MSc in Contemporary Person Centred Psychotherapy and Applications

A 3-4 year, part-time course running one weekend per month over a 10 unit year and leading to a Masters qualification in Person Centred Psychotherapy. On successful graduation, along with the MSc in psychotherapy, the course confers individual registration with the UKCP as a psychotherapist and eligibility for registration with the European Association for Psychotherapy. (EAP)

This course aims to support students to develop as sophisticated person centred therapists familiar with issues and approaches used in a variety of settings where contemporary therapeutic work is evolving and able to relate these to the person centred approach.

The course will be led by experts in their field. Tutors currently include Dr. Fenia Christodoulidi, Dagmar Edwards, Sheila Haugh, Natasha Morgan, Peter Pearce, Maggie Ridgewell, Ros Sewell, Anne Smith and Mike Worrall. Visiting tutors include Professor Mick Cooper, Dr. Colin Lago and Dr. David Murphy. Course Director: Peter Pearce.

There are a variety of routes into this training. The course comprises a 'Fundamentals' year followed by 3 MSc years. Applicants with an existing Diploma/BA in person centred counselling may apply for direct entry into MSc year 1 or MSc year 2 (depending upon experience and demonstrable equivalent learning) through the accreditation of prior learning (APL) process. Those having a counselling Diploma other than person centred may be required to complete a 'Fasttrack' person centred fundamentals or to enter at the fundamentals year.

Applicants without a counselling/ therapy background but who are able to demonstrate, 'readiness to study at post graduate level' (this usually means having a first degree or equivalent professional training) may also be eligible to apply for entry into the Fundamentals year.

The course will provide opportunities for in-depth exploration of:

• Ongoing developments in theory and practice within the ‘family’ of the person centred approach including Mearns’ and Cooper's work on relational depth and configurations of self, Garry Prouty and Margaret Warner’s work on pre-therapy and fragile process respectively and developments in experiential and focusing oriented therapy.
• Current models of psychopathology in use within mental health services including approaches to diagnoses (DSMIV), issues of risk and mutual assessment of competence and availability for psychotherapy. The course includes a mental health familiarisation placement and the emphasis will be upon gaining an understanding of the models currently prevalent within mental health settings and relating these to person centred approaches
• Influential models of child development (including the work of Daniel Stern and John Bowlby) again with the emphasis being on relating these ideas to 21^stcentury person centred developmental theory
• Research methodology, both that compatible with the person centred paradigm and approaches to research which might raise concerns for the person centred world. We intend to support students to develop as sophisticated consumers of research who are able to critique from a person centred perspective.
• Contemporary neuro-scientific research relevant to psychotherapy (including the work of Allan Schore) with particular emphasis on the implications for person centred developmental theory and clinical practice.

Interviews for the October 2011 intake will take place in May, June and July 2011.

To register your interest or for further details please email Sylvia Carby, Academic Co-ordinator, or call her on 020 8832 3076/020 8579 2505 or Peter Pearce, Head of Person Centred Department on 07770 947431.