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Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy PGDip

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Intro

Based on the idea that mental illness is to some extent the result of repressed negative experience, psychodynamic counselling aims to expose the contents of a client's unconscious to make him or her aware of any underlying psychological conflicts.

It prioritises the therapeutic relationship and draws from the work of psychoanalysts such as Freud, Klein, Winnicott and Bion, as well as more contemporary thinkers such as Lacan, Bowlby, Kohut, Mitchell and Benjamin.

The postgraduate diploma teaches models of both long-and short-term counselling, the second of which is particularly relevant to NHS work and employee counselling schemes. It stresses the importance of developing counselling awareness through practice in workshops and provides a sound theoretical foundation to the psychodynamic approach.

The course 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).

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

Part-time 2 years

Accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

The application deadline for this course is 15 January 2021. Check the entry criteria below for info on the application process.

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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

How this course is delivered

We've made some changes to the way our courses are taught to keep everyone safe, connected and involved in university life.

At the moment, students have a blend of on-campus and digitally enabled remote learning that provides lots of opportunities to interact and engage with lecturers and other students.

Find out what these changes mean for this course

Course structure

The courses are taught on a semester system with two semesters each year. Semester dates can be found here on the website.

In addition to academic study, you will need to complete 100 hours of supervised counselling practice in an approved clinical practice agency, for example at the Rock Clinic or Sussex University counselling service.

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, and we recommend that you factor in the cost of this therapy before your application.

Assessment consists of four essays and three case studies. You will also keep a professional log of your clinical work and maintain a personal journal.

Students discussing their work

Areas of study

The course contains four major elements: academic and professional studies, practical training, training supervision, and personal growth and development. A strong theoretical knowledge is of great importance and considerable weight is given to canonical writers. The seminars provide a broad overview of the reading material and invite you to reflect further on it.

Psychodynamic counsellors rely on their own feelings to help make sense of the moment-by-moment changes in client sessions. This process underlies the need for a certain level of self-awareness and maturity, hence why personal growth and development is the fourth key strand on the course. This is partly met through personal development groups and partly through your own counselling or therapy.

Falmer students

Year 1

Modules

  • Introduction to Psychodynamic Counselling Theory: Human Growth and Development
  • Themes in Professional Practice
  • Psychodynamic Counselling Workshops
  • Personal Development Groups
Two students in discussion over a desk strewn with papers

Year 2

Modules

  • Psychodynamic Counselling Practice 1
  • Psychodynamic Counselling Practice 2
  • Critical Perspectives in Psychodynamic Counselling
  • Research Methods for Counselling and Psychotherapy
  • Personal Development Groups

Completion of the postgraduate diploma allows continuation (after successful application) on to our Psychotherapy MSc.

Two people in chairs facing each other and talking

Preliminary reading

Students wishing to gain some understanding of the psychodynamic approach may wish to read some of the following texts:

  • Casement, P. (1985) Learning from the Patient
  • Freud, S. (1991) Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis
  • Bott, D. & Howard, P. (2012) The Therapeutic Encounter: A Cross-Modality Approach
  • Howard, S. (2006) Psychodynamic Counselling in a Nutshell
  • Jacobs, M. (2004) Psychodynamic Counselling in Action
  • McLeod, J. (2003) An Introduction to Counselling
  • Spurling, L. (2009) An Introduction to Psychodynamic Counselling

Being entirely honest with oneself is good exercise.

Sigmund Freud, letter to Wilhelm Fliess (1897)

FAQs

Should I apply for the Humanistic or Psychodynamic Psychotherapeutic Counselling Postgraduate Diploma?

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. While counselling training draws on psychology theory, we don't expect you to have studied it formally before the course begins. 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 placement is part of the course, but does the course guarantee to find me one?

No. We do have a list of clinical practice agencies 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.

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. All successful graduates of this PGDip are eligible to apply.

BACP logo

upca 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 successfully completed an accredited, externally assessed counselling skills course that:

  • is at least a 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.

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.
  • Please note failure to provide the correct information or references by the deadline may result in your application being rejected.

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 are invited for interview from 1 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 April/May, once all applicants have been interviewed.  
  • You will be advised if this is a reserve list place – reserve places become available if a candidate needs to decline their accepted offer at a later date.

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, 1 year) 4,375 GBP

International (part-time, 1 year)To be confirmed 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 Applied Social Science 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 £100 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.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further 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 2020–21. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and may be subject to small increases, in line with inflation.

Where UK/EU 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

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city's reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year to the local economy, as much as tourism.

Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

You can also get involved with city festivals and events such as the Brighton Festival, the Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Science Festival, the London to Brighton bike ride, and the Great Escape festival of new music to name but a few. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

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

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Set in the South Downs, our Falmer campus is around four miles from Brighton city centre. 7,000 students are based here taking subjects including criminology, English, education, nursing and medicine, paramedic science, psychology and sociology. Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex stadium and beautiful Stanmer Park are right next door.

Specialist learning facilities at Falmer include the curriculum centre used by teaching and education students, which houses over 30,000 teaching resources and clinical skills and simulation suites used by health students. Psychology students learn in our applied cognition and flexible creative method labs.

Falmer campus has two halls of residence on site, as well as a library, restaurant, cafes, and a students' union shop and bar.

The campus sports centre has a fitness suite, activity studios and a sports hall. There is also a floodlit astroturf football pitch, netball and tennis courts.

Cycle lanes link Falmer with our other campuses and the city centre and there is a BTN BikeShare hub on site. There are regular bus services to the city centre and other campuses. Falmer train station is right next to campus and a nine minute journey to central Brighton.

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Newly refurbished atrium in the Checkland Building

Accommodation

Brighton: Falmer

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.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • Falmer campus is linked to the halls on Falmer campus and at Varley Park. All halls are self-catered, but if you prefer you can add in a food and drink plan.
    • Paddock Field and Great Wilkins halls are on Falmer campus and offer a range of rooms
    • 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.

Unihomes and unilets
Unihomes and unilets are student houses that we let to our students on behalf of private landlords. This option can work particularly well when you're balancing learning with placements and other commitments. We have unihomes and unilet properties across the city.

Private renting
There's plenty of support if you opt for private renting. This is an option which offers choice and flexibility – enabling you to choose where you live and who with. We manage our own studenthomes database of properties. This lists accommodation offered by landlords who have signed up to our code of standards. Every summer we provide online events and resources, as well as other advice services, for students looking for a place to live and people to share with.

Outside views at Falmer accommodation

Outside views at Falmer accommodation

Extensive facilities at Falmer sports centre

Extensive facilities at Falmer sports centre

Students dining at Westlain

Students dining at Westlain

Maps

Falmer campus

Stay in touch

Join an online event

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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  • Approved Mental Health Practice PGDip

    Approved Mental Health Practice PGDip

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