MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy

 Eligible candidates should hold:

•  A Bachelor’s degree
•  IELTS (Academic) 6.5 or TOEFL internet based 87 or above or any other recognized certificate proving advanced knowledge of English (Level C2 / “proficiency”) or any equivalent qualification

This course will provide knowledge and skills in counselling and psychotherapy that are necessary for practicing in a safe environment. The course contains a strong experiential component and trainees are expected to acquire knowledge and skills from the different main approaches and apply them in a synthesized way. The course emphasizes the ethical awareness in the practice of counselling and psychotherapy, and sensitivity to diversity, in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, religion and age. Within the practical component of the course, trainees will be offered supervision and will also be provided with the opportunity to undertake personal reflective work which will facilitate understanding of their personal aspects that will be critical in their future practice.
Trainees have to the option to choose either a dissertation or a practical internship and extensively use the reflective practitioner approach, which will help develop their own identity as practitioners.

The programme is designed in accordance with the benchmark statements of the professional bodies which set the standards of quality for counselling and psychotherapy programmes in the UK (e.g. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). It emphasizes the importance of utilizing a pluralistic view and facilitates an understanding of how this can be applied in real practice examples. Students acquire knowledge and practical skills in counselling and psychotherapy and an understanding of the relationship between theory, personal development and ethical issues in real practice. The practical parts of the programme include supervision which is offered to all trainees for free. Personal counselling also is offered for free to all trainees and fitness to practice is monitored on a continuous basis to ensure smooth development of a full professional identify. Trainees are expected to demonstrate a professional identity which is in line with the international standards, exercising the reflective practitioner approach and identifying own strengths and weaknesses that are important in their future practice.

*Duration of programme:
Full Time
1 year with a dissertation
1.5 years with a practical internship
Part Time
2 years with a dissertation
2.5 years with a practical internship

Graduates of a Counselling and Psychotherapy postgraduate course can work as a freelance counsellors and/or psychotherapists, trainers, supervisors or practitioner Psychologists*
*Subject to graduate basis; i.e. undergraduate studies in psychology.
The title of Master of Science in Counselling and Psychotherapy is awarded directly from the University of York.