Autumn 2026

In the module Developing the Therapeutic Relationship in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Assessment, Formulation and Therapeutic Skills, you will engage with the advanced principles and practice of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) within professional clinical settings. You will explore how cognitive, behavioural, and relational processes interact to shape client experiences, and how these processes can be assessed, conceptualised, and addressed using evidence-informed therapeutic strategies. You will critically examine theoretical foundations, structured assessment approaches, collaborative case formulation, and intervention planning, preparing you to apply this knowledge to a range of clinical presentations.

This module comprehends lectures, seminars as well as asynchronous learning. During the first weeks, you will focus on understanding the history and theoretical assumptions of CBT, developing core therapeutic skills, and establishing the foundations of the therapeutic alliance. You will practice structured assessment methods and begin producing individualized formulations that integrate longitudinal and disorder-specific perspectives. Seminars will provide opportunities to consolidate learning through guided exercises, case vignettes, and role-plays, fostering early skill development and reflective awareness. As the module progresses, you will deepen your skills in case formulation and disorder-specific approaches, integrating client strengths and resilience factors. You will engage in experiential exercises such as formulation mapping, role-played therapy sessions, and small-group workshops. These activities will help you refine agenda setting, cognitive restructuring, behavioural experiment planning, and guided discovery techniques. You will also reflect critically on your relational style, ethical considerations, and cultural assumptions, enhancing your capacity to deliver inclusive and culturally responsive CBT. In the latter weeks, the focus will shift to applying interventions in simulated and practical contexts, including digital delivery of CBT. You will consolidate your skills through live demonstrations, paired practice, and simulated digital sessions. Reflexive practice, supervision, and critical evaluation will enable you to integrate learning from formative tasks into your clinical reasoning, preparing you for summative assessments.

Your module integrates two assessments: a Reflective CBT essay and a videorecorded skills demonstration including a 750 words written reflective analysis. Assessments are closely aligned with learning activities to ensure integration of theory and practice. In the Reflective CBT Essay, you will critically analyse assessment processes, case formulation, intervention strategies, and supervisory feedback, synthesising empirical evidence and reflection to evaluate your clinical practice. The Videorecorded Skills Demonstration provides an opportunity to apply CBT micro-skills in real-time simulated interactions, demonstrating technical competence while maintaining the therapeutic alliance. These assessments are designed to consolidate your practical skills, develop professional judgment, and highlight areas for ongoing development.

Technology-enhanced learning tools, including podcasts, video-recorded exercises, and peer feedback, will support your skill development, reflection, and engagement with contemporary ethical and digital challenges in mental health care.

By completing this module, you will deepen your theoretical understanding of CBT while enhancing practical, reflective, and professional skills. You will develop the capacity to navigate complex clinical scenarios, adapt interventions for diverse clients, and critically engage with contemporary challenges in mental health practice. The module equips you with the knowledge, skills, and professional judgment required for safe, effective, and culturally responsive CBT practice at a postgraduate Level 7 standard.

This module can be taken by students at the discretion of the Programme Leader. It provides flexibility within the student’s home programme to accommodate students who, for example, transfer late into the programme or have exceptional circumstances that mean they could not otherwise attain the necessary credits to complete at postgraduate level. This module provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent project on approved subject-related topics which balances directed and independent learning at an advanced level. The topics will relate directly to the student’s home programme by allowing the student to pursue aspects of intellectual or professional interest that connect to their specialist discipline. Students will identify areas of focus, which must be agreed by the programme team to ensure they fit coherently within the overall programme of study and are pitched appropriately for postgraduate-level enquiry. The Independent Project gives the student the opportunity to draw on scholarly literature, professional practice and/or areas of personal academic interest, thus demonstrating advanced critical thinking skills, intellectual independence, professional judgement and effective self-management. It also allows the student to extend their engagement beyond the set curriculum, deepening their expertise and personalising their postgraduate learning experience. In some cases, the content of the Independent Project must be taken from modules missed or failed. The tutor will advise on this.

In your second year, you will have an incredible opportunity to complete a placement in an educational setting. This experience allows you to apply subject-specific knowledge and practice-based learning skills while developing key competencies as outlined by the QAA subject benchmarks.
In the "Education Enquiry: Placement Experience" module, you will be guided through every step of your placement journey – from preparation before you begin, through your in-placement hands-on experiences where you will be applying what you have learned in real-world scenarios, to reflect on integrating what you have learned afterward. This module helps you synthesise and consolidate your academic knowledge and understanding with real-world experience in various educational settings.
You will explore important topics like equity, diversity, and inclusion, and you will engage with curricula that address critical issues in education, such as environmental, social, and economic challenges. By incorporating perspectives from the wider community, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the educational landscape.
Building on what you learned in your first year, this module offers ongoing support to help you develop transferable skills and personal and social capital, setting you up for success in your third year and beyond. Many students find that this experience not only shapes their future interests but also opens up potential employment opportunities.
You have the opportunity to search for your placement, which may support your individual needs, and confirm this with your module leader. Alternatively, you can choose from the options available, which we can help find for you. Your placement could be in a mainstream school or an alternative learning environment that aligns with the course’s learning outcomes. Students often highlight the value of the hands-on experience provided by the placement. Additionally, you will benefit from enrichment opportunities and support through the module's delivery and assessment.
This module is a 30-credit course spread across two semesters, giving you extended and inclusive support that accommodates your placement experiences and individual needs. You will have twelve weeks dedicated to this module, along with additional progress update tutorials to help you stay on track.

This module will provide you with deep insights into the range of approaches to coaching psychology, the different theoretical frameworks, lenses, related models and related research. You will practice coaching from each of these approaches and develop your own style and portfolio of skills, strengths and coaching knowledge. You will reflect upon each method and approach and identify where and when these methods are best suited to create your own coaching map for your future practice. You will continue to develop skills around the value and practice of creating a place of safety and trust in coaching, and the coaching relationship. The learning on this module will use an evidence-based approach, allowing for critical reflection and evaluation. This module is one of four modules designed to help you apply for EMCC Global practitioner accreditation as a coach, where each assessment is designed to respond to specific requirements in the accreditation application.

Throughout this module you will be taught in a mixture of lectures and seminars. The lectures will cover core information for each topic and will be recorded. Recordings will be made available on Moodle. Interactive seminar activities will offer space to practice the learning from the lectures, develop in-depth understanding of the theory and practice the skills, and offer support for the assessments. In the seminars, you will practice using models and techniques from six different coaching methods where you take turns to coach, be coached and observe coaching in action. In this module your ability to demonstrate knowledge and suitability of a particular approach or range of approaches or models for a particular coaching client will be assessed using a coaching design report. Your coaching skills and knowledge of coaching models will be assessed through coaching placements, where you will have opportunities to receive feedback. Your written communication skills will be developed through the coaching session plan and report, a skill that will be required for the rest of your degree and for many careers.

This module aims to enhance your mental health literacy by offering a comprehensive overview of various theoretical models that explore human distress. It delves into understanding emotional and psychological struggles that individuals face, which are not necessarily classified under specific clinical disorders. By examining these models, you will gain a broader perspective on the complexities of human distress, beyond the traditional diagnostic categories while developing a deeper understanding of mental well-being. You will gain a deep understanding of the distinction between models of care and models of cure, emphasising that psychological distress represents one of the three dimensions of mental health. Through this module, you will learn how to address emotional and psychological distress effectively, fostering a comprehensive approach to mental well-being that considers the broader context of an individual's life and experiences. You will also learn to distinguish between distressing experiences and clinical disorders along the same continuum. For instance, you will explore how anxiety as a distressing experience differs from Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as a clinical condition. This differentiation is crucial in understanding the spectrum of mental health issues, where normal emotional reactions and clinically significant disorders coexist. By comprehending this continuum, you will be better equipped to recognise and address various levels of psychological distress, fostering a more nuanced approach to mental health care and intervention useful for clinical and counselling professions as well as psychotherapists.

Throughout the module, you will delve into the primary theoretical models of mental health, including the biomedical, psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive, and psychoneuroimmunological approaches. A brief historic about the evolution of conception through time and in diverse populational setting will be always offered. You will explore how each of these models has considered and conceptualised specific psychological distress. For each main type of distressing experience, you will be taught at least two theoretical perspectives, enabling you to navigate the theoretical complexity of mental health. You will explore the concept of stress, its impact on daily life, and the models of care used to address it. This includes examining the clinical outcomes when distress surpasses normal levels and leads to the development of clinical disorders, such as dissociative disorders or PTSD. You will also learn how anxiety is regarded as a normal foundational experience for both children and adults. This module will help you differentiate between anxiety as a distressing experience and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as a clinical condition. Additionally, you will delve into the concepts of loss and mourning, learning to distinguish these from depressive disorders to adjust potential models of care appropriately. The course will provide insights into psychosocial distress, particularly emphasising loneliness and lack of social support. You will explore the role of early distressing experiences and adverse childhood experiences, and their connection to emotional regulation and the development of relational patterns, such as adult attachment styles. Recognising that psychological distress can affect individuals with or without clinical disorders, you will gain experiential understanding of the distressing experiences associated with certain clinical symptoms and disorders, such as manic phases and hallucinations. Lastly, you will explore advanced models of distress in detail, including the psychoneuroimmunological model, which examines the interplay between psychological processes, the nervous system, and the immune system.

The assessments for this module are innovative and based on peer review strategies to secure better outcomes for the final assessment. They comprise two complementary components, each designed to enhance your learning outcomes. For your first assessment, you will exchange a patchwork text with your peers, covering a historical discussion, model conceptualisation, and counselling support strategies for a chosen psychological distress. You will provide written feedback on a specific template, which will be evaluated for its quality, originality, and critical discussion. As this peer review feedback session is composed of the main parts expected for the second assessment, you will first gain useful formative feedback to further improve your second assignment, securing better outcomes in terms of marks and knowledge acquisition. You will also develop critical skills, solidifying your understanding of the material and honing your analytical abilities. The second assessment will require you to critically examine the history and theoretical conceptions of a chosen psychological distress, discuss different psychological models, and explore their classification and diagnosis from an intercultural perspective. This comprehensive portfolio will help you integrate your knowledge and provide an opportunity for reflective and in-depth analysis, preparing you for future professional and academic endeavours.

In this module, by adopting an empathetic, holistic, and evidence-based perspective, you will develop a comprehensive understanding of psychological distress that will be invaluable for any clinical, counselling, or psychotherapeutic practice. This approach not only enhances your theoretical knowledge but also equips you with practical skills to objectively address mental health concerns. You will learn to avoid “overpathologising” the human experience and to understand the distinctions and overlaps between psychological distress and psychological disorder in a compassionate and effective manner. This well-rounded perspective will prepare you to navigate the complexities of mental health with sensitivity and expertise.

This module runs across two terms so as to support you with your second placement. The module builds on the work covered in your first year of training and aims to explore the centrality of the therapeutic relationship within the context of child-centred play therapy theory and practice. Emphasis will be placed on developing qualities of presence, openness, and authenticity within you as the developing play therapy trainee. You will be supported to give careful consideration to reflective practice, self-care, and the professional challenges of working with vulnerable children and young people. This module also offers you the opportunity to further your knowledge and understanding of the unconscious and symbolic communications of children so as to enter into the inner world of the child. Recognition of, and respect for, the child’s innate capacity for self-healing, given the right support, is at the heart of this module as is the therapeutic relationship.

This module will support you to put into practice all the factors involved in setting up, maintaining, facilitating and processing three to four play therapy cases in the second placement of your training. This will involve a minimum seventy (70) hours, of which approximately 30 hours must be with one long-term case. You will have the opportunity to develop and explore your understanding of both the theory and practice of play therapy in relation to working with different client groups, including children who have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma, separation, loss and disability. This module will also develop your knowledge of the developing field of child mental health. You will be required to attend weekly supervision with an external BAPT-approved clinical supervision on a ratio of 1 supervision hour to every 2 client hours. Using information and experience from the clinical placement and external supervision as well as from lectures, you will be expected to reflect on and critically evaluate your practice and the efficacy of the therapeutic process with the child. You will also engage in observations with a young child over the age of one but ideally under the age of three. Building on your observational skills from Year 1, you will continue to hold the role of observer in order to consider and evaluate the behaviour of the young child and those around them. This component is supported by regular small group seminars. Assessments for this module will be via a poster presentation and a child observation report.

This module provides students with the opportunity to engage in an in-depth, practice-based capstone project that integrates clinical casework with critical engagement in research. Students are supported to develop and submit a substantial case study that draws on relevant theoretical and empirical literature, supervision insights, and professional standards. The capstone replaces a traditional dissertation and is designed to reflect the realities of clinical practice including assessment, formulation and treatment planning, ethical thinking, supervision and therapist well-being. It concludes with the submission of a written case study and accompanying professional poster presentation. Students are guided by tutors throughout the process. Students taking this module will be expected to be in practice and supervision and draw upon their clinical work to complete the module.

Indicative Content:
• Research-informed integrative practice
• Practitioner reflexivity
• Critical awareness of research methodology and findings in counselling and psychotherapy
• Case formulation and professional presentation
• Ethics considerations in research in counselling and psychotherapy

This module provides students with an opportunity to develop their therapeutic competence in practice. Students will consolidate their understanding of assimilative integration and apply person-centred, psychodynamic and CBT approaches in real-world client work (in placement). The module will support students to build on their understanding of the application of theory & research, ethical awareness, clinical development, and reflective practice. Students will develop an integrative model for therapeutic work in which assumptions about the nature and development of human beings link coherently to the theoretical basis for specific client problems or issues, and the various therapeutic interventions that may be used to facilitate psychological change, growth and healing.

A critically reflexive approach is encouraged including rigorous self-examination and evaluation of students’ own personal history and development including ways in which their life experiences shape their intrapsychic, interpersonal and contextual relationships.

By the end of the module, students will have developed a sound understanding for the competencies, ethical thinking, self-awareness and reflection required in clinical work, including assessment, problem formulation (including, for example, assessment of risk, clients in crisis, and onward referral) and treatment planning, which are relevant to both face-to-face and remote working practices.

Indicative Content
• Developing an integrative framework
• Reflective and reflexive practice
• Client assessment, formulation and treatment planning
• Supervision and professional development
• Real-world application through placement

This module builds on key theoretical concepts in contemporary therapeutic practice, with a particular focus on psychodynamic and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approaches; with an integration of research findings in the field to consider how these inform practice.

To support students’ developing theoretical and research-informed competence, the module will reflect a core aspect of the work of therapy: the development of students’ capacity for reflexivity in assimilating theory, research and practice. This focus will include an intentional and critical examination of the therapist's (and researcher’s) role, biases, and subjectivity throughout the work.

As part of understanding the wider context of theory, research, and practice in the field, we will also consider issues of diversity and inclusivity. The reflexive focus of this module facilitates students' understanding of their positionality within a social context. This includes factors that can influence power dynamics in the therapy room, research setting, and beyond.

The module is highly experiential, including workshops, skills development, case formulation discussion and reflection.

Indicative content
• Key psychodynamic concepts and CBT concepts
• Integration of approaches within assimilative Integration
• Self-development
• Harnessing reflexivity for research and clinical enquiry

Building on the skills learnt on Placement 1 you will engage in a second placement for two days a week. This second placement allows you to work towards greater autonomy in your practice, including within your therapeutic decision-making, musical work and interdisciplinary engagement. You will refine your therapeutic skills, demonstrate an ability to work within and adapt to complex settings and new client groups or settings, and show readiness for professional practice. This module supports your development to meet HCPC standards, understand ethical and cultural competence, and use reflective practice, culminating in a holistic understanding of the music therapist’s role in a variety of settings and interdisciplinary teams and a readiness to work as a social game-changer. Reflective practice groups and supervision from a music therapist Placement Educator on placement will provide you with reflective spaces to develop your individual reflective and sustainable practice. Further opportunities to critically reflect upon the limitations of dominant approaches and to consider issues of power within therapeutic work are afforded with independent research into non dominant frameworks and cultural approaches, including different understandings of wellbeing, distress and healing. Through this module, you will learn not only to manage a caseload, meet professional requirements but also to shape the future of the arts therapies with vision, compassion, and critical insight. The assignment, a capstone project gives opportunities to integrate and apply your learning to real-world industry issues, enhance your reflective practice and demonstrate readiness for research informed professional practice.

This year-long module is designed to advance your professional competence in counselling psychology practice through engagement with a range of clinical, theoretical, and service delivery contexts. Grounded in a pluralistic framework, the module emphasises multi-theoretical formulation and the integration of diverse therapeutic approaches to enhance clinical adaptability and responsiveness.

The curriculum will introduce you to Systems Theory and Family Systemic Practice, fostering critical understanding of how systemic and relational factors influence psychological wellbeing. The module also interrogates the implications of psychiatric diagnosis within NHS and statutory settings, alongside the role of psychopharmacology and its interface with psychological therapies.
You will explore the theoretical foundations and clinical applications of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), with opportunities to critically appraise its role within pluralistic counselling psychology practice. You will also develop core skills in service evaluation and clinical governance, supporting quality assurance, ethical practice, and evidence-informed service development.

A core component of the module is the supervised clinical placement, during which you will consolidate and extend your practice-based competencies. You are encouraged to undertake placements in specialist or underserved settings and are encouraged to work within any of the therapeutic modalities previously taught—person-centred, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioural, or integrative—according to the needs of the setting and your individual professional goals.
Specialised domains of practice covered in teaching and/or placement contexts include acute mental health, forensic services, youth offending teams, and care of specific populations such as veterans, refugees, and those in perinatal or psycho-oncology pathways. Global mental health and systemic inequalities are also addressed.

Careers Development Weeks will support you in refining your professional identity and developing supervision, leadership, and CPD skills. Upon completion, you will be able to work within complex clinical settings and have professional readiness aligned with HCPC registration and pluralistic counselling psychology practice.

Delivery will be through in person teaching from internal and external experts in a variety of clinical settings, comprising of 2 -hour lectures, followed by 1.5 of professional development groups, comprising of up to 8 students each, whereby students will be engaging in skills work and reflective facilitated clinical peer supervision. There will also be 30 minutes of asynchronous learning each week, through videos of skills’ and intervention demonstrations, podcasts and engagement with online self-help therapy platforms. Exercises and formative assessments during workshops and the PPD groups will provide an indication of the skills and competences of the students, so the lecturers can address any gaps.

The Doctoral Thesis Development and Completion module is designed to support you in the development and completion of your doctoral research projects. This module covers a comprehensive range of topics, including both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, alongside in-depth exploration of analytical approaches such as Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), Grounded Theory, Narrative Analysis, and Discourse Analysis. It also addresses key elements of the doctoral process, including writing the thesis, preparing for the viva voce examination, and writing for publication.

You will engage in a variety of learning activities, including lectures, workshops, tutorials, and group supervision that foster critical thinking and the practical application of research methods. Asynchronous learning opportunities will supplement in-person teaching, enabling you to work through materials at your own pace.

Assessment for the module includes an assessed individual oral 15 minutes’ conference style presentation on your study taking place in the end of the Spring term, and the completion and submission of a doctoral portfolio, consisting of a 30,000-word empirical doctoral study and a draft article for publication based on your empirical research (6,000–8,000 words). The deadline for that is in the end of September of your final year of study, (3 years FT or 4 years PT). The doctoral portfolio is assessed by a viva voce oral examination. Formative elements such as peer-reviewed draft chapters and writing workshops provide structured feedback and opportunities for refinement throughout the research process.

