Counselling and Psychological Therapies

Welcome to the Division of Counselling and Psychological Therapies in the School of Nursing and Caring Sciences. This division contains two main strands of study: Counselling and Psychotherapy, and Psychological Therapies.

Counselling / Psychotherapy

Counselling and psychotherapy are recognised as important activities in contemporary society. There are three broad approaches to counselling and psychotherapy - psychoanalytic, humanistic and cognitive-behavioural (including Solution-Focussed Therapy). The University of Central Lancashire is one of only a few educational institutions where all three approaches can be studied.

Psychological Therapies

Psychological therapies employ psychological techniques to help people with mental health problems. In recent years the demand for psychological therapies which have a scientific evidence base has increased. In response to the government initiative of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), we run a training course for Low Intensity Psychological Workers which is based on the Cognitive Behavioural Approach. We also offer a number of courses and modules for those professionals wanting to develop their skills in Cognitive Behavioural and Solution Focussed Brief Interventions.

Courses within the Division of Counselling and Psychological Therapies

Please click one of the links below to open up a fact sheet about the course offered at UCLan:-

• BA(Hons) in Counselling and Psychotherapy Studies
Studying for a BA (Hons) in Counselling and Psychotherapy Studies offers valuable skills for use in today’s society, where increased pressures are being felt by people from all walks of life. The course will give you a solid grounding in the understanding of counselling and psychotherapy. You will learn about the profession and the theoretical knowledge relating to a broad range of counselling approaches. You will develop a range of intermediate counselling skills as well as interpersonal skills common to most approaches within a variety of counselling situations. This course will serve as an excellent forerunner to those who wish to advance onto the Graduate/ Postgraduate Diploma or MA in Professional Counselling which give licence to practice as Professional Counsellors.

• BA/BSc Combined Honours in Counselling/Psychotherapy Studies
A three year, full-time undergraduate degree course in which Counselling/Psychotherapy studies can be taken as a minor, joint or major option, along with another subject. This is not a professional training course for Counsellors, but students may progress (after application, interview and acceptance) onto the MA in Counselling, which gives them licence to practice.

• University Certificate Introduction to Counselling and Counselling Skills
This 12 week course provides an introduction to counselling theory, themes and contexts and develops counselling skills useful in the workplace and in everyday relationships. Therefore it will be of interest to those contemplating a career in counselling, to those working in health care, social services, prisons, pastoral care, education, human resources, sales etc and to anyone interested in improving their interpersonal relationship skills. It is a course that is recognised as continuing professional development by employers and as such may influence progression within careers e.g. the NHS.

• University Advanced Certificate in Counselling Skills
This one year, part-time (3 hours per week over 28 weeks) will enable participants to engage in more depth with counselling theory, interpersonal skills and personal development. This provides a preparatory year into the Graduate Diploma in Professional Studies, or the Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Studies, or simply enhances interpersonal skills and awareness for use within everyday life and work.

• University Advanced Certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Interventions for Anxiety and Depression.
This is a part time course run over two semesters. The aim of the course is to introduce counselling, health and social care professionals to the underlying theory and practical techniques of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for use with people with anxiety and depression. There is a requirement for students to be working with clients who experience anxiety and depression. This course will appeal to those who are interested in learning cognitive behavioural interventions that they can incorporate into their current practice and those who are interested in going on to train as CBT therapists.

• Graduate Diploma in Professional Counselling (BACP Accredited)
This two year, part-time professional training course runs for 7.5 hours over 68 weeks. It provides students with a constructive and challenging learning experience which develops interconnectedness of theory, practice, research and self-awareness. It offers trainee counsellors a sound experience for the development of a Person-Centred Approach to counselling that forms a critical basis for practice and has ethical and professional integrity. Lastly it aims to develop practitioners who are competent to offer high-quality Person-Centred Counselling, in a variety of contexts, appropriate to the needs of client, organisation and society. This course provides a licence to practice.

• MA / Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Counselling
A three year, part-time, professional training course in Person-Centred Counselling (as above). It runs for 7.5 hours per week over 68 weeks programme, plus a research year that leads to a research dissertation. This graduate entry course provides a licence to practice.

• Postgraduate Diploma/MSc Counselling and Psychotherapy
The MSc/PGDiploma Counselling and Psychotherapy is a Continuing Professional Development modular programme that has been developed to support qualified Counsellors and Psychotherapists to develop their practice, to enhance their professional status and improve their career progression. It has been structured to:
• provide critical approaches and applications to current approaches in counselling and psychotherapy;
• enable evidence-based practice;
• explore and further develop the theory and practice of counselling and psychotherapy;
• enable a critical evaluation of current research;
• equip practitioners to conduct research and apply this to practice;
• develop the capacity to reflect on practice.

This course is particularly suited to those in employment or who wish to further their professional qualifications. Progression through the programme is staged (e.g. Postgraduate Diploma, MSc), providing a flexible pattern of study.

• MSc in Advanced Skills and Practice in Primary Mental Health Care
This course is aimed at practitioners in a variety of health and social care settings working in primary care who wish to develop their skills and improve services in the field in mental health.

• Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Care Mental Health Practice
This one year part-time course aims to develop and enhance skills in guided self-help for common mental health problems. In addition students will critically examine the history and development of primary care services and the impact this has had on the developing culture and services and the roles and responsibilities of individuals in contemporary primary care mental health practice. All students in this programme must be in a position to work with clients in a primary care mental health and social care setting.

• Postgraduate Certificate in Counselling Casework Supervision
This one year, part-time course is suitable for practitioners who wish to develop knowledge and understanding of supervision and for those who wish to train as counselling supervisors and/or wish to apply for accreditation. It will provide training in the theory and practice of supervision, both individual and group and develop the ability to critically analyse research findings. The module on research and the academic level of this course makes it different from those in the surrounding area.

• University Certificate (Postgraduate) in Groupwork Theory and Practice
This is a Continuing Professional Development course for experienced counsellors and other professionals that are interested in working with groups and group process. It runs over one semester.

• University Certificate (Postgraduate) in Counselling Children and Adolescents
This is a Continuing Professional Development course for experienced counsellors and other professionals that are interested in counselling children and young people. It runs over one semester.

• MPhil/PhD research
Research opportunities are available for full-time and part-time students who want to pursue an MPhil/PhD in Counselling Studies or Spiritual Accompaniment.