MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes

Director of Studies: Fiona Hamilton

Validated by Middlesex University

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We are now offering a new BLENDED LEARNING format for 2021-2022 (Covid permitting). Currently in 2020/21 all Modules are being taught online. The new format will be primarily online learning with one in-person weekend a term (November, March, July) taught in Bristol UK. Contact days and hours are 09.00 - 17.00 BS

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Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (CWTP) is a growing field of research and practice. This unique non-clinical MSc course gives students the opportunity to learn experientially through writing and discussion, to receive taught content on theory, and to develop skills and aptitudes for working in the field of CWTP. The core values of the course are humanistic and person-centred, emphasising people’s potential for growth, change and movement in a positive direction in their lives.

Time commitment: The programme is taught over 10 weekends per academic year, in each of the first two years. Students require a minimum of 5 hours’ personal study time per week. Participants undertake a research project in Year Three.

This course requires applicants to submit examples of their creative writing with a reflective commentary on the process of writing one or more pieces.

The course is attractive to:

People with an interest in writing in a broad sense including literature, stories, narratives and oral forms, and in how working with these can contribute to wellbeing on individual and social levels
People currently working, or aiming to work, in the helping professions, who seek training to prepare them for working with CWTP
People in other fields of work who wish to employ the resources and practices of CWTP to tackle problems, enhance organisations and communities, or envision pathways in diverse cultures and settings

The course offers students opportunities

to engage with writing and texts in ways that foster their critical abilities and help them to find their own voice in the practices of CWTP
to explore this field, building upon their prior knowledge and skills gained from a relevant first degree and/or experience, with a strong emphasis on the integration of theory and practice
engage experiential learning, group work, practical skills training, peer feedback, and creative and personal development

Course Philosophy:

There is a strong emphasis on creating opportunities for participants to develop the personal qualities that becoming a facilitator of CWTP demands. The MSc draws on the range of current literature on theory and practice in both CWTP and in counselling. It is open to theory and practice from other established creative and therapeutic disciplines, as well as ethical and philosophical viewpoints and practices that support creative and therapeutic processes.

Underpinning the practice of CWTP is a rapid growth of theory and research. CWTP has the capacity to harness imagination and envision ways towards healthier societies and enhanced collective wellbeing for people and the planet. This involves addressing issues of inequality within structures and particularly the social, historical, political and institutional beliefs and behaviours which uphold inequalities. This MSc provides a wide range of resources to support engagement with this process, including encounters with creative texts and accounts of lived experience, articles on micro-aggressions, discrimination, and privilege. Students are invited to consider how practices relate to our physical and planetary environment and how CWTP supports re-imagining scenarios from personal and much broader perspectives.

Experienced CWTP practitioners can enquire about entering the course in Year Two via Accredited Prior Learning Click Here.

To find out what our students say about the course: click here.

For a list of our diverse completed MSc CWTP research click here

To find out the course dates click here

To enquire further about the MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes, please use the form below.

If you have any queries about any administrative aspect of your application or if you require more information please contact Cristina on 020 8579 2505/020 8832 3096 (direct line) or e-mail cristina.soares@metanoia.ac.uk

For academic related queries please contact Fiona Hamilton Fiona.hamilton@metanoia.ac.uk

We also offer a Practitioner Certificate in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes for Therapists (click here)