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Humanistic Counselling and Psychotherapy PGDip

  • Intro
  • Course
    content
  • Careers
  • Entry
    criteria
  • Fees
  • Location and
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Intro

Developed in reaction to the dominance of behaviourism and psychoanalysis, the humanistic paradigm emphasises the human capacity for self-determination.

It holds that we have the freedom to shape and give meaning to our own lives, and helps clients to regain their independence.

The humanistic paradigm draws on concepts and ideas from phenomenology and existentialism and is a philosophy of mind. 

The postgraduate diploma helps to ground your understanding of humanistic counselling in the relevant literature, clinical practice and your developing self-awareness.

It is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and therefore recognised as preparing students for work as a professional counsellor. The university is an organisational member of the BACP as well as the Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association (UCPA).

Find out about postgraduate events

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Part-time 2 years

Accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

Face-to-face therapy must be undertaken throughout the diploma with a UKCP-registered therapist who meets the course criteria

The application deadline for this course is 15 January. Check the entry criteria below for info on the application process.

Apply online

Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

Apply now for your place

Course content

Course structure

The course consists of seven modules taught over a period of two years. Study involves one day per week at the university, eight non-residential weekends, two two-day blocks in September of the second year and one further study day.

In addition to academic study, you need to complete 100 hours of supervised counselling practice in an approved clinical practice area. Students are required to find their own clinical practice area and this will be discussed with you at interview. Clinical practice areas often provide clinical supervision as part of the clinical practice experience however you may be required to pay for external supervision and we recommend that you factor this into the cost of the course.

You also need to undertake a course of personal therapy that lasts for the duration of the course, from October of year 1 to June of year 2 or until you finish the course if you have not fulfilled the course requirements, and we recommend that you factor in the cost of this therapy before your application.

Assessment consists of three written essays and two audio-taped assignments; one case study and a research proposal. You will also be asked to keep a reflective journal during the life of the course that focuses on academic and professional studies; clinical practice, training supervision and personal growth and development. 

Areas of study

The course contains four major elements: academic and professional studies, clinical practice, training supervision, and personal growth and development.

The course is designed to:

  • provide a sound base of theory and practitioner attributes for persons practising counselling;
  • illuminate theory and practice by drawing upon students’ personal experience;
  • promote personal growth and self-awareness essential to successful counselling.

The philosophy of the course is based on the principle that there is no single presiding theory or model of counselling that commands widespread agreement and support, and that the practice of counselling cannot be separated from underlying values, theoretical assumptions and hypotheses concerning the nature of human experience and change.

Successfully completing this postgraduate diploma makes you eligible to apply to continue your studies on our Psychotherapy MSc.

Year 1

Modules

  • Humanistic Counselling Theory and Human Growth and Development – semester 1
  • Humanistic Counselling Practice and Personal Development – experiential workshops and process groups – semester 1 and 2
  • Themes in Professional Practice – semester 2

Year 2

Modules

  • Research Methods for Counselling and Psychotherapy – five-day study time at the beginning of the second year
  • Critical Perspectives in Humanistic Counselling – semester 1 and 2
  • Applied Humanistic Counselling Practice 1 – semester 1 experiential workshops and process group
  • Applied Humanistic Counselling Practice 2 – semester 2 experiential workshops and process group

Preliminary reading

Students wishing to gain an understanding of the humanistic approach may wish to read some of the following texts.

  • Bazzano M. and Webb J. (2016) Therapy and the Counter-Tradition: The edge of philosophy Routledge
  • Bott D. and Howard P. (2012) The Therapeutic Encounter: A Cross Modality Approach Sage
  • Largo C. and Charura D. (Eds) (2016) Person-Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy Handbook. Origins, Developments and Applications Open University Press
  • Proctor G. (2017) Dynamics of Power in Counselling and Psychotherapy: Ethics, Politics and Practice (2nd Ed.) PCCS Books
  • Sanders P. (2012) Tribes of the person-centred nation; a guide to the schools of therapy related to the person-centred approach (2nd Ed) Ross-on-Wye: PCCS Books
  • Wilkins P. (2015) Person-Centred and Experiential Therapies: contemporary approaches and issues in practice Sage

When we are dealing with human beings, no truth has reality by itself; it is always dependent upon the reality of the immediate relationship

Rollo May, The Origins of the Existential Movement in Psychology, Existence. (1958)

FAQs

Should I apply for the Postgraduate Diploma in Humanistic Counselling and Psychotherapy or the Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy?

We can provide a few pointers for you, but ultimately you must make the decision. To help you differentiate between the two courses, you could attend an open day or do some reading around the relevant subject areas.

I haven't studied psychology before. Does this matter?

No, it doesn't. The Humanistic course draws on a wide range of ideas and concepts. Humanistic counselling has as its base philosophy of mind. We do, however, require you to have spent a minimum of 30 hours on an accredited counselling skills course.

Does it matter that I've been out of education for a number of years?

No. Provided you meet all the requirements, you should be offered an interview for the course. Many of our students are returning to study after a few years away, in fact, the average age for the postgraduate diplomas is around 40.

I use counselling skills in my job as a nurse/social worker/teacher. Do I still have to take an introductory counselling course?

Yes, unless as a formal part of your training you took an assessed module in counselling skills. If so, you would need to provide full details of the module you took in the further information section on the application form.

Will my previous counselling or therapy count in lieu of the requirement to be in therapy during the course?

No. You will need to start therapy again with an approved therapist.

I know a counselling practice area is part of the course, but does the course guarantee to find me one?

