(Graduate Diploma) Graduate Diploma
Psychodynamic Approaches
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
Colchester Campus
Graduate Diploma
Full-time
DIPLC89A09
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.
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).
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 aims to offer students a grounding in psychodynamic theory and its applications either for their usefulness in a non-clinical role or so that they can be prepared for a full clinical training.
It aims to provide a bridge between a BA in another discipline or relevant professional practice and psychodynamic understanding and clinical practice, addressing both personal and organisational dynamics.
It will provide a foundation in psychodynamic concepts and an understanding of the psychodynamics of personality development, to provide the foundations for training or to develop greater effectiveness in a different role.
It aims to equip students with an understanding of the counselling role, its ethics and setting, to enable them to take up a professional role on the MA or to understand more fully the parameters of supportive roles.
It will give students counselling skills and techniques to facilitate the transition to practice or to facilitate effective psychodynamic work in other settings.
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
A1: To be familiar with key theoretical ideas in psychodynamic thinking
A2: To develop the capacity to be reflective about oneself and ones own learning
A3: To begin to understand the role of the counsellor, its ethics and contexts
A4: To understand the application of key counselling skills
A5: To understand the principles of psychodynamic observation
A6: To understand the emotional dynamics of personality development
A7: 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
B1: To become familiar with and be able to apply with accuracy psychodynamic concepts describing internal dynamics, interpersonal relationships, communication and clinical interactions
B2: To be able to observe and formulate within a psychoydnamic framework
B3: To understand the ethical and statutory framework within which counselling practice takes place
B4: To develop the capacity for reflective practice so as to be able to operate as a thoughtful practitioner.
Learning methods
The programme makes use of theoretical seminars, observation seminars, practice workshops and experiential learning (eg reflective groups and group relations workshops and conference).
Assessment methods
Essays, assessed observations and reflective report
C: Practical skills
C1: To recognise and describe accurately unconscious processes in individuals and organisations
C2: To develop basic practice skills in psychodynamic approaches
C3: To recognise and describe accurately using psychodynamic terminology client presentations and clinical interactions
C4: To recognise and apply ethical 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
D1: Ability to disseminate and articulate ideas clearly, coherently, and concisely in written and oral forms.
D2: Employ information and communication technology appropriately and effectively for the retrieval and presentation of information.
D3: Knowledge of how to read, understand and make use of quantitative research in the social sciences
D4: Ability to exercise initiative and creativity in the application of knowledge to solve problems or complete tasks
D5: The ability to listen to the ideas of others, reflect upon them, and critically consider these in the communication of own ideas
D6: Capacity and initiative to reflect upon own learning and use feedback and reflections to support progression.
Learning methods
The programme makes use of theoretical seminars and observation seminars, practice workshops and some experiential learning (eg reflective groups and group relations). Team work is essential and good communication skills central.
Assessment methods
Formal assessment is by essays, assessed observations and reflective report.