Exercises during the workshops and formative peer-review of written work, data analysis practice, pecha kucha presentations and mock-vivas, will indicate to the lecturers the knowledge and skills attained and any gaps that need to be addressed.

To support positive outcomes, the module includes personalised academic supervision and regular feedback. Through engagement with diverse methodologies, ethical research practices, and scholarly writing, you will develop advanced research competencies essential for careers in academia and professional psychology. This module prepares you for the rigour of doctoral study and supports your contribution to the advancement of counselling psychology in both national and international contexts.

This Year 2, year-long, doctoral-level module is designed to equip you with the advanced knowledge, critical understanding, and practical skills essential for conducting ethically sound and methodologically rigorous doctoral research. The module comprehensively covers the research journey, from exploring foundational ontological and epistemological paradigms to mastering the intricacies of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs relevant to the discipline. A significant focus is placed on research ethics, including BPS and HCPC standards, considerations for working with marginalised populations, navigating NHS REC/IRAS and University ethics approval processes, and ensuring robust data management and safeguarding.

You will engage in lectures, interactive workshops, practical skill-building exercises, and guided asynchronous learning. Key topics include developing research questions, risk assessment, reflexivity, writing a detailed methodology chapter, and preparing for the RDCom3 upgrade. This module is integral to Year 2 of the PsychD programme, directly preparing you for your independent research and successful progression.

Assessments are designed to be professionally relevant, comprising a formative peer-reviewed ethics application draft and the summative RDCom3 Portfolio Upgrade Submission, which includes an oral presentation of the methodology, a written methodology chapter, and a reflective account. Throughout the workshops and the formative assessment, it will be possible to gauge the knowledge and skills developed and support you in addressing any identified gaps. Moreover, the formative assessment will provide practice for the summative assessments.

By completing this module, you will enhance your critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and research competence, developing skills vital for your doctoral thesis and future careers as practitioner-researchers capable of making impactful contributions to Counselling Psychology.

This module provides an advanced exploration of the theoretical foundations and practical applications of CBT within the context of counselling psychology. Beginning with the historical development of CBT from Skinner to Hayes, you will engage in a comprehensive understanding of mental health conceptualization through a CBT framework. The module emphasizes the formulation of current clinical practices, equipping you with essential CBT interventions, including the use of Thought Records and longitudinal formulations.

Central to the module is the exploration of core beliefs and their impact on mental health, with a focus on various disorders such as depression, panic disorder, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, health anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You will learn to apply functional analysis and behavioural exposure techniques, as well as understanding the implications of adult attachment styles on CBT work.

The module also addresses contemporary issues in CBT, including the digitization of self-help through apps, transcultural practices, and the integration of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Additionally, you will explore the transition towards transdiagnostic clinical work, enhancing your ability to address diverse client needs.

Career Development Weeks are incorporated into the module to foster professional skills and networking opportunities.

Most importantly you will be engaged in supervised clinical placements, where you will need to practice within a CBT modality between 55 and 120 hours, so you gain the working expertise of working therapeutically within a CBT framework as trainee counselling psychologists.
By the end of this module, you will demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of CBT principles and their application in clinical settings, preparing you for effective practice as counselling psychologists in a rapidly evolving therapeutic landscape.

This module is designed to cultivate critical thinking, ethical and highly skilled practice, and innovative approaches in delivering CBT interventions.

Delivery will be through in person teaching comprising of 2 -hour lectures, followed by 1.5 of professional development groups, whereby CBT skills will be practiced, and you will have the opportunity to present your clinical work and reflect on it and discuss it from within the CBT framework. There will also be 30 minutes of asynchronous learning each week, through videos of skills and intervention demonstrations, podcasts, engagement with CBT therapy chatbots and reading. Such exercises during the PPD groups, as well as formative assessments will indicate the understanding and competences you have attained and any gaps that need to be addressed. Moreover, they will prepare you for summative assessments.

The Contemporary Relational Psychodynamic module will offer doctoral-level counselling psychology trainees an in-depth exploration of psychodynamic theory and practice within a contemporary context. This module will be designed to integrate foundational psychodynamic concepts with modern therapeutic approaches, emphasizing the relational dynamics that shape the therapeutic process. Students will engage with the psychodynamic family tree, examining the evolution of key theories and their application in clinical settings, while critically reflecting on the contributions of influential figures such as Freud, Klein, and Jung.

Throughout the module, students will explore essential topics including attachment theory, interpersonal neurobiology, and the wisdom of trauma as articulated by Gabor Maté. A focus on building psychodynamic formulations and presenting work within a multidisciplinary team will enhance students' practical skills, preparing them for real-world clinical challenges. The module also emphasizes the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles, encouraging students to critically examine traditional theories through intersectional lenses and culturally responsive models like Internal Family Systems.

Throughout the workshops and formative assessments, it will be possible to gauge the knowledge and skills developed and support students addressing any identified gaps. Moreover, the formative assessments will provide practice for the summative assessments.

By promoting reflective practice and self-awareness, the curriculum fosters long-term professional and personal development. Ultimately, this module aims to cultivate a nuanced understanding of contemporary psychodynamic therapy, preparing students to become adept practitioners in diverse and complex service contexts.

This module will equip students with essential research skills and critical thinking abilities for advanced study and professional practice in counselling psychology. It will introduce students to the key components of psychological research, including literature reviewing, epistemology and ontology, qualitative and quantitative study designs, ethical considerations, and the development of doctoral-level research proposals.

Learning activities will include interactive lectures, seminars, workshops, and asynchronous tasks that will encourage independent learning and collaborative dialogue. Students will be supported through tailored academic guidance and access to digital research tools.

The module will foster an inclusive learning environment and will support positive outcomes for all students through varied teaching methods and formative feedback. It will encourage reflexive engagement, helping students link personal and professional identity to research design.

Exercises during workshops and formative assessments will indicate the understanding and competences students will have attained and any gaps that will need to be addressed. Moreover, they will prepare the students for summative assessments.

This module will play a vital role in Year 1 of the PsychD programme, helping students evaluate their readiness for doctoral research and shaping their individual research trajectories. It will be designed to meet both Level 7 and Level 8 criteria, allowing progression to Year 2 if both the Level 7 and Level 8 criteria are met. If only the Level 7 criteria are met, i.e., only the Critical Literature Review assessment is passed and not the RDCom2, there will be eligibility for an MSc exit award.
By completing this module, students will develop skills in scholarly writing, research design, digital literacy, and ethical decision-making. These skills will be essential for contributing original research and progressing toward careers in counselling psychology and related fields.

This module marks a pivotal stage in your development as a Dance Movement Psychotherapist, supporting your transition from trainee to advanced trainee in preparation to becoming a professionally competent, registered practitioner. Through continued clinical placement with diverse client populations, weekly group supervision, and advanced practical and process-based learning, you will consolidate your theoretical understanding, therapeutic presence, and embodied skills. The module foregrounds relational complexity, cultural awareness, and ethical responsiveness as essential dimensions of safe, inclusive practice.

As you build on prior placement experience, you will refine your ability to assess, plan, and facilitate movement-based interventions in real-world contexts. Your learning will be shaped by trauma-informed approaches, embodied assessment frameworks, and the exploration of intersubjectivity and kinaesthetic empathy. Reflective process group work offers a space to deepen self-awareness, challenge unconscious bias, and examine how power, identity, and culture shape both personal process and clinical relationships. Supervision supports you in articulating these dynamics with increasing clarity and ethical integrity.

Throughout the module, you will engage with international literature and global case material, enabling you to consider how systems of oppression, displacement, and migration affect embodiment and clinical presentation. You will strengthen your professional resilience through sustained engagement with personal therapy and embodied self-care practices. Technology-enhanced learning tools - including Moodle, video analysis, and digital reflective tasks—will further support your development, ensuring your learning remains accessible, adaptive, and professionally relevant.

By completing this module, you will meet key clinical requirements set by the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK (ADMP UK), including client contact hours, supervision, and portfolio development. The integration of placement-based experience, process work, and professional reflection ensures you graduate with the confidence, cultural competence, and sector-ready skills to enter the profession as a reflective, ethical, and globally engaged Dance Movement Psychotherapist.

This module equips Arts and Play Therapies students with the critical knowledge and skills to engage in evidence-informed and interdisciplinary professional practice. You will be introduced to research practice and a variety of methodological research frameworks. Interdisciplinary expertise and contemporary research will be used to explore qualitative and quantitative methodologies, arts-based and participatory approaches. You will gain skills in evaluating and modifying your practice once qualified through audit, service evaluation and research. You will develop a critical understanding of ethical frameworks, the standards of proficiency for your practice regulator, and evidence-based practice in the health and wellbeing sectors. This teaching will assist you in gaining skills in planning and writing a research proposal, reviewing literature, selecting an appropriate methodological framework and methods and considering the ethical implications of your area of research interest.

You will be introduced to linked concepts in interdisciplinary professional practice and leadership, giving you opportunities to consider your future work with colleagues from related disciplines, and providing inspiring ideas about research, innovation and sustainable practice across the Arts and Play Therapies professions. You will consider the role of therapy in wider health and social contexts including the arts in health. You will also engage in discipline specific teaching to contextualise the material as required, with a reflective and experiential component, enabling you to build your capacity to navigate complex professional settings, formulate meaningful research questions, and engage confidently with interdisciplinary and practice-based issues. Assignments are a research proposal or presentation, and a presentation or digital submission. Students choose their mode of assignment for both these assessments.

Building on the skills learnt on Placement 1, this module is a capstone of the MA Art Psychotherapy programme, designed to provide you with essential practical experience in a clinical setting. You will undertake a minimum of 50 clinical placement days, delivering individual and/or group art psychotherapy under the supervision of experienced clinicians. The practical component is complemented by reflective practice groups, fostering peer learning and professional growth as you explore diverse clinical settings and approaches.
A key focus of the module is the development of skills for establishing, maintaining, and ending therapeutic relationships. You will engage in contemporary debates surrounding context, power, and difference, examining how these factors influence both society and the art therapeutic process. Topics include cultural competence, ethics, and sensitivity in practice, which are crucial for working effectively with diverse populations.

The module includes clinical expert talks by invited visiting lecturers, offering you insights into specialised areas of practice and contemporary developments in the field, as well as a lived experience talk.

You are encouraged to integrate clinical insights with creative exploration through the artistic process of El Duende, utilising a single canvas to visually reflect on your experiences. This practice deepens self-awareness and promotes an embodied understanding of the therapeutic encounter.
Assessment includes placement presentations, reflective writing, and creative responses, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of your academic, professional, and personal development. You must also complete 30 sessions of personal therapy with an appropriately recognised therapist, fostering self-reflection and ethical practice.

By the end of this module, you will have developed the foundational skills and knowledge necessary for professional registration with the HCPC, preparing you to become a competent, sensitive, and reflective art psychotherapist.

This module aims to introduce students to the critical distinction between realist and social constructivist approaches in psychology in the context of theories of self and identity. This distinction permeates much of psychology and is at the heart of the main methodological approaches in psychology, quantitative and qualitative. The aim is to provide students with the tools and arguments needed for critical analysis of traditional psychological approaches. Students will be required to consider self from multiple psychological perspectives, including developmental psychology (gender and identity development), cognitive psychology (memory) and social psychology (social and cultural determinants of identity, stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination). Practical skills development is addressed by embedding qualitative research methods addressing research questions which are directly related to the material studied. Students are encouraged to develop reflective and critical skills by comparing and contrasting different approaches to self and identity throughout the module.

Making sense of the world around us involves numerous biological, cognitive and social processes. This module aims to give students a comprehensive grasp of the psychological processes that are involved in individual functioning, behavior and experience. Biological aspects of psychology investigate how the brain, nervous system and other physiological systems affect and are affected by mental functioning, behavior and experience. Cognitive psychology topics cover aspects of human mental processes such as the way we perceive, attend to information, remember and use language. Social processes refer to the individual in relation to others and consider how we understand how other people and think. By integrating these topics, this module aims to give the student a rounded systematic understanding of how typically and non-typically functioning individuals interact with the world and make sense of it. Furthermore, the module aims to introduce students to quantitative methods including descriptive and inferential statistics. Students will acquire skills and subject knowledge to critically engage with quantitative research findings and theoretical perspectives in biological, cognitive and social psychology.

This module aims to introduce students to the critical distinction between realist and social constructivist approaches in psychology in the context of theories of self and identity. This distinction permeates much of psychology and is at the heart of the main methodological approaches in psychology, quantitative and qualitative. The aim is to provide students with the tools and arguments needed for critical analysis of traditional psychological approaches. Students will be required to consider self from multiple psychological perspectives, including developmental psychology (gender and identity development), cognitive psychology (memory) and social psychology (social and cultural determinants of identity, stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination). Practical skills development is addressed by embedding qualitative research methods addressing research questions which are directly related to the material studied. Students are encouraged to develop reflective and critical skills by comparing and contrasting different approaches to self and identity throughout the module.

Making sense of the world around us involves numerous biological, cognitive and social processes. This module aims to give students a comprehensive grasp of the psychological processes that are involved in individual functioning, behaviour and experience. Biological aspects of psychology investigate how the brain, nervous system and other physiological systems affect and are affected by mental functioning, behaviour and experience. Cognitive psychology topics cover aspects of human mental processes such as the way we perceive, attend to information, remember and use language. Social processes refer to the individual in relation to others and consider how we understand how other people and think. By integrating these topics, this module aims to give the student a rounded systematic understanding of how typically and non-typically functioning individuals interact with the world and make sense of it. Furthermore, the module aims to introduce students to quantitative methods including descriptive and inferential statistics. Students will acquire skills and subject knowledge to critically engage with quantitative research findings and theoretical perspectives in biological, cognitive and social psychology.

The module is intended to provide an introduction to key historical and conceptual issues pertaining to the study of psychology including scientific underpinnings of the discipline, the relationship between quantitative and qualitative data and theory, and research and professional ethics. The module aims to convey a critical overview of how the discipline has developed over time and how this has shaped knowledge and understanding today. Students are guided to critically analyse historical case studies in social and health psychology in terms of methodology, theory and ethical thinking and practice and apply their learning to current issues. Students will begin to develop skills required for Masters level study including understanding principles of ethical conduct, critical evaluation of theoretical and methodological approaches in psychology and systematic understanding of how historical events have shaped the discipline in terms of theory and method.

The Dissertation module provides students with the opportunity to integrate their prior learning from the programme through designing, conducting and reporting an original research project under the supervision of an experienced Psychologist. Students will apply the analytical and conceptual tools and personal skills gained from the previous modules to an in-depth investigation of a specific psychology research question. The final outcome will be the presentation of a research report.

The Dissertation module provides students with the opportunity to integrate their prior learning from the programme through designing, conducting and reporting an original research project under the supervision of an experienced Psychologist. Students will apply the analytical and conceptual tools and personal skills gained from the previous modules to an in-depth investigation of a specific psychology research question. The final outcome will be the presentation of a research report.
Independent study hours are expected in addition to the class hours. This year-long research project is taken with the guidance of a specialist supervisor leading to the submission of the MSc Dissertation. A team of supervisors offer a range of topics from their research expertise. Students choose from those topics before they carry out relevant empirical (data-based) research.

Research Student Dummy Module for School of Psychology.

In this module, you will delve into the theories and practice of psychodynamic approaches and develop knowledge and critical understanding of the theoretical assumptions and philosophical principles that underpin psychotherapeutic counselling. This is a yearlong module that will support the development of skills and knowledge required for psychodynamic work in general and with mild to moderate depression in IAPT services, in particular. Key to this learning will be ability to understand the service user’s perspective in relation to their own experience of depression and the impact of depression on the person, families and carers. You will learn about the importance of clinical supervision and you will develop and practice key psychotherapeutic and analytic skills with service users at your IAPT employment.

In this module you will develop the basic skills and competences in counselling practice. You will focus on relational aspects and their centrality, such as your ability to develop and maintain therapeutic relationships and be responsive and adaptive to service-users' needs. Working with and actively considering the wider context, such as family members and carers, and developing personally and professionally through engaging with reflexivity and self-awareness, developing strategies to handle the emotional and physical impact of practice.

In this module you will cover key information relating to the structure and functions of cells, and the principles from chemistry that underpin relevant biological processes. You will learn about the components of cells and the biochemistry of different molecules found inside cells, including nucleic acids, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. You will also learn about key processes that take place in cells such as DNA replication, protein production, and metabolism, in addition to mechanisms that control the cell cycle and that allow cells to communicate with each other and respond to damage. This module will provide you with a solid grounding in fundamental principles relating to cell biology and biochemistry, topics that will be important for developing your understanding of nervous system functioning across your degree.


You will be taught through a mixture of lectures and seminars in this module. Lectures will cover key principles and concepts relating to each topic, while seminars will consist of activities to further enhance your knowledge and understanding. These activities might include practical tasks where you apply your knowledge to real-world situations. You will also take part in several practical laboratory classes during seminars, and so you will build up your practical laboratory skills through this module. Seminar activities will also support you with the assessments for this module.


You will be assessed using a poster and a portfolio. These will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge relating to key topics and principles in cell biology and biochemistry covered in this module. These assessments will develop your skills in synthesising and summarising information, and communicating this in a written format. The poster will also develop your presentation design skills. These transferable skills will be valuable through the rest of your degree as well as postgraduate studies and a range of workplaces.

This module, partly taught alongside other Arts and Play Therapies training students, provides students with an introduction to research practice and a variety of methodological research frameworks in the Arts Therapies, including qualitative, quantitative, embodied and arts based research paradigms. Through giving an overview of research approaches, including theoretical research, practice based evidence and evidence based practice, this module will provide students with a framework within which they can plan and write a research proposal, engage in critical review of literature, employ an appropriate methodological framework, explore a range of research methods, consider the ethical implications of research investigation and focus on an area of research interest.

Students on the MA programme are required to be in personal therapy for the duration of the programme. This is a zero-credit module which students must complete as part of their progression to the following year or the final award. Each module requires students to have attended a minimum of 35 personal therapy sessions with an approved therapist during the year. Forms for therapist approval and the letter confirming the student's attendance are available via Moodle/Programme Handbook.

This module provides an introduction to counselling skills and preparation for counselling practice at placements. It aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to start working with clients and to prepare them for the use of personal therapy and supervision. It is delivered in an interactive manner, which allows students to learn theory and then apply it directly to their own experiences and to their beginning practice in counselling skills. Sessions will usually involve some theoretical/practical input from the tutors and some experiential work in which to practice/apply this input. The structure has been kept flexible in order to accommodate the needs of the group and of the particular subject material. We will aim to provide an enjoyable and supportive learning environment to allow students to learn about themselves and to develop basic counselling skills and attitudes. The key specific counselling skills the module aims to develop are: • Non-verbal communication • Accurate reflection of content and understanding of story • Accurate reflection of client feelings • Clear beginning, ending & keeping of time boundaries • Ability to engage with the client – the PCT core conditions • Ability to challenge appropriately • Ability to stay with silence • Ability to understand deeper feelings and meanings

Increasingly, best practice in contemporary counselling and psychotherapy requires practitioners to engage in evidence-based practice. This requires both the ability to critically evaluate other’s research and to be able to conduct research of one’s own. This module synthesises previous teaching and learning on the programme by providing the opportunity for students to use existing knowledge and skills to mount a small-scale research project involving some aspect of practice, an empirical investigation or case-study. The final submission is a dissertation of 8,000-words.

