This programme is ideal if you wish to qualify and pursue a career as a professional counsellor. It's designed to enable you to develop as a reflective counselling practitioner.

• This is a psychodynamic course which gives students solid theoretical foundations, as well as basic counselling skills in psychodynamic counselling and psychotherapy. It combines classical with contemporary psychodynamic theory and has a strong emphasis on issues relating to diversity and multiculturalism in theory and practice.
• The programme offers a full-time mode of study extending over a minimum of two years and a part-time mode of study extending over a minimum of three years. Both modes of study carry a total of 240 credits on completion, as opposed to the usual 180 for an MA programme.
• The curriculum focuses on psychodynamic, psychoanalytic and relational psychoanalytic perspectives. Through engagement in a range of learning contexts, including lectures, group seminars, therapeutic skills practice workshops, creative workshops, experiential group work, counselling placements, tutorials, independent study and dissertation supervision, students are supported in developing links between personal, clinical and theoretical knowledge. You will be required to be in personal therapy until you complete your second year, and your clinical placement hours – please note this is at your own cost.
• On completion of this programme, students will have achieved all the educational requirements necessary to be eligible to apply for personal accreditation with the BACP, after they have accrued the necessary additional post qualification hours.

Skills

The programme will enable you to develop:

• critical thinking, evaluation and interpretation
• interpersonal and therapeutic skills
• communication in a range of modes (written, spoken, interpersonal)
• research skills

Careers

Suitable careers for graduates of this programme include:

• counselling
• teaching
• support and welfare work
• advocacy and mentoring