PGCert: Counselling and Psychotherapy Education

The PGCert: Counselling and Psychotherapy Education is the UK’s first dedicated qualification designed specifically for educators within the psychological therapies.

This Level 7, one-year postgraduate programme equips participants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to teach effectively in higher education and professional training contexts.

Whether you are already teaching or aspiring to move into education, the course offers a flexible pathway to support your development as an educator.

Participants currently in teaching roles can complete the programme through their existing practice.

Those not yet teaching will benefit from a supported 50-hour teaching placement, designed to provide hands-on experience and a structured introduction to educational practice within counselling and psychotherapy.

Combining workshops, group discussions, and online resources with work-based or placement-based learning, the course enables participants to design, deliver, and evaluate learning in counselling and psychotherapy. It fosters both professional competence and creative confidence as an academic practitioner. By graduation, participants will have developed as reflective, evidence-informed educators, ready to contribute meaningfully within higher education and professional development settings.

Course philosophy
This programme is grounded in a collaborative and developmental approach to teaching. It values reflective practice, peer learning, and evidence-based pedagogy, empowering participants to grow as adaptable, compassionate, and critically reflective educators within the field of counselling and psychotherapy.

Teaching and learning

The course is delivered through blended learning, combining in-person workshops with group discussions and online resources.

As a practice-based qualification, all participants engage in teaching and observation as a core part of their learning.

Students are required to demonstrate 80 hours of practice, including observing, teaching and assessing during the programme. This can be:

• Evidenced through a current teaching role, where relevant activity is undertaken during the course, or

• Completed through a supported placement at Metanoia Institute, designed to build confidence and practical experience in educational settings

This integrated approach enables participants to apply theory directly to practice, whether within their existing professional context or through a structured placement experience.

Assessment

Assessment is structured around reflective engagement with the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF). Students complete an initial audit after induction, followed by interim mapping templates at the end of Modules 1 and 2, culminating in a final UKPSF Mapping Document at the conclusion of Module 3.

This process supports participants to:

1. Identify existing or developing evidence of teaching competence against the UKPSF

2. Recognise areas for growth throughout the programme

3. Compile a final portfolio evidencing professional development and alignment with the UKPSF

Career pathways

Graduates are equipped to pursue or advance careers as lecturers, programme leaders, or academic tutors in counselling and psychotherapy education.

The programme is particularly valuable for:

• Practitioners looking to transition into teaching

• Early-career educators seeking a formal teaching qualification

• Experienced educators aiming to deepen and evidence their practice

Completion of the programme provides a strong foundation for applying for Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), as well as supporting progression into academic development and educational leadership roles.

Programme delivery
The PGCert is delivered part-time over one academic year and comprises three 20-credit modules (totalling 60 credits and 600 study hours). The blended format ensures flexibility, allowing participants to balance study alongside their professional commitments.

Contact
Head of Programme: Amanda Stewart-Harries
Academic Coordinator: pgcerthe-admin@metanoia.ac.uk

If you have previously trained with us please use your student portal log in details.

For more information about the application process, please visit our Frequently asked Questions page.