With the growing emphasis on psychologically informed care, our Master’s degree in Psychological Therapies and Mental Health is perfectly placed to equip you with the ability to challenge stigma, promote service user choice and develop a compassionate understanding of those experiencing mental health difficulties.
You will complete the course with a robust knowledge of contemporary and historical psychological therapies and techniques, and you’ll be taught within a research-led culture by advanced clinical practitioners. Theory and practice are used to examine current and global mental health scenarios, the challenges posed for the individual, their families and wider community.
The MSc Psychological Therapies and Mental Health can be studied full-time (one year) or part-time (two to five years). It has been designed for those who have completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with IAPT Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner status. Teaching and learning methods include lectures, case study work, assessment and formulation work, intervention strategies and reflective discussion. These approaches are designed not only to integrate theory and practice but also to foster a spirit of enquiry, promote collaborative learning and meet a range of learner needs and styles.
This MSc will complement careers in mental health, counselling and therapy, behaviour change, academic research, strategic work for campaigning groups (service user groups and advocacy work) and innovative work in the public, voluntary and private sector. The programme will also complement other roles in secondary/acute care where a strong psychological perspective and knowledge is required.
The programme provides an opportunity for students to enhance their skills and knowledge in areas of applied psychology related to mental health practice and research. It trains and equips students wishing to:
In addition, the course has gained full AFT accreditation for Foundation Level training in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice, and full BPS accreditation for Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner training. These can be taken as routes within the MSc programme.
This course is undergoing academic revalidation during 2016/17, and course content/modules are subject to change.
To complete the Masters programme, students are required to successfully complete 180 university credits. Programme Routes: There are three different ‘routes’ that students can take during their time on the programme, depending on their interest or the experience they would like to gain from their training. These routes have been designed because feedback from students suggests that some people like to maintain a broad range of skills and experience, whereas others prefer to focus on a particular area of practice. The route students choose may depend on the kind of work or further training that they want to pursue beyond the MSc course itself (note that all 3 routes include the carrying out of an MSc Research Project):
British Psychological Society (BPS)
Accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) against the requirements for qualification as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner.
The programme has a number of opportunities to connect clinical placement experiences with studies on campus. The BPS-accredited Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner Training (which composes part of one of the course routes), includes a 9-month clinical placement in low-intensity psychological therapies services, arranged by the course team. The AFT-accredited Foundation Level Training in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (which composes part of another course route), includes a module that explores and assesses students' clinical experiences in this area of practice - placement for this module is arranged by students themselves. Finally, the MSc presents a further placement opportunity for students who have completed the course, in the form of a 15-credit standalone placement module ('Clinical Placement in Applied Psychology'). A selection of clinical placements have been secured in Psychology Services in the Western Health and Social Care Trust, in specialisms including Adult Mental Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Paediatric Psychology, Older Adults, Personality Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder Services. This post-MSc module is only open to those students who have completed the MSc at Ulster, and students who enrol on this module will be working as the equivalent of Assistant Psychologists on a voluntary basis in these services (length of placements are typically between 6 months and one year).
Currently, our graduating students are successful in acquiring Assistant Psychologist positions, which with experience is allowing people to apply for Associate Psychologist positions. Others are successful in gaining entry onto Professional Doctorate programmes in Clinical, Counselling and Educational Psychology, or PhD scholarships in Psychology across UK and Ireland. In addition, students who undertake the accredited Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) training strand within the course will be able to seek accreditation with the BPS for working as a PWP. Finally, students who undertake AFT Foundation Level Training will have completed Stage 1 of 3 in their training to become a qualified Systemic Psychotherapist.
Each year, mental health problems such as anxiety and depression will affect 1 in 4 people, including 1 in 10 children, at an anticipated global cost of $6T by 2030. Psychological therapies, especially cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), provide a safe, effective solution to many of our most common mental health problems.
This new programme, offered at the University of Edinburgh, provides practitioner and supervisor level training in IPT and CBT. With a special, but not exclusive, focus on childhood and adolescence, the programme is suited to practitioners working with children, youth and adults.
Individual courses are accredited by UK professional bodies, ensuring high quality standards and recognition by employers post-qualification. Teaching and supervision are provided by experienced clinicians and clinical academics. The programme has close links with the NHS and community organisations, ensuring that students learn in a clinically-informed context.
All students will enrol on the MSc Psychological Therapies but have the option to exit with a CBT or IPT specialism, denoted by an addition in brackets to the title of the award. Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma exit options are also available.
