Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling (BACP Accredited)

The course includes academic teaching and discussion, clinical presentations, experiential groups and workshops together with a regular weekly supervised clinical placement within our own counselling service.

The course takes a minimum of two years to complete but you are offered a third year to consolidate your practice and attain the minimum 150 face to face counselling hours required, if necessary.

All applicants must have completed an approved non-clinical course that is equivalent to our Certificate and Diploma in Counselling Skills courses.  All candidates will have an in-depth assessment to determine their readiness to work with clients.

It is important to point out that if you intend to apply for a place on our Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling, you must be in a minimum of once weekly therapy with a psychotherapist from our approved list (or an equivalent) for at least six months before starting the training , and continue in therapy for the duration of your training. The cost of weekly therapy is in addition to the course fee and is a private agreement between student and their therapist.

  • Course Dates:  Sep 25 – Jul 26 
  • Times:  Mondays 6.00pm – 8.45pm – Year One
                  Tuesdays 6.00pm – 8.45pm – Year Two
  • Location:  In person at CCF
  • Fees: TBC

What are the aims of the course?

  • assist in the development of sufficient self-awareness to work as a counsellor, separating their own feelings from those of their clients’

  • develop the skills to be able to listen acutely to clients’ communications at all levels, conscious and unconscious

  • establish and sustain a counselling relationship

  • integrate psychodynamic principles and theories into clinical practice

  • gain skills to work effectively, safely and ethically as psychodynamic counsellors

  • reflect on their work and use supervision to inform and illuminate this process

  • provide the formal training foundation to enable a student to work towards individual accreditation from BACP once they have accumulated sufficient experience

What are the entry requirements?

All applicants must have completed an approved non-clinical course that is equivalent to our Certificate and Diploma in Counselling Skills courses. All candidates will have an in-depth assessment to determine their readiness to work with clients.

It is important to point out that if you intend to apply for a place on our Diploma in Psychodynamic Counselling, you must be in a minimum of once weekly therapy with a psychotherapist from our approved list (or an equivalent) for at least six months before starting the training, and continue in therapy for the duration of your training. The cost of weekly therapy is in addition to the course fee and is a private agreement between student and their therapist.

Application process

Selection is by means of application form and interview, to assess applicants’ prior learning, their personal attributes and intellectual and emotional capacity as well as their readiness to work with the content of the course. There is also an interview with our independent external psychotherapist.  To apply, please complete an application form and send it to Kellie Willis at kelliew@chelmsfordcounselling.org.uk 

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