike many other countries - private certificates and diplomas (but not degrees) are automatically legal.  A college does not need permission from any government authority to award a certificate or diploma in most subjects.  Thus, every UK College of Holistic Training Certificate or Diploma is a genuine British qualification.  Most UK education in the fields of complementary and alternative medicine, personal growth, counselling and hypnotherapy,  is run by private colleges, and private schools are to be found offering many other subjects.

The name "UK College of Holistic Training" and our former name "Kadmon Academy" are fully owned trading names of our Principal, Morris Berg.  There is no government requirement to register the names of private non-limited adult educational colleges.

What is the difference between a certificate and a diploma?

The title "diploma" is used widely in the UK for courses which in the US might be called Certificates.  In the UK and most other English-speaking countries (except the USA), a Diploma can mean a course that is more advanced than a Certificate in the same subject, or it can mean a specialised or professional course.  There is no hard and fast rule about what is a Certificate and what is a Diploma, and it will vary depending on the course provider, the field of study and other factors. The length of the course may not be a useful indicator of Certificate or Diploma status. Private colleges as well as state education providers issue certificates and diplomas of many kinds in the UK.

If you are in the US, or in another country where the word "diploma" is not used or is confusing, we may be able to alter the wording of your award to suit your needs - please enquire.

What is an Advanced Diploma?

A UKCHT course that is called an "Advanced Diploma" typically has much more material than the average diploma offered through UKCHT or similar home study colleges.  Advanced Diplomas are for those who are really dedicated to studying their subject for an extended period.  At least 6 textbooks will be used.  Advanced Diplomas also allow people who have gained a Certificate or Diploma at another college to study the subject further. Some subjects will have both Diploma and Advanced Diploma courses offered by UKCHT.  (NB - There is no universally recognised standard for the length or content of private Diplomas or Advanced Diplomas).

Are your courses recognised?

For details of recognition and links to professional associations, please see our Societies page  We are pursuing additional recognitions and any available updates will appear on our website as soon as possible.

Will I be able to join a professional society?

We can recommend you to one or more of several professional societies depending on what you practice and what course you have taken. Some societies are only open to UK members or to non-UK members who can pay by PayPal. We have built a special societies page for more information.
 

Will I be able to get professional insurance?

There are several insurance companies or intermediaries in the UK who handle applications for professional indemnity insurance from complementary therapists, and we will produce a list of companies you can contact.  Contrary to what some training schools say, in most cases it is not necessary to be trained by a particular school or to belong to a particular professional body to get insurance.  The insurance industry does cater for independent therapists. You may also join the insurance scheme of whatever professional society you belong to.

Who is eligible to do your courses?

Our courses are both for professionally qualified people and also for learners new to adult education who have shown some previous aptitude for study, perhaps with good grades at GCSE or "O" levels, at least one good "A" level, or a vocational course.  Students should enjoy reading and writing and be able to cope with textbooks.  A good standard of written English is essential.  We are happy to consider all applicants on their merits and any specific requirements for individual courses will be given in the course details.  We are used to working with people who have not done any studying since they left high school, and most of those students do better than they expect!  Succeeding in our courses can give you the confidence to continue your education with other schools or colleges. 

Will I receive a printed diploma and will I be able to use letters after my name?

All UK College of Holistic Training graduates will receive a handsomely printed certificate or diploma suitable for framing.  Most courses will have designatory letters which can be used after the student's name, for example DISMC for the Diploma in Integrative Stress Management with Counselling.  If you subsequently join a professional association,  you will be able to use whatever letters are permitted by the association for your grade of membership.

We now have a dedicated certificate page that gives you more details.

Does my certificate or diploma say it was obtained by distance learning? NEW 

No. We believe that there is no need to specifically earmark our diplomas as distance learning ones.  Distance learning is becoming more and more acceptable as a way of earning professional qualifications.  Even fully accredited universities who offer some courses through distance study issue the same degrees to campus and distance students.  You can also obtain (from other providers) nationally recognised level 3 to 5 qualifications in certain therapies by distance learning with or without optional practical workshops, and the exact same certification is issued for either.  Also, professional insurance companies allow distance-qualified and classroom-qualified therapists to have professional insurance.  Therefore, though debate about the merits of classroom versus distance learning is sure to continue, there is plenty of established precedent for awarding distance learning students a certificate or diploma that does not have a statement of the mode of study.

What is required to practise counselling, life coaching or psychotherapy in the UK?

In the UK, there is no compulsory government regulation of the professions of counselling, psychotherapy, stress management, life coaching or hypnotherapy. In theory, people can practise those professions with no formal qualifications at all, but that would not be wise and you have a moral obligation to have training if you are working as a professional. There are several major bodies who claim to be the most prestigious and well-recognised professional associations in the field. To take a training accredited by one of those bodies takes years, involves classroom attendance and extensive personal therapy, and is very expensive in terms of time and money.  Many people drop out because they cannot afford to continue, and so those prestigious trainings are more and more restricted to an elite who have the wherewithal to stay in training., or who are lucky enough to obtain very scarce funding. 

