Psychotherapy and Counselling Studies

Psychotherapy & Counselling Studies

Master of Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy

Validated by The University of Wales

Introduction

SPCP was the first UK institution to offer a MPhil/PhD in Psychotherapy and Counselling. From the first, the emphasis has been on welcoming students from a wide range of academic disciplines relevant to psychotherapy, psychology and counselling studies. The course offers the opportunity for students to immerse themselves deeply in their research and to experience the initiation into this level of academic work. The PhD is an academic degree and does not lead to registration in psychotherapy and/or counselling or to chartered counselling psychology status. Candidates will usually have a Masters degree; and normally professional registration or accreditation in psychotherapy and/or counselling.

Objectives

The objectives of the programme are to make it possible for students:

• to advance the conceptual thinking in the field, where appropriate, through making the link between psychotherapy and/or psychology and/or counselling and other related disciplines including philosophy, social science, history and social anthropology;
• to contribute to the comparative study of psychotherapeutic and psychological theories and their applications whilst paying attention to the underlying philosophical assumptions and the philosophical coherence of the theories;
• to develop a critical and reflective understanding of debates and controversies within their chosen area of study;
• to advance the development of research methods and models relevant to psychotherapy, psychology and counselling;
• to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding;
• to generate innovative connections between theoretical knowledge and its application to practice.

Duration

MPhil period of registration

Part-time minimum: 2 years
Part-time maximum: 5 years
Full-time minimum: 1 year
Full-time maximum: 3 years

PhD period of registration

Part-time minimum: 5 years
Part-time maximum: 7 years
Full-time minimum: 3 years
Full-time maximum: 5 years

Research

The PhD programme gives students an opportunity to research in-depth a topic of interest to them and with relevance to psychotherapy, psychology and counselling studies, under the guidance of an expert academic supervisor. Research topics can be of a clinical, conceptual, philosophical or historical nature and may draw on any of the theoretical traditions of psychotherapy, psychology and counselling. Students are encouraged to use the research methods most appropriate to their research question. The School mainly specialises in qualitative methodology including newer reflexive methods, however this does not preclude a student choosing quantitative methodology. The research training module undertaken early in the PhD journey aims to encourage a reflexive approach to research, to give students the opportunity to work on their chosen subject within a group setting and to consider important issues in research at this level.

The overall aim of the PhD programme is to enable students to produce a PhD thesis that will make an original contribution to the creation, interpretation and/or application of new knowledge in the field of psychotherapy, psychology and counselling studies. This may be done either through conceptual and/or applied research

Entry Requirements

• normally minimum Master's degree (MA or MSc) qualification obtained from a specialist programme in psychotherapy or counselling, OR Master's level Counselling Psychology qualification OR Master's degree qualifications in another associated field of expertise;
• normally registered psychotherapist/counsellor with the UKCP or BACP or a BPS chartered psychologist OR in the case of overseas candidates evidence of equivalent qualifications in their country
• sufficient background knowledge and experience in research methodology (some candidates will be required to extend their knowledge base by attending a research methods module offered by SPCP)
• presentation of a detailed research proposal whose topic, focus, research structure and plan of study is both relevant to the specialist areas of psychotherapy, psychology and counselling and also sufficiently original to be eligible for MPhil/PhD research;
• sufficient competence in oral and written English in order to fulfil the criteria set for standard research MPhil/PhD requirements.

Course Structure

Students are normally admitted to the degree of MPhil in the first instance and, during the first year, work on producing an identifiable, independent piece of work for submission to transfer to PhD. This work usually forms part of the ongoing research as well as being used to determine suitability to transfer. Candidates wishing to transfer must also have completed the requirements relating to research methodology. If transfer is approved, the registration of the PhD is backdated to the original date of registration with the programme.

It is rare for students to register directly for the PhD. This would be considered where a student has MPhil or equivalent evidence of previous research experience and attainment.

There is no restriction on the period in which transfer from MPhil to PhD can be made, subject to the upper limit on MPhil registration. Progress is reviewed annually, until submission of the thesis, by means of an annual report presented by the supervisor to the SPCP MPhil/PhD Board of Studies. In exceptional cases of inadequate progress, registration may be transferred back from PhD to MPhil.

Assessment

Final assessment occurs on presentation of the PhD thesis. The expectation is that this will have been read and informally assessed by the supervisor in the different stages of it being written. Students are also required to keep documentation of their regular supervision sessions with their supervisor including a log of the sessions. These should include an element of self-assessment. In addition, a yearly written assessment and statement of progress must be submitted to the Director of the PhD programme, who meets with each student to discuss this Report. Students will also be expected to present their work to their peers at different points in the research journey

Syllabus

Full-time MPhil/PhD students may undertake limited employment with the approval of the PhD Programme Director for not more than an average of 6 hours per week.

Part-time students are expected to spend the equivalent of two days per week on their research

Start Date

Psychotherapy and Counselling Studies has three start dates each year;

• April, September and January