3 Year Programme in Counselling Psychology
Orientation & Structure
The Counselling Psychology programme at City University is underpinned by a philosophy that rests on the following assumptions:
v that there is no single theory or model which commands exclusive claim to all that is useful in helping clients;
v that psychological theory and research should be inter-related through the reflective, critical evaluation of practice;
v that diversity of viable methods of enquiry should be appreciated, while recognising the tensions this presents for traditional positivist conceptions of what constitutes knowledge and research;
v that imagination and creativity, rigour and objectivity are valued equally in research, theory and practice;
v that the practice of Counselling Psychology is a process, played out in the complex and dynamic context of personal and intimate human relationships, and that this inevitably requires a deep level of self-reflective understanding;
v that the uniqueness and diversity of experience that students bring with them to their training should be valued while encouraging an active, life long, approach to learning and personal development;
v that a knowledge of skills, theory or research in isolation is insufficient for the practice of Counselling Psychology.
Programme Aims
The Counselling Psychology programme aims to equip students with practical skills and sound theoretical principles in the practice of counselling psychology.
The British Psychological Society (BPS) Criteria for the Assessment of Postgraduate Training Courses in Counselling Psychology and the BPS Diploma in Counselling Psychology constitute the framework within which the programme is taught and organised. The academic requirements for postgraduate programmes at City University have been set to ensure that students are taught professional and research skills, as well as psychological theory and practice.
The programme aims to provide a generic professional and academic training that will enable graduates to work as counselling psychologists in a number of settings, including the NHS, medical settings, counselling centres, industry, government, private practice and academic and research settings, among others.
Year 1 of the programme has been designed to meet all of the requirements of Part 1 of the BPS Diploma in Counselling Psychology and students who complete it leave with a Diploma or MSc. Years 2 and 3 of the programme have been designed for students who hold the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR) with the BPS and wish to meet Part 2 requirements for chartership. Students who complete Years 2 and 3 leave with the qualification of Post-MSc Diploma or DPsych and so will be eligible for chartered status as Counselling Psychologists. The three-year programme is accredited by the BPS.
Please note that it is a BPS requirement that students must undergo training for three years full-time equivalent in order to be eligible for Chartered Counselling Psychologist status.
The programme emphasises both the science and art of counselling psychology. Empirical research is highly valued, for it is this that informs sound practice. Students are taught to critically evaluate the research of others, to plan and conduct their own research, and to approach their client work as scientist-practitioners. The personal interactive style of each student is also valued and is developed in the context of group and personal supervision.
Students are taught to respond to different psychological problems and to assess their own competence to deal with them and to recognise the limits of their professional training. The practice of counselling psychology in different settings and contexts is also addressed in the programme and students are exposed to a range of issues that influence directly or indirectly the therapeutic process. Students have the opportunity to learn about the application of counselling psychology to different client groups (for example: adults, couples, groups, adolescents and others). A further important aim is for students to develop an ethical approach to clinical work and to recognise when to refer a client on to another specialist or to a more experienced colleague.
Counselling Practice
Practical work experience for the programme is largely obtained within the student’s own work placement setting or through voluntary work in a setting offering a practice opportunity. Students must normally complete their practice work in at least two different types of placement settings.
Students are required to discuss with their tutor their proposed placements and to nominate an external supervisor who will oversee their work with clients. It is essential that the placement is approved by the tutor and that the placement supervisor is registered by the programme. In the selection of placements, students are strongly advised to ensure that the placement regulations are consistent with the assessment requirements of the programme. In particular, students should ensure that they are able to use client material (within the normal bounds of confidentiality) for their client studies and process reports. The opportunity to tape counselling sessions must be considered by students wishing to nominate placements.
The supervisor will be required to verify that the student has completed the required number of hours of counselling and of supervision (1 to 10) in the setting and to provide a report on the student’s clinical performance and progress. A minimum of one satisfactory ‘Placement Evaluation Form’, completed by the supervisor, should be submitted each 6 months during the programme for each placement
Log books
At the beginning of the programme, all students will be issued with a log book which includes sections on placements, coursework and professional development. Within each section are subdivisions which cover all of the requirements, both academic and clinical, for successful completion of the programme. As students progress they will be expected to update the log book so that at the end of the programme it will contain a full record of their achievements throughout the programme.
This log book is extremely important as it will be the prime source for staff and for the student to monitor progress through the programme and will indicate successful completion of the clinical and academic requirements. In addition, staff will rely heavily on the log book when writing references for students. Hence it is in your interests to ensure that the log book is always complete. Periodically tutors will ask to see your log book to ensure that it is being regularly updated.
Please note: It is the sole responsibility of the student to ensure that this log book is updated and is readily available to staff (both academic and administrative) when requested.
Professional Standards
Client work demands high standards of professional conduct. All students should be familiar with the BPS Code of Conduct, Ethical Principles and Guidelines and Guidelines for the Professional Practice of Counselling Psychology, published by the British Psychological Society. Professional and personal conduct is a matter of great importance and any breach thereof can result in dismissal from the programme and may have legal implications.
Professional Indemnity
All students who undertake work with clients MUST take out professional indemnity insurance on an annual basis. This is in addition to any cover provided by the placement organisation. Any hours undertaken without professional indemnity cover cannot be counted towards the required 300 hours of supervised counselling practice.
Years 2 and 3: ORIENTATION AND STRUCTURE
Programme Aims
Years 2 and 3 of the 3-year Programme in Counselling Psychology aim to provide students with a 2-year full-time programme of academic study and supervised practice that will lead to students being eligible to apply for the title of Chartered Counselling Psychologist.
Programme Objectives
To provide an opportunity for students to:
· increase their theoretical knowledge in areas relevant to counselling psychology;
· extend their therapeutic skills;
· increase their understanding of the relationship between theory and practice;
· broaden the range of settings in which they are competent to practice;
· broaden the range of problems they are competent to work with;
· develop skills in teaching other psychologists and counsellors, including those from other professional groups such as nurses, occupational therapists, dieticians, etc.
· continue to develop skills in addressing counselling issues in the light of psychological theory and research;
· further develop their research skills, especially in relation to counselling practice;
· be exposed to psychologists with national and international reputations to demonstrate best clinical practice.
Summary of Programme Requirements - Years 2 and 3
· 180 hours of teaching (theory, research and practice) plus attendance at tutorials and seminars.
· 150 hours of experiential training workshops (from within the teaching component of the programme).
· 300 hours of supervised counselling experience in total to include a minimum of 100 hours in Year 2 and a minimum of 200 hours in Year 3.
· Minimum of 30 hours supervision.
· Attendance at the ‘Away Weekend’ in each year.
· Successful completion of the assessment relating to the modules ‘Client Presentations’ and ‘Research Presentations’ in Year 2.
· Successful completion of a dissertation on a topic relating to counselling psychology in Year 2.
· A minimum of 2 complete Client Reports (including a combined written and oral presentation in Year 3).
· A minimum of 2 Process Reports.
· Successful completion of the ‘Psychometric Assessment and the Use of Questionnaires’ module coursework.
· Successful completion of a critical literature review relating to counselling which should be of a publishable standard. Approximately 3000 to 5000 words in length.
· In certain cases, students will be asked to attend an oral examination at the end of the programme.