Humanistic Counselling and Psychotherapy PGDip

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 31 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 31 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 31 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.

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. You are required to find your 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 those practising counselling
• illuminate theory and practice by drawing upon your personal experience
• promote the 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.

Syllabus

Modules

• Humanistic Counselling Theory and Human Growth and Development

  This module focuses on humanistic counselling theory, complementary philosophical ideas and theories of human growth and development and is designed to build a coherent theoretical foundation for your counselling practice. Content includes theories of attachment, dependency separation and loss; the process of socialization and the growth of early relationships; and current evidence on neuroscience regarding the link between attachment relationships and physiological development.

• Themes in Professional Practice

  This module encourages you to examine the complex professional issues involved in the practice of therapeutic counselling. Areas covered include a critical examination of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy’s (BACP) Framework for Good Practice; an exploration of the four ethical principles (autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and confidentiality) and their relevance to counselling practice; power in the counselling relationship; and the purpose of counselling supervision and how to make best use of it.

• Humanistic Counselling Practice and Personal Development

  This module explores the balance between theory and application to practice and continues to develop a course philosophy of self-awareness in how you relate to others in practice. Areas covered include theories of humanistic counselling; the attitudes of humanistic counselling; skills of giving and receiving feedback to and from peers; and concepts of self-reflexivity and counselling practice.

• Non-credit rated module; Portfolio of Evidence Humanistic Counselling

  In this non-credit-rated module which continues over both years, you will produce a portfolio of evidence to record your personal and professional development in counselling practice and supervision. Throughout the course you need to accrue at least 100 hours of counselling practice in an approved counselling setting and 17 hours of counselling supervision with an approved supervisor; keep a detailed log evidencing this work; and engage in weekly personal counselling or psychotherapy.

• Applied Humanistic Counselling Practice 1

  This module is taught in a small group workshop format and enables you to synthesize the three elements underpinning humanistic counselling, while deepening and expanding your competence as a humanistic counsellor. Your practice will be located within the context of relevant humanistic theory. Through participation in personal development groups, you should develop a profound level of self-awareness.

• Reflexivity and Research Methods in Counselling and Psychotherapy

  In this module, you will learn about research methods, the role of self-reflection in qualitative research and the links between research interests, personal development and the practice of counselling and psychotherapy. You will develop a critical understanding of your own research interests and situate these and your investigation in the context of various qualitative research methods and your own ontological and epistemological position.

• Applied Humanistic Counselling Practice 2

  Taught in a small group workshop format, this module will enable you to synthesize the three elements underpinning humanistic counselling, while you deepen and grow your competence as a humanistic counsellor. Your practice will be located within the context of relevant humanistic theoretical frameworks and the humanistic paradigm. By taking part in personal development groups, you should develop a deep level of self-awareness.

• Critical Perspectives in Humanistic Counselling

  This module aims to enhance your understanding of the underlying philosophies and discourses of counselling in general and humanistic counselling in particular. By studying the nature and characteristics of humanistic psychopathology you will deepen your understanding of work relating to counselling in areas other than those with which you have a specific involvement.

Lab facilities

Mithras House has a series of lab rooms which can be used for teaching on your course or in your independent research work.

Life lab
A skills-based lab for practice-based teaching, social work, psychotherapy and counselling, and employability. The Life lab is fitted with lounge furniture to provide a comfortable space for conducting qualitative research with larger groups. The lab can be used to conduct research activities with children of all ages and can be used for meetings and events. The room also contains a dedicated space to conduct assessed role play or interviews with children.

City lab
This is a qualitative research methods and creative methods resource for all students, staff and researchers, as well as research participants, including children, community groups and the general public. It can also be used for meetings and events. The City lab contains a kitchen, a teaching/meeting room with enhanced acoustic isolation and two meeting spaces that can be separated with a screen or combined to accommodate larger groups.

Design lab
Housing our extensive collection of historic dress and textiles, which are used in some teaching on our History of Art and Design courses, this has the space and equipment for you to work on textile projects. Displays created by students on these programmes are on view in the social spaces of the building.

Community lab
A space designed for collaborative student learning, this is used by students and staff involved in the university’s Global Challenges programme – our collective mission to contribute towards solutions to tackle the pressing issues facing our world.

Stats lab
A specialist workspace with computing equipment for statistical analysis and projects involving video and audio editing software. The lab contains eight acoustically treated booths for both recording and transcribing interviews undertaken as part of dissertation research and for recording and editing podcasts.

Applied cognition lab
A dedicated research space for psychological research involving measures such as electrodermal activity (EDA) and electroencephalography (EEG). The space is designed to allow the participant and researcher to sit at separate desks whilst psychophysiological data is being collected. 

VR and eye tracking lab
The VR and Eye-Tracking Lab is used for psychological research using equipment, such as eye-trackers and virtual reality headsets. The space has adjustable lighting and a blackout blind for maintaining consistent lighting conditions during eye-tracking research, as well as sensors set up in the room to allow individuals to move freely around the room during virtual reality research.

Take a video tour of the labs with technicians Andrea and Grace 

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 you must make your own applications to agencies.

Course fees

Non-refundable deposit

To secure your offer of 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.

The fees listed here are for the first year of study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year. UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (depending on which is higher).

If you have specific queries about the course fee, our fees team will be happy to help. Email them at fees@brighton.ac.uk.

Find out more

• Advice and guidance for part-time students.
• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees, including fee status and payment, by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf)

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