Counselling Psychology is embedded in the discipline of psychology and concerns itself with applied areas of psychological work, which overlap with the provinces of psychotherapy, clinical psychology, counselling and psychiatry. The Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology is therefore designed to provide opportunities for professional and personal development as a Counselling Psychologist. This is achieved by facilitating the development of a flexible, reflective and critical approach to Counselling Psychology theory, research, and practice. The programme objective is to produce graduates with a solid grounding in the theory, research and clinical skills relevant to Counselling Psychology. The clinical focus of the training is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with core skills drawn also from Humanistic Therapy. In the third and fourth year of the training trainees will consider Psychodynamic approaches and will be introduced to Cognitive Analytic therapy (CAT). We aim to equip our trainees to meet the unique needs of their clients, they will be able to work while holding ideas in tension and embracing dilemmas within their therapeutic practice.

The admissions procedure involves a written application; short listing is conducted by the admissions team. At least two members of academic staff will review each application before a decision is made.

Successful applicants are invited for an interview.

Admissions criteria:

Essential:

• A good honours degree in psychology conferring the Graduate Basis for Registration with the British Psychological Society.
• Competencies in oral and written English which should satisfy the University’s entrance requirements. In the case of applicants whose first language is not English, then IELTS 7.5 (or equivalent) is required which incorporates a minimum of 7.5 in writing and speaking, together with a minimum of 7.5 in listening and reading. International qualifications will be checked for appropriate matriculation to UK Higher Education postgraduate programmes.
• Appropriate personal qualities including, empathy, warmth, genuineness; an awareness of the nature of prejudice and oppression; commitment to self development
• Prior training in counselling skills/relevant work (voluntary or otherwise) of working in helping relationships
• Previous experience of supervised counselling practice
• Good research skills

The admissions policy strives to provide equal opportunities to all applicants and does not discriminate on the grounds of age, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Applicants are invited for interview on the basis of relevant experience and academic excellence.

Applicants with either prior-certified learning or prior-experiential learning that closely matches the specified learning outcomes of the taught part of the programme may be able to claim exemption via agreed university procedures. No exemption can be claimed against the research part of the programme or in situations where a professional body excludes it.

The School of Psychology runs a 5 day short course entitled An Introduction to Counselling Psychology, applicants to this programme may after interview be offered a place conditional on attending and passing this short course. Further details of this course can be located at www.uel.ac.uk.

Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology (PsychD)

Please note:. All components of the four year part time programme need to be completed to achieve Doctoral status and to become eligible for Chartership with the British Psychological Society. There are two exit points, namely Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology and MSc in Counselling Psychology. These are available for those students who do not choose to progress or are not permitted to upgrade to the Doctoral research components of the programme.

The structure of the Professional Doctorate Programme is four years part time (attending for one day a week, with at least one day on a clinical placement). Trainees will be offered two pathways, these are;

1. If they successfully complete module PYM304 they will progress on to the Professional Doctorate. They will complete all of module PYM305 in year 2 and show evidence of progress of their Doctoral Research Project, to progress towards the award of PsychD. They will subsequently submit a 30, 000 word length doctoral thesis and attend the oral viva examination.
2. If trainees do not successfully complete module PYM304 they will progress on to the MSc programme. They will need to pass PYM305 along with the Professional Doctorate trainees in year 2 and will submit an empirical research dissertation of 7,000 words. Successful completion of modules PYM301, 302, 303, 304, 305 and 306 will lead to the award of an MSc and exiting the programme.

Professional doctorate programmes can be either ‘taught’ or ‘research’ in their emphasis (that is, when measured by student effort). Both have equal status and share the same learning outcomes. You should check with the relevant school to find out where the emphasis is for this particular programme.

The teaching methods used are varied and include: workshops, lectures, discussions, experiential group work, skills work in small groups, clinical discussion groups, personal therapy/development work, seminars, feedback on recorded sessions, dissertation supervision, practical work and self-directed private study. There is the additional facility of a web based learning tool for student directed learning.

The assessment approaches considered most appropriate for this subject area are those of continuous assessment. It is our view that the method of assessment is central to the learning process

The aim of our approach is two-fold; it seeks not only to assess students' progress but also to encourage and foster achievement of high standards of performance in both practice and theory. Accordingly, it seeks to promote and evaluate both students' academic development and their practical ability to react positively and proactively to the needs of clients in a variety of settings and to respond constructively to societal change within the framework of professional requirements.

