Psychotherapy & Counselling

MA/PGDip in Psychotherapy & Counselling

Award: Masters upon completion of a dissertation or Post-Graduate Diploma

This course is validated by the University of Wales

Introduction

The programme provides an intermediate pre-professional training, and includes taught, clinical, "experiential" and self-directed components. (An ‘experiential' component provides the irreplaceable, unique experience of taking part in certain sorts of learning activities.) Successful graduates of the programme will be able to go on to the final stage of training that leads to eligibility for UKCP registration as integrative or existential psychotherapists.

Objectives

Through successful completion of all components of the programme, students will be able to:

• achieve eligibility for professional training at the advanced diploma level
• acquire a broad body of knowledge in theories of psychotherapy, showing understanding of the work of key historical and contemporary figures
• prepare for psychotherapy practice by acquiring skills in the controlled environment of the classroom
• gain clinical experience applying knowledge of theory and acquired skills in an approved clinical placement under the supervision of experienced practitioners, both in placement and at the School
• demonstrate a capacity for insight into self obtained through personal therapy, and for ongoing self-evaluation and examination of own assumptions, beliefs and prejudices that may affect clinical practice
• implement research methodologies in order to carry out in-depth, ethical investigation of relevant topics
• begin to consider development of an individual approach to a theoretical model of psychotherapy

Awards

Three different awards are possible from this course depending on amount of programme covered by the student.

• Year One within a maximum of two years may exit the programme with the Post-Graduate Certificate in Psychotherapy and Counselling.
• Years One and Two (within a maximum of three years) may exit the programme with the Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy and Counselling
• Years One and Two: and a 15,000-to-20,000 word dissertation (within a maximum of four years) may exit the programme with the MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling.

Clinical Placement

Students undertake a supervised clinical placement from the end of Year 1. The School has an excellent relationship with a large number of providers of psychological healthcare and is able to provide guidance and support for students at this stage of their training.

Applicants are advised that competition for clinical placement opportunities is intense, and that prior experience of the mental health field, social care contexts or relevant volunteer work, will be vital in ensuring that they find an appropriate and practicable placement. Failure to begin working with clients in a clinical placement at the beginning of Year 2 of the course may delay students' progress, and this may also incur additional fees

Personal Therapy

Students are required to be in individual therapy of at least one hour a week throughout the course with a UKCP registered therapist.

Personal Tuition

Each trainee is assigned a personal tutor who is available to offer guidance and support through the course.

Dissertation

Candidates for the MA are required to write a dissertation exploring a relevant subject. This final dissertation is expected to be a minimum of 20,000 words in length. The dissertation is prepared with the assistance of an academic supervisor and is evaluated by two readers. A viva examination may take place after submission of the dissertation.

Entry Requirements

• Possess a breadth of life experience, generally acquired subsequent to previous periods of study
• show a significant degree of personal maturity
• have successfully completed a Foundation course in psychotherapy/counselling of at least 120 hours with theoretical, practical and ‘experiential' elements
• demonstrate a capacity for independent study
• have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (any discipline) for direct admission to the MA
• demonstrate the ability to work academically at post-graduate level for PGDip admission for exceptional individuals without an undergraduate degree
• have relevant professional or voluntary experience in an institutional setting working with clients, ideally applying counselling skills in a supportive and/or facilitative way, for a minimum of six months (for those with an undergraduate degree) and of two years (for those without an undergraduate degree
• have experience of own psychotherapy/counselling

Course Structure

Learning is based on academic tuition, active independent study, acquisition of skills, participation in groups, in-depth engagement with own therapeutic experience and clinical practice guided by experienced professionals.

The taught components of the programme extend over two academic years; i.e. over six 10-week terms. Contact tuition time in the School in each 10-week term totals one six-hour day per week, with additional time needed for independent study, research and essay preparation. Clinical work and supervision in placement during the second year require at least half a day (usually more) each week, both during and outside term time.