At certificate level students will complete practitioner level training in CBT or IPT, before going onto either complete practitioner level in the complementing therapy, or to specialise by completing advanced training in the same therapy. A range of course options are available, allowing the student to tailor their therapeutic training towards specific populations in terms of age or condition.
Students will typically complete 60 credits each year, thus completing the MSc over three years, but the flexible programme structure allows students to take between 2 and 6 years, depending on their own needs.
The programme equips students with advanced knowledge and critical understanding of:
Graduates can expect to gain employment in clinical services or private practice as mental health practitioners. Depending on course choices, graduates may be eligible for accreditation with the BABCP and/or IPT-UK.
Gain the specialist training to advance your professional development in counselling, psychotherapy or another healthcare-related field.
You will further your understanding of contemporary theories in psychological therapies by analysing key issues and debates in counselling and psychotherapy. You will explore cognitive behavioural therapy approaches to therapeutic practice, social psychological theory and group therapy research.
As well as supporting your professional growth, your course will allow you to specialise in your chosen area of interest. Some of the diverse modules have an experiential component, others require purely academic study, and some will be useful for psychologists undertaking an independent route to the British Psychological Society's counselling psychology chartership.
Research Excellence Framework 2014
Research Excellence Framework 2014: 40% of our research in the Psychology unit was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent.
The modular design of our course allows you to build on previous learning and experience. Plus, you'll have the unique opportunity to investigate areas outside of your normal area of work, and study the topics that most people are unable to follow at diploma level.
Our dissertation module allows you to undertake an in-depth study of an area of particular interest whilst contributing to the wider profession.
This course will enhance your ongoing professional development in many related fields such as nursing, social work or life coaching. If you are already practising as a counsellor or psychotherapist, this course will enable you to fulfil the professional development requirements of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy and the UK Council for Psychotherapy in order to maintain accreditation.
The Department of Psychology at Manchester Metropolitan University boasts research expertise of international repute. Choosing to study with us will not only provide you with an intellectually stimulating degree, but also by providing you with access to the latest research expertise and specialist equipment, we will develop your thirst for knowledge and inspire you to question, research and analyse your theories.
We are committed to ensuring that our graduates are employable professionals. It is increasingly important that your postgraduate degree programme develops the skills that employers are after and, alongside the acquisition of academic knowledge, our students will develop and apply skills in:
This innovative Masters programme aims to bring together psychological theory with evidence-based practice and practitioner wellbeing for existing and aspiring practitioners. The Masters will expand clinical skills and knowledge across a range of specialist areas related to promoting psychological wellbeing.
This course would be of particular interest to:
This programme is based upon three fundamental values to prepare its students for their future career steps:
-Excellence in theoretical knowledge, practical skills and theory-practice links
-Practitioner wellbeing
-Interprofessional learning and knowledge exchange
The course teaching team consists of practitioner psychologists (clinical and counseling), as well as experimental and research orientated psychologists. Our students benefit from a range of guest speakers from interprofessional backgrounds and the formative feedback offered by experts-by-experience for certain assessments.
Due to the combination of the values of this programme and the interprofessional perspective to learning, students can expect to develop a range of skills that are highly relevant to a variety of healthcare or doctoral study options. Throughout the course, students can expect to:
-Develop self-awareness and reflective practice
-Enhance knowledge and skills relevant to evidence-based therapeutic techniques in clinical practice
-Develop critical awareness of issues relating to the promotion of psychological wellbeing
-Understanding of the theoretical frameworks underlying key therapeutic approaches
-Personal and professional development through experiential learning groups based on practitioner experiences
-Connecting research and practice through a service evaluation based dissertation with one of our partners
This programme is for current and aspiring practitioners who wish to develop their knowledge and skills. In order to prioritise realistic experiences of mental health services and meaningful career progression opportunities, we do not include a placement option. Authentic theory-practice links are a key feature of this programme and our flexible approach to learning and part-time study aims to support those who wish to develop their academic and practitioner knowledge and skills in parallel. Therefore, we encourage all students of the course to either maintain or find employment or voluntary work within a relevant health and social care setting. We are also able to suggest a number of suitable services for voluntary work through our community links.
The course will equip students with contemporary and creative knowledge of relevant theoretical and practical issues in a range of settings, where promoting psychological wellbeing is essential. Theory-practice links will be appropriate to current and aspiring practitioners in a range of settings including heath, social care and education. We aim to encouraging a dynamic perspective on person-centred care and the critical appraisal of service provisions.
