MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes
Director of Studies: Fiona Hamilton
Enrolment now open
We are excited to announce that Metanoia Institute has begun the process to be able to award its own degrees. As we are currently waiting for the outcome of our initial submission to the Office for Students (OfS) there will be no changes in the coming academic year. All students on undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes starting in 2022 will be enrolling on degrees awarded by Middlesex University. For full details please see Update on our application for degree-awarding powers
A free Introductory Workshop is offered for people interested in creative writing for therapeutic purposes on Tuesdays 2nd and 9th August and Thursday 11th August 6.30pm to 8pm on Zoom.
Please email fiona.hamilton@metanoia.ac.uk for more information and to book a place.
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 – 7 weekends Live Online and 3 weekends In Person in Bristol UK (November, end of March, beginning of July - there is no online teaching on these days). Students require a minimum of 5 hours’ personal study time per week. Participants undertake a research project in Year Three.
Contact days and hours are 09.00 - 17.00 BST
Please click here for a Summary of this course
For an overview of the course in video form, please click here
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
Applicants are required to submit examples of their creative writing with a reflective commentary on the process of writing one or more pieces.
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.
To find out what our students say about the course: click here.
For a list of our diverse completed MSc CWTP research topics click here
For course dates click here
To enquire further about the MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes please use the form below. Experienced CWTP practitioners can enquire about entering the course in Year Two via the Accredited Prior Learning Route.
If you have any queries or if you require more information please contact Cristina on 020 8579 2505/020 8832 3096 (direct line) or email 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)
Video
This programme is validated and quality assured by Middlesex University and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion.
Middlesex University Programme Spec
Metanoia Institute has begun the process to be able to award its own degrees. This will not affect students starting in 2022. Please see here for further details