Degree Courses
IICP, Dublin
BSc (Hons) Degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy
The BSc (Hons) Degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, validated by QQI and accredited by IACP, Ireland’s largest professional body, can be achieved through both a four year programme or, for qualified therapists who hold a Diploma, a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) entry route. Through these programmes we desire to contribute a community dimension to the development of mental health care and counselling through the use of a practical, cutting-edge and integrative model, which forms the basis for this pioneering and innovative programme. We consider that training in counselling and psychotherapy is an inter-disciplinary endeavour, a combination of, amongst others, the disciplines of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, sociology and anthropology. At the heart of the training provided in IICP lies the belief that people are experts in the story of their own lives and provide a module in Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy which provides a framework for integration and engaging clients in shared-decision making., This builds on prior learning to enable learners to understand and utilise the distinctive features of Pluralism including working with Goals, Tasks and Methods, Systematic Feedback, Meta-therapeutic Communication, as well as exploring methods of assessment to create a case formulation. Learners also engage in modules related to ‘Evidence Informed Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy’ and ‘Improving Clinical Outcomes’.
This approach offers a broad structure to professionals who are dealing with a diverse range of clients and presenting problems. IICP has strong clinical placement links in an on-site counselling agency, Village Counselling Service which supports learners in accessing their own placement and enables them to commence their clinical work in a safe, supportive environment. We also have links with agencies around the country, where learners can do their placement closer to home. Click here for details of the RPL degree.
University of East London
The BSc (Hons) Counselling at the University of East London (UEL) is a 3-year, full-time professional qualification degree that holds training accreditation by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). It is currently the only BACP accredited degree at undergraduate level in London, amongst less than a dozen across the UK. This course aims to equip students with in-depth knowledge and practice of major psychotherapeutic approaches namely: person-centred; psychodynamic; CBT (and its variants); and existential counselling, within a pluralistic framework. The integrative training was developed over the years drawing from the long and well-established tradition of counsellor training at the university (counselling courses began and were developed here since 1972) and a 50 plus year psychology tradition. Students are introduced to a variety of theoretical models through the prism of integration and pluralism, they engage in a number of personal and professional development activities such as personal therapy, process development groups and bespoke seminars, they receive ongoing and rigorous feedback in skills practice as well as clinical supervision for their placement work, and they learn to conduct counselling research, often supported for dissemination or further development through continuing with PG studies. The course focuses on preparing students for working with several client groups across a variety of settings, mainly focusing on adult population but also offering opportunities and relevant training for working with children and young people. More recently, the curriculum expanded in including input and resources that prepare students to offer counselling sessions online or over the telephone. The teaching and supervisory staff on the course come from a variety of backgrounds and theoretical orientations, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise in working with a student body that is rich in diversity and aspirations in the field.
University of South Wales
BA (Hons) Counselling and Therapeutic Practice
This full time course aims to provide a high quality undergraduate training in counselling and is designed to help you towards individual practitioner accreditation with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). The course provides all the learning and training you require to qualify as a professional integrative counsellor and will be submitted for accreditation by the BACP once it has completed one cycle of delivery by 2020. The syllabus is based on the pluralistic counselling and psychotherapy approach. Distinctive features of the course include:training in counselling across the life-span, working with children and young people, creative approaches, and on-line counselling. The School of Psychology and Therapeutic Studies has dedicated Placement Officers and strong links with a wide range of counselling agencies, employers and counselling services to provide the supervised counselling hours required. We also have our own established Therapy Centre on campus – USW Therapy and Talking Zone – a free, private online counselling service specifically for young people.