Students on the MA programme are required to be in personal therapy for the duration of the programme. This is a zero-credit module which students must complete as part of their progression to the following year or the final award. Each module requires students to have attended a minimum of 35 personal therapy sessions with an approved therapist during the year. Forms for therapist approval and the letter confirming the student's attendance are available via Moodle/Programme Handbook.

This module is designed to support and develop clinical learning whilst students are on placement. Students will present examples of client work from their current practice on placement for exploration within the small group seminars. The module will take an explicitly didactic approach using live examples from practice to deepen and consolidate clinical understanding. This module will support students’ development in terms of the BACP (2019) competence framework for therapeutic work with young people aged 11-18 years (and up to 25-years for those in youth counselling services) by focusing on specific competences and themes in the work as the year progresses and the students gain further confidence while on placement. Lectures and skills workshops are delivered at the end of the summer term to support students in terms of employability and careers post-qualification.

In epigenetic terms, children’s development is shaped by the interaction of genetic and organic factors within the environment. A crucial part of the environment is parenting, the family and the wider social and cultural context within which children grow-up. Even when treating children individually, it is difficult to understand their problems without an assessment of how these developed in response to the family ecology. Therefore, this module focuses on the family as well as the wider environment, emphasising understanding how to conceptualise family problems and to 'think at the family level' when approaching therapeutic interventions. Students who successfully complete this module will: · Be able to observe and record human attachment in a family setting. · Have a good understanding of a variety of theoretical and practical models of parenting, together with an ability to draw on knowledge that effective forms of parent/carer engagement change as children and young people develop. · Understand ecological models that nest the family in a wider social and cultural context. · Be able to reflect on work with children, young people and families within a systemic context, including an understanding of an historical overview of the practice of Systemic Psychotherapy.

This module aims to introduce students to the theory and practice of an integrative approach to counselling and psychotherapy, with a particular focus on humanistic-existential models or of counselling and psychotherapy. A humanistic orientation takes a holistic view of the human being and seeks to understand what makes people thrive. Central to this approach is a belief in each person’s capacity to develop to their fullest or, in Maslow’s words ‘self-actualise’. Equally important elements of such approaches are the ideas of personal responsibility, the here-and-now subjective experience of the person, and phenomenological inquiry. A constructive, critical and reflexive approach will be taken to consider the therapeutic principles upon which these modalities are based and the central importance of the therapeutic relationship. For example, a Person-Centred practice requires the therapist to attend to the relational environment they are providing and to refrain as far as possible from imposing their own meanings upon the other person’s experience. It requires a sustained effort of attunement to the other, as well as openness to and awareness of the therapist’s own internal processes. As such, it offers students a basis for deep relational clinical work. Further, Rogers’s notions of the conditions of worth and the self-concept can be regarded as examples of relationally derived internal representations of the self and others that serve to organize interpersonal behaviour. Person centred therapy is designed to provide a set of conditions under which change to those internal relational representations and their associated beliefs and behaviours can occur. The rationale and philosophy of this training is based on an assimilative, integrative, relational approach to counselling and psychotherapy and this module will therefore also introduce students to integrative models and approaches, which will be built on in subsequent years of the training. This will include the integration of theoretical ideas, research into practice, and the influence of related disciplines on our work as therapists (such as philosophy, neuroscience, social psychology). We will also consider the importance and influence of contextual factors context (e.g. cultural, identity, socio-economic, environmental), difference and diversity on the process of therapy and an integrative approach. Equally, the importance of the personal and professional interface in psychotherapeutic work will be considered, such that the integrative endeavour may also be seen as a journey of personal integration for the practitioner.

DMP Clinical applications is an essential module where students learn about safe practice working with different client groups paying specific attention to working with the moving body in relationship. There is a theoretical component to this module as it is important for students to understand historical and contemporary theoretical perspectives and DMP practices and principles and how to apply them in practice. Students will be given opportunities to critically consider and compare influential theoretical approaches such as Humanistic, Psychodynamic, Jungian, Body Psychotherapy in relation to DMP. Another important part of clinical application includes the awareness of fundamental anatomical principles in relation to the body in motion and how these manifest directly according to the individual’s resources and abilities. This module offers students an opportunity to integrate an understanding of anatomy in direct relation to their clinical experience with clients as bio-psycho-social bodies. The bio-psycho-social framework to working safely with clients will be addressed by drawing on a variety of perspectives: anatomical, physiological, biological, neuroscientific, theoretical and clinical. A pluralistic theoretical understanding of psychotherapeutic approaches will enhance students ability to critically consider working with embodiment, the therapeutic relationship, and the process of change. The ability to work safely with the moving body with different client groups is fundamental to becoming a safe practitioner within the DMP field. The module emphasises issues of safe practice when engaging in movement experiences with clients within health and social care and educational settings. Conducting risk assessments and risk management will be addressed. Students are encouraged to make connections with their clinical and supervisory experiences and reflect upon the interrelated nature of motion and emotion within a medical, social or educational context. This module also aims to generate critical thinking about DMP in practice and to sensitise students to the different systems within community settings including: mental health, social care and education. It provides an opportunity for a critical evaluation of standard approaches to diagnosis in mental health settings with particular emphasis on inclusive and diverse practice and perspectives based on client’s lived experience. This will also include critical engagement with psychological, medical and social models of mental illness including: theories of abnormal psychology, psychiatric diagnostic systems and major diagnostic categories, medication including its potential effects on the body and movement located within current DMP clinical practices and case presentations. To support students’ professional development and employability, this module facilitates the development of ... Presentation Skills Professional Communication Skills Ability to critically engage with dominant discourses and method of diagnosis within psychiatry Evaluation and facilitation of safe practice Collaborative working.

Professional practice and development are core components of students' learning to become competent counselling psychologists. By the end of the programme students are required to have accrued a minimum of 450 supervised hours of practice in placements, 105-140 hours of personal therapy, and a range of professional skills required for practice as a counselling psychologist. Following on from Professional Practice and Development - 1a, in this module students complete a further minimum of 30 hours of supervised practice within an appropriate placement(s) at a ratio of 1 hour of supervision for every 8 hours of practice, plus a minimum of 15 hours of personal therapy. This will ensure that they have completed the required minimum of 100 hours of supervised practice and 35 hours of personal therapy prior to entering Year 2 of the programme. Within the programme's relational pluralistic philosophy, the focus of Year 1 is on developing core competencies in a person-centred model of therapy. This means that students are required to undertake first year placements in which they gain supervised experience providing person-centred therapy. This provides students with a solid foundation from which to further develop their practice and professional identity over years 2 and 3 of the programme. This module's key aim is to support students' development and help them to integrate their learning in placements with learning from other areas of the programme.

Professional practice and development are core components of students' learning to become competent counselling psychologists. By the end of the programme students are required to have accrued a minimum of 450 supervised hours of practice in placements, 105-140 hours of personal therapy, and a range of professional skills required for practice as a counselling psychologist. This module supports part-time students in year 1a of the programme to make a start towards these objectives. This will involve completing a minimum of 70 hours of supervised practice within an appropriate placement(s) at a ratio of 1 hour of supervision for every 8 hours of practice, plus a minimum of 20 hours of personal therapy. Within the programme's relational pluralistic philosophy, the focus of Year 1 is on developing core competencies in a person-centred model of therapy. This means that students are required to undertake first year placements in which they gain supervised experience providing person-centred therapy. This provides students with a solid foundation from which to further develop their practice and professional identity over years 2 and 3 of the programme. This module's key aim is to support students and help them to integrate their learning in placements with their learning from other areas of the programme, particularly with the Person-centred and experiential theory and practice module, in which students develop the theoretical, research and skills base for their clinical practice. As well as engaging in supervised placements and personal therapy, students attend small Professional Practice Groups at the university on a weekly basis led by a clinical tutor from the programme team. These groups help students to develop core reflective skills that underpin effective practice, and the facilitation of learning and psychological mindedness in others. The module also provides students with a broad-based induction to the profession and programme. This includes an introduction to the philosophy and values of the counselling psychology profession; the models of psychological therapy that students will be learning about; the structure and ethos of the Roehampton programme; the roles of supervision, personal therapy, professional practice groups and clinical tutors; key professional standards and placement requirements; as well as opportunities to practice core skills that will support students in beginning their first placements effectively.

This module will introduce trainees to various clinical and institutional factors that may enable or impede the advancement of social justice through the counselling psychology and the broader mental health professions. Trainees will explore key institutional, historical and ideological impediments to social justice by situating the psychotherapeutic enterprise in its wider social context. A central focus will be understanding and debating the relationship between social justice and wider themes of diagnosis, neoliberalism, medicalisation, depoliticization, inclusion as well as other potential forms of societal oppression. Another key focus will be developing essential clinical competencies in trainees in relation to working with diversity and difference, to safeguard against replicating various forms of oppression in the counselling room. In essence, as well as critically appraising how injustice may be enacted therapeutically (often unwittingly), this module will facilitate the capacity to think about (and work sensitively and ethically with) diversity, oppression and difference (e.g. in the areas of race, gender, class, sexuality neurodiversity/disability, ethnicity & religion). The module will cover the following areas: i). Critical analysis of social, historical and professional impediments to social justice & inclusion, focusing the themes such as the commodification, pathologisation, pharmaceuticalisation, depoliticization and individualisation of mental distress. It will address key social determinants of distress; the situated nature of concepts of suffering; the role of social meanings and the way these are negotiated as well as the use of contemporary theory within counselling psychology e.g. sociological, race, identity, neurodiverse & gender theory etc. ii). Advancing social justice in relation to working with diversity and difference; working effectively with diverse forms of sexuality, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, disability etc., and considering their impact on meaning generation and practice. iii). Developing key clinical competencies in relation to working effectively with diversity and difference. Advancing reflective practice in relation to the work of counselling psychology. Such reflexive practice will also be encouraged in relation to your research and assignments and how you locate yourself within your academic work. The module will comprise lectures, experiential workshops, the discussion of media resources. Small and large group discussions will allow the further development of the students’ reflective and professional skills, as applied to the contexts in which they are working on placement.

The aim of this module is to introduce trainees to person-centred psychology - theory, practice, research, and philosophical underpinnings. The module will help trainees to develop a critical understanding of person-centred and experiential therapies, as well as an appreciation of the relevance of these models of therapy to their identities and practice as counselling psychologists. Within the broader relational pluralistic philosophy of the programme, this module thus helps trainees begin to critically explore a range of psychological models and possible approaches to therapeutic intervention, and to begin to think about links between empirical evidence, theory and practice. Although trainees will go onto learn about other models of therapy during the programme, developing skills and values in PCT will help to provide first year trainees with a solid foundation for their development as counselling psychologists, whether they subsequently develop a specialist focus in this approach or as an underpinning for sound relational practice in any another model. With its emphasis on supporting the client's agency, self-determination, and power-sharing, the PCT model also provides an excellent grounding in contemporary pluralistic values.

Professional practice and development are core components of students' learning to become competent counselling psychologists. By the end of the programme students are required to have accrued a minimum of 450 supervised hours of practice in placements, 105-140 hours of personal therapy, and a range of professional skills needed to practice as a counselling psychologist. This module supports students in making a start towards these objectives. This will involve completing a minimum of 100 hours of supervised practice within an appropriate placement(s) at a ratio of 1 hour of supervision for every 8 hours of practice, and a minimum of 35 hours of personal therapy. Within the programme's relational pluralistic philosophy, the focus of Year 1 is on developing core competencies in a person-centred model of therapy. This means that students are required to undertake first year placements in which they gain supervised experience providing person-centred therapy. This provides students with a solid foundation from which to further develop their practice and professional identity over years 2 and 3 of the programme. This module's key aim is to support students and help them to integrate their learning in placements with their learning from other areas of the programme, particularly with the Person-centred and experiential theory and practice module, in which students develop the theoretical, research and skills base for their clinical practice. As well as engaging in supervised placements and personal therapy, students attend small Professional Practice Groups at the university on a weekly basis led by a clinical tutor from the programme team. These groups help students to develop core reflective skills that underpin effective practice, and the facilitation of learning and psychological mindedness in others. The module also provides students with a broad-based induction to the profession and programme. This includes an introduction to the philosophy and values of the counselling psychology profession; the models of psychological therapy that students will be learning about; the structure and ethos of the Roehampton programme; the roles of supervision, personal therapy, professional practice groups and clinical tutors; key professional standards and placement requirements; as well as opportunities to practice core skills that will support students in beginning their first placements effectively.

The module is an opportunity for students to participate and reflect on a boundaried therapeutic process within an educational context. The process group facilitates the exploration, development and understanding of aspects of the student's individual psychology through group process. As such, this module is considered central to the Programme as a whole as it enables the student to integrate practice, relational skills and theoretical concepts through the active participation in a group process. The process group is an opportunity for the exploration of new behaviours, perceptions and attitudes towards self and others. The opportunity to explore and understand the complexities and intricacies of group dynamics will be provided. The approach and structure of the process group will be Programme specific. Personal therapy is a recognised and established requisite to training as a therapist and a mandatory requirement for professional accreditation by the Health and Care Professions Council. Insight into personal and group processes is a cornerstone of clinical practice and avoids the inappropriate intrusion of the therapists' own issues into their clinical relationships.

The module is an opportunity for students to participate and reflect on a boundaried therapeutic process within an educational context. The process group facilitates the exploration, development and understanding of aspects of the student's individual psychology through group process. As such, this module is considered central to the Programme as a whole as it enables the student to integrate practice, relational skills and theoretical concepts through the active participation in a group process. The process group is an opportunity for the exploration of new behaviours, perceptions and attitudes towards self and others. The opportunity to explore and understand the complexities and intricacies of group dynamics will be provided. The approach and structure of the process group will be Programme specific. Personal therapy is a recognised and established requisite to training as a therapist and a mandatory requirement for professional accreditation by the Health and Care Professions Council. Insight into personal and group processes is a cornerstone of clinical practice and avoids the inappropriate intrusion of the therapists' own issues into their clinical relationships.

This module provides students with an introduction to research practice and a variety of methodological research frameworks in the Arts Therapies, including qualitative, quantitative, embodied and arts based research paradigms. Through giving an overview of research approaches, including theoretical research, practice based evidence and evidence based practice, this module will provide students with a framework within which they can plan and write a research proposal, engage in critical review of literature, employ an appropriate methodological framework, explore a range of research methods, consider the ethical implications of research investigation and focus on an area of research interest.

This is a core module within the MA Art Psychotherapy Programme, providing the training with its unique philosophical base. This module enables students to trace the historical development of analytical art psychotherapy, as well as critically explore its conceptual base, through theoretical and experiential based learning. Analytic art psychotherapy is used as an inclusive term to encompass art therapy and art psychotherapy. Further, analytic art psychotherapy places the art object and art making process as the central determinate within which transformation may take place. As analytic art psychotherapy is informed by analytic psychology, it will draw its theoretical base from Jungian and post-Jungian theory. Through theory and practice, students will have the opportunity to gain critical insight into the relationship between imagination, art making processes and psychic change, along with how this may manifest within the triangular art psychotherapeutic relationship. Continuous links will be made to the application of this knowledge in clinical practice.

The module is an opportunity for students to participate and reflect on a boundaried therapeutic process within an educational context. The process group facilitates the exploration, development and understanding of aspects of the student's individual psychology through group process. As such, this module is considered central to the Programme as a whole as it enables the student to integrate practice, relational skills and theoretical concepts through the active participation in a group process. The process group is an opportunity for the exploration of new behaviours, perceptions and attitudes towards self and others. The opportunity to explore and understand the complexities and intricacies of group dynamics will be provided. The approach and structure of the process group will be Programme specific. Personal therapy is a recognised and established requisite to training as a therapist and a mandatory requirement for professional accreditation by the Health and Care Professions Council. Insight into personal and group processes is a cornerstone of clinical practice and avoids the inappropriate intrusion of the therapists' own issues into their clinical relationships.

The Independent Research Project module will provide students with the opportunity to integrate their prior learning from the programme through designing, conducting and reporting an original research project under the supervision of an experienced Cognitive Neuroscience researcher. Students will apply the analytical and conceptual tools and personal skills gained from the previous modules to an in-depth investigation of a specific cognitive neuroscience research question. Students will complete a short ethics proposal (assessed in-house) to give them experience in this important research process before beginning their study. The final outcome will be a 4,000-word write-up that is in the style of a journal article (which can also be submitted for publication) and the presentation of the study and its findings via a poster that will be presented at the end of year scientific conference (preferably in person, or as a recorded presentation if needed).

This module will provide students with skills in scientific research methods so that they can conduct their own research studies (both as part of their Independent Research Project module, and in their future careers), and to provide skills in data analysis and use of technologies that will improve their employability in a range of careers. Specifically, students will learn about the scientific process, study design, hypothesis testing, statistical analysis (both frequentist and Bayesian), statistical inference and interpretation, and dissemination of findings. Emphasis will also be placed on data analysis; students will analyse data pertaining to various cognitive neuroscience techniques, including cognitive tasks, structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI), both task-based and resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS), brain stimulation techniques (tDCS, TMS), electroencephalography (EEG) and eye-tracking techniques. Data analysis using a wide range of relevant descriptive and inferential (univariate and multivariate, as necessary) statistical models and techniques, will also be taught. Data analysis will be achieved using a combination of SPSS, Excel, SAS and Matlab software packages (e.g. SPM etc). These statistical analyses and cognitive neuroscience research techniques will be linked to the research discussed in the other modules, and will allow students to experience the research methodology that they will work with for their Independent Research Project module. In addition, this module will provide students with a general background to research in cognitive neuroscience, and will cover issues such as the need for objectivity in science, the importance of reproducibility/replicability of findings, methods of open science, research ethics, philosophical background, potential careers and the necessary study skills needed to successfully develop the knowledge and skillset required to succeed in the programme and future careers.

This module will provide students with knowledge of, and skills in the use of, cognitive neuroscience techniques, as tools for both research and therapy. The knowledge and skills obtained via this module will aid students in the completion of their own research studies (including their Independent Research Project), and will enhance their employability in a range of careers. Specifically, students will learn the theory behind, and relevance of, important cognitive neuroscience techniques via lectures, including cognitive tasks, brain imaging techniques (structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), task-based and resting-state functional MRI (fMRI), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) and Arterial Spin Labelling), brain stimulation techniques (transcranial magnetic stimulation; TMS and transcranial direct current stimulation; tDCS), electroencephalography (EEG), and eye-tracking techniques. In addition, as expertise within the department expands as staff recruitment occurs, this module may in subsequent years also include topics on machine learning and computational neuroscience. Furthermore, workshops will provide students with the opportunity to gain experience in the use of all of these techniques. Importantly, the use of these techniques will always be linked to the research discussed in other modules, so as to keep within the remit of this 'Applied' Cognitive Neuroscience programme. Furthermore, this module will both aid in students' selection of methods they wish to employ in their Independent Research Project and will provide them with experience in the use of such methods that will serve to prepare them for said project. Finally, this module will link heavily to the 'Advanced Research Methods and Statistics' module, as in the workshops of that module they will analyse data that has been collected using many of these techniques.

