Humanistic Therapeutic Counselling PGDip
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Overview
This course concentrates on counselling as a discrete activity, it is not an introductory course nor applied to a specific work context. It is a postgraduate course providing an academic and professional training in counselling and it is affiliated to the Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association (UPCA) and accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
The philosophy of the course is based upon a recognition that there is no single presiding theory or model of counselling which commands widespread agreement and support. Nevertheless the practice of counselling cannot be separated from underlying values, theoretical assumptions and hypotheses concerning the nature of human experience and change. Drawing upon existentialism and phenomenology and developed in reaction to the dominance of behaviourism and psychoanalysis, the humanistic approach gives primacy to the individual's capacity for self determination. Therapeutic activity is directed towards creating a context which promotes client autonomy. This is exemplified in the person-centred approach. Other epistemologically consistent theories and models, notably Gestalt, Transactional Analysis and Family Systems Theory open additional possibilities for intervention. The change from 'person centred' to 'humanistic' reflects course developments which on the one hand bring greater depth to the students' learning experience through the examination in depth of the philosophical underpinnings of theory while introducing increased breadth through the inclusion of complementary approaches.
Course duration
Part-time: 2 years
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Course content
Course structure
The course contains four major elements: academic and professional studies, practical training, training supervision, and personal growth and development. Some classes are shared with colleagues on the postgraduate diploma in Psychodynamic Therapeutic Counselling including: professional, social and ethical issues, human growth and development, and psychopathology.
The course emphasises the importance of developing the attitudes inherent with the humanistic approach through practice in workshops and other experiential learning situations. The course helps to ground your understanding of the theoretical and philosophical ideas and concepts that underpin the humanistic approach with counselling practice, thus developing two of the central tenets of the course. In addition there is an emphasis placed on developing your self awareness.
The course contains eight modules over two years. Study involves one day per week at the university, seven non-residential weekends, two two-day blocks in September of the second year and two study days (one in September and one in the inter-semester break in January) both in the second year.
Students are required to complete 100 hours of supervised counselling practice in an approved clinical placement. Placements begin in the first year of the course, normally before the end of the first semester and help and advice is given about finding a placement. The course team have built up close relationships with a number of placement agencies including South Downs NHS Trust Primary Care Trust (for placements in GP practices), Youth Advice Centre (for placements in the YAC centre), and Brighton and Sussex University counselling services. Most agencies will provide the supervision free of charge in return for the counselling undertaken by the trainee although this is not true of all agencies.
Students are also required to undertake their own personal counselling or therapy during the whole of the course, in effect being in personal therapy from the start of the course in October to the end of the course in June. Potential applicants are advised to factor in the cost of this counselling or therapy when considering the course.
Areas of study
The relationship between the postgraduate diplomas in Humanistic Therapeutic Counselling and Psychodynamic Therapeutic Counselling:
The counselling and psychotherapy courses team have taken a particular and, arguably, unique approach to curriculum design and course delivery. This reflects contemporary developments in the field by adopting a social constructionist position on the status of theory. This opens the way to the provision of a professional training founded on rigorous intellectual enquiry. A cross-modality approach contrasts with the potential for rigidity and orthodoxy of single modality trainings and the academic weakness of integration which fails to take account of philosophical and theoretical difference.
There are key points of dialogue between these courses so that students are helped to understand their chosen orientation from a different perspective. The team believes that this helps develop a more critical understanding of both orientations and a mutual respect for the other modality.
Syllabus
Year 1
Humanistic Counselling Theory
Human Growth and Development
Humanistic Counselling Practice and Personal Development
Process Groups
Themes in Professional PracticeYear 2
Research Methods for Counselling and Psychotherapy
Critical Perspectives in Humanistic counselling
Applied Humanistic Counselling Practice
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Entry requirements
Typical entry requirements
individual offers may varyFor non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.5 overall and 6.0 in writing.Other:
Degree and/or experience:
Degree or equivalent (eg professional qualification). Applications from non-graduates considered but they will be required to produce evidence of being able to study at master's level. Applicants (normally at least 25 years old) must have completed an introductory counselling course of 30 hours (or the equivalent). -
Location
Location
Falmer -
Career opportunities
The postgraduate diploma has an excellent reputation in the locality and our students have gone on to hold counselling posts in many organisations including the public and voluntary sector or established private practices whilst others have gone on to undertake further training or have used their counselling skills in their existing profession.
There is an MSc in Psychotherapy and students who successfully complete the postgraduate diploma in Humanistic Therapeutic Counselling would be eligible to apply to this MSc.
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Fees and costs
The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2012-13. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study.
The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take. Different rules apply to research degrees - please contact the Doctoral College for advice.
To help you plan for your time here we will be providing further information about what is included in your tuition fee, and any optional costs you may need to budget for, later in the autumn.
Our website wwww.brighton.ac.uk/money provides advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.
PGDip Humanistic Therapeutic Counselling
Please contact us directly for exact tuition fees for this course. -
Apply online
You should not apply unless you can meet all the entry requirements for this course. Please contact the course team before applying if you are unsure about any of the specific entry requirements.
Entry requirements
For non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.5 overall and 6.0 in writing.Other:
Degree and/or experience:
Degree or equivalent (eg professional qualification). Applications from non-graduates considered but they will be required to produce evidence of being able to study at master's level. Applicants (normally at least 25 years old) must have completed an introductory counselling course of 30 hours (or the equivalent).
01273 644516
sassenquiries@brighton.ac.uk
Counselling open day - Thursday 31st January 2013
An open day for the postgraduate courses in counselling is taking place on Thursday 31st January 2013. To book a place please contact Kath O’Malley on 01273 644516 or email k.h.o’malley@brighton.ac.uk .
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