The Postgraduate Certificate focuses on practice, the Postgraduate Diploma year on theoretical implications, and the MSc year on research. The programme is attached to the Research Centre for Therapeutic Education at Roehampton University and thus benefits from this innovative and wide-ranging research base.
The MSc is designed as both a stand-alone course and as part of progression to the PsychD award. The course offers you a clear path to United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) registration as a psychotherapeutic counsellor and/ or psychotherapist.
Key areas of study
- integration of relational approaches through exploration of phenomenology through the main therapeutic modalities (humanism, existentialism, psychoanalysis and postmodernism)
- ethical and professional issues in relation to practice and supervision
- evidence-based practice and relational research
- phenomenology, and developments such as postmodernism
- time-limited (short- and long-term) and open-ended therapy.
Why study Counselling and Psychotherapy here?
- The course is one of the few university based psychotherapy programmes in the UK.
- It is located in a recently renovated Grade 1 listed building overlooking Richmond Park.
- The quality of this programme is recognised by the exceptionally high Teaching Quality Assessment of 23 out of 24, coupled with a score of 4 in the Research Assessment Exercise, which is one of the highest in counselling and psychotherapy.
- Overall the course offers a proven, exciting and integrated educational process, with a range of modules which are at the cutting edge of developments nationally and internationally.
- This programme provides the basis for progression towards professional accreditation and is accredited by the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and the Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association (UPCA); it has also been designed to meet the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) guidelines for counselling programmes.
- This postgraduate programme provides the possibility of pursuing a professional Doctorate as part of the pathway to accreditation or a PhD.
Special features
This is a practitioner course. In all years use is made of learning communities and, within these, therapeutic groups, practice sessions on the implications of theory for practice, case presentations and academic group supervision.
Research areas
This course is attached to the Research Centre for Therapeutic Education at the University and benefits from its wide-ranging and innovative research base and seminar programmes.
Learning methods
The postgraduate certificate is practice based with extensive use of workshops and theme days. It is also an introduction to phenomenology (with particular reference to person-centred approaches) and uses self-managed learning both as a course method and as model for participants’ practice.
At the Postgraduate Diploma and MSc levels module assignments are negotiated and a more philosophical reading of selected texts is undertaken.
Each year you will make use of:
- therapeutic groups
- psychotherapy/counselling theory
- practice sessions on the implication of theory for practice
- case presentations
- academic group supervision
Further training
It is also possible to transfer on to a Professional Doctorate (PsychD) in Psychotherapy and Counselling, after successfully completing the MSc, or there is an Advanced Practitioner Programme that provides the opportunity for continuous professional development (CPD) for both trainee and accredited psychotherapists. These CPD Modules have been designed for students who have undertaken a minimum of two years therapeutic training and wish to develop their understanding of the implications of phenomenology/existentialism, psychoanalysis and postmodernism for therapeutic practice, research and supervision.
Assessment
The programme assesses students by written assignments for the Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma followed by a research dissertation in the final year. Students are also required to have favourable practice reports from their supervisors.
Students must have weekly therapy with a psychoanalytic psychotherapist as defined by UKCP (PP section) or BCP, and supervision at least fortnightly with another accredited psychotherapist, with a significant part of their training as person centred (year one) and a psychoanalytic psychotherapist as defined by UKCP (PP section) or BCP (subsequent years), all of whom have to be approved. It is essential that programme participants are practising Counselling/Psychotherapy for a minimum of 100 hours/year.
Entry requirements
Our postgraduate entry requirements apply. The programme convener can advise on any specific queries.
For entry to the postgraduate certificate applicants must normally have a good second-class honours degree (or above) or relevant professional qualification and a minimum of two years' relevant experience.
Exceptionally applicants can directly enter the Postgraduate Diploma if they have additional experience (normally personal therapy, an additional taught component of at least 360 hours, and a minimum of 100 hours of supervised practice). They will also have to take a bridging module prior to commencement.
Programme start date
September