Addiction Psychology and Counselling MSc

Modules

All modules are assessed by coursework including essays, observational assessments and reports, professional logs, a case study and project proposals.

• Theoretical foundations of addiction and counselling psychology
  You'll be introduced to psychological theory and research that is essential to our understanding of counselling theory and practice in both generic and addiction counselling. You'll explore a range of available research on the causes and treatment of addiction, allowing you to begin to make your own judgments about the suitability of treatment approaches. In addition you'll be provided with an account of the principal psychological theories of the person in society that have influenced the development of current counselling practice.
• Therapeutic counselling theory and practice
  You'll examine in detail the principal approaches taken in counselling and psychotherapy in relation to addiction therapy. Four of these have straightforward applications of psychological theory to psychotherapy as follows: Applications of Cognitive Therapy, Motivational Approaches to Addiction Treatment, Mindfulness based Therapies and Group Theory, Structure and Process. Finally, you'll look at the Minnesota Method which is associated principally with the practical application of a mutual help social movement for alcoholics and other "addicts" (e.g. AA and NA).
• Professional practice in addiction counselling
  You'll examine the main concepts and debates in counselling, from bothhistorical and current perspectives, and the different approaches required inrelation to gender, culture, age, and history of trauma will be considered.You'll consider the impact of group processes on our theoretical and practicalunderstanding of the counselling relationship systematically, and of the skillsrequired in achieving our counselling goals. You'll be provided with a contextin which you can experience for yourself the process of coming together as agroup, and also, with a different facilitator, practice the skills required inleading a therapy group.

• Advanced addiction psychology
  This module develops the Addiction Psychology teaching established in Year 1, but to an advanced level. You'll engage in creative dialogue with addiction psychology researchers in the context of your own explorations in planning research, and in exploration with your teachers of the clinical applications of research findings. The two themes are linked by a common emphasis on the development of novel, theory- and evidenced- based procedures for prevention and treatment of addictive disorders.
• Advanced theory and practice in therapeutic counselling
  You'll engage with experienced addiction counsellors in the context of your own explorations in counselling practice. Your counselling performance will be enhanced in relation to: interaction skills; strategic management of counselling challenges; communication of clinical insight; awareness of professional responsibilities and opportunities; understanding of self as counsellor.
• Research methods in professional practice
  You'll be introduced to statistics and research methods appropriate to the field. For students who are already familiar with basic research methods, this course will build on your existing knowledge and encourage more critical thinking. This module emphasises professional research skills whilst building on your knowledge in addiction psychology and counselling. You'll be asked to formulate your own research questions and consider methods you might use to respond to those questions.

• Research project in addiction psychology/therapy
  Your research project is the final stage of the MSc in Addiction Psychology and Counselling. It is intended that in the project the elements of knowledge and understanding, skills and professional competences acquired during the successful completion of the modules studied in Years 1 and 2 are brought together in a piece of academic research within the boundaries of any area related to addiction psychology and addiction therapy. Your resulting dissertation makes use of primary sources of information in order to critically analyse and test/examine a derived research question. The project should be based on methodologies explored in the research methods component of Year 2.