This module will introduce students to a broad range of topics upon which other modules will build. Lectures will cover the basic structure and function of the human brain from a macro (i.e. brain regions) to a more micro (i.e. cellular, molecular and genetic) perspective and then will then introduce a range of basic cognitive faculties, and will link these faculties to reveal the neural mechanisms of such cognitions. This module will also introduce cognitive neuroscience research techniques enabling students to understand and critique how cognitive neuroscientific data is collected and interpreted. As with all modules, scientific research methods and statistics will be embedded in the majority of lectures to introduce students to how cognitive neuroscience research studies are designed and performed so that they can begin to undertake their own studies. Importantly, lectures will provide students with a critical understanding of the material, particularly when discussing the applications of cognitive neuroscience techniques and findings, so that students can concisely identify the limitations of such applications and determine avenues for future approaches.

This module teaches students the skills of observing and understanding the attachment relationships of adults using the Meaning of the Child system of analysing interviews of parents and caregivers (the MotC: www.meaningofthechild.org) along with constructs drawn from the Adult Attachment Interview. Students will learn about the impact of danger and threat on how adults think about their relationships and mental states, and how intentions to create more fulfilling relationships in adulthood may be tripped up by unconscious scripts leant within past relationships. Students may choose either to become a reliable coder of the MotC (analyse and classify interview transcripts provided to an agreed standard) or present an evidenced assessment of 1-2 adults in ways that focus on an attachment-based formulation of real-world problems.

This module offers training in the coding of a wide range of validated procedures which assess child and adult attachment, parent-child relationships and how parents think about their children. This module offers training in the coding of a wide range of validated procedures which assess child and adult attachment, parent-child relationships and how parents think about their children. All of the procedures are taught once per year and are open to external CPD students. Students must pass the reliability test in at least one procedure and select 2 procedures out of the following: - Infant CARE-Index - CAPA - Narrative Story Stems with pre-school or school aged children - The Adult Attachment Interview - The Meaning of the Child Interview They must also learn to explain a coding and its implications for the functioning of the individual or relationship concerned. This should be the other procedure than the one submitted for reliability.

This module teaches students the skills of observing and understanding the attachment relationships of children and the effects of trauma, drawing on the narrative story stems procedure (the CAPA: www.the-capa.com) along with other attachment assessments of children. Students will learn about the impact of danger and threat on child development, play and relationships, how to observe this, and think about the consequences upon the family system. Students may choose either to become a reliable coder of the CAPA (analyse and classify videos provided to an agreed standard) or present an evidenced assessment of the attachment relationships of children a family, in ways that focus on an attachment-based formulation of real-world problems.

This module will focus on using the results of attachment procedures to understand family functioning. The aim is to equip students with the ability to bring together information from different sources and mount or commission effective interventions. The emphasis is on formulation rather than diagnosis and treatment.

This module is designed to teach students to understand and administer a wide range of DMM and other assessment procedures. The aim is to teach students when to use a particular assessment, how they are coded and what they need to do to conduct them so they can be coded.

This module synthesises the students' learning by providing the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills they have learned on the programme to mount a small-scale research project aimed at either practice or empirical investigation. Students may also conduct a systematic literature review.

This module provides the underpinning knowledge for the programme and equips students to understand and critically evaluate attachment theory and research from both an historical and a contemporary perspective.

The understanding and critical evaluation of current attachment research requires a working knowledge of research design and the various methods of analysis together with the more common statistical tests. Students should also be able to mount a small scale research project of their own and use research approaches to evaluate interventions.

Students create a synthesis of their theoretical knowledge and clinical experience to pursue their own research interest. A clinical issue, the student's own clinical work or a professional issue may provide the inspiration for their research. There are opportunities for students to disseminate aspects of their completed research in the annual 'research exchange' event, and at the Arts Therapies final year EXPO.

This module will provide you with an overview of the range of contexts for coaching professional practice and the psychological models and theories that can be applied to these contexts. This module will offer the opportunity to apply a range of psychological concepts and reflect on their use and impact on clients. You will practice coaching using different psychological models as well as coaching tools to develop your own style and portfolio of skills, strengths and coaching knowledge. You will reflect upon each method and approach and identify where and when these methods are best suited to create your own coaching map for your future practice. You will continue to develop skills around the value and practice of creating a place of safety and trust in coaching, and the coaching relationship. The learning on this module will use an evidence-based approach, allowing for critical reflection and evaluation. This module is one of six modules designed to help you apply for EMCC practitioner accreditation as a coach, where each assessment is designed to respond to specific requirements in the accreditation application.

Throughout this module you will be taught in a mixture of lectures and seminars. The lectures will cover core information for each topic and will be recorded. Recordings will be made available on Moodle. Interactive seminar activities will offer space to practice the learning from the lectures, develop in-depth understanding of the theory and practice the skills, and offer support for the assessments. In the seminars, you will coach, experience being coached and observe coaching in action in different contexts. Your ability to demonstrate knowledge and suitability of a particular approach or range of approaches or models for a particular coaching client will be assessed using a coaching design report. Your coaching skills and knowledge of coaching models will be assessed through coaching practice at placement, where you will have opportunities to receive feedback. Your written communication skills will be developed through writing a case study and designing public communication, a skill that will be required for the rest of your degree and for many careers.

This module provides a foundation in developmental psychological theories throughout the lifespan from conception to older age. You will be introduced to human growth, change and stability from multiple perspectives including biological, cognitive, developmental, psychodynamic, social, humanistic with a focus on how these factors interact. You will learn about developmental disorders and how these might develop and present in different contexts, such as in school, or clinically. The module will critically examine dominant developmental theories and consider current alternative understanding and approaches. This knowledge is crucial to assess and work with clients and members of communities in different developmental stages of life and in different contexts. You will acquire skills needed to develop assessment and intervention plans in different communities and contexts as well as with clients with specific needs and in specific stages of life. The knowledge you will acquire will provided a basis for other modules such as Psychological Assessment and Formulation, Voluntary Experience and Evaluating Interventions.

Students are expected to engage in evidence-based practice and this involves both the ability to critically evaluate others' research and conducting research. This module provides students with the opportunity to engage and learn from supervised work in forensic psychology. As such, the module synthesises the students' learning by providing the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills they have learned on the programme to mount a small-scale research project. Planning and managing work effectively are essential skills required to successfully complete this module.

This module focuses on research methods in order to ensure that students understand the central importance of Evidence Based Practice and have the understanding and skills necessary to critically evaluate research that might inform their practice. This requires a working knowledge of research design and the various methods of analysis, together with the more common statistical tests. The module covers ethical considerations, data collection, data preparation and data analysis as well as dissemination of one's work. It also focuses on a range of advanced analysis procedures for both quantitative and qualitative data using appropriate software packages such as SPSS and NVIVO. Students will gain sophistication in understanding and using basic and advances research and evaluation methods.

Students are expected to engage in evidence-based practice, and this involves both the ability to critically evaluate others' research and being able to conduct research of one's own. This module provides students with the opportunity to engage and learn from supervised work in forensic psychology. As such, the module synthesises the students' learning by providing the opportunity to use the knowledge and skills they have learned on the programme to mount a small-scale research project. Planning and managing work effectively are essential skills required to successfully complete this module.

Acknowledging empirical understandings of the predictors of criminal behaviour, this module provides students with the current approaches to assessment that are routinely carried out in the forensic settings. Appropriate assessment is central to the effective management and treatment of offenders. Psychological assessment in forensic settings may be used at any stage of correctional involvement. By examining specific factors known to be associated with recidivism, assessment is used to provide insight into criminal behaviour and predict the risk of future offending. However, forensic assessments also aid practitioners in other contexts such as case formulation, treatment planning or treatment evaluation. The module introduces general clinical skills, addresses challenges of forensic assessments, explains various types of the assessment tools (e.g. those examining static and dynamic risk factors or structured professional judgement tools) whilst encouraging students to evaluate various approaches. Each theoretical session is followed by a practical workshop designed to consolidate theoretical understandings with practical skills and consultancy elements. Students will learn how to carry out an assessment interview, evaluate available evidence and score some of the most commonly used assessment tools and produce a professional report. In addition to transferable skills, the module will foster various practical skills such as specialist report writing, dissemination of the findings and communication of knowledge to a wider audience. The module will also discuss the aim organisational consultancy in providing advisory service to assist in the development of service strategies as well as consultancy role when applied to forensic psychological evaluations.

Forensic mental health is broadly defined as an area of specialisation applicable to treatment of offenders who have been diagnosed with mental disorder. In practice however, offenders are often referred to forensic services when the nature of their offending, or their ongoing behaviour is too difficult to manage in the general mental health services. This inevitably results in the currently escalating rates of such referrals. This module is designed to explain the complex relationship between mental disorders and criminal behaviour. Students will learn about the legal framework underpinning forensic mental health services, the structure of forensic mental health services and work of the multidisciplinary team. Various agencies working collaboratively with the mental health service providers (e.g. OPD Pathway) will be introduced. Links between specific mental disorders and offending behaviour will also be covered.

This module focuses on research methods in order to ensure that students understand the central importance of Evidence Based Practice and have the understanding and skills necessary to critically evaluate research that might inform their practice. This requires a working knowledge of research design and the various methods of analysis together with the more common statistical tests. The module covers ethical considerations, data collection, data preparation and data analysis as well as dissemination of one's work. It also focuses on a range of advanced analysis procedures for both quantitative and qualitative data using appropriate software packages such as SPSS and NVIVO. Students will gain sophistication in understanding and using basic and advances research and evaluation methods.

The issue of criminal behaviour is one of the topics within the academic discipline of psychology. To date, psychology has contributed a number of theories that advance our knowledge of why people offend. Psychological perspectives of crime include learning, developmental, personality or neuropsychological perspectives. While some models (e.g. moral reasoning or social information-processing theories) apply to general offending, others examine specific offences (e.g. sexual offending, homicide or arson) in order to provide a greater understanding of these serious crimes. Despite the various approaches, psychological conceptualisation of crime tends to focus on association between individual characteristics (especially mental processes that impact individual propensities for violence) and its interaction with the social environment to produce a violent event. This module will explore a range of theoretical conceptualisations and theories of criminal behaviour. A general introduction to this topic will be followed by an introduction to theoretical understanding of the onset, development, and maintenance of factors associated with specific offending behaviours such as fire-setting, stalking, domestic violence and sexual aggression. Where appropriate, distinctive offending trajectories within these specific offending groups will also be explored. The module sets out to provide theoretical basis for more applied modules such as assessment and the offending behaviour interventions. Students will be encouraged to consider the links between theoretical approaches and the practical applications to forensic work. The ability of a theoretical framework to account for research findings, integrate diverse determinants and gain empirical support for hypothesis testing is a necessary requirement for scientific acceptance. Therefore, theoretical models will be scrutinised in terms of their explanatory depth, predictive accuracy, empirical adequacy and practical utility. The module will foster various transferable skills including the ability to retrieve information from appropriate databases, managing information from a variety of sources, using appropriate evidence for the solution of complex problems and communicating effectively in academic writing.

This module will introduce students to contemporary theories of human development and growth. Theories of development, creativity, play and cultural competence will be explored. This module will provide the context for students’ clinical work and initial opportunities for an understanding of effective interdisciplinary exchange and communication with other professionals. The module will provide students with a deep and systematic understanding of human development. To this end, students will be introduced to human development, verbal and pre verbal communication in development, the formation of symbolism and play, and experiences of service users with developmental delays and psychiatric disorders across the lifespan. The module provides a consideration of the different theoretical and clinical perspectives and current research concerning human development: embodied, psychological, social, cultural and biological. Study of these topics allows for a deep understanding of the experiences and needs of the service users with whom students will work on placement. Professional skills such as formulation, an understanding of the centrality of diversity and consideration of power, and the key concepts of the knowledge base are also included within this module.? Independent study will further embed knowledge about the health and care landscape of the experiences of service users in a range of different settings. Additionally, students will engage with a creative project that allows opportunities for reflection and exploration of their own relationship to well being and a consideration of their culture. All these topics provide a framework for practice that introduces a critical view of health and health promotion, the idea of power and encourages a focus on the interests of the service user in therapeutic work. The learning on this module will allow students to progress into the placement environment with a critical understanding of the health and care landscape, of different approaches to mental health and wellbeing and with an understanding of the centrality of issues relating to diversity within healthcare.

This module focuses on the phenomenology, biological basis and treatment of symptoms of psychiatric illnesses and will examine a range of mental health experiences such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. Specifically, the module will provide a comprehensive understanding of more common mental health disorders and what may underpin them including evidence from epidemiology, genetics, cultural and social factors, psychological and neurobiological predictive factors and contemporary theories. You will apply evidence and theories to understand key symptoms of mental disorders such as hallucinations, delusions and depression. Additionally, you will also explore the very latest methods in therapeutics - clinical trials, drug treatments, psychological treatments, cognitive enhancement and neuromodulation. This module will cultivate a range of skills including reflective and critical thinking, and interpersonal sensitivity and awareness around issues in mental health. It will also promote the development of psychological knowledge of mental health for the benefit of yourself, your community, and society. This module may contribute in part to your preparation towards a traditional psychology career in a wide-range of contexts including but by no means limited to mental health services in the NHS, counselling, or other clinical practice - including the government’s IAPT initiative. It would also equally serve as preparation for further studies in mental health or a career in psychological or psychiatric research.

This core module will give you subject knowledge and understanding in two important areas of psychology. One is Individual Differences which includes topics such as intelligence and personality where diversity between individuals is a focus of theory, research, and application in settings including education, health and work. The other is Social Psychology where thought and behaviour are explained in terms of the influence of others on the self, such as the groups and communities to which one belongs. You will learn about multiple perspectives recognising a distinctive range of approaches to issues including relevant ethical and socio-cultural implications. An awareness of the ideas and concepts in this module are required to qualify for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society and are necessary to progress to post-graduate degrees in psychology. You will acquire the ability to discriminate and evaluate between the different kinds of explanations you will encounter for how people think and behave.

This module addresses the need for psychology to reflect and respond to changes in society, particularly on issues that may be prevalent in the media. Touching on topics such as gender, sexuality, politics, social media, reality television and mental health, you will examine these issues through the lens of psychology, gaining an understanding of how theoretical perspectives can inform, explain and influence contemporary social and cultural phenomenon. The module will develop key skills valued by employers through small-group seminars preparing and developing both oral and written presentations to help you communicate to a public audience to support behaviour changes that impact our changing society. The development of these core communication skills will be further built on at Level 5 and 6 thereby supporting your development into a presentation-confident learner to better prepare you for your future career after graduation.

In this module you will learn about some of the classic studies that have shaped the development of psychology as a scientific subject. You will learn about what makes psychology a science and about the diversity of people who have contributed to the subject. You will develop your skills of ethical reasoning, and critical evaluation. You will be able to explain how psychologists have responded to historical events and why psychology is a science. This understanding of the development of psychology will enable you to explain the value of psychology to employers and to their clients and customers.

Psychology of Resilience and Success provides the ideal inspiration and support for your learning journey in psychology, both in academia and beyond.

This module will empower you to:
discover the ways of learning that are most effective for you.
develop your confidence in conveying your ideas.
develop your psychological literacy skills.
develop an understanding of how groups can work effectively.
deepen your writing and thinking skills for your degree and beyond.
develop an awareness of how you can apply your knowledge and skills.

Whatever your experience prior to starting your psychology degree this module will enable you to become aware of the skills and resources that you already have and how you can strengthen and add to these. This module is framed within psychological theories of self and learning and will teach skills (e.g. communication styles, academic writing, managing procrastination, team working, conflict management, and interpersonal skills) that are vital for university study, as well as for future employment, while giving key opportunities to practice these skills.

This module will provide you with knowledge relating to key paradigms to assess different cognitive functions, and experience of designing and conducting research and data analysis in cognitive neuroscience. You will learn about and re-create classic paradigms and experiments used to assess and enhance our knowledge of a variety of cognitive functions such as perception, attention, memory, decision-making, language, and emotion. This module will introduce you to the conceptual issues associated with these major paradigms in cognitive neuroscience research and will foster your understanding of the nature, purpose, and logic of experimental methods and a quantitative approach. You will also design and conduct research studies using these paradigms, and so will see how these can be applied in real-life.

During this module you will be taught in a mixture of lectures and workshops. The lectures will give an overview of the different paradigms and the key findings using these. Workshops will provide you with the opportunity to design and conduct your own research studies using these paradigms. As a part of the workshops you will also have the opportunity to be a participant in another person’s study. Workshop activities will also be designed to support the assessments for the module.

Your knowledge in this module will be assessed through a literature review and a research report. These assessments will develop your abilities in synthesising, summarising, and evaluating relevant literature. Your work on the research report will also develop your abilities in designing, conducting, analysing the results of, and reporting the findings of studies in cognitive neuroscience. You will develop your skills in literature searching and reviewing as a part of this module, as well as your practical skills in programming and using computer software for data collection (e.g., E-Prime and Working Memory Analyser) and to perform statistical analysis (e.g. Excel and SPSS). This module will also further develop your academic written oral communication skills. These skills and your developed knowledge and understanding of cognitive neuroscience research will build on your knowledge from the first year and will be important for later modules, particularly your dissertation in the third year. This module will provide you with several skills that are highly desirable for postgraduate studies and employment within a wide range of careers linked to psychology and neuroscience, in particular careers in research and data analytics.

This yearlong module will complete your training as a Psychotherapeutic Counsellor by helping you develop your capacity for complex interventions, your adaptability to the changing dynamics of the psychotherapeutic work and your ability to make clinical judgements. You will become skilled in recognising subtle communications and feedback within the therapeutic relationship and strengthen your confidence in the modality and its application across a variety of complexities.

Practice-based learning lies at the heart of the music therapy programme. Students gain a second placement in a professional music therapy setting, where there is a qualified Music Therapist working as Placement Educator. This continued placement experience supports students in understanding the work and role of the Music Therapist. Through continuing to lead individual or group music therapy work with service users, students continue to develop their sophisticated conceptual and critical understanding of the therapeutic relationship, and consolidate their skills in managing a clinical caseload. With sufficient clinical supervision provided by the Placement Educator in the placement setting, and additional support provided by reflective practice groups within the programme, including the opportunity to share in the experiences of those students working in different settings, students will continue to prepare for future work as a professional Music Therapist.?In this second placement, students have the opportunity to consolidate and develop their independent music therapy approach, demonstrating their ability to embark upon professional practice. In addition, students will gain knowledge of and skills in working with interprofessional colleagues, reflecting upon their ability to work with others and to make use of the skills of colleagues. They will also consider how Music Therapists might develop advanced clinical practice skills, and develop and reflect upon their leadership and innovation skills.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

The Voluntary Experience (VE) module focuses on applying the theory that you have learnt over the previous two years within a voluntary setting. It is an opportunity to think about theory ‘in action,’ and as a group, start to discuss voluntary and workplace experiences from a reflective and theoretically informed perspective. The module provides an opportunity for you to engage with professionals, practitioners and service users to continue developing your knowledge of the workplace. The module leader and the careers department, will work with you to explore your interests in working with specific demographics or in certain settings. Previous students have volunteered as Befrienders and Mentors across a range of setting such as; educational and charitable and with demographics ranging from young people, older populations, and vulnerable adults. We understand that upon graduating, not all students will choose careers in clinical and counselling psychology as well as the helping professions (counselling, therapists etc.); for this reason, the type of voluntary experience suitable for the module encompasses a wide range of roles and contexts. However, what is necessary is that central to all voluntary experience is the concept of a ‘helping relationship.’ As third-year students, the aim is to allow you to apply personal responsibility, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to develop your personal and professional positionings. There will be a shift away from didactic teaching approaches, although they will be used where appropriate and encourage a critical evaluation of theory and practice. Through small group work, taught content, scenario-based discussed discussions, role-plays, and reflective spaces, you will be encouraged to draw upon and bring in experiences from your voluntary experience, which the module leader will scaffold in terms of topics and clinical practice.