Year One

• Academic seminars on the theory of psychotherapy and counselling: psychoanalytic; existential/ phenomenological; humanistic/integrative;
• Training seminars on skills from various approaches, as well as skills practice and evaluation of practice
• A weekly ‘experiential' group
• A three-day research methodology module
• Independent study
• Own therapy

Year Two

• Advanced academic seminars from the three core perspectives outlined above
• A clinical placement at an approved site (such as NHS out-patient psychiatric/psychotherapy units, GP practices, voluntary counselling services, colleges, and prisons) over three terms or more, as needed, to gather 100 supervised client contact hours
• Training supervision linking academic learning with the student's clinical work and placement supervision
• A weekly ‘experiential' group
• Three three-hour research study groups (MA only)
• Independent study
• Own therapy

In Year One, in the week after the end of the third term, a three-day (compulsory) module on research methodology takes place. In Year Two, at times to be arranged, three three-hour research study groups (compulsory for MA candidates) take place. In both years, varied optional seminars are offered in the week after each term ends.

Assessment

Assessment is continuous. It is based on:

• academic class presentations
• academic essays
• personal development reports demonstrating appropriate self-evaluation and self-reflection including level of participation in group work
• participation in discussions in academic seminars, skills training sessions and training supervision
• a practice skills session video (Year One only)
• clinical process reports and a case study as well as clinical placement feedback (Year Two only)

Syllabus
Psychoanalytic Approaches (Year One)

The way that enables each student to learn about the origins and development of psychoanalytic theory, and gain understanding of the major psychoanalytic concepts that underpin it; to explore the way in which various schools of psychoanalysis hold divergent views on theory and concepts, as well as the controversies that result; and to examine how various approaches to psychoanalytic theory and concepts may relate to psychoanalytic technique and skills, placing this in the wider context of psychotherapy. The training seminars look closely at the various psychoanalytic techniques and skills, and provide a practice forum. Major theorists considered include Freud, Anna Freud, Klein, Hartmann, Fairbairn, Winnicott, Bowlby, Mahler, Kernberg, Kohut and Langs. Concepts presented include analytic neutrality, framework management, free association/free-floating attention, interpretation resistance, silence, sublimation, transference/ countertransference and splitting.

Existential-Phenomenological Approaches (Year One)

The academic seminars introduce the central concerns of the existential-phenomenological way of viewing the world, the antecedents and foundations of this world view in existential philosophy and, critically, applications of this world view to the practice of psychotherapy. Detailed examination of the work of major philosophers of existence is encouraged to promote an existential approach to psychotherapy as a means of understanding concepts such as ‘truth' and ‘meaning' in the context of clinical practice. The training seminars look critically at the concept of techniques and skills, examining their relevance to the practice of existential psychotherapy, and also provide a practice forum.

Humanistic and Integrative Approaches (Year One)

The academic seminars provide an understanding of the humanistic and integrative approaches to psychotherapy, taking in experiential and spiritual/transpersonal phenomena as well as the socio-political dimension. These approaches will be considered in historical context and in terms of the development of ideas.

Exploration of concepts of self will take place, aiming also for deepening of the capacity for "openness to being" in self and other. In this context, "openness to being" might include mind-body integrative awareness as well as experiential awareness, consideration of the potentialities in imagery and symbols, and of the transpersonal self and presence in relationship.

The training seminars provide an experiential introduction to humanistic and transpersonal therapeutic practices, with an opportunity in the practice forum to consider how some of these practices might be incorporated into current working. Major theorists considered include Jung, Perls, Rogers, Gendlin. Approaches presented include emotion-focused and process-experiential therapy; transpersonal/spiritual dimensions and cross-cultural considerations in working with difference.

Concepts presented in this course include:

• aspects of therapeutic relationship,
• the primacy of interconnection and
• the emergence of interconnection.

Other Course Components

Trainees also undertake training supervision, experiential and group work.

Research Methodology (Years One and Two)

Research forms an integral part of the contemporary approach to learning in the field of psychotherapy. In three days of intensive seminars taken at the end of Year One, all students will experience in-depth critical presentation of the main approaches to both quantitative and qualitative research today. In three-hour small-group seminars arranged each term during Year Two, MA candidates will have the opportunity to consider the implications that certain dissertation topics might have for research methods, eventually exploring these implications in the context of the chosen dissertation topic.