Assessment is designed to test student progress in developing powers of perception, recall, critical analysis, reflection, flexibility, and creative imagination and to assess personal growth. It is intended to be progressive, both encouraging and reflecting an increasing depth of critical understanding and the continuing development of essential professional expertise and attitudes. Assessment is ongoing and includes, one exam, essays, clinical papers and a professional and personal log. In line with professional requirements we expect trainees to attend all organised classes, if your attendance drops below 80% of attendance you will have deemed to have withdrawn from the programme.

• This is an applied professional programme, completion of which leads to eligibility for chartered psychologist status with the British Psychological Society (BPS). The programme is accredited by the BPS. Many trainees use their work place as one of their clinical placements
• The programme enables graduates to apply for paid work as counsellors or trainee Counselling Psychologists as they continue to work towards full chartered Counselling Psychologist status.

Successful applicants must ensure they have professional indemnity insurance as this is a condition of enrolment on all parts of the programme. Trainees are also expected to have training membership of the BPS Division of Counselling Psychology for the duration of their training.

Trainees are given the opportunity in the first year to develop individual research ideas and receive individual and group tutorials to assist in this process and to produce a research proposal. Registration of the research component can only take place following a recommendation from the relevant School Research Degrees Sub-Committee to the university PGR Review Sub-Committee on the suitability of the candidate to undertake the programme of research, of the supervision arrangements and of the research environment. These approvals require appropriate academic judgement to be brought to bear on the viability of each research proposal. Trainees submit a research proposal and must attend a registration research panel at the beginning of their second year. The results of the Registration Panel are submitted to our Research Degrees Sub Committee for consideration and thence to the PGR Review Sub-Committee for approval.

Candidates for a Professional Doctorate must, prior to the submission of the research derived assessment, successfully complete all assessed elements from the taught part of the programme. Once the research stage of the programme is reached progression will be formally reviewed annually by a Panel comprised of staff with appropriate academic and professional expertise who are independent of the candidate’s supervisory team. The doctoral thesis has a word count of 30, 000 words. The School’s Research Degrees Sub-Committee and the PGR Review Sub-Committee monitor the reports from these Panels.

The examination of the research component of the Professional Doctorate has two stages: firstly the submission and preliminary assessment of the research; and secondly its defence by oral examination.

• Good links with NHS trusts, specialist projects, preparation for conference presentations, opportunity to be taught by a range of experts.
• We view our trainees as professionals in training and encourage their active participation in, and ownership of their training.
• Regular reviews and feedback mirrors the programme philosophy of openness, regular review, trainee centred learning and critical analysis
• A programme team with extensive and varied training and clinical experience who are both clinicians and active contributors to the research literature and to developing Counselling Psychology as speciality
• Multi-cultural composition of trainee group, location in a vibrant multi-cultural community and staff and trainee expertise in this area
• The programme prides itself on the time for personal attention and support given to our trainees, (this is detailed further in the section below).

Chartered Counselling Psychologist status enables people to work as Counselling Psychologists within the NHS, private practice and other relevant agencies.

Each trainee has a personal tutor whom they meet formally twice a term but whom they can make an appointment to meet at any time. We have a placement tutor to support the process of finding, monitoring and completing a clinical placement.

Each trainee has a clinical skills tutor whom they meet weekly in some parts of the programme and fortnightly at others. Weekly programme meetings are held where any relevant issues can be raised and dealt with quickly and efficiently. Each year group has a programme representative who represents the trainees at programme committee meetings and can represent the trainee group to the programme team. Each year group has a year tutor who is responsible for the smooth running of that year. Trainees are encouraged to set up peer support groups. Each trainee is supported in their research by their dissertation supervisory team who will meet with them regularly

Trainees also have access to relevant learning materials available through the learning resource centre which has excellent data bases on line providing many full text articles accessible from UEL or trainees own homes. The learning resource centre also has a range of relevant book and journals and inter-library loans are available. The Graduate School is responsible for providing a focus to the support of our postgraduate research students and for our institution’s research and scholarly strategy.

Professional Doctorate students will have at least two and not normally more than three supervisors, who together demonstrate an appropriate range of academic and professional experience. One supervisor shall be the Director of Studies with responsibility to supervise the candidate on a regular basis.