(Graduate Diploma) Graduate Diploma
Psychodynamic Counselling
Inactive
University of Essex
University of Essex
Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
Colchester Campus
Graduate Diploma
Full-time
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DIPLC89D09
10/05/2023
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
We will consider applications with an overall grade of 2:2 and above.
It is desirable for you to have had some relevant experience in a caring or supportive role. Experience of your own counselling or therapy is also an asset.
With your online application you must submit a personal statement; this should detail the reasons for wanting to study the course, including any relevant experience (work or voluntary) that may support your application.
You must also have a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check (including child and adult barred list check) this is organised by the University.
A satisfactory Overseas Criminal Record Check/Local Police Certificate is also required, in addition to a DBS check, where you have lived outside of the UK in the last 5 years for 6 months or more.
Accreditation of Prior Experience/Accreditation of Prior Learning
In some circumstances, applicants can be admitted into year 2 of the MA Psychodynamic Counselling. This will only be possible if they can demonstrate that they have fully met the learning outcomes of year 1 or their close equivalent. Details of previous study will be required.
Alternatively, applicants who have already achieved a Diploma in Counselling which qualifies them to practise can apply to join the 2 year MA – effectively years 2 and 3 of the 3 year programme – in order to progress in their professional development, change the age-group with which they work or develop expertise in psychodynamic work.
Once students join the course they will be subject to all the other course requirements including the need to complete 150 hours of practice while on the MAPC. Prior practice hours will not be taken into account.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
If English isn’t your first language, we require IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5.
If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
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Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
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External examiners
Mr Mike Keating
Head of Training
Wessex Counselling and Psychotherapy
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
This programme aims to offer students a grounding in psychodynamic theory and its applications so that they can be prepared for the MA Psychodynamic Counselling with a clinical placement in the following year. It aims to provide a bridge between a BA in another discipline or relevant professional practice and psychodynamic understanding, addressing both personal and organisational dynamics.
It will provide a foundation in psychodynamic concepts and an understanding of the psychodynamics of child development. It aims to equip students with an understanding of the clinical role, its ethics and setting, to enable them to take up the professional role on the MA. It will give students counselling skills and techniques to facilitate the transition to practice.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A101: To be familiar with key theoretical ideas in psychodynamic thinking
A102: To develop the capacity to be reflective about oneself and ones own learning
A103: To understand the principles of psychodynamic observation (Psychodynamic Observation; Counselling Skills)
A104: To begin to understand the role of the counsellor, its ethics and contexts
A105: To understand some key counselling skills
A106: To understand the emotional dynamics of personality development
A107: To understand psychodynamic approaches to organisational dynamics
Learning methods
The programme makes use of theoretical seminars based on set reading of texts, observation seminars, workshops on practice issues and the experience of a group relations conference
Assessment methods
Essays for each module
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B101: Ability to understand and be able to apply psychodynamic concepts
B102: Ability to observe within a psychodynamic framework
B103: Ability to reflect on own experience and take active part in own learning
B104: Ability to understand the basics of psychodynamic practice
B105: Ability to understand the emotional dynamics of personality development (Personality Development; PA210)
B106: Ability to understand conscious and unconscious processes in organisations
Learning methods
The programme makes use of theoretical seminars and observation seminars, practice workshops and some experiential learning (eg group relations).
Assessment methods
Formal assessment is by essays and reflective report.
C: Practical skills
C101: To recognise and describe accurately unconscious processes in individuals and organisations
C102: To recognise and describe accurately emotional aspects of personaility development (Personal Development; PA210)
C103: To be able to use psychodynamic, reflective skills in analysing their own and others' impact on each other.
C104: Basic ability to use psychodynamic techniques
C105: To recognize and apply ethical and professional issues relating to the counselling relationship
Learning methods
The programme makes use of theoretical seminars, observation seminars, workshops and the experience of group relations.
Assessment methods
Formal assessment is by essays and reflective report.
D: Key skills
D101: To communicate effectively with staff and peers and to show the ability to use therapeutic communication
D102: To use e-mail, Moodle and electronic submission of assessed work.
D103: To use psychodynamic thinking in their interactions with colleagues. To apply psychodynamic thinking in workshops and other seminars
D104: To show the ability to work effectively in an institutional setting, in which collaboration is the basic aim as well as therapeutic process. To show the ability to manage the role of counsellor so that placement in the following year is viable.
D105: To work independently, and to do so with insight into own learning strengths and difficulties
Learning methods
The programme makes use of theoretical seminars and observation seminars, practice workshops and some experiential learning (eg group relations).
Assessment methods
Formal assessment is by essays and reflective report.