However, due to the unique educational freedom that exists in the UK for therapy training, there are hundreds of private training bodies linked with dozens of smaller professional associations in all areas of the country, that provide professional courses in counselling and psychotherapy in different formats.  Part of this market comprises the schools who offer distance learning in counselling and psychotherapy.  Distance learning in those fields is well-established and Kadmon is proud to be one of the few providers in this area.  Our distance learning counselling/therapy courses are  ideally aimed at people who have some formal or informal experience of counselling or helping: there are nurses, teachers and mental health workers amongst our students.  The courses can also be taken for personal interest.  To get practical experience, we suggest that students contact local volunteer and self-help groups who often have places for volunteer counsellors. Such groups will often offer additional specialised training.

The graduate of the UKCHT Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy will be able to join The Counselling Society and apply for professional liability insurance in the UK.  Most counsellors in the UK are self-employed, and the Kadmon Diploma can help you to establish yourself as a self-employed professional.  Most counsellors and therapists do additional courses during their careers, and the knowledge and confidence imparted by our course can help you succeed in further counselling or therapy education. 

Over the years there have been a number of attempts by certain UK training bodies and professional associations to use "scare tactics" in their marketing.  Such bodies have hinted that only their course or association will satisfy the regulations when counselling and psychotherapy become regulated.  However, repeated attempts at introducing laws to regulate psychotherapy and counselling have failed, and despite what some people may say, in our opinion such regulation is not imminent as successive governments have taken the view that the counselling,  psychotherapy, life coaching and hypnotherapy professions must regulate themselves. 

The insurance industry has not insisted on qualifications from particular schools for indemnity insurance purposes, giving the clearest indication of all that there is no extra risk of malpractice at the hands of someone trained by one school as opposed to another.  The insurance industry also does not insist on insured counsellors and therapists being supervised.  This is information that probably no other teaching institution will tell you.

In recent years a number of schemes have been established working towards some form of self-regulation for complementary therapies.  These initiatives are still in the process of formation and it is expected that when they become fully operational, existing therapists will be "grandfathered" into appropriate schemes and registers. There might or might not still be completely independent associations or registers for some fields.  However, if you have been practising in some way without a certificate, it is even more important now to acquire one, so at least you can apply to get onto the self-regulation ladder while you consider your further training and development plans.

Do you provide distance learning courses in hypnotherapy?

Although the study of counselling by distance learning is well-established in the UK,  there is considerable debate in the UK concerning distance learning hypnotherapy trainings.  A few "bad apples" have led to bad publicity over the years and most of the significant professional hypnotherapy bodies in the UK hold the view that classroom-based trainings are superior.  In the USA, the climate of opinion is different.  There are several excellent multi-media distance training programmes and their certifications are accepted by national hypnotherapy associations. 

Since we are in the UK, we have chosen not to provide a distance qualification in hypnotherapy at present, though this policy will be kept under review in the light of market research and professional opinions.

However, for those seeking hypnotherapy training by home study, we are now recommending a course by another provider. That course was developed in the USA, where it is recognised, and a version is now distributed in the UK and elsewhere.

For hypnotherapists who already have professional qualifications, we intend to produce professional development courses and certifications in specialist areas.  All UK applicants for such courses will be required to produce copies of their previous qualifications to prove that they are qualified hypnotherapists.  We have identified a need for such specialised postgraduate education for hypnotherapists, since even classroom-based trainings often give minimal training in specialised areas, and there is always room for extra academic knowledge.  Whether you trained as a hypnotherapist in the classroom or by distance learning, you will be welcome to take our specialist courses.  Please revisit this web site for further news of forthcoming courses.

Will my qualifications be recognised abroad?

Unlike school-leaving qualifications and accredited university degrees, many professional qualifications and trades are not easily transferable from one country to another, even if they are from the most prestigious UK institutions.  Even British 3-year honours degrees are not accepted in certain countries where the standard period of first degree education is 4 or more years.  In many cases people find they need to re-train locally or have an additional degree qualification.  Due to the tradition of professional freedom that still exists in the UK, people with counselling and psychotherapy qualifications from all over the world can practise in the UK, especially privately, but UK-trained therapists might find that their training is not as portable abroad.

If you already have adequate qualifications to work in a non-UK country, or if there is no particular control in your state over the field in which you wish to practise, you may use our qualifications abroad.  In all other cases, we suggest you obtain local advice in the country and/or state in which you wish to practise.  In the USA, Canada and Australia, you should check with the state authorities as regulations can differ considerably from state to state, and you could be allowed to practice lawfully in one state but not in the next one.  State regulations can also change frequently.

