MA THERAPEUTIC COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY

Course overview

This course is designed for professionally qualified counsellors who wish to take their knowledge and skills to the next level.

Duration

A two or three year programme. We recommend that you apply to complete in three years and reassess your completion date towards the end of the first year depending on your available time for study.

Mode of Study
Entry Points

Programme content

Students taking this programme will cover:

Students taking this programme will complete three modules in years 1 and three in year 2. You will have the option of taking the Research Dissertation either in year two or as a stand-alone module in year three.

 

  • Integration of Christian Faith, Religion and Spirituality with Counselling and Psychotherapy
  • Mental Health and Complex Issues
  • Counselling and Psychotherapy Supervision
  • Relational Depth in Clinical Practice
  • Trauma, Abuse and Dissociation
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychological Disorders: Theory and Practice
  • Research Dissertation

Description of modules

Integration of Christian Faith, Religion and Spirituality with Counselling and Psychotherapy

The overall aim of this module is to enable students to critically reflect on the process of integrating Christian faith, religion and spirituality with the knowledge, understanding and practice of counselling and psychotherapy. In addition, students will critically evaluate the ethical use of Christian faith, religious and spiritual interventions in clinical practice and also consider the overlap, similarities and differences between pastoral care, spiritual direction, and counselling which is underpinned by a Christian worldview.

Mental Health and Complex Issues

This module enables students to consider the issues and difficulties surrounding working with clients who present with more complex and severe issues, including those who have specific mental health diagnoses, for example, psychosis and clients diagnosed as having personality disorders.

Counselling and Psychotherapy Supervision

The overall aim of this module is to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and professional development to enable them to provide competent supervision to counsellors in clinical practice.

Supervision is a formal arrangement for counselling practitioners to discuss and evaluate their work with someone who is external to the counselling relationship in order to maintain the standards of therapy.

Relational Depth in Clinical Practice

This module recognises that the therapeutic relationship is at the heart of counselling and psychotherapy. It will enable students to gain an in-depth understanding of various approaches to working at relational depth in their clinical practice. In addition, this module will assist students to reflect on the clinical, ethical and relational implications in counselling practice of relational various approaches, appreciate issues of power and diversity in the therapeutic relationship, and assist them in articulating their own philosophical and clinical stance with regards to working at relational depth in the therapeutic relationship.

Trauma, Abuse and Dissociation

Issues of trauma, abuse and dissociation are quite common in counselling clients and may not always be apparent at assessment. This is therefore an important area in which all counsellors require awareness, knowledge, and skills. This module is designed to assist students to critically develop their knowledge base: theory, approaches and skills.

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychological Disorders: Theory and Practice

This module focuses on equipping counsellors to develop their cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) skills and integrate these into their clinical practice. It enables students to gain an in-depth understanding and critical awareness of how to use CBT with a variety of psychological disorders and recognise the complexity of their use in the clinical setting as well as critically evaluate the cognitive approach.

Research Dissertation

The research dissertation provides an opportunity for students to develop their knowledge and practice by carrying out a substantial research project on a counselling research question of interest and relevance to them personally. Students build on their knowledge and understanding of research methods, critically assess and form a systematic understanding of the knowledge base in their chosen subject area through a literature review, carrying out qualitative empirical research, and demonstrate how their research relates and contributes to the field of counselling and psychotherapy.

Further details

This programme is quality assured by Middlesex University and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion.

Level

This programme is validated by Middlesex University. It is level 7 of the Higher Education Framework and upon successful completion, will amount to 180 credits.

Assessment

Students are required to complete written assignments as part of the MA TCP, including reflective essays, a portfolio, a verbatim transcript, reflective journals, finishing with a 12,000-15,000-word dissertation based on qualitative research.

Entry requirements

A degree or Diploma of Higher Education in Counselling, which will have typically included 450 tutor contact hours and a clinical practice requirement of at least 100 hours, is required for entry to the programme. If applicants hold a Diploma in Counselling they will normally be required to hold a first degree in another subject 2:1 or above.

Location

Waverley Abbey College, Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham GU9 8EP

Further information

Book a Personal Discovery Call today and a member of our friendly team will discuss your financial options with you and answer any other questions you have.

If you require further information on this, or any of our programmes, email student.services@waverleyabbeycollege.ac.uk or call on 01252 784 784.

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