Course summary

This is a UPCA accredited training which provides students with the academic, clinical and personal learning necessary to achieve registration as a UKCP-registered psychotherapist. Graduates from this programme go on to work as psychotherapists and counsellors in a range of public, private and voluntary sector contexts. The programme prepares students to work effectively with a wide range of adult clients. The MSC in Integrative Psychotherapy combines rigorous academic learning of relevant theoretical and practical knowledge alongside a strong emphasis upon developing reflective capacity and personal competence. Alongside their academic learning, students are required to complete a clinical placement from their second year onwards where they will do a minimum of 450 hours of supervised client work. They will also attend ongoing personal therapy across the four years for a minimum of 160 hours. Integrative Approach Integrative psychotherapy is an approach which bring together theoretical components from different pre-existing models and combine them into a new and effective whole. The Newman approach carefully integrates gestalt and psychodynamic therapies into a base relational stance whilst adding in selected elements of cognitive behavioural therapy and constructivism. Students learn their integrative approach in stages across the course of the whole programme, progressively expanding the breadth of their clinical and theoretical knowledge so they have more options for understanding and responding to client distress. The overall integrative approach places a strong emphasis upon a multi-level sense of the therapeutic relationship. Qualifying as a UKCP Registered Psychotherapis Full professional registration as a UKCP psychotherapist can be achieved by successful completion of all taught parts of the MSc, completing 450 hours of supervised professional practice in a placement setting, minimum 75 clinical supervision hours and 160 hours minimum of personal therapy. Whilst it is expected that all students entering the programme will aim to complete all four years and achieve psychotherapy status, it is possible to exit the programme at the end of year 3 with a higher national diploma in counselling and pursue independent registration with the BACP.