Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling and Therapy in the Community Module 1

General Information

The Access Course (Module One) may be used as a link to the Diploma Course (Modules Two and Three) each taking one year to complete. Each year is comprised of three terms of ten weeks and maximum attendance is required. Personal therapy, seminar preparation and reading are additional to the core curriculum. Students are encouraged to focus on their own process in order to increase their understanding and awareness.

The Access Course (Module One) is comprised of 225 contact hours which includes theory, skills training, practice, supervision and personal development.

The Access Course (Module One) and Modules Two and Three run concurrently, each with a separate Seminar and Skills Practice. Supervision and Experiential groups combine students from the Access Course and the Diploma Course.

Personal Therapy

Personal therapy is a requirement for the Access Course and the Diploma Course and must be with a psychoanalytic psychotherapist approved by the Manor House Centre for Psychotherapy and Counselling. Students who are not already in therapy are required to commence therapy within the first three months of their training.

Course Content

The Access Course offers students the opportunity to consolidate their learning and experience and gain confidence in their ability to use the techniques and skills of counselling. Learning on the Access Course is undertaken in theoretical seminars, practice skills groups and self awareness groups.
No clinical work is undertaken throughout the Access Course. However students join small supervision groups as observers of clinical material presented by Module Two and Three Diploma Course students.
Relevant theoretical texts will be suggested and a reading list provided.

The techniques and skills include:

• building the foundations and the development of the counselling relationship
• understanding the working alliance
• confidentiality, containment and maintaining professional boundaries
• how to make a contract with a patient and the initial interview
• the core elements of genuineness, empathy and respect
• active listening, paraphrasing, questioning, linguistic accuracy and clarity
• reflecting back feelings and content
• responding to verbal and non-verbal communication
• helpful and unhelpful responses and attitudes
• assumptions and values
• an introduction to working with the unconscious and the use of immediacy
• an introduction to working with the transference and counter-transference
• how to use interpretation
• preparation for clinical practice.

Assessment and Evaluation

In the second term verbal mid-year assessments are given by the student, their peers and the tutors. At the end of the academic year, Access Course students receive a written assessment. As the absorption and pace of learning of each individual differs, it may be recommended that a student continues on the Access Course (Module One) for a further year.

Access Course students are assessed in June of the academic year. End of year reports are submitted by the student's Seminar Tutor, Practise Group Tutor and Supervisor together with the Panel of Readers report, to the Tutor Team and the External Moderator for the Final Assessment Day.

Access Course students who satisfy the criteria and are deemed able to commence clinical work and wish to proceed to the Diploma Course (Module Two) will be supported in finding their own work placements in preparation for the Diploma Course.

Students who successfully complete the Access Course (Module One) will be awarded the Certificate in Psychodynamic Counselling Skills. NB: The Certificate is awarded in recognition of proficiency to use psychodynamic counseling skills. It may not be considered or used as a licence to practice as a counsellor.

Graduates of the Access Course will have an entry point to the Diploma Course.