Assessment in counselling entails knowledge from diverse theoretical backgrounds and assessment methods, training in different skills and flexibility in applying this information to specific contexts and clients. You will learn all that in this module including the ethical underpinnings of each approach and the difficulty of negotiating the diverse categories of normativity and difference currently used in mental health. In this module, we will teach you different conceptualisations for normality and mental health issues, including traditionally contradictory perspective that in modern approaches are integrated and complementary. You will learn how practitioners from different schools of thought assess human distress and mental health issues, from the medical model to a person-centered approach, and how to use them in an integrative practice necessary when working in multidisciplinary teams. Finally, you will be trained in the process of psychological assessment, including the use of interviews (according to diverse theories), structured methods of assessment (e.g., checklists and questionnaires), ethical issues that might arise at every stage of the assessment process, and how to use formulation when working with clients. These skills are crucial to becoming a practitioner or a helping professional in various workplaces.

Conducting a research project and writing a dissertation are relevant abilities that every research-informed practitioner should have. In this module, you will apply and develop research skills acquired through the program to a supervised research project. You will develop and improve skills in reflecting on ethical issues, reviewing and referencing literature, collecting and analysing data, and drawing interpretations and conclusions. In addition, you will increase your understanding of the research endeavor and further develop skills to successfully implement evidence-based practice with this module.

This module introduces you to the first psychotherapeutic approach explored within the BSc Therapeutic Psychology and counselling programme, by exploring and experimenting with the key concepts and principles of Humanistic and Person-Centred approaches. You will explore the philosophical foundations of Humanism, including its development, values, and influence on psychology, psychotherapy and counselling. In this module, you'll explore the intricacies of Carl Rogers’ Person-Centred Therapy, examining its core principles, critiques, and contemporary developments. As the module progresses, you'll engage with Humanistic and Existential theories, such as Rogers’ 19 Propositions and Yalom’s ‘Four Givens,’ to understand human distress and change. Additionally, you'll delve into integrative and pluralistic approaches, contemporary humanistic-experiential models, and the role of Humanism in various therapeutic contexts including diverse populations and difficulties. Through lively discussions, stimulating debates, immersive role-plays, and hands-on activities, you'll critically evaluate the evidence base for Humanistic-Experiential Psychotherapies. You'll consider their effectiveness compared to other approaches, all while honing your critical thinking skills. Finally, we will delve into the emerging trends in Humanistic Psychology and explore its evolving role in therapy and society. You will be assessed through the presentation of a 10-minute theory-based video and a research poster. These innovative tasks are designed to blend theoretical knowledge with practical application, enhancing your research and presentation skills. You'll showcase your mastery of the content, critical thinking, and creativity, making this module a valuable and enriching experience in your academic journey. Formative Feedback will be provided based on the poster content in order to help you to rely on constructive support aiming to improve your 10-minute video assessment. Formative assessment will be developed to help you engage with the final set of assessments. By attending this module, you will gain foundational knowledge necessary to understand the dynamics of helping relationships, the notion of therapeutic alliance as well as counselling and psychotherapeutic techniques employed from a person-centred perspective. This knowledge is essential for the professional growth of psychotherapists, counsellors, and mental-health workers. It will equip you with the skills to excel in counselling techniques and reflective practice, which are fundamentals for your future careers.

This module will explore key areas in neuropsychology covering each major lobe of the brain and covering sustained as well as progressive neuropsychological brain disorders. Each week is devoted to a key topic within the field, with the background material covered in the lecture and then the seminars focussed on critical evaluative discussion of important papers within that topic area. Students successfully completing this module will gain knowledge and understanding of the main theoretical perspectives, debates, research and statistical paradigms that have informed and shaped key neuropsychological disorders.

How people use language, how they communicate, and how they interact have long been central topics in psychological research. Recently there has been an expansion of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in this area. This module is designed to give you knowledge of key issues in this domain of inquiry, focusing on issues which are relevant for psychology. It also aims to develop your thinking skills and your capacity to communicate your ideas. The module expands on some of the issues addressed in the social psychology and cognitive psychology modules, and in qualitative research methods (though these are not pre-requisites for this module). In this module we will review a number of frameworks for researching communication and interaction (e.g. philosophical and literary approaches, sociological and anthropological perspectives, mass media and cultural studies, and psychological approaches). The focus is mainly on everyday interaction and the work done in conversation analysis.

This module builds on the knowledge of cognitive psychology and psychopathology that you would have acquired from the first two years of your degree. It aims to develop an understanding of information processing biases that may influence our social and emotional lives. The module will examine biases in how we attend to our environment, judge and predict, resolve ambiguity, and remember. It will consider the importance of these biases in relation to aspects of mental health, such as the onset, maintenance, and treatment of affective disorders. The module will enhance the relevance of your BSc Psychology degree to lines of work in mental health and related sectors and provide a foundation for postgraduate study on a range of BPS accredited courses.

This module will provide you with the opportunity to explore the role and impact of the workplace and working practices on job satisfaction, health and wellbeing, motivation and productivity. Topics covered will include admission and selection, diversity and equity, stress, wellbeing and promoting organisational and cultural changes in the workplace. You will adopt and develop your consultancy skills by consulting and designing an evidence-based workplace intervention to create an effective working environment utilising scientific reasoning, interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills. This module will facilitate the development of skills suitable for employment in HR, recruitment and consultancy or management.

The module will introduce you to the major theories and research in the field of forensic psychology. You will develop a greater understanding of offending behaviour and the factors that may engender this type of behaviour in vulnerable individuals. You will explore how factors such as gender, ethnic background, education, socioeconomic status, adverse life events, mental health difficulties and substance misuse can predict or lead to offending behaviour. In this module you will benefit from the contribution of applied practitioner forensic psychologists and research psychologists working in the field of forensic psychology, who draw on their expertise of working with offenders to illustrate and expand on some of the topics covered. You will develop a range of skills including reflective and critical thinking, and interpersonal sensitivity and cultural awareness around issues in forensic psychology. This module will contribute to your preparation towards a career in forensic psychology and postgraduate training in forensic psychology as well as related areas like social work or policing.

This module will examine issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion from a range of psychological perspectives. You will learn from diverse theoretical frameworks that question assumptions about individuals, science, and society, enabling you to explore ways of thinking about fundamental issues such as gender inequality, cultural sensitivity, racism, discrimination, and intersectionality. Throughout this module, you will become better equipped to understand the complex challenges faced by individuals, groups, and communities enabling you to foster more caring, just, inclusive, and sustainable attitudes as an active citizen. The inclusive practice, critical thinking, and communication skills that you develop in this module are valued by employers across the sector.

The aim of this module is to investigate the psychology of learning and teaching in educational settings and consider how psychological theories and concepts are applied in practice. This will equip you with a comprehensive understanding of child learning, teaching pedagogies and educational strategies in real-world settings. You will explore a range of topics relevant to contemporary learning contexts including the impact of technology enhanced learning and systemic barriers to achieving optimal learning outcomes. Students will further enhance transferable skills through experiential learning approaches in line with the programme aims and rationale. This module provides a rich learning pathway for students who want to pursue a career in educational psychology, play/ behavioural psychology, teaching or other education related fields including special educational needs.

This module will support you to further develop your employability, communication and reflective skills, focusing on marketing yourself in relation to CV writing, communication and interview skills, teamwork and developing an online social media presence (e.g Linkedin). You will be supported in adopting a life-long learning perspective, identifying and pursuing knowledge and skills directly relevant to academic, personal, and work-based development. In the latter part of the module, you will have the opportunity to acquire experience in the workplace, applying psychological knowledge and skills in a paid or voluntary capacity. Over the course of this module, you will develop a personal development portfolio and reflective journal drawing on your learning in industry, enterprise or with the community. This module will enable you to develop your employability skills, reflective capacity and psychological literacy, preparing you for your career after graduation.

The ability to apply psychological research methods is an essential skill to learn as part of your degree. As well as fulfilling the basic requirements of your degree for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) with the British Psychological Society (BPS), the project management, data management and analysis, and writing skills you will gain in this module are important transferable skills essential for future academic and occupational careers. The independent research project module is designed to facilitate the application of your existing knowledge and skills acquired across the programme to independently design, formulate, conduct, analyse and report research in your area of interest. This research will be conducted with further support from a supervisor who is an expert in the research area, alongside small group workshops and lectures to provide advanced research knowledge and skills.

This module?provides an opportunity for an optional work placement year between the second and third year of the degree. This module is available as an option to all students studying on the listed programmes. Please note that this is additional to the 360 credits of a 3-year degree programme.? Participating in a work placement year will enable students to develop employability skills across a longer period. It thus complements and builds on the employability skills developed through the curriculum throughout the first two years of the degree programme.? This is a full-time professional work placement in a role with graduate-level learning opportunities. In the event that a placement lasting 12 months (52 weeks) is not possible, or the placement is cut short for any reason, then the placement must last a minimum of 9 months / 39 weeks (that is, each placement should last between 1260-1680 hours).? It is possible that there may be a second employer during the 12-month period, in agreement with the Dean of School/Department and Head of Placements and Work Experience. The aim of the professional placement is to provide students with an opportunity to develop experience in managing real-life issues in the workplace?that: a) will enhance graduate attributes,?and b) give an opportunity to critically review and evaluate the relevance of subject-specific-related theories and practices in a real world context. Students are responsible for sourcing their own placements.

In this module, you will delve into the theories and practice of psychodynamic approaches and develop knowledge and critical understanding of the theoretical assumptions and philosophical principles that underpin psychotherapeutic counselling. This is a yearlong module that will support the development of skills and knowledge required for psychodynamic work in general and with mild to moderate depression in IAPT services, in particular. Key to this learning will be ability to understand the service users perspective in relation to their own experience of depression and the impact of depression on the person, families and carers. You will learn about the importance of clinical supervision and you will develop and practice key psychotherapeutic and analytic skills with service users at your Talking Therapies employment.

Making sense of the world around us involves numerous biological and cognitive processes. This module aims to give you a comprehensive grasp of the psychological processes that are involved in perceptual experience, cognition and behavior. Biological aspects of psychology investigate how the brain, nervous system and other physiological systems affect and are affected by mental functioning, behavior and experience. Cognitive psychology topics cover aspects of human mental processes such as the way we perceive, attend to information, remember and use language. By integrating these topics, this module aims to give you a rounded systematic understanding of how typically developing and diverse populations interact with the world and make sense of it. You will acquire skills and subject knowledge to critically engage with research findings and theoretical perspectives in biological and cognitive psychology.

This module is intended to provide you with an introduction to key historical and conceptual issues pertaining to the study of psychology including scientific beginnings and ethical developments, together with modern day applied issues in the study of psychology, integrating foundational knowledge with skills for personal and professional development. You will critically examine the historical evolution of psychology, assessing its impact on contemporary knowledge and methodologies. Through the analysis of case studies in individual differences, social and health psychology, you will evaluate theoretical, methodological, and ethical dimensions, applying these insights to current issues in the field. The module also emphasises the application of psychological theories and research in personal and professional contexts. It fosters an understanding of individual differences and psychological measurement, preparing students for evidence-based practice across diverse settings. You will engage with case studies drawn from a range of applied areas of psychology and apply these to their own learning and development. By developing skills essential for Master’s-level study, including ethical conduct, critical evaluation of theoretical and methodological approaches, and systematic understanding of historical influences, you will also critically reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and professional identity. This foundation equips them to navigate a range of professional psychology pathways with key skills and adaptability.

You will be taught the required competencies to deliver DIT effectively. The training builds on the DIT training you completed in year two and supports further your practice of this manualized treatment with supervision. The course includes presentation of theories and techniques, observation of live role-plays, discussion and formulation of specific cases. Among other skills and abilities, at the end of the module you will develop critical knowledge and understanding of the application of the main therapeutic strategies stemming from the psychodynamic therapeutic framework and DIT in clinical practice.

This module will expand your knowledge, skills and competence in psychotherapeutic counselling. It builds on and expands further the knowledge and experience you have gained during the first year of the programme and at work. Among other skills, you will demonstrate competence in managing a caseload of people with depression efficiently, safely and aligned to individual need. You will develop competence in using supervision to aid clinical decision-making and continue to learn from on-going continuing professional development.

This Module will provide you with a basic introduction sufficient to enable you to begin practicing Dynamic Interpersonal Therapy with supervision. The course includes presentation of theories and techniques, observation of live role-plays, discussion and formulation of specific cases. You will develop the knowledge of, and competence to work with, the emotional and psychological needs and problems of a range of adult age groups across the lifespan, including young people (18 to 25) and older adults, within DIT.

The study of mental health is a major focus of theory, research and practice in psychology. This module is designed to stimulate critical thinking about current conceptualisations of mental health and ill-health as well as issues associated with diagnosis and treatment. You will learn about factors which impact on individual and societal experiences of mental ill-health. This module will cover a range of topics exploring biopsychosocial perspectives on the aetiology and maintenance of common mental health disorders. You will learn to evaluation of treatment effectiveness. The aim of the module is to develop mental health literacy by examining and critically evaluating a broad range of perspectives on mental health on the one hand, and to enhance practical research skills on the other hand.

Making sense of the world around us involves numerous biological and cognitive processes. This module aims to give you a comprehensive grasp of the psychological processes that are involved in perceptual experience, cognition and behavior. Biological aspects of psychology investigate how the brain, nervous system and other physiological systems affect and are affected by mental functioning, behavior and experience. Cognitive psychology topics cover aspects of human mental processes such as the way we perceive, attend to information, remember and use language. By integrating these topics, this module aims to give you a rounded systematic understanding of how typically developing and diverse populations interact with the world and make sense of it. You will acquire skills and subject knowledge to critically engage with research findings and theoretical perspectives in biological and cognitive psychology.

This module is intended to provide you with an introduction to key historical and conceptual issues pertaining to the study of psychology including scientific beginnings and ethical developments, together with modern day applied issues in the study of psychology, integrating foundational knowledge with skills for personal and professional development. You will critically examine the historical evolution of psychology, assessing its impact on contemporary knowledge and methodologies. Through the analysis of case studies in individual differences, social and health psychology, you will evaluate theoretical, methodological, and ethical dimensions, applying these insights to current issues in the field. The module also emphasises the application of psychological theories and research in personal and professional contexts. It fosters an understanding of individual differences and psychological measurement, preparing students for evidence-based practice across diverse settings. You will engage with case studies drawn from a range of applied areas of psychology and apply these to their own learning and development. By developing skills essential for Master’s-level study, including ethical conduct, critical evaluation of theoretical and methodological approaches, and systematic understanding of historical influences, you will also critically reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, and professional identity. This foundation equips them to navigate a range of professional psychology pathways with key skills and adaptability.

In Foundations of Psychology you will embark on a broad exploration of the field, gaining fundamental knowledge that is essential for success throughout your degree. You will learn about historical perspectives that highlight the changes in psychological thought over time. You will explore the foundational areas of cognitive psychology, which examines mental processes; biological psychology, which explores the connection between biology and behaviour; developmental psychology, which focuses on human growth and change; and social psychology, which investigates how individuals behave in a social context. Additionally, the topic of individual differences will address the unique traits and variations that shape human behaviour. You will also discover how we can approach current topics in psychology from cognitive, biological, developmental, and social perspectives, and the importance of individual differences. By engaging with these core areas of psychology and exploring how they may apply in an integrated manner to specific issues, you will develop a well-rounded understanding of psychological concepts and some basic methods of carrying out research. This knowledge will be essential in preparing you for the rest of your degree, postgraduate studies, and careers in a variety of fields linked to psychology. In this module, you will be taught through a mixture of lectures and seminars. Lectures will provide a vivid overview of each topic and will identify what psychology contributes to our understanding of the issues and the applications of that knowledge. Seminars will be directly linked to the focus of each lecture and will enable you to interactively engage with the topic in a sustained manner. Whilst the focus and format of each seminar will be tailored to the specific topic, each seminar will enable the opportunity for interactive engagement and discussion. Seminars will make use of activities such as guided discussions and debates in small groups focusing on issues relevant to the topic, quizzes that recap and extend ideas raised in the lecture, and specific tasks where you might apply concepts to real-world situations and issues. Research practicals will also be embedded within seminars to illustrate some of the research paradigms of modern psychology and issues in the interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data. Finally, seminar activities will support the assessments for the module. You will be assessed using a poster and portfolio for this module. In the poster, you will develop your presentation design skills, as well as your ability to undertake independent research and to summarise this. In the portfolio you will develop your abilities in written communication and evaluating material. As a result, this module will equip you with valuable communication, analytical, and evaluative skills that will be important for the rest of your degree and for postgraduate studies. These skills are also useful in many workplaces and are highly valued by employers.

Skills for Success provides an opportunity for you to maximise your chances of success within and beyond your degree. Through interactive lectures and seminars, you will cover a variety of topics that will prepare you for the rest of your degree, as well as postgraduate study and the workplace. Interactive lectures will help you adjust successfully to being at university, enabling you to effectively locate and use the many resources that are available to you. The sessions address issues such as procrastination, time management, and anxiety that could be holding you back from achieving your full potential. Skills for Success also dedicates time to focus on how you can excel in understanding and reporting research, an essential skill for psychology and related disciplines. In addition, the interactive lectures will address the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) and how we can learn to use this effectively and critically, by seeing it as not replacing human intelligence but rather making it more relevant than ever, and how we can use artificial and human intelligence together. Skills for Success will also equip you in identifying the skills that you already have and are in the process of developing. This is an important step in better understanding some of the many possibilities that are available to you in your future professional development and career, and so this will help you to better appreciate how your developing skills empower you to excel in these roles. The Skills for Success seminars will provide hands on opportunities for you to put ideas covered in lectures into practice. You will have opportunities to work independently and with your peers to develop skills such as resource finding, debating (on a topic that you choose), analysing, and presenting. In the seminars you will become skilled at using AI critically, ethically, and creatively – for example using it for feedback, to discuss complex ideas, and for interview practice. This will allow you to discover ways in which you can use AI effectively to deepen your understanding and provide new ideas and perspectives, whilst being increasingly able to identify AI’s shortcomings and improve upon them. Seminar activities will also support you with the assessments for this module. The assessments for Skills for Success provide interesting and challenging ways of encapsulating your skills and understanding. You will be assessed by a presentation and a critical debate and reflection. These assessments will help develop your communication skills in presenting and summarising information clearly, and in writing persuasively. You will also develop your skills in using AI effectively for the critical debate and reflection. These assessments will therefore help you develop key skills that you will use throughout your degree, and these skills will also be important for postgraduate studies and many workplaces.