Our general advice is to always make extensive local enquiries if you are considering practising abroad, and talk to local practitioners and professional associations to find out what you may need. As well as professional qualifications, you might have to meet various local regulations regarding general education (do you need a general or specific University degree?), permission to set up business, licence to use business premises, special regulations for the self-employed, and so on.  You should also find out what the rules about income tax and running a bank account are, because they could be different from what you are used to!  Local guidance is essential and if you are emigrating, get all the information you can from the relevant embassy or consulate, find a relocation consultant, or consult an immigration lawyer in the destination country.

UKCHT qualifications are not accredited by any government-approved body giving automatic recognition outside the UK.  However, like all other UK qualifications, our courses attract interest internationally, and many students take our courses because they already meet the conditions for practice in their own country, and they wish to study with us for further or specialist education.

International students are also welcome to take our courses for personal interest.

Even if you take a correspondence course offered by another college and not ours, the same considerations might well apply - obtain local advice in all cases from the proper authorities or professional associations.

Do you have students in other countries?

The UK College of Holistic Training (formerly Kadmon Academy) has had students in all continents.  We currently have students/graduates from various countries including the USA, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Botswana, Kenya and Ethiopia.  We are happy to receive enquiries from all over the world.

Do you provide a job placement service?

The UK College of Holistic Training does not have a job placement service.  Our qualifications are mainly for self-employed professionals and may also be taken for personal interest and professional development.  Employers who are interested in our graduates are welcome to contact us with view to placing a vacancy announcement on our website.

How do students on therapy-related courses get experience and practical training?

Many students are already practising some form of counselling, therapy or helping and take our courses to further their professional knowledge and gain professional qualifications.  Ways of practising certain techniques taught in our courses can include practice on family and friends and becoming a volunteer counsellor or helper with a local self-help or voluntary counselling service such as (in the UK), Mind, Victim Support, The Samaritans, a self-help group for a particular illness or condition, a church-related counselling service, or a hospital patient support group.  Often, groups will make arrangements for further specialist training or skills courses.  We do not arrange placements with such services: we suggest that students make local enquiries.

Do you offer "A" levels, ASET, or NVQ courses?

The UKCHT does not offer Advanced Level tuition or National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) courses. We do not offer ASET courses. 

Do you offer payment plans?

We can usually spread the payment of the more expensive courses over 10 months, provided payments may be made easily by PayPal or UK cheque.  We cannot offer instalment payments to Africa, India and certain other regions because the cost of collecting each payment is too high.

Can I study with you if I do not use a computer and/or the Internet?

Yes.  Study may be carried out entirely by correspondence. 

Where do I get textbooks for the courses?

The College does not sell books.   If you have access to the Internet it is easy to buy books from amazon.co.uk in the UK or amazon.com in the US.  Books can often be obtained second-hand from www.abebooks.co.uk or www.abebooks.com We will also give advice on finding second-hand copies or where to get any title that is hard to obtain.  We can also recommend booksellers who will take your order by post or phone, and we can give students details of a bookseller in the UK who can post books to most countries of the world for a fixed cost per book.

NB - some shorter courses come complete with textbooks for UK students (overseas students will need to buy the book separately).

Do you have scholarships or is financial assistance available?

The UKCHT is a private school and is not supported by any government subsidies, funding or grants.  We do not have any full scholarships. Financial assistance is not generally available for our courses, but it is possible that certain people might be able to obtain funding.  Sometimes an employer is able to fund the course; older long-term unemployed people might also be able to obtain funding via their local Jobcentre, subject to any conditions that apply. 

There have been some UK government schemes to help pay for private adult education.  Unfortunately, those schemes had serious flaws and they proved to be unworkable for many colleges. 

Instead of offering reductions for people in certain categories, we have decided to reduce our fees for most courses for all applicants and our new fees are shown in this website.

It is the student's responsibility to ensure that he or she has the means to pay for the course.  To avoid the waste of your time and ours, please only send an application form if you know that you can pay for the course.

Can you put me in contact with other students?

Most private distance learning colleges do not have facilities for student contact.  The stringent requirements of UK and EU Data Protection legislation prevent us from giving you details of other students without their permission, and consumer protection laws make it difficult to give testimonials from former students as part of our advertising.  We do not ask people to volunteer to be contactable, as the volume of enquiries they would get could quickly become a nuisance, and incidents of harassment could not be ruled out.  We do not provide an on-line forum where the public could chat to students, because such a facility would be open to all sorts of spam and abuse and we would have to spend valuable time monitoring it, thus increasing the cost of fees.  So, although in an ideal world we would like to provide contact with students, the legal and practical limitations, plus safety and ethical considerations, make such a service unfeasible at present. 

How can you help students with disabilities?

