Program Overview

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Counselling and Psychotherapy: Professional Practice

Overview

This course offers you the opportunity to graduate as a highly skilled professional counsellor, with many exciting and rewarding career paths open to you. The course meets the training requirements for professional registration with the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), and opens the progression route to individual BACP accreditation.

Course Details

Attendance

• Full-time
• Part-time

Course Duration

• Three years (full-time)
• Six years (part-time)

Next Enrolment

• September 2025

Introduction

Human relationships are at the heart of almost every aspect of our personal and working lives. Training to be a professional counsellor develops your understanding of effective relationships and enables you to help people who are struggling with themselves or with others to find their own ways to transform their situation.

What You Will Learn

• Develop your personal and professional potential supported by a very experienced and friendly team
• Have the opportunity to graduate as a fully trained professional counsellor
• Be working with potentially vulnerable members of the public

Placement Options

• Available
• International students accepted

Year One

• Counselling and Communication Skills
• Counselling and Psychotherapy Skills
• Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Approaches
• Introduction to Counselling, Philosophy and Research
• Mindfulness and Wellbeing
• Therapy, Ethics and Human Rights

Year Two

• Personal and Professional Development 1
• Practice-based Reflection and Research
• Professional Issues, Ethics and Supervision
• Preparation for Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice
• Professional Counselling and Psychotherapy Skills
• Theory of Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice

Year Three

• Professional Practice Placement
• Personal and Professional Development 2
• Counselling and Mental Health
• Counselling and Psychotherapy for Children and Young People
• Expressive Therapies
• Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
• Professional Practice
• Social Justice in Counselling & Psychotherapy

Assessment

• Essays (50%)
• Practical skills assessments (25%)
• Group work
• Presentations
• Reflective writing

School of Health and Society

The School of Health and Society is a forward-thinking, dynamic school with a commitment to lifelong learning and real-world impact. Our courses are informed by the latest research and we work closely with organisations from both the public and private sector to ensure our teaching is at the forefront of practice.

Counselling Centre

We have a specialist Counselling Centre which is used to help train students to become professional counsellors and psychotherapists.

Employment and Stats

Graduates of this qualifying programme have highly transferable skills and could expect to find employment in a wide range of sectors including:

• Coaching and guidance services
• Counselling in the voluntary sector
• Employee support services
• IAPT (the government’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies major initiative)
• NHS and community mental health services
• Schools and colleges
• Self-employment as a private therapist

Requirements

Applicant Profile

• You are an ideal applicant if you are fascinated by people and are willing to develop your skills so that you can develop relationships with people in distress or in need of support.
• We expect you to have demonstrated your commitment to helping others through your track record of voluntary work or employment in a role that involves helping people.
• We also expect you to be able to reflect on your own personal development - how your attitudes and abilities have changed and grown with your life experience.

English Language Requirements

• International applicants will be required to show proficiency in English. An IELTS score of 6.0, with no element below 5.5, is proof of this.

Standard Entry Requirements

• GCSE English language/literature and mathematics at grade C/grade 4 or above. Level 2 equivalencies will also be accepted.
• You must fulfill our GCSE entry requirements as well as one of the requirements listed below.
• UCAS Tariff points: 112
• A-Levels: 112 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of three A-Levels
• BTEC National Diploma: DMM
• BTEC Higher National Diploma: Pass
• T-Level: T Level - Merit
• Foundation Degree: Pass
• Access to HE: 112 UCAS Tariff points.
• Scottish Highers: 112 UCAS Tariff points.
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 112 UCAS Tariff points.
• International Baccalaureate: 31 points

Alternative Entry Requirements

• The Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) (both Certified Prior Learning and/or one Prior Experiential Learning) is used as per the university’s Admissions and Retention Policy.
• If you are currently in practice as a counsellor/psychotherapist and have evidence of professional membership (BACP/UKCP or equivalent) then other progression routes may be open to you.

Tuition Fees

• Full-time home: £9,535 per year (2025/26), £9,535 per year (2026/27)
• Full-time international: £16,500 per year (2025/26), £17,160 per year (2026/27)
• Part-time: Part-time costs will be calculated on a pro rata basis.

Additional Costs

• It is a professional training requirement that students receive 20 hours of personal counselling during the three years of the course. We provide details to students of counsellors who offer discounted rates for trainees of between £25-35 per hour but typically fees would start from £35 per hour.
• Depending on where you do your clinical placement, there may be additional expenses associated with travelling to your placement.
• You should also consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits.
• Unlike many counselling training programmes, practice supervision is integrated into the course provision and is not an additional cost.