Curious about studying Graduate Diploma Psychodynamic Approachesat University of Essex? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip
University of Essex
Full Time
Oct 2026
9 Month
Taught at our Colchester Campus, this course offers a grounding in psychodynamic theory and its applications. It can be pursued in its own right if you're interested in the psychodynamic approach but also constitutes the first year of our Grad Dip/MA training in Psychodynamic Counselling (if you have taken our FdA/BA Therapeutic Communication and Therapeutic Organisations (TCTO) course you can enter the MA direct).If you're a psychology graduate, this course is the ideal next step if you wish to progress in the field of psychodynamic counselling. It also provides a route to a counselling and psychotherapy qualification for professionals, such as teachers, social workers, nurses and care workers.The Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies is internationally recognised as one of the leading departments for work that focuses on the role of the unconscious mind in mental health, as well as in culture and society generally. Our research and teaching is deeply grounded in knowledge deriving from clinical practice, to which our highest standards of academic thinking are then applied.Being located within a leading university for the study of social sciences means you are surrounded by strong departments that fully support and enhance our work. This allows you to gain the opportunity to work with and be taught by senior clinicians and world-class scholars in their fields.
In this module you’ll be familiarised with the key concepts of psychodynamic thinking relating to individuals and organisations. It will supplement your learning to provide the theoretical underpinning for progression to a clinical placement on our MA Psychodynamic Counselling course with children and adolescents.
What are normal child development processes? And what can interfere with healthy emotional relationships? Understand psychodynamic and attachment-based theories on child and personality development, from pre-birth to adolescence, through adulthood to old age, death and bereavement. Apply a developmental perspective to children’s and adult's behaviour and examine the specific tasks of and issues faced in each developmental stage.
How can you apply psychodynamic theory to everyday events? What do you understand about the role of unconscious and emotional communication in ordinary life? Understand and practice the skills of psychodynamic observation. Become more perceptive about understanding the meaning of what you observe.
What are the personal attributes required to be a psychodynamic practitioner? How do you develop the reflective capacities for this role? Reflect on your learning and experience. Gain answers to questions about the role of psychodynamic practitioner through reflective group sessions, a group relations weekend and regular tutorials.
This module introduces you to the principles underlying psycho-dynamic counselling and helps you acquire relevant skills and techniques.
What do you understand about the complexities of being a counsellor? What are the settings within which counselling takes place? And what are the ethical and statutory framework within which you’ll be working? This module helps you gain an understanding of the professional environment of counselling before starting your placement.
In this module you will learn about psychodynamic and systemic ideas about organisations and how to apply them. You will learn about group dynamics and gain useful skills in understanding yourself and others in group and organisational settings.
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