This module builds on the work covered in the first year of training and aims to explore the centrality of the therapeutic relationship within the context of child-centred play therapy theory and practice. Emphasis will be placed on developing the qualities of presence, openness, and authenticity within the play therapist with careful consideration to reflective practice, self-care, and the professional challenges of working with vulnerable children and young people. This module also offers students the opportunity to further their knowledge and understanding of the unconscious and symbolic communications of children in order to enter into the inner world of the child. Recognition of, and respect for, the child’s innate capacity for self-healing, given the right support, is at the heart of this module as is the therapeutic relationship. This module will also enable students to put into practice all the factors involved in setting up, maintaining, facilitating and processing three to four play therapy cases in the second placement of the training. This will involve a minimum seventy (70) hours of which approximately 30 hours must be with one long-term case. Students will have the opportunity to develop and explore their understanding of both the theory and practice of play therapy in relation to working with different client groups, including children who have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma, separation, loss and disability. This module will also develop the student’s knowledge of child mental health. Students will be required to attend weekly supervision with an external BAPT-approved clinical supervision on a ratio of 1 supervision hour to every 2 client hours. Using information and experience from the clinical placement and external supervision as well as from lectures, students are expected to reflect on and critically evaluate their practice and the efficacy of the intervention. Students will also engage in observations with a young child over the age of one but ideally under the age of three. Building on their observational skills from Year 1, students continue to hold the role of observer in order to consider and evaluate the behaviour of the young child and those around them. This component is supported by regular small group seminars.

In this module you will learn about changes in the brain and in cognitive abilities across development. We will discuss both the typical development of different cognitive functions, such as memory, language, and social cognition, as well as the atypical development that is seen in neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and intellectual disabilities. This module will cover current research and perspectives in these topics as well as future directions, giving you an up-to-date overview of key research questions in these areas.

Throughout this module you will be taught in a mixture of lectures and seminars. The lectures will give an overview of key research and the current research questions for each topic. Seminars will give you the opportunity to discuss current perspectives in the field to enhance your understanding, as well as consider how we can apply our knowledge to better support people and improve their lives. Seminar activities will also be designed to support the assessments for the module.

In this module your knowledge and understanding of developmental cognitive neuroscience will be assessed through a research summary portfolio and a public communication. These assessments will develop your ability to synthesise, summarise, consider the impact of, and apply knowledge, as well as your communication skills for non-academic audiences. Both postgraduate study and many workplaces require effective communication for different audiences, and so these skills will be vital for the next stage in your career.

Producing an independent project is an important part of your degree. In this module you will develop your research, project management, and written and oral communication skills through either conducting an independent research project or an independent consultancy project. If you conduct a research project you will apply your previous knowledge and skills around research methods and statistics to your own project, where you will independently design your research question(s), collect your data, manage and analyse your data, and report on your findings. In addition, you will interpret your findings in terms of the existing literature and the possible implications of these. If you conduct a consultancy project you will apply your previous knowledge and skills around literature searching and critical evaluation to independently perform a systematic and critical evaluation of contemporary research and future directions in a specific topic, and report on your findings.

Available projects will span different areas relating to neuroscience, meaning you are able to select a topic in an area that interests you. You will be supported in your project by a supervisor who is an expert in the topic, and you will also take part in lectures and workshops to further develop your research skills and to support your work for this module.

Whichever project you choose, you will be required to write an extended report and deliver a poster presentation. This will further develop your written and oral communication skills, as well as your research and project management skills. Through your work on this module, you will therefore develop a number of key transferable skills that are important for many graduate careers.

This module will provide you with knowledge and skills in the use of neuroscience techniques, as tools for both research and therapy in mental health disorders, across the lifespan. Throughout this module, you will delve into the intricacies of neuroscience techniques and their application to mental health disorders. You will be equipped with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, essential for a diverse range of professional pathways. The content will be delivered through a blend of lectures and seminars, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience. Specifically, you will learn the theory behind and relevance of important neuroscience techniques via lectures, including non-invasive brain stimulation (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, transcranial electrical stimulation), neuroimaging (Electroencephalography, Structural and functional MRI) and animal techniques. Furthermore, you will gain knowledge on about mental health disorders involving a technique. You will develop essential written communication skills and practical experience in seminars.

This module will provide you with a thorough foundation in structures and functions of the human brain, with a particular focus on the neuroanatomy of different cognitive functions. You will learn about the neural mechanisms underlying a range of key cognitive functions, such as visual processing, attention, language, memory, social and emotional processing, cognitive control, and reward. These neural mechanisms will be underpinned by evidence from a variety of approaches, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), event related potentials (ERPs), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and neuropsychological case studies. You will also learn about the functioning of the brain at a cellular and molecular level. As a result, this module will provide you with a solid grounding for subsequent studies and careers which rely on an understanding of brain structures and functions. You will be taught using a mixture of lectures and seminars. The lectures will cover key information for each week’s topic, including core knowledge relating to brain structures and functions, and the neural mechanisms of different cognitive abilities. Your understanding of key concepts will be enhanced through quizzes in the seminars. Seminar activities will also include student presentations and discussions. These will allow you to develop your own thinking relating to structures and functions of the human brain, as well as your oral communication and presentation skills. Seminars will also include elements to develop your skills for your assessments, and you will have opportunities to receive formative feedback. Your learning for each week will be supplemented by additional video content, including further exploration of ideas and applications of knowledge, revision of key background information, or examples of patients to illustrate concepts. Within this module you will be assessed using a presentation and an essay. These assessments will develop your oral and written communication and presentation skills, as well as your ability to synthesis, summarise, and critically evaluate research literature. These skills are essential for research degrees and a range of careers, and so these assessments will provide you with important skills that are valued by many employers.

Personal development is viewed as a crucial element of the programme. Learning to know and understand oneself is an essential prerequisite to understanding and being able to help others. In addition, it is considered important that trainees have the opportunity to work through their own defences and relational patterns and gain insight into their own processes in order that these do not hinder the counselling process with clients. Personal therapy therefore functions to safeguard both potential clients and the individual trainee.

Personal development is viewed as a crucial element of the programme. Learning to know and understand oneself is an essential prerequisite to understanding and being able to help others. In addition, it is considered important that trainees have the opportunity to work through their own defences and relational patterns and gain insight into their own processes in order that these do not hinder the counselling process with clients. Personal therapy therefore functions to safeguard both potential clients and the individual trainee.

The module is intended to provide an introduction to key historical and conceptual issues pertaining to the study of psychology including scientific underpinnings of the discipline, the relationship between quantitative and qualitative data and theory, and research and professional ethics. The module aims to convey a critical overview of how the discipline has developed over time and how this has shaped knowledge and understanding today. Students are guided to critically analyse historical case studies in social and health psychology in terms of methodology, theory and ethical thinking and practice and apply their learning to current issues. Students will begin to develop skills required for Masters level study including understanding principles of ethical conduct, critical evaluation of theoretical and methodological approaches in psychology and systematic understanding of how historical events have shaped the discipline in terms of theory and method.

The aim of this module is to introduce the student to a range of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and to the philosophical positions that underpin them. The student will learn to evaluate critically the strengths and limitations of each approach, and consider the links between research and therapeutic practice. The module aims to assist the student in developing the skills and knowledge base to equip them to identify, design, plan, and carry out a small-scale empirical research project that has relevance for counselling and psychotherapy theory and practice.

This module continues on from Supervised Counselling Practice 1, in facilitating trainees to gain their final 100 supervised client hours in the second year of this training. Supervision of client work is an essential part of their development to become competent practitioners and is an ongoing professional requirement after qualification. It serves both the welfare of clients and the professional development of the counsellor. In training, experienced supervisors transmit the accumulated skills, knowledge, and attitudes of counselling to the next generation of professionals. Furthermore, supervision provides a context for reflecting on personal strengths and limitations as they arise in practice, and for support in difficult situations. It is also a thinking space for reflecting on what is happening in the therapeutic relationship, with the benefit of an external perspective.

As competence can only develop through practice, students are required to work with clients at suitable placements to gain practical experience. In order to pass this module, they must complete a minimum of 100 hours of client work under qualified supervision at a ratio of one hour of supervision to every 8 hours of client work fortnightly. Supervision of client work is an essential part of the development to become a competent practitioner and is an ongoing professional requirement after qualification. It serves both the welfare of clients and the professional development of the counsellor. In training, experienced supervisors transmit the accumulated skills, knowledge, and attitudes of counselling to the next generation of professionals. Furthermore, supervision provides a context for reflecting on personal strengths and limitations as they arise in practice, and for support in difficult situations. It is also a thinking space for reflecting on what is happening in the therapeutic relationship, with the benefit of an external perspective.

This module will further develop students’ capacities to reflect and work from an integrative, building on the theoretical module presented in Year 1. Students will consider the challenges, synergies, tensions and complexities of assimilating cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic perspectives with humanistic-existential perspectives. The therapeutic relationship is proposed as an integrative agent. In term 1 psychodynamic approaches are considered. These may provide insight into symbolic and unconscious communications, the influence of the past in the present, and complex relational dynamics between therapist and client. In term 2 cognitive-behavioural perspectives are considered. These may aid the therapist and client in understanding the clients’ emotions about events in their life and identify problematic thinking patterns that are taking place, in the here-and-now, and how these may impact on behaviour. As practitioners in diverse social environments, it is also necessary for counsellors and psychotherapists to be aware of the influence of context (e.g. cultural, identity, socio-economic, environmental) and the person of the therapist on the process of therapy; and be able to work with ethical maturity and reflexivity, and constructively and creatively with cultural difference. As independent professional practitioners, trainees must be able to practise ethically and competently with a range of presenting issues in a variety of settings, with both brief and longer-term contracts. This requires familiarity with the BACP Ethical Framework (2018), related legal issues and professional duty of care.

This module has three strands which are deeply inter-related – Assessment, Diagnosis and Clinical Disorders. Integrative relational therapists need to be able to make informed choices about therapeutic interventions appropriate for the problems with which clients present. Careful assessment of the nature of clients’ presenting issues, their needs and available resources within their current context, provide the basis for well-considered and ethical treatment planning and interventions. In line with the integrative relational philosophy of this training, students need to develop the flexibility to adopt various actuarial and clinical theoretical perspectives with an attitude of critical reflection on practice. As many counsellors and therapists work in a multidisciplinary team, in particular within the NHS, trainees require an understanding and working knowledge of psychiatric diagnoses and classification systems, while being aware of their critiques. Furthermore, trainees need to understand how their personal, theoretical and cultural biases might influence the judgements made about clients, in terms of presenting problems and possible planning for treatment. In this module a number of prevalent presenting problems will be addressed in relation to assessment. It is expected that trainees will transfer this learning to other presenting issues clients bring, in order to demonstrate their competencies in autonomously investigating appropriate approaches congruent with their use of supervision, to sustain their ethical practice in line with BACP ethical guidelines.

In Neuropathology, Neuropharmacology, and Neurotoxicology you will build on your earlier knowledge relating to neuroscience and biological processes. You will learn about a range of different neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. You will discover the causes of these including genetic and non-genetic contributing factors, mechanisms contributing to the development of these, behavioural symptoms of these, and current and potential future treatments for these. You will also learn about molecular mechanisms leading to cell death, and how these relate to conditions such as stroke and epilepsy. In addition, you will learn about principles underlying the effect of drugs on the nervous system and drug development, and you will learn about the mechanisms of action for psychoactive drugs and drugs relating to the control of pain. This module will therefore cover a range of topics relating to neuropathology, neuropharmacology, and neurotoxicology, and the content here will be valuable for the remainder of your degree and for postgraduate studies or careers relating to these fields. You will be taught using a mixture of lectures and seminars throughout this module. In lectures you will learn about key concepts, theories, and research relating to each topic. In seminars you will further explore these topics, including current and future areas of research, and you will apply your knowledge to real-world issues relating to these topics. The seminars will also include activities to support you with the assessments for this module. In this module you will be assessed using a leaflet and a stakeholder report. You will need to design a leaflet to inform a non-academic audience about a neurodegenerative condition, and you will need to create a report for a non-academic audience relating to the recent research and future directions of research for a topic covered in the module. These assessments will therefore develop your written communication skills for a non-academic audience. These assessments will also further develop your ability to synthesise, summarise, evaluate, and apply knowledge. These abilities will be valuable for the rest of your degree and postgraduate studies, in addition to a range of careers.

The rationale for this module is to enable learners to develop and apply an integrative, relational model of therapeutic practice at a professional level and to understand the reasons for working in this manner. Although students will be learning to practice from this particular integrative perspective, it is important that they understand integrative theory and the critiques of it in order to have a rationale and context for their own practice. Attention will be paid to the complex arguments and associated research evidence underlying the move towards integration in counselling and psychotherapy. Illustrative clinical material will be used to assist in making specific links between theory and practice. There will be a substantial skills learning component, using a variety of experiential formats designed to develop learners’ skills in moment to moment therapeutic work using an integrative, relational model. The focus of this component will usually be the therapeutic relationship.

In this module, you will explore current issues in which developmental psychology plays a role, such as education, technology and the media, cross-cultural differences in development or other global issues (such as young people’s environmental concerns). Topical sessions will review the issues where developmental theory, research and practice are implicated, and interactive seminars will discuss their impact on the development of individuals and societies. The module brings contemporariness to the programme by reviewing, discussing, and evaluating, pertinent and timely issues in key contexts of developmental psychology. This extends knowledge and encourages consideration of theoretical implications and practical applications. The academic and professional benefits you’ll gain include applying understanding of developmental psychology concepts, critical analysis of practical problems or ‘real-world’ concerns and documenting of these as transferrable skills that can be used in further studies and/or the workplace. Areas include children and young people’s use of technology and media, the nature and impact of formal schooling, other forms of education, and transition between forms or from education to the world of work, and global issues such as cross-cultural differences, migration and climate change. The module will review, discuss and evaluate the role of developmental psychology in such topics. You will engage in learning through online topical introductions, lectures and seminars that involve discussions or debates, and reviewing examples of real-life problems, case studies or intervention practices, and reflections. Assessment includes one written assignment and one non-written task. Other class activities such as a professional talk or external visit and career planning discussions (Career Development Week), an Assessment Support Week, and live draft coursework feedback, will be available to help to give you positive experiences and promote employability.

Human development is characterized by divergent developmental trajectories across cognitive and socioemotional domains. At critical points in development, when progress does not align with established expectations or milestones, interventions can be applied to help individuals achieve expected outcomes. In this module, you will study developmental differences and diversity issues at different stages of human development, and explore specific neurodivergent conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. The module will enable you to discuss the major diagnostic criteria and the ways in which knowledge of developmental psychology theory and latest research can be applied to inform assessments and intervention practices in key domains in contexts, catering to diverse needs and care settings. The topics and issues require applying and synthesizing developmental psychology theory and research to consider individual and group differences and to cater to diversity in different practical contexts. You will enjoy various academic and professional benefits from studying this module, including the essential theoretical and research-informed knowledge in areas of developmental differences and diversity, applying such knowledge when considering outcomes and practical implications in context, and communicating research evidence, as transferrable skills that can be used in further studies and/or the workplace.

In this module you will explore the development of mental processes, their biological underpinnings and neurological pathways through the lifespan. Indicative topics include prenatal development to infancy, genetic and environmental influences, transitions, impairments and resilience. Cognitive and biological development is an essential part of developmental psychology. It reflects how the developing individual perceives and processes information from the world and how human biology has evolved to support our unique social and ecological niche. This module delves into the different perspectives and methodologies that examine developmental trajectory from conception to childhood. Common paradigms, neuroimaging modalities and neurodevelopmental batteries are illustrated. We also follow adolescents through emerging adults under construction, embedded in their environment and actively contributing to maturity. Applications of developmental cognitive neuroscience in the classroom, adult populations and generalizability to global majority countries are considered. The academic and professional benefits to you will include obtaining essential theoretical and research-informed knowledge, creating a cohort proficient in applying knowledge to diverse settings, outcomes and practices, and exercising critical evaluation as transferrable skills that can be used in further studies and/or the workplace. You will engage in learning through topics and seminars including group discussion, debates about different perspectives or explanations, consideration of case studies (for preparing a review), and reflective exercises. Assessment includes one written assignment and one non-written task. Outside-class activities such as a lab visit (Career Development Week) and Assessment Support Week will be available to help ensure positive experiences and promote employability

This module is divided into three fundamental areas of DMP training. One part focuses on internal supervision for external clinical placements. The second part involves developing core DMP skills in relation to the clinical practice. The third part of this module focuses on core concepts central to healing processes in Dance Movement Psychotherapy. During the supervision component of this module students are supported in their independent placements and assisted in the reflection of key issues arising at this time in order to enhance both personal and professional skills development. This component of the module is the central focus for students’ DMP clinical practice. It feeds into each learning outcome of the overall programme and fulfils (with DMP placement and process 1), clinical requirements for registration with the Association for Dance Movement Psychotherapy UK. It offers students direct experience of working with clients and of planning, implementing and evaluating their developing DMP clinical skills in at least two different settings during the year. The focus is upon finding helpful ways of understanding the development of, and influences upon, a therapeutic relationship over time. Students are encouraged to be discerning about what is useful for particular clients at specific times in therapy and how this intersects with therapist’s theoretical assumptions. Students are supported in their continuing self-evaluation of their developing skills towards becoming safe, ethical and self-reflexive practitioners. During the skills component part of this module, students are offered opportunities to develop core clinical skills informed by practice, feedback from observation and reflection. This aspect of the module provides students with practical opportunities to develop intersubjective skills when working with groups and individuals within a variety of settings. Students will learn a range of core skills including appropriate use of touch and maintaining ethical therapeutic boundaries, kinesthetic empathy and therapeutic movement relationship, integration of verbal and non-verbal material, and interventions based on individual client/ group presentation(s), treatment planning, assessments, movement observation and emergent thematic material. Students will learn how to structure and facilitate individual and group sessions with children and adults in different settings where DMP is practiced. Both supervision and core DMP skills components of the module enable students to communicate coherently with other professionals, provide a treatment rationale for specific client groups and give an introductory presentation on DMP to other professionals within their placement setting. According to ADMP UK, students are required to fulfil a minimum of 675 hours of clinical placement including a minimum of 100 clinical facilitating hours over the duration of the programme. Placements will include direct client contact as a therapist providing Dance Movement Psychotherapy in either group or individual sessions (100 hours). Experience of at least two different client populations is required.

The Ethics, Policy, and Entrepreneurship in Digital Health module provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the ethical, legal, and business considerations that shape the development and implementation of digital health technologies. Integrating all five pillars of education—Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Sustainability, Global Engagement, Professionally Focused Education, and Technology-Enhanced Learning—this module ensures that you develop the critical knowledge, practical skills, and strategic thinking needed to navigate the complexities of digital health innovation. You will explore key topics, including data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA), AI bias and algorithmic fairness, accessibility in digital health, health economics and funding strategies, and policy frameworks regulating digital health solutions. You will also engage with the entrepreneurial landscape, learning how startups, investors, and healthcare organisations develop and scale digital innovations. Learning activities will include interactive lectures, case study analyses, and hands-on workshops, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Guest seminars from industry leaders, policymakers, and health tech entrepreneurs will provide real-world insights into digital health governance, ethical dilemmas, and market opportunities. Assessments are designed to prepare you for professional practice, including a policy brief (50%) that critically evaluates an ethical or regulatory challenge in digital health and a business case analysis (50%) requiring you to apply entrepreneurial principles to a real-world health tech scenario. As a core module in the MSc Digital Health, this module prepares you for careers in digital health policy, governance, entrepreneurship, and ethical AI development. By integrating practical applications, interdisciplinary perspectives, and global insights, you will gain the competence and confidence to lead in the digital health sector.

