Make a difference to the lives of others by gaining the knowledge skills and experience to practice as a professional counsellor. Our British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited MSc combines academic study with counselling skills practice, facilitating your personal and professional development as well as offering you a grounding in research methodology.

Our MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy incorporates three strands of counselling training - namely counselling theory, counselling practice and personal development.

The philosophy of the programme is humanistic with a focus on person-centred practice. The core theoretical model of the course is derived from an acceptance of Carl Rogers belief in the self-therapeutic capacity and wisdom of clients (1967). The philosophical traditions of existentialism and phenomenology are used to illuminate understanding of humanistic practice through lectures and small group work.

You will be encouraged to examine and question your own beliefs and assumptions to develop a personal, integrated theory of human development, based upon humanistic phenomenological philosophy and principles. We do this by offering you opportunities to reflect upon the theory that is offered in light of your own experience - to develop your own philosophical and theoretical base.

To enable you to build and maintain strong therapeutic alliances with clients we aim to facilitate your ability to co-create relationships at depth, developing and understanding the barriers which may prevent or impact such therapeutic relationships.

Concepts such as presence, empathic understanding, resonance, acceptance and challenge will underpin your personal way of being and professional practice.

Knowledge and skills

We place a strong emphasis on the acquisition of the skill of being and becoming a therapist, counselling and academic learning. You will study a range of underpinning themes including

The power dynamics within and outside of the counselling relationship which may impact on the lives and growth of individuals

Research informed knowledge which can be applied to contemporary therapeutic practice

A grounding in research methodologies to enable independent research

The socially and culturally situated nature of counselling as a form of helping

Devising, developing and sustaining arguments, and/or solving problems, using ideas and techniques, some of which are at the forefront of the counselling discipline

Making informed decisions in complex situations, sometimes with incomplete information

Critical evaluation of current research and advanced scholarship in counselling and analysis and critique of methodologies

*This course involves 100 hours of supervised counselling practice which may exceed the duration of the programme. Please take this into consideration when applying for the Master's programme.

Your career

Keele counselling students go on to work in a wide range of counselling and mental health fields in the UK and internationally as well as progressing on to further study, research or specialist training.