Counselling & Psychotherapy - MSc

The programme

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.

Why choose this course?

• Degree from one of the worl​d’s top universities, the University of York.
   
• A pathway to a successful career in Europe and abroad.
   
• This course will provide knowledge and skills of counselling and psychotherapy, utilized in a safe environment before trainees undertake clients outside the educational context.
   
• Based on the Pluralistic and the Reflective Practitioner approach, trainees will have the opportunity to exercise techniques from the main theoretical approaches and receive constructive feedback from their supervisors, which will prepare them for their practice and future career.
   
• There is also a combination of various teaching, learning and assessment methods used in this programme, which will familiarize trainees with working with diversity – a critical concept in relevant fields and professions. Delivered by experienced practitioners and academics, this course will make graduates who are promising and with a great impact in the profession.
  

  Strong aspects of the programme

  This 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.

More reasons why:

• Supportive learning environment with a wide range of support services available to students.
   
• Free participation in sports and clubs activities.
   
• Events with well-recognised psychologists. Students attend events, seminars and workshops by psychologists who share their expertise.
   
• Our state of the art library, the Information and Learning Commons (ILC) fully supports our students’ study experience.

Semester 1

• Current Paradigms in Counselling & Psychotherapy
• Personal & Professional Development
• Introduction to Research
• Psychopathology

Semester 2

• Family & Couples Therapy
• Bereavement Counselling
• Professional, Legal and Ethical Issues in Counselling & Psychotherapy
• The Integrative Approach in Action

Semester 3

• Dissertation
or
• Practical Internship

*Note: The programme is tentative and might be subject to changes

Current Paradigms in Counselling & Psychotherapy
This unit will provide an overview of the central concepts and techniques of the main schools of the field and will also demonstrate how they apply in practice. It will equip students with the necessary knowledge to evaluate the range of different approaches to different psychological problems as well as the ability to synthesize these approaches in relation to the particular psychological problems.

Personal & Professional Development
The module introduces students to the main issues in personal and professional development, such as self related issues affecting the perceptual style that is used when interacting with others at personal or professional level. Demonstrating these issues will be enhanced through a combination of teaching and learning methods and assessment components as well. The module will foster an appreciation of the importance with regards to how context and environment shape the helping process and outcome.

Introduction to Research
This module covers in detail the practice of research methods in their field of study, with particular attention to the opportunities and challenges that researchers face in applying the methods of science to the study of human behaviour. A great emphasis is also given to the ethical issues in research methods. Students will be introduced to main approaches (methodology) in qualitative research and their application to student’s field of study. Emphasis will be given to qualitative research methods like interviews, focus groups, participant observations and fieldwork notes. In the second part of the module , students will explore the various designs that are used in quantitative research (e.g., experimental and quasi experimental design, correlational design, surveys).

Psychopathology
This unit provides a fresh perspective on the clinical applicability and recent developments of the DSM-V. The course bridges theory and practice to advance skills and knowledge in a broad spectrum of psychopathological conditions and on designing a roadmap to clinical diagnosis. This will cover step by step the diagnostic principles in order to be able to identify signs and syndromes, construct differential diagnosis, work on decision tree to select most likely provisional diagnosis and recognize comorbidity (simultaneous presentation of two or more disorders).

Family & Couples Therapy
This module will present how current approaches relating to family and couples therapy can be applied in real life situations, highlighting the basic skills and processes. It will provide real examples of how social, cultural, international and gender related issues can affect the final outcome. An essential part of it will be based on observation and reflection, and the way the latter can be utilised in supervision, with a clear focus on the importance of goal setting and related issues when dealing with more than one client.

Bereavement Counselling
This module provides an overview of the implications of specific intervention skills in various stages of loss and addresses the aspects affecting the bereavement process. It will be a discussion and evidence based presentation of issues around loss and bereavement to facilitate acquisition of knowledge and skills for working with clients who have been impacted by loss and bereavement.

Professional, Legal and Ethical Issues in Counselling & Psychotherapy
This module is an overview of the boundaries set by professional standards, ethical codes and legal frameworks that should be addressed in the practice of counselling and psychotherapy. It will provide students with the knowledge required for practicing in line with the regulatory and accreditation bodies and it will facilitate an understanding of how complex ethical dilemmas should be managed.

The Integrative Approach in Action
This module will facilitate awareness and appreciation of how counselling and psychotherapy theories developed to lead to an integrative approach. It will emphasize the importance of reflecting on personal aspects that set their individual approach to integrative counseling practice, along with knowledge and understanding of common factors among different approaches that can be utilised in real examples of practicing. It will also provide the background for students to develop the ability to justify their decisions when dealing with counselling and psychotherapy situations where an integrative approach would be more efficient.

Entry requirements

View the application and admission requirements of the programme.

How to apply

If you wish to apply for this programme you may view details of the application process.

The Psychology Department of CITY College, University of York Europe Campus has excellent reputation due to the high quality of teaching and research. Our academic staff is strongly committed to excellence in research and in teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Teaching is informed by the latest scientific research and cultivates development of critical thinking, self-development, and academic and professional ethos. Most of the academic staff hold a PhD degree, have intensive research activity and significant professional experience.
More about the Psychology Department

Research at the Psychology Department

The academic staff of the Psychology Department

Contact the Psychology Department

Recognition and Careers

Accreditation and Recognition
CITY College is strongly committed to quality education and academic excellence. It is officially accredited and recognised by top international accreditation bodies. Read more

Degree and formal qualifications
The degree and formal qualifications our graduates receive.

For Greek graduates only: Recognition of degrees

Career opportunities

A graduate of a Counselling and Psychotherapy postgraduate course can work as a:

• Freelance Counsellor and/or Psychotherapist
• Trainer
• Supervisor or
• Practitioner Psychologist*

*Subject to graduate basis; i.e. undergraduate studies in psychology

Career, Employability and Enterprise Centre

The Career, Employability and Enterprise Centre, focuses on helping students to set attainable career goals. It offers advice on CVs and cover letters, and on how to effectively handle job interviews. Through career fairs, and different internship programmes, the department aims at constantly bringing students in contact with prospective employers. 

Every spring we organize the Annual Career Fair presenting with an opportunity to get a first feel of job seeking. During the event students and alumni have interview opportunities with corporate recruiters and present their skills and abilities to potential employers. Large companies, organisations and multinationals from different industries across S.E. Europe participate every year in our Career Fair and offer employment and internship opportunities to our students and graduates.
More about our Career Services.

Contact the Career, Employability and Enterprise Centre at careers@york.citycollege.eu

Extensively experienced and highly qualified, all staff members are committed to delivering our programmes in line with the UK standards of quality and at the same time they facilitate and sustain a critical engagement, with an insight and a broader perspective incorporated in all learning, teaching and assessment methods.

The academic staff & administration staff of the Psychology Department