(MA) Master of Arts
Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (4 year)
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
Colchester Campus
Masters
Part-time
None
MA C89D48
10/05/2023
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
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).
None
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
None
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 will build on previous learning and experience provided by prior courses or trainings
- to provide further theoretical and practical training in clinical psychodynamic counselling – either with children and adolescents or with adults - sufficient for professional practice in community and other settings.
- to offer the training component sufficient for accreditation by the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
- to provide the opportunity for personal and professional development sufficient to support professional practice and conduct as a psychodynamic practitioner.
- to enrich students’ knowledge of psychodynamic theory and practice, familiarise them with commonly encountered client issues and problems and introduce them to the applications of research in the field.
- provide an in-depth understanding of the counsellor’s role and an appreciation of how counselling fits into the wider provision of therapeutic and care services for their clients.
- to enable the student to acquire sufficient experience through a supervised placement to complete a training qualification as required by the BACP.
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 understand the key theoretical concepts underpinning psychodynamic counselling practice.
A102: To understand the psychodynamics of personality development
A103: To understand the importance of psychodynamic observations skills in the practice of counselling
A104: To understand the role of the counsellor, both in terms of clinical conduct and the ethical and statutory frameworks within which counselling is practised
A105: To develop the capacity to be reflective about oneself, the counselling relationship and the workplace, and to learn from a group relations experience
A106: To develop the capacity to apply psychodynamic principles and techniques in individual counselling
A107: To understand key areas of difficulty in clients, their presentation and origins
A108: To understand how research informs practice
A109: To conduct independent study into a topic of the students own choice
A110: To understand how the efficacy of interventions can be measured
A111: To understand psychosocial issues affecting client development and experience
Learning methods
Reading and theoretical seminars
Clinical seminars
Workshops on practice issues
Practice supervision (provided by outside supervisors)
Experience of a group relations
Independent study
Assessment methods
Essays, dissertation, case study, reflective report
Supervisor’s report (pass or fail)
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B101: To become familiar with and be able to apply with accuracy psychodynamic concepts describing internal dynamics, interpersonal relationships, communication and clinical interactions
B102: To be able to observe and formulate within a psychodynamic framework
B103: To understand the ethical and statutory framework within which counselling practice takes place
B104: To be familiar with common symptomatic presentations and developmental issues likely to be encountered in counselling practice.
B105: To develop the capacity for reflective practice so as to be able to operate as a thoughtful practitioner.
B106: To be able to describe in psychodynamic terms the impact of the course on the student, the impact of the institution on the work and on the clients, and to learn how psychodynamic counselling impacts on the individual.
B107: To learn the fundamentals of psychodynamic counselling practice and to be able to take up the role effectively on placement
B108: To be able to understand and utilise research thinking in relation to psychodynamic counselling
B109: To be able to understand other approaches and to appreciate where psychodynamic counselling fits in a range of provision
B110: To identify an area of interest, to conduct an independent in-depth exploration and develop independent understanding of the subject of choice
B111: To understand how psychodynamic thinking and techniques apply in clinical practice
B112: To understand the complexity of psychosocial processes
Learning methods
Theoretical seminars
Clinical seminars
Experiential learning (for example experience of group relations)
Some practice workshops. Students will undertake their own therapy/ counselling which will provide a further kind of learning
Assessment methods
Essays, Case Study and Dissertation
C: Practical skills
C101: To recognise and describe accurately unconscious processes in individuals and organisations
C102: To recognise and describe accurately using psychodynamic terminology client presentations and clinical interactions
C103: To recognise and apply ethical professional issues relating to the counselling relationship
C104: To be able to adopt a psychodynamic stance in clinical work, fully taking up the role of psychodynamic practitioner
C105: To be able to use psychodynamic, reflective skills in analysing their own and others impact on each other.
C106: To carry out psychodynamic work with a range of clients under supervision
C107: To be able to access research to inform clinical work
C108: To be able to use simple outcome measures
C109: To bring to fruition a piece of independent study applying psychodynamic thinking to an area of clinical experience.
Learning methods
Theoretical seminars
Clinical seminars
Experience of group relations
Workshops
Supervised clinical placement
Independent study
Assessment methods
Supervisor’s report
Essays, case study and dissertation
D: Key skills
D1: To communicate effectively with colleagues and with clients and to manage role and authority effectively
D2: To use e-mail, Moodle and electronic submission of assessed work.
D3: Ability to understand basic outcome measures
D4: To address client issues psychodynamically, to use psychodynamic thinking in their interactions with colleagues. To decide on specific topic for dissertation and to manage independent study
D5: To work effectively in an institutional setting, in which collaboration is the basic aim as well as therapeutic process. To manage the role of counsellor in relation to colleagues from other professions. To maintain the psychodynamic counselling perspective in non-clinical encounters
D6: To work independently, and to learn through the practice, which is at the heart of the programme.
Learning methods
Theoretical seminars
Clinical seminars
Experience of group relations
Workshops
Supervised clinical placement
Independent study
Assessment methods
Supervisor’s report
Essays, case study and dissertation