Listening Skills Training with Blackburn with Darwen Carers Service

We were delighted to deliver an eight-week Introduction to Counselling: Listening Skills programme for Blackburn with Darwen Carers Service.

The programme was designed to strengthen the listening skills, self-awareness and reflective practice of team members, supporting their work with carers and families across the borough.

Throughout the course, participants explored some of the foundations of effective listening, including professional and personal development, listening and communication skills, the importance of self-awareness and the role of empathy.

But the learning wasn't simply about acquiring a set of techniques.

Through discussion, practice and reflection, participants had opportunities to think about how they listen, what can get in the way of listening, and what changes when we become more intentional about how we respond to another person.

Taking Therapeutic Learning Beyond the Counselling Room

Although listening skills sit at the heart of counselling practice, their value extends far beyond the therapy room.

For professionals supporting carers, families and communities, being able to listen with greater awareness and curiosity can influence how people experience conversations, relationships and support.

For us, this programme was also an opportunity to take some of the principles underpinning therapeutic listening and make them relevant and usable within a different professional context.

Feedback from the Programme

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. They described the experience as transformative and highlighted the value of being able to apply their learning both professionally and personally.

Sam Morris, CEO of Blackburn with Darwen Carers Service, said:

“There were six staff members participating in the course. They were enthusiastic and provided feedback after each session, commenting that the course was interactive, thought-provoking, and easy to apply in their daily lives, both personally and professionally. I can see their new awareness and understanding of the benefits of active listening in their everyday work.”

For us, that's an important part of organisational training: not simply delivering information, but creating learning that participants can integrate into the work they're already doing.

Organisational Training with Training for Counsellors

The work with Blackburn with Darwen Carers Service has helped inform the organisational training we now offer at Training for Counsellors.

Listening skills training can be adapted for different teams and professional contexts, exploring areas including communication, active listening, self-awareness, empathy and reflective practice.

If your organisation is interested in developing the listening and communication skills of its team, you can find out more about our organisational training or get in touch to start a conversation.