No. We do have a list of clinical practice areas which previous students have gone to and we have good relationships with many local counselling agencies but the final responsibility lies with you. During the first semester we invite a number of practice   managers/directors to come and talk about what they offer but students must make individual applications to agencies.

Our latest news

Read our counselling and psychotherapy courses FAQs

Read our counselling and psychotherapy courses FAQs

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University of Brighton lecturers including Dr Dwight Turner who teaches psychotherapy and Dr Yaa Asare whose research is in the field of race, ethnicity and identity are among academics from across the country giving a series of talks recognising and celebrating Black history.

Read more from our blog

Careers

The postgraduate diploma has an excellent reputation in the locality and our students have gone on to hold counselling posts across the public, private and voluntary sectors. Others have progressed to further training or used their counselling skills in their existing professions.

If you enjoy the course and are interested in further study, you may want to consider our Psychotherapy MSc, to which all successful graduates of the PGDip are eligible to apply.

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BACP logo

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Degree and experience

You should hold a degree or professional qualification, for example nursing or teaching.

You need to have either successfully completed our short course, Developing a Therapeutic Relationship and Counselling Skills, or an accredited, externally assessed counselling skills course that:

  • is at least level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills which ordinarily involves at least 30 hours of face-to-face tuition at level 2 or level 3 (online courses are not acceptable). Please note L2 Award, Helping Skills and Introductory courses are not accepted.
  • includes both theory and practice
  • was gained within the last six years.

You must have experience of working with people in a helping capacity and access to clients throughout the course. Ideally, you will have gained some counselling experience through full or part-time employment, or through voluntary or pastoral work.

Face-to-face therapy must be undertaken throughout the diploma with a UKCP-registered therapist who meets the course criteria.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

Application process

We expect to offer 22–25 places for this course and hold a reserve list of four.

Step 1

  • Submit your completed application by 15 January, this includes completed references.  
  • Ensure that you accurately record all relevant completed or pending qualifications – scan and attach your certificates.  
  • Provide two references – alert your referees that they should receive an email request and to check all email folders. Please note that is up to you to follow up with referees to ensure these are submitted before the deadline of 15 January.

Your application may be rejected if you do not provide the correct information or references by the deadline.

Step 2

  • Our admissions office reviews all applications.  
  • Complete applications meeting the entry criteria are submitted to the course tutor for review and selection.
  • All fully completed applications received by 15 January will receive equal consideration.
  • Candidates will be selected for interview based on the strength of their application.
  • Applications received after this date may still be considered, if we have vacancies on the course or for a place on the reserve list.

Step 3

  • Selected applicants will be invited for interview from early February.
  • You will be asked to write a character sketch to bring to your interview.
  • You will be interviewed by two course tutors.

Step 4

  • Successful applicants will be made an offer of a place on the course in May, once all applicants have been interviewed.  
  • You will be advised if this is a reserve list place – reserve places may become available if a candidate needs to decline their accepted offer.

Step 5

  • Meet any conditions of your offer. This may include submitting evidence of the qualification you are studying.
  • Pay the non-refundable £250 deposit to confirm your place on the course. This is required within one month of your offer being made or we may offer your place to another candidate.

Fees

Course fees

UK (part-time, per year)4,570 GBP

Non-refundable deposit

To secure your offer or a place a £250 non-refundable deposit is required within one month of notification for payment. If your offer is received after 15 August, it may be possible to negotiate a date with the course leader. Please note this payment is required before you begin the course.

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Humanities and Social Science in the 2022–23 academic year are listed here.

  • For some assessments you may be required to print large format posters for presentations at a cost of £5–£10 per poster.
  • Most coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes and should budget up to £100 for printing.
  • Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £200 to buy your own copies.
  • Some courses include an optional placement module for which students will need to cover the costs of travel to and from the placement and DBS checks as required.
  • For the Humanistic Psychotherapeutic Counselling PGDip and Psychotherapeutic Psychodynamic Counselling PGDip, the following course-related costs are not included in the tuition fee:
    • Supervision fees: £1,170 for each full year. Estimated based on £45 per hour with fortnightly meetings. In some agencies, supervision will be provided at no cost. Where students have to pay, the cost will only begin when supervision begins.
    • Personal counselling/therapy: £2,000–£2,800 over the course. Estimated based on £40 per hour.
  • For a number of courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits. These are optional and are not required to pass your course but under normal circumstances we would expect a budget of approximately £150 per year will cover the costs of particular trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for courses beginning in the academic year 2023–24. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

Where UK students are subject to regulated fees, the annual fee increase cannot exceed the UK government’s maximum regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant year. For all other students, ie those not subject to regulated fees, tuition fees are subject to a maximum annual increase of the higher of 5% or RPI.

Visit our advice for part-time students page. If you have specific queries about the course fee, our fees team will be happy to help. Email them at fees@brighton.ac.uk.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Over the last four years Moulsecoomb has undergone a major transformation, planned with accessibility, inclusivity and sustainability in mind.

Over 900 students live here in our halls, Moulsecoomb Place and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

On campus you’ll find professional-standard facilities and learning resources for all of our subjects and a brand new academic building Elm House, alongside the library, student centre, fitness facilities and the Students’ Union.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains and to all the exciting things happening in our home city.

Two people walking past Mithras halls

Accommodation

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

  • Moulsecoomb campus is linked to Mithras halls and Varley Park. All halls are self-catered.
  • Varley Park offers a mix of rooms. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there’s a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Halls

Modern accommodation at nearby Varley Park

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Students eating at the Hub

Students eating at the Hub

Local area

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy - as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

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Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

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Stay in touch

Find out about postgraduate events

Ask a question about this course


If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

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