How we can help depends on the individual case. Most courses use textbooks published by mainstream publishers and provided students can read the books or obtain assistance with reading them, we can assist by supplying our instructions in large print, accepting assignments recorded on audiocassette, CD or minidisk, or co-operating with a helper who writes/records the work for the student.  We can provide feedback and tutorial support by email, phone, fax or letter. We will make allowances for dyslexia and suggest alternative assessment methods where appropriate.  We have had deaf and partially-sighted students as well as those with dyslexia.  No attendance is required at any time so difficulties with travel are not a problem.  Where a student has a helper or carer to assist with learning activities, we are prepared to offer a free place on the course to the helper/carer so that both he/she and the disabled person receive the qualification.  (However, one place must be paid for.)

Are your courses available to people in prison?

In theory, we would consider applications from people in prison, as we believe they should be given the opportunity to use time for learning and self-development as part of their rehabilitation.  In practice, such students usually do not have the funds to study, and we cannot provide scholarships.  Also, most of our courses require the purchase of a number of textbooks.  Even if someone could arrange for the prisoner to receive all the required books, it might not be possible for the prisoner to keep them or there might be a high risk of them "disappearing".  There might be restrictions on the amount of material that could be posted back to us.  Since therapy- and personal-growth related courses usually involve writing about personal experiences and life history, students might not want that material to be read by censors or other inmates. We suggest that any interested person (prisoner, education officer, social worker, chaplain, therapist, probation officer, helper or relative) finds out whether it would be practical to attempt a correspondence course requiring a number of textbooks.  For example, if we provide a reading list would the prison library be able to order the books and how long would that take?  If we are assured that study is possible, and if the funds are available, we would consider the application favourably. 

Do you have local representatives abroad?

The UK College of Holistic Training is being advertised internationally on the Internet and in various publications, as well as by mailshot.  Any person world-wide can find us on the Internet, and there is already tremendous demand for all types of UK education from students around the world.  All our distance learning is administered from the UK.  At present we do not have any representatives or agents overseas and we are not seeking such representation.  Any possible representatives in the future will be recruited from amongst our own students who have first-hand knowledge of how we operate, and who are able to assist in tutorial work.  We cannot, at this time, promise that such positions will become available.

If you find anyone outside the UK claiming to offer UKCHT or Kadmon Academy courses, please check with us first and let us know their full details!

Does the UK College of Holistic Training have a campus?

Like many other private schools providing tuition in therapy, alternative  and social-science related fields, the UKCHT does not have a campus.  Our Central London address (which we have used for many years) handles our mail and our telephone and fax communications are based in London.  All communications are routed to the Principal and/or tutors as necessary. 

In the UK, many institutions that provide classroom training in alternative and complementary therapies do not have their own college building or campus. Typically, they hire rooms in universities, meeting halls and other venues to conduct their classes.

Can I obtain an Apostille for my certificate or diploma?

The Apostille is a government seal that, in the UK, is given to notarised documents to certify that they are legal in any country that subscribes to the Hague Convention.  (The Hague Convention is an international agreement for recognition of foreign documents.)  The Apostille can also be used in other countries where it might help to establish that the document is legal.  In the UK, Apostilles are issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth office of the British government.

In principle, it is possible to obtain an Apostille for your UK College of Holistic Training certificate or diploma and we can recommend a private agency who will arrange for notarisation and Apostille.

However, this process can be very expensive and can cost more than your diploma tuition fees!  The document first has to be notarised by a Notary Public.  Notarial fees, and the associated courier and Apostille costs, are very expensive in the UK and Ireland, where the process is much more formal and bureaucratic - unlike the USA where they are very cheap. 

Also, although the Apostille indicates that the document is genuine and legal, it is still necessary for you to check what qualifications you need in the country you wish to practise in.  Having an Apostille on a certificate does not mean you can automatically set up a practice anywhere outside the UK.  Local laws in other countries and states may make you obtain extra qualifications, licenses and permissions before you can practise your chosen therapy.  It is essential to get local expert advice about what qualifications you need.  Please see the FAQ "Will my qualification be recognised abroad?" above.

Why have you been changing your telephone numbers?

In common with many small businesses, we use a "personal number" that begins with 0700. In 2007, the UK telephone regulatory body started to impose a long recorded message about the cost of calls whenever anyone rang such a number. Since this could interfere with business we arranged to use an 0207 (inner London) exchange number on a temporary basis. After our telecomms provider complained to the regulatory body, the interfering messages were eventually withdrawn, and we are reverting to the 0700 number for routine calls.

We prefer communication by email as that allows us to receive and answer messages whenever we can, and also if we advise someone about our courses, both parties have an immediate record of what was discussed. Often people we talk to by phone don't bother to take notes, and ask us to give them the same advice again in writing, which is a duplication of work.