This module provides an essential introduction to the field of digital health, equipping you with a broad understanding of the key concepts, theories, and challenges shaping the sector. You will explore the digital transformation of healthcare, the role of big data and AI, and the translation of in-person treatments, both preventive and reactive, into digital formats. Through interactive discussions and case studies, you will examine user-centred design principles, accessibility considerations, and the evolving business landscape of digital health. The module also introduces you to career pathways in digital health, emerging innovations across the healthcare industry, and fundamental entrepreneurial concepts. By engaging with contemporary debates and real-world examples, you will develop a critical awareness of the opportunities and challenges presented by digital health technologies. Assessments will focus on developing analytical and teamwork skills through a global trends analysis (presentation; 50%) and a group project (50%), preparing you to navigate the complexities of the digital health landscape. This module lays the groundwork for deeper exploration in later modules, providing a solid theoretical and practical foundation for further study and professional development.

Being able to critically evaluate, conduct and utilise psychological research, and understand its role in the development of a knowledge base for practice, is central to the professional identity and competencies of a counselling psychologist. In line with the pluralistic philosophy of the programme, this module aims to help students develop a critical understanding of the nature, philosophical underpinnings, strengths, limitations and potential applications of a range of research methods, as well as the evidence base emerging from these approaches. It also aims to assist students in developing the knowledge and skills needed to successfully plan and conduct a piece of psychological research at doctoral level. Through scheduled classes and individual tutorials, the module aims to guide students through the process of transforming their own research interests and ideas into a viable proposal for an original piece of advanced empirical research. This module also aims to support and assess Year 1 PsychD students' potential to undertake doctoral research. The module is taken at D level, although it can be passed at either D or M levels, and has two sets of corresponding learning outcomes and assessment criteria that map onto QAA descriptors for Masters and Doctoral level work. Students will need to pass the module at D level in order to progress into year 2 of the PsychD programme, which is at D level. Students who pass at M level will be granted credit for the module and thus eligible for an MSc exit award, provided they have passed all other M level year 1 modules.

The provision of psychological assessment and formulation constitutes a key aspect of the work that practitioner psychologists undertake across different professional settings. This module aims to enable trainees to develop the required core knowledge and skills in carrying out assessments and the collaborative development of individualized formulations, which address clients' presenting issues, needs and available resources with sensitivity and sophistication, and help to plan effective interventions. Trainees will be encouraged to develop a relational, pluralistic and reflective stance towards assessment that is grounded in a phenomenological appreciation of the client's lifeworld and includes an understanding of clients' psycho-social, socio-cultural and socio-political contexts as constituting aspects of their presenting issues as well as potential sources for recovery. Furthermore, trainees will become familiar with, and develop competencies in using, more formal assessment tools, including psychometric tests and standardized measures. Throughout, there will be an emphasis on psychological formulation as opposed to psychiatric diagnosis, and students will critically consider notions of psychopathology, diagnostic classification and psychopharmacology from a counselling psychology perspective while becoming familiar with alternative perspectives such as the service user movement and the recovery model. The module will also help students gain a theoretical understanding of a range of common presenting issues that they are likely to encounter in their clinical practice. Teaching combines lectures, experiential and practice-based learning and skills practice.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

Forensic mental health is broadly defined as an area of specialisation applicable to treatment of offenders who mental disorder, and the role that mental disorder plays as a factor contributing to offending behaviour. Offenders are often referred to forensic services when their ongoing behaviour places them at risk of offending, or they are suspected of, or commit an offence. This inevitably results in the currently escalating rates of such referrals. This module is designed to explain the complex relationship between mental disorders and criminal behaviour. Students will learn about the legal framework underpinning forensic mental health services, the structure of forensic mental health services and work of the multidisciplinary team. Various agencies working collaboratively with the mental health service providers (e.g. OPD Pathway) will be introduced. Links between specific mental disorders and offending behaviour will also be covered.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

The issue of criminal behaviour is one of the topics within the academic discipline of psychology. To date, psychology has contributed a number of theories that advance our knowledge and understanding as to why people offend. Psychological perspectives of crime include learning, developmental, personality or neuropsychological perspectives. While some models (e.g. moral reasoning or social information-processing theories) apply to general offending, others examine specific offences (e.g. sexual offending, homicide or arson) in order to provide a greater understanding of these serious crimes. Despite the various approaches, psychological conceptualisation of crime tends to focus on association between individual characteristics (especially mental processes that impact individual propensities for violence) and its interaction with the social environment to produce a violent event. This module will explore a range of theoretical conceptualisations and theories of criminal behaviour. A general introduction to this topic will be followed by an introduction to theoretical understanding of the onset, development, and maintenance of factors associated with specific offending behaviours such as fire-setting, stalking, domestic violence, and sexual aggression. Where appropriate, distinctive offending trajectories within these specific offending groups will also be explored. The module sets out to provide theoretical basis for more applied modules such as assessment and the offending behaviour interventions. Students will be encouraged to consider the links between theoretical approaches and the practical applications to forensic work. The ability of a theoretical framework to account for research findings, integrate diverse determinants and gain empirical support for hypothesis testing is a necessary requirement for scientific acceptance. Therefore, theoretical models will be scrutinised in terms of their explanatory depth, predictive accuracy, empirical adequacy and practical utility. The module will foster various transferable skills including the ability to retrieve information from appropriate databases, managing information from a variety of sources, using appropriate evidence for the solution of complex problems and communicating effectively in academic writing.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS.

The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups.

Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

Acknowledging empirical understandings of the predictors of criminal behaviour, this module provides students with the current approaches to assessment that are routinely carried out in the forensic settings. Appropriate assessment is central to the effective management and treatment of offenders. Psychological assessment in forensic settings may be used at any stage of correctional involvement, as well as different stages of community involvement and intervention. By examining specific factors known to be associated with recidivism, assessment is used to provide insight into criminal behaviour and predict the risk of future offending. However, forensic assessments also aid practitioners in other contexts such as case formulation, treatment planning or treatment evaluation. The module introduces general clinical skills, addresses challenges of forensic assessments, explains various types of the assessment tools (e.g., structured professional judgement tools) whilst encouraging students to evaluate various approaches. Each theoretical session is followed by a practical workshop designed to consolidate theoretical understandings with practical skills and consultancy elements. Students will learn how to carry out an assessment interview, evaluate available evidence and score some of the most commonly used assessment tools and produce a professional report. In addition to transferable skills, the module will foster various practical skills such as specialist report writing, dissemination of the findings and communication of knowledge to a wider audience. The module will also discuss the aim of organisational consultancy in a forensic environment, and the value of providing a consultancy service to assist in the development of psychological provision and theory within service strategies, as well as consultancy role when applied to forensic psychological evaluations.

Once students have successfully completed the foundation modules of Year 1 and achieved the criteria needed to proceed to year 2 of the programme, they enrol on the Advanced practice and research module. This is a two-year long module that builds on the knowledge and skills developed in year 1, and helps trainees develop the range of experience and advanced competencies they will need to practice as a counselling psychologist and apply for registration with the HCPC and chartered status with the BPS. The module comprises a number of components that cover areas such as psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioural models of therapy, advanced practitioner competencies, supervised placement experience, personal development and empirical research. The topics covered reflect the scope of work and abilities expected of the modern practitioner psychologist, and will help prepare students to successfully undertake roles in a range of professional areas, including clinical practice, supervision, service evaluation and research. Students will build on their competence in person-centred therapy by learning and gaining experience in a psychodynamic approach. They may then opt to build more in-depth experience in a person-centred or psychodynamic approach, or develop a more pluralistic-integrative model of practice. They will also have the option of gaining experience in cognitive-behavioural therapy. As well as building up knowledge and competence in different therapy models, students will also need to gain experience in an appropriate range of settings and with a range of different client groups. Throughout the module students continue to attend weekly professional practice groups, facilitated by a clinical tutor, which support their learning. They are also expected to attend personal therapy and participate in an experiential group, to support the development of their capacities as reflective relational practitioners. Students are also allocated to research supervision teams, who support them in carrying out and writing up the empirical research project outlined in their Year 1 research proposal. Teaching and learning also includes interactive lectures, independent study, skills development and workshops, group work and practice-based learning tasks. Formal module assessment includes the completion of case studies, an empirical dissertation and a reflective essay. Students prepare and receive formative feedback on these pieces, while they work towards the production of a final doctoral portfolio that showcases their development and achievements in professional practice and research. This is then formally assessed by a viva voce examination. Students are also encouraged to disseminate and publish papers from their doctoral work.

Being able to critically evaluate, conduct and utilise psychological research, and understand its role in the development of a knowledge base for practice, is central to the professional identity and competencies of a counselling psychologist. In line with the pluralistic philosophy of the programme, this module aims to help students develop a critical understanding of the nature, philosophical underpinnings, strengths, limitations and potential applications of a range of research methods, as well as the evidence base emerging from these approaches. It also aims to assist students in developing the knowledge and skills needed to successfully plan and conduct a piece of psychological research at doctoral level. Through scheduled classes and individual tutorials, the module aims to guide students through the process of transforming their own research interests and ideas into a viable proposal for an original piece of advanced empirical research. This module also aims to support and assess Year 1 PsychD students' potential to undertake doctoral research. The module is taken at D level, although it can be passed at either D (DCP060D025Y) or M levels (DCP060L024Y), and has two sets of corresponding learning outcomes and assessment criteria that map onto QAA descriptors for Masters and Doctoral level work. Students will need to pass the module at D level in order to progress into year 2 of the PsychD programme, which is at D level. Students who pass at M level will be granted credit for the module and thus eligible for an MSc exit award, provided they have passed all other M level year 1 modules.

The module is an opportunity for students to participate and reflect on a boundaried therapeutic process within an educational context. Students will participate in an on-going weekly process group that facilitates the exploration, development and understanding of aspects of students' individual psychology through group processes. As such, this module is considered central to the Programme as a whole as it enables students to integrate practice, relational skills and theoretical concepts through the active participation. The process group is an opportunity for the exploration of new behaviours, perceptions and attitudes towards self and others. The opportunity to explore and understand the complexities and intricacies of group dynamics will be provided. This module will also feature a number of professional development seminars that will focus on deepening students' understanding of how art psychotherapy might be established within different health contexts. It will explore professional issues germane to the task, as well as support students in how this might be communicated to a broader clinical audience. This capacity to succinctly demonstrate students understanding of setting up an art psychotherapeutic service is central to securing employment or establishing a new service on completion of the training and registration with the HCPC.

This module will provide students with an introduction to research practice and a variety of methodological research frameworks in the Arts Therapies, including qualitative, quantitative, embodied and arts based research paradigms. Arts and Play Therapists are required to evaluate their interventions, and when necessary, modify these in the light of evidence. They need to be aware of the requirements of audit and service evaluation, evidence based practice and clinical effectiveness and the way in which research contributes to this body of evidence. Through giving an overview of research approaches, including theoretical research, practice based evidence and evidence based practice, this module will provide students with a framework within which they can gain this understanding and apply it to their work on placement. Through this learning and teaching students will gain the skills to plan and write a research proposal, engage in critical review of literature, employ an appropriate methodological framework, explore a range of research methods, consider the ethical implications of research investigation and focus on an area of research interest. Additionally, the module provides an opportunity to continue to develop understanding and experience of interdisciplinary work within clinical practice and research, with opportunities for students to reflect creatively upon potential research ideas for development provided through creative workshops in 3 of the Arts and Play Therapies disciplines

This module can be taken by students at the discretion of the Programme Leader. It provides flexibility within the student’s home programme to accommodate students who, for example, transfer late into the programme or have exceptional circumstances that mean they could not otherwise attain the necessary credits to complete at postgraduate level. This module provides an opportunity for students to undertake a focused independent project on an approved subject-related topic, balancing directed and independent learning at an advanced level. The topic will relate directly to the student’s home programme by allowing the student to pursue an aspect of intellectual or professional interest that connects to their specialist discipline. Students will identify an area of focus, which must be agreed by the programme team to ensure it fits coherently within the overall programme of study and is pitched appropriately for postgraduate-level enquiry. The Independent Project gives the student the opportunity to draw on scholarly literature, professional practice and/or areas of personal academic interest, thus demonstrating advanced critical thinking skills, intellectual independence, professional judgement and effective self-management. It also allows the student to extend their engagement beyond the set curriculum, deepening their expertise and personalising their postgraduate learning experience. In some cases, the content of the Independent Project must be taken from a module missed or failed. The tutor will advise on this.

This module is the first play therapy module that students engage in during their training. It introduces students to core concepts central to creative processes in play therapy practice, (e.g., playfulness, spontaneity, empowerment, curiosity, responsiveness and choice). Students will learn about beginning play therapy practice and how to embark on the therapeutic relationship within clear boundaries, rules and contracts. By the end of this module, students will be able to evidence knowledge, understanding and competence in referral, assessment and initial intervention skills. They will acquire the required knowledge, understanding and skills to plan, set up, develop, maintain and process effective child-centred play therapy sessions with child clients. Students will also be supported to develop the necessary skills to assess suitability for play therapy when meeting with parents/carers. A key component of this is the opportunity for students to film themselves engaging in practice role plays and then reflecting on these with peers.It is also important that students are appropriately prepared for the professional and inter-professional environment in which they will be practising whilst on placement as well as post-qualification. Thus, this module will also equip students with knowledge and awareness of the social, professional, legal and ethical context of their clinical work and the requirements of the programme’s professional body that accredits the training. Respect for, and appreciation of, individual and cultural differences of abilities, beliefs and values will be emphasised, as well as the ability to view difference creatively and as a potential resource. In addition to the above, this module will support students to begin the process of finding an infant to observe as part of their infant observation component in a module which will start in the Spring term. It is essential for play therapists to have an in-depth understanding of both the development in the first days, weeks and months of life, and the growth of the infant’s relationship with their caregiver. Consideration of the process of finding an infant and caregiver will be given in the Autumn term. This first module aims to support students in beginning the demanding process of becoming a play therapist. Personal development will be at the centre of this module as students begin the process of finding a personal therapist, start to engage in experiential work and learn about reflective journalling and processing. Students are not permitted to commence their clinical placement in the following term unless they are able to evidence the appropriate learning outcomes and competences related to this module component. Thus, successful completion of this module will enable students to proceed to the module in the Spring term which involves students starting their first play therapy placement.

This module focuses on the experiences, symptoms, biological basis, and treatment of psychiatric conditions. In this module you will learn about a range of mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. Specifically, this module will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of more common mental health conditions and what may underpin them, including evidence from studies into epidemiology and genetics, as well as cultural, social, psychological, and neurobiological predictive factors. As a result, you will gain key knowledge relating to contemporary theories that underline mental health conditions. You will also learn about potential treatment approaches for these conditions, such as pharmaceutical treatments, cognitive enhancement, neuromodulation, and psychological therapies, and evidence for these different treatment types. The knowledge you gain from this module will be useful for the rest of your degree as well as postgraduate studies and many careers, particularly those relating to mental health. Such careers may include roles in the NHS or counselling services, or roles in psychiatric research. By deepening your understanding of mental health and its treatment this module will also benefit your capacity to contribute meaningfully to your community and society. You will be taught through a mixture of lectures and seminars. In lectures you will learn key information relating to each mental health condition, including diagnostic criteria, factors associated with the development of the condition, and potential treatments for the condition. In seminars you will explore how your theoretical knowledge and relevant evidence can be applied to real-life case studies, to help you formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan based on the individuals’ symptoms. Seminars will also support you with the assessments for this module. In this module, you will complete two assessments that have been designed to enhance your understanding and practical skills. Firstly, you will create a service user leaflet, where you will translate psychological concepts and information about a mental health condition into clear, accessible language. This assessment will help you develop your ability to communicate complex ideas to a non-specialist audience, an important skill for working in mental health and related fields. Secondly you will complete a case study report. For this assessment you will analyse a case study describing an individual with a mental health condition. You will formulate a diagnosis based on the case description and potential treatment options. Through this task, you will apply psychological theories and evidence to real-life scenarios, sharpening your critical thinking and evaluation problem-solving skills, as well as your written communication ability. Through both assessments you will also develop your reflective thinking and interpersonal sensitivity allowing you to engage with mental health issues in a thoughtful and informed way. These assessments are designed to prepare you for your future academic studies, both in your undergraduate degree and in postgraduate studies, and a variety of careers by building your skills in analysing information, applying knowledge, and communicating effectively.

This module will give you knowledge and understanding in several core areas of psychology: social psychology, developmental psychology, and individual differences. In social psychology explanations for thoughts and behaviours are based on social influences, such as the groups and communities we belong to. In developmental psychology cognitive, social, and emotional changes across infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood are studied. Individual differences refer to the diversity we see across individuals. These topics converge due to the large variations between people in terms of social behaviours and development. Throughout this module you will discriminate and evaluate different social and developmental explanations for human behaviour, whilst acknowledging the existence of individual differences in these behaviours. You will consider how we can transfer this knowledge to real-life applications in topics such as the impact of social media and community on social development, influences of peers and friendships on development, neurodiversity within society, and identity formation. This knowledge is essential for further modules on your degree relating to social influences and human development. This information will also be valuable for a variety of postgraduate courses and careers, for example those relating to educational, health care, social care, and community settings. In this module you will be taught through lectures and seminars. Lectures will cover conceptual, theoretical, cultural, and historical perspectives relating to behaviour, identity, and individual differences from social and developmental perspectives. Where possible lectures will introduce the content by reference to current affairs. Seminars will include activities for you to interact with and further explore lecture content, through tasks such as quizzes and discussions on core debates in the literature. Activities may also include discussions on how our knowledge from psychology can be applied to topics such as identity formation, intelligence testing, and attachment, or to real-world situations and issues. Seminar activities may also include practical activities to provide you with hands-on experiences with research exercises relevant to data collection and analysis such as evaluating political speeches for their persuasiveness or participating in norm breaking exercises. These practical activities will enhance your skills in collaborative working through teamwork and self-reflection. These are skills which are transferable to many career paths and applied settings. Seminars will also include activities to support you with your assessments for this module. The assessments for this module are a poster and a portfolio. These assessments will develop your presentation design and communication skills, in addition to your ability to summarise, synthesise, evaluate, and apply knowledge relating to different aspects of psychology. These skills will be essential for your further studies, both in your degree and any postgraduate studies you undertake. These skills are also valued by many employers, and so these assessments and the skills you develop will support your future career development.

This module is the first play therapy module that you will engage in during your training. It introduces you to core concepts central to creative processes in play therapy practice, (e.g., playfulness, spontaneity, empowerment, curiosity, responsiveness and choice). You will learn about beginning play therapy practice and how to embark on the therapeutic relationship within clear boundaries, rules and contracts. By the end of this module, you will be able to evidence knowledge, understanding and competence in referral, assessment and initial play therapy skills. As the process of becoming a play therapist is a demanding one, personal development will be at the centre of this module. You will be supported through seminars with your tutors as you begin the process of finding a personal therapist, start to engage in experiential work and learn about reflective journalling and processing. During your learning on this module, you will acquire the required knowledge, understanding and skills to plan, set up, develop, maintain and process effective child-centred play therapy sessions with child clients. You will also be supported to begin developing the necessary skills to assess suitability for play therapy when meeting with parents/carers. A key component of this process is to film yourself engaging in practice role plays and then reflecting on these with your peers. All this will be achieved via lectures, seminars and skills practice on campus and additional learning using digital technology, such as viewing videos and listening to podcasts. It is also important that you are appropriately prepared for the professional and inter-professional environment in which you will be practising whilst on placement as well as post-qualification. Thus, this module will also equip you with knowledge and awareness of the social, professional, legal and ethical context of clinical work and the requirements of the programme’s professional body that accredits the training (BAPT). Respect for, and appreciation of, individual and cultural differences of abilities, beliefs and values will be emphasised, as well as the ability to view difference creatively and as a potential resource. Successful completion of this module will enable you to proceed to the module in the Spring term which involves starting your first play therapy placement. You will be assessed via Clinical and Professional Practice Readiness portfolios. You will be supported to develop these over the course of the first term through seminars and skills practice. There will also be submission workshops where you and your peers can work together to plan and develop your work with the support of your tutors. In addition to the above, this module will support you to begin the process of finding an infant to observe as part of your infant observation component in a module which will start in the Spring term. It is essential for play therapists to have an in-depth understanding of both the development in the first days, weeks and months of life, and the growth of the infant’s relationship with their caregiver. Consideration to the process of finding an infant and caregiver will be given in the Autumn term. Please note that you are not permitted to commence your clinical placement in the following term unless you are able to evidence the appropriate learning outcomes and competences related to this module component. This may require delaying the commencement of the first placement which may affect when you complete your studies.

