Advanced Diploma In Psychodynamic Counselling

Stage Three: Advanced Diploma In Psychodynamic Counselling

The Advanced Diploma is a two year course and is designed for those who wish to develop a professional career in psychodynamic counselling, and as a qualification it enables you to work independently in private practice. The course includes weekly theoretical seminars and group supervision, twice termly experiential group process and a Saturday workshop in each year.

Entry Requirements and Selection Process

Candidates should:

• be a minimum of 25 years
• be engaged in regular work (paid or voluntary) which requires counselling skills or have sufficient counselling experience relevant to the training
• have successfully completed the WCS Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling or the equivalent
• have had at least 150 hours of counselling experience
• be in personal therapy with a therapist on the WCS approved list or with a therapist eligible to be on the list

There are two interviews, one a practical to discuss how you fit the entry requirements and the second, a more in-depth interview to explore your readiness to work at depth with clients and work with the demands of the course.

Course Aims and Outcomes

The course aims to provide an in-depth, broadly based, high-quality professional training in advanced psychodynamic counselling. It will enable you to work at deep levels with clients and to further integrate your experiential, theoretical and clinical learning.

The Training Day and Time Commitment

The training day is 3.5 hours, usually 9.30 am - 1.00 pm on Fridays. The course meets for three ten week terms per year with a reading week break in each term. You will also have weekly group supervision of up to 2 hours for 42 weeks of each year. There is one Saturday workshop per year and two Saturday mornings of experiential group process time per term of each year. You will receive two 50 minute tutorials per year to be arranged with your tutor.You will also need to allocate time for a caseload of three to four clients throughout the training and time for your own personal therapy. You should also allocate time each week for reading. All aspects of the training are mandatory.

Course Content and Theory

You will cover the following theoretical and conceptual areas over the two years: Advanced Clinical Concepts; History and Development of Psychoanalytic Ideas; Human Development; Advanced Theoretical Concepts including Klein, Winnicott, Contemporary Freudians, Post Jungians and the British School, Psychopathology; Ontology; and Establishing Private Practice. You will be provided with core papers and reading lists and will be expected to read around the topics. Seminars provide opportunity for presentations, discussion, feedback and consolidation.

Group Supervision

You are expected to be working with up to four clients within Wessex Counselling Service at any one time. You will not receive payment for training clients. Supervision is provided in groups of three to four students and this gives you the opportunity to learn from your colleagues caseloads as well as your own. You will also develop skills in peer supervision and enhance your capacity to work in groups. Supervison continues for 42 weeks of the year and happens outside of the training day. Students may bring clientwork, with prior approval, from other wpf or psychodynamic agencies. It is not possible to bring private clientwork to training supervision. 240 supervised client hours are required to complete the training. In most cases this is completed within the two years, in some cases students may need longer to complete the required hours.

Experiential Group Process

The process group occurs twice termly on a Saturday morning from 9.30 am to 1.00 pm. The aim of the group is to help you to process issues raised from the training and from membership of the group. It also gives you an opportunity to develop awareness of group processes, the individual and the indivual's contribution to group outcome.

Workshops

There is one Saturday workshop each year. In year one the workshop will cover Psychiatric Issues, in year two the workahop will be on writing the final Clinical Paper.

Tutorials

There are two fifty minute tutorials each training year. The aim of the tutorial if for you to raise any concerns or difficulties you may be having with the training and for your tutor to provide you with feedback on your progress. Tutorials are outside of course time and are not necessarily held in Frome. You will be given notice of tutorial times and place well in advance.

Assessment Process

Assessment is continuous and intended to provide helpful and constructive feedback. The staff team meet at the end of each term and if there are any concerns about your progress these will be discussed with you. We will provide clear guidelines to support your on-going development on the course. There are six assessed written assignments, one per term, over the two years. In year one there are three 2,500 word essays, in year two there are two 1000 word essays and a final Clinical Paper of 5000 words. You must complete and pass all pieces of written work. At the end of each year the staff team in conjunction with the wpf external assessor considers your progress and we make recommendations based of self-assessment, written work, supervisors report and seminar reports. You must pass each year to be awarded the Advanced Diploma.

Personal Therapy

You must be in at least weekly on-going therapy with an approved therapist throughout training and until qualification. You may find that a greater frequency of therapy is beneficial for you.

Qualification

On completion and passing of the training you will be awarded the wpf Advanced Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling. This qualifies you to work in a public, private or voluntary organisation and also qualifies you to commence in private practice. In order to complete and pass the training you must have:

• Satisfactory attendance
• Pass grade in all written work
• Satisfactory reports from teaching and supervisory staff
• A minimum of 240 supervised client hours

Course Times: Fridays, 9.30 am - 1.00 pm (plus additional time as outlined above)