This module will provide you with an advanced, integrated understanding of theories of criminal behaviour, forensic risk assessment, and psychological interventions within forensic settings. Lectures will provide you with the required teaching to understand general and specific offending behaviours, typologies within different offending populations and the aetiology of offending behaviours. You will explore evidence-based forensic risk assessment and intervention strategies. You will then engage in workshops that foster the development of this knowledge and the application to real-life forensic cases. Through theoretical learning and case-based analysis, you will develop the ability to analyse and critically examine factors relating to different types of offending behaviour.  You gain industry-relevant forensic competencies, such as forensic risk assessment and develop skills in the utilisation of intervention models. Through theoretical learning, case-based analysis, and applied practice, you will develop a deep understanding of the why people offend, the ability to conduct psychological risk assessments and consider intervention strategies tailored to the rehabilitation of offending, providing you with the knowledge needed to prepare for, or enhance, careers within forensic settings. Assessment for this module is divided equally between a reflective report and a recorded presentation. For the report, you will choose three areas of offending behaviour that have had the greatest impact on your learning. The presentation will be based on a topic related to understanding criminal behaviour, selected from a list provided.

This module provides a critical foundation as you enter the field of forensic psychology, focusing on the academic, professional, and reflective skills essential for success in both postgraduate study and applied forensic contexts. You will be introduced to the expectations of academic integrity, the skills needed to critically engage with and evaluate research evidence, and how to structure your writing and communication in ways that are relevant to professional settings - such as psychological reporting and other forensic applications. Core skills, including sourcing and appraising empirical literature, applying ethical principles in both research and practice, and developing coherent academic arguments, will be developed through the lens of forensic psychological practice. Emphasising inclusive, globally informed, and digitally enhanced learning, the module supports you in developing your academic voice while recognising the value of diverse perspectives, lived experiences, and professional pathways. You will engage with international research, culturally responsive case studies, and simulated professional tasks, including ethical decision-making, service user involvement, and the evaluation of research for use in forensic contexts. The module also introduces key digital tools to enhance your academic and professional literacy, including AI-supported writing aids and academic research databases. Through these activities, you’ll reflect on your emerging identity as a professional working in criminal justice settings and build the transferable skills needed to thrive in both academic and applied environments. Your learning will be assessed through two assessments. First, you’ll complete a Critical Review (50%) on a topic of your choice relevant to forensic psychology. Then, you’ll complete a Reflective Portfolio (50%) that allows you to critically reflect on your academic and professional development across the module. Drawing on structured models of reflection, you’ll explore how your thinking, skills, and identity as a future forensic psychology professional have evolved. Weekly lectures and seminars will support your reflections and help you link learning activities to your long-term goals. Together, these assessments are designed to build your confidence, academic fluency, and professional insight as you prepare for further study or applied roles within forensic psychology.

In this module you will learn about the different ways we can apply knowledge from neuroscience to current real-world situations and to research settings. You will learn about different neurological, psychological, and neurodevelopmental conditions, and how our knowledge from neuroscience can be applied firstly to improve earlier diagnosis of conditions, and secondly to improve treatments and interventions. You will also learn about how we can use neuroscience in everyday life, such as to improve our cognitive and emotion regulation abilities, as well as links between neuroscience and the law, educational outcomes, understanding consumer behaviours, and drug development. In addition, you will discover key paradigms and experiments used to assess and enhance our knowledge of a variety of cognitive functions such as perception, attention, language, memory, executive functioning, and decision-making. Relating to this, you will gain experience of designing and conducting research and data analysis in cognitive neuroscience, and so will see how these can be applied in real life. Topics will be related to different careers, and so you will develop your understanding of possible careers that you might like to consider. Throughout this module you will be taught in a mixture of lectures, seminars, and workshops. The lectures will cover the background to the topic and applications of neuroscience knowledge and/or research in the area. Seminars will give you opportunities to further explore applied uses of neuroscience to improve people’s lives, and to design your own studies to assess these uses. Seminar activities will also give you opportunities to reflect on your own development and career path. Workshops will provide you with the opportunity to design and conduct your own research studies using paradigms in cognitive neuroscience. Finally, seminar and workshop activities will be designed to support the assessments for the module. Your knowledge in this module will be assessed through a presentation and a research report. These assessments will allow you to demonstrate your ability to synthesise, summarise, and evaluate relevant literature. The presentation will assess your skills in applying knowledge to a real-world issue, while the research report will develop your abilities in designing, conducting, analysing the results of, and reporting and interpreting the findings of studies in cognitive neuroscience. Your written and oral communication skills will be further developed through these assessments. These assessments will therefore build on your knowledge from the first year and will provide you with multiple skills that will be required for the rest of your degree, postgraduate studies, and for a wide range of careers linked to neuroscience.

This module explores the foundations of clinical, ethical practice in counselling and psychotherapy. It provides students with a deep understanding of the BACP Ethical Framework and other professional codes of conduct. To support students to critically engage with complex ethical dilemmas we will interweave underpinning theoretical concepts of an integrative practice as well as introducing the influence of related disciplines on our work as therapists and the changing landscape of mental health provision. We will take a constructive, critical and reflexive approach to the fundamental principles introduced, and the central importance of ethical maturity and the therapeutic relationship, including the role of power, privilege, inequality, difference and diversity as these experiences impact on ethical decision making, the therapeutic relationship and the process of therapy. The module prepares students for supervised clinical practice by introducing the purpose and use of supervision, placement readiness, practitioner self-care, and service evaluation research. Placement preparation will also involve developing an understanding for the differences between face-to-face and remote working practices, including establishing a clear framework for therapeutic work and contracting. The module is designed to prepare students for working in placement and therefore time is dedicated to skills development and experiential learning. Typically, this will be achieved through a mixture of dyadic and triadic exercises, and live supervision groups, and students will have the opportunity to practice skills relevant to both face-to-face and remote working. Students complete a ‘readiness to practice assessment’ and compile a practice portfolio to evidence clinical preparedness. Indicative content: • BACP Ethical Framework • Working alliance and the therapeutic frame • Working with difference, diversity and inclusion • Anti-discriminatory and inclusive practice • Face-to-face and remote working practices • Supervised placement readiness

This module provides a comprehensive foundation for those pursuing careers in forensic psychology, integrating both theoretical and practical components to equip you with the skills and competencies required for professional practice. The module is structured to focus on the key forensic psychology roles, with an emphasis on ethical standards, psychological case formulation and interventions, research, and professional development. Lectures will provide you with the required teaching to understand the core skills and what is expected of professionals in the field. You will engage in workshops that foster the development of these core skills as well as reflective practice. Through this module, you will develop a deep understanding of the core principles of forensic psychology, gain professional skills, and prepare for a rewarding career in this vital field. The module aims to aid you in the knowledge and development of the core skills considered fundamental for working within forensic psychology, in line with the requirements of professional bodies in the UK affiliated with Forensic Psychologists. The module aims to provide a solid foundation in practice skills for those aiming to embark on Stage 2 training, but also for those who do not wish to pursue this training. The topics covered are all related to direct practice, such as case formulation and intervention skills, engaging in research and service evaluation, offering consultation to other professionals and developing training for other professions. The content also covers fundamental professional issues related to forensic psychology, including ethical practice, reflective practice, clinical governance and service user involved. Within workshops, you with be supported in developing practice skills, such as how to use case formulation with forensic clients, the skills and frameworks used for engaging in consultancy work, and the considerations needed to ensure ethical practice, safeguarding and confidentiality. Assessment for this module is divided equally between two components. The first is a case formulation, in which you will select from a range of pre-selected case studies and produce a detailed psychological formulation. The second assessment is an applied project report, where you will document your approach to a hypothetical, practice-based task aligned with the core competencies of forensic psychology. You will choose from a range of task options reflecting key professional roles, including assessment and intervention, research and evaluation, consultancy with professionals, and training delivery.

This module will provide you with an advanced, integrated understanding of criminal behaviour theories, forensic risk assessment, and psychological interventions within forensic settings. It aims to equip you with specialised knowledge and practical skills that align with contemporary professional standards. Lectures will provide you with the required teaching to understand general and specific offending behaviours, the risk factors and assessment tools associated with these offending behaviours, as well as the intervention considerations for reducing the risk of reoffending. You will then engage in workshops that foster the development of these skills in conducting forensic risk assessment and interventions. Through this module, you will develop a deep understanding of the why people offend, and gain practical forensic skills, preparing for a rewarding career in this vital field. The module aims to aid you in your knowledge and development of the core skills considered fundamental for working within forensic psychology and forensic settings, namely forensic risk assessment and intervention. Assessment for this module consists of two components. The first is a reflective report in which you will explore three areas of offending behaviour that have had the greatest personal impact on your learning. You will have the opportunity to choose the areas you focus on, allowing for individual reflection. The second component is a risk assessment report, requiring you to apply a risk assessment tool to a case study. You will have the option to select both the case study and the risk assessment tool, enabling you to tailor the assignment to your interests while demonstrating applied knowledge and professional reasoning.

This module explores the complex relationship between mental health and the criminal justice system. You’ll critically examine how psychological theories, research, and applied practice shape fair, ethical, and effective responses to offending behaviour. You’ll learn about key legal frameworks, including the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act, and explore how these apply in real-world contexts such as court proceedings, parole decisions, and multi-agency working. The module also introduces you to core areas of investigative psychology. Topics may include eyewitness testimony, crime linkage analysis, police psychology, and the forensic interviewing of children and vulnerable individuals. Real-world case studies, international comparisons, and practical exercises - such as mock trials and case formulation tasks - will support your learning and help you develop the applied skills needed in forensic settings. You will also consider the wider social, cultural, and systemic influences on access to justice and mental health care. There is a strong focus on inclusive, trauma-informed, and rehabilitative approaches for working with diverse forensic clients, including those with complex needs and mental health difficulties. Throughout the module, you’ll engage with digital tools and technologies that enhance your learning and support the development of key professional competencies. You will be assessed through two coursework assignments. The first is a 2,000-word court observation report (30%), in which you’ll reflect on the psychological and legal processes observed in a live or recorded hearing. The second is a 3,000-word systematised review (70%), where you’ll synthesise and critically appraise psychological evidence related to mental health needs in the criminal justice system. Both assessments are supported through weekly seminars that build your skills in literature synthesis, critical reflection, and applied ethical reasoning. By the end of the module, you’ll be equipped with the critical thinking, ethical awareness, and practical knowledge required to pursue careers in forensic, clinical, or criminal justice settings.

This module introduces you to the theoretical foundations of Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP), integrating psychotherapeutic principles with embodied, movement-based practices. You will explore key models of change, embodiment, and relational process, critically examining how movement can support therapeutic engagement across diverse client needs and settings. As you engage with multicultural theories and inclusive frameworks, the module invites you to reflect on your own cultural narratives, developing awareness of identity, power, and social justice in therapeutic relationships. Designed to prepare you for supervised placement, the module supports the development of foundational competencies including ethical practice, risk assessment, treatment and session planning, and clinical understanding of psychopathology and anatomical systems. These skills are applied and explored through experiential methods such as movement improvisation, group discussion, and embodied analysis, ensuring a holistic integration of theory and practice aligned with ADMP UK professional standards. Your learning will be enhanced by digital platforms and tools such as video movement analysis, recorded lectures, and reflective journals, providing flexible and accessible ways to engage with content. The module also explores the global scope of DMP through international literature, culturally diverse movement practices, and intercultural peer dialogue, helping you situate your emerging practice within a broader professional and cultural context. With a strong emphasis on trauma-informed, ethical, and sustainable practice, you will be encouraged to consider your own wellbeing and reflective capacity as integral to your professional development. This module fosters the knowledge, relational presence, and embodied awareness needed to progress confidently toward placement and begin your journey as a responsible and responsive Dance Movement Psychotherapist.

This module will equip students with essential research skills and critical thinking abilities for advanced study and professional practice in counselling psychology. It will introduce students to the key components of psychological research, including literature reviewing, epistemology and ontology, qualitative and quantitative study designs, ethical considerations, and the development of doctoral-level research proposals. Learning activities will include interactive lectures, seminars, workshops, and asynchronous tasks that will encourage independent learning and collaborative dialogue. Students will be supported through tailored academic guidance and access to digital research tools. The module will foster an inclusive learning environment and will support positive outcomes for all students through varied teaching methods and formative feedback. It will encourage reflexive engagement, helping students link personal and professional identity to research design. Exercises during workshops and formative assessments will indicate the understanding and competences students will have attained and any gaps that will need to be addressed. Moreover, they will prepare the students for summative assessments. This module will play a vital role in Year 1 of the PsychD programme, helping students evaluate their readiness for doctoral research and shaping their individual research trajectories. It will be designed to meet both Level 7 and Level 8 criteria, allowing progression to Year 2 if both the Level 7 and Level 8 criteria are met. If only the Level 7 criteria are met, i.e., only the Critical Literature Review assessment is passed and not the RDCom2, there will be eligibility for an MSc exit award. By completing this module, students will develop skills in scholarly writing, research design, digital literacy, and ethical decision-making. These skills will be essential for contributing original research and progressing toward careers in counselling psychology and related fields.

The Professional and Ethical Skills in Counselling Psychology Module will be a comprehensive 30-credit course designed for doctoral-level students. This module will focus on the critical areas of assessment and formulation within a humanistic framework and will equip students with the necessary skills to navigate the complexities of clinical practice. Through a combination of lectures, workshops, and asynchronous learning, students will engage with foundational concepts such as the Simms Model of assessment, the historical context of madness as discussed by Foucault, and the implications of the Rosenhan Experiment. Key topics will include differential diagnosis using the DSM, assessing anxiety and depression with established tools like the Beck Depression Inventory, and implementing the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) to enhance client understanding. Students will also explore ethical and legal frameworks provided by the HCPC and BPS, focusing on informed consent, confidentiality, and risk assessment, ensuring they are well-prepared for ethical dilemmas in practice

This module explores the essential foundations of person-centred therapy within a pluralistic and integrative context, focusing on the development of effective therapeutic relationships. You will engage with key person-centred concepts such as empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence, which are crucial for creating a supportive therapeutic environment. Through experiential learning, including role-plays and reflective exercises, you will enhance your counselling skills while fostering self-awareness in relation to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The module examines anthropological, relational, and ethical foundations of person-centred therapy, equipping you to work with diverse client populations. Exercises during workshops and formative assessments will indicate the understanding and competences you have attained and any gaps that need to be addressed. Moreover, they will prepare you for summative assessments. Utilizing technology-enhanced learning tools, such as podcasts and video recordings, you will refine your practical skills and engage in self-reflection, particularly in relation to the ethics and applicability of AI in mental health care. A dedicated Career Development Week will help you articulate your professional aspirations and apply person-centred principles in various contexts. This module emphasizes a professionally focused education, preparing you for counselling practice across diverse settings. By contextualizing person-centred approaches within a pluralistic framework, the module empowers you to navigate the complexities of contemporary therapeutic practice, ensuring you are equipped to engage effectively with clients from varied cultural and social backgrounds.

This interdisciplinary module for students training in Art Psychotherapy, Music Therapy, Dance Movement Psychotherapy and Play Therapy will support you in developing your professional identity and preparing for placement practice. It provides comprehensive understanding of professional and ethical issues, including the therapeutic pathway, regulatory standards, diversity, equity, and sustainability, while fostering interdisciplinary communication skills and reflexive practice. Your curriculum covers theoretical and clinical perspectives on human development (embodied, psychological, social, cultural, and biological) helping you to understand the experiences and needs of diverse service users. Emphasis is placed on trauma-informed approaches, culturally competent care, and critical analysis of health and mental health frameworks. Key professional skills, such as formulation, power dynamics, and ethical considerations, are integrated into the learning process. Interactive and creative learning methods, along with independent study, deepen your understanding of contemporary challenges in healthcare, including diagnosis, health promotion, and the centrality of service users. Online training will enhance your readiness for placement, equipping you with practical tools, a critical understanding of the health and care landscape and awareness of PSRB requirements. The module positions you and your fellow arts therapy trainees as collaborative agents of change within an interdisciplinary landscape. Assignments are a creative digital assignment using the student’s art form and a case study analysis.

On this module you will learn about the core topics of cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Taken together, they are concerned with the study of how the brain, nervous system and other physiological systems affect and are affected by mental functioning and behaviour, with a specific focus on the neural substrates of mental processes. You will learn how this field of research has made exciting discoveries about the way we perceive the world, remember, communicate, learn and think. The focus of the lectures and seminars will be on conceptual and historical issues, as well as contemporary theory and research. You will be encouraged to engage critically with the material and think about the applications of biological and cognitive psychology, and neuroscience. Additionally, this module will further develop skills including communicating effectively, handling materials critically, and reasoning scientifically to consider alternative approaches and solutions, which are crucial skills for future employment.

Assessment in counselling entails knowledge from diverse theoretical backgrounds and assessment methods, training in different skills and flexibility in applying this information to specific contexts and clients. You will learn all that in this module including the ethical underpinnings of each approach and the difficulty of negotiating the diverse categories of normativity and difference currently used in mental health. In this module, we will teach you different conceptualisations for normality and mental health issues, including traditionally contradictory perspective that in modern approaches are integrated and complementary. You will learn how practitioners from different schools of thought assess human distress and mental health issues, with a specific focus on clinical assessment, and how to use them in an integrative practice necessary when working in multidisciplinary teams. Finally, you will be trained in the process of psychological assessment, including the use of interviews (according to diverse theories), structured methods of assessment (e.g., checklists and questionnaires), ethical issues that might arise at every stage of the assessment process, and how to use formulation when working with clients. These skills are crucial to becoming a practitioner or a helping professional in various workplaces.

This module will introduce you to the theory, research and models behind different ways of understanding human distress. You will learn about possible explanations of different mental health conditions, their nature and their treatment. The module will cultivate a critical, dialogical approach to these issues and will help you develop an empathic, holistic, evidence-based understanding of psychological distress.

In this module you will learn about the importance of self-awareness and self-reflection in counselling and psychological therapies. You will be introduced to the theory and research behind different models of reflective practice, and you will be invited to engage in self-awareness and self-reflective experiential learning. As part of your continuing development in communication skills and your ability to engage in a helpful professional relationship, you will gain an understanding of how to use self-reflection to help others and the ability to reflect on your own relational styles and how they become apparent in your interactions.