The core units of the course are:
-Core Therapeutic Skills
-Brief Intervention Models
-Professional Practice Values
-Clinical Skills
-Psychological Wellbeing in Practice
-Research Principles & Methods
-Service Evaluation and Development Research Dissertation
The central ethos of the programme is that of person-centred care in promoting psychological wellbeing, shaping professional practice values. In order to graduate with the MSc qualification, students must gain 180 credits over seven core units. With the course is an embedded Postgraduate Certificate in Skills in Psychological Therapies (60 credits) and Postgraduate Diploma in Psychological Therapies (120 credits).
Learning takes the form of:
-Lectures, seminars and workshops
-Problem-based learning exercises
-Skills practice and consolidation
-Experiential learning groups based in a chosen therapeutic modality
-Self-paced online training
-Peer learning through student presentations
-Supervised and supported research activity
You will be allocated a personal academic supervisor who will support your academic and professional development as well as ensure your time on the course is productive and beneficial for your specific needs.
The majority of the course staff for this programme are academics and practitioners, which means students benefit from the latest information from both fields. Additionally, students become a part of our professional knowledge exchange community. Importantly, a number of experts by experience support course staff and students in several of the course activities, such as providing feedback on presentations and practice discussions, which further enhances the insight and perspective students can develop through the course.
Assessments take multiple forms to offer students the best possible chance for success. Our assessments include critical essays, presentations, case reports, reflective accounts and two exams.
Our PGDip Psychological Intervention programme is a well-established course offering high-quality training to individuals working within psychological therapy services.
The programme addresses real-world challenges with teaching on relevant service issues, clinical presentations and input from service users themselves.
Master-classes from leaders in the field of cognitive behavioural therapy form a key component of the training curriculum, and are complemented with lectures, workshops, video role-plays, debates, trainee presentations, experiential and self-reflective sessions.
After completion of the programme, students will be qualified to deliver high-quality and NICE-compliant cognitive behavioural therapy to adults with common mental health problems, including depression and anxiety disorders.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year.
The trainees will spend two days a week at the University, the remaining three days a week occur at their place of work where they undertake supervised clinical practice. Six block weeks will be provided across the year, at the start of each module.
On successful completion of the programme trainees may apply for BABCP accreditation as a practitioner.
Example module listing
The course modules are delivered across two academic semesters with attendance at the University of Surrey required on Thursday and Friday.
There are also five week-long blocks of intensive workshops during the year. In addition to regular lectures, skills-based competencies will be developed through an innovative range of learning methods including experiential workshops, debates, presentations and video role-plays.
Weekly clinical group supervision for training cases will also be provided by members of the course team. Trainees will be expected to undertake self-directed study and will have access to the University Library and online resources.
To become a High Intensity CBT Trainee you will need to have had a minimum of two years’ post qualification mental health experience and a relevant Core Professional Training in applied psychology, psychiatry, nursing, counselling, psychotherapy, occupational therapy or social work. You will be registered with a professional, regulatory body.
The minimum eligibility criteria are outlined on the BABCP website.
Applicants who do not have a core profession can meet eligibility criteria through the BABCP Knowledge, Skills and Attitude (KSA) pathway. Please see the BABCP website. These applicants will be required at interview to produce a KSA portfolio to demonstrate that they meet the BABCP eligibility criteria for sufficient knowledge, skills and attitude that demonstrate equivalence to a Core Professional Training.
The KSA portfolio can be completed using the template sheets below:
At the University of Surrey we are committed to equality of opportunity in access to training. The University welcomes and provides support as needed for trainees with special needs.
We have a values-based recruitment approach. The High Intensity IAPT training programme at Surrey promotes the NHS values which are enshrined within the NHS constitution. The programme team is dedicated to recruiting graduates whose individual values and behaviours align to those of the NHS.
The course is BABCP accredited and part of the Department of Health ‘Improving Access to Psychological Therapies’ programme (IAPT), which aims to improve access to evidence-based talking therapies in the NHS and any other qualified healthcare providers (AQP) through an expansion of the psychological therapy workforce and services.
In 2008 the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies project began in order to improve the capacity of psychological therapy services for people with common mental health problems (depression and anxiety) in the UK. The psychological wellbeing practitioner role was created as part of this project in order to support the delivery of psychological therapies within a stepped care system.
The stepped care system is promoted by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) which works on the principle of offering the least intrusive and most effective treatment (low intensity interventions) in the first instance and increasing the intensity of treatment as required.
This programme provides education and training that meets the requirements of the Department of Health (2011) curriculum for psychological well-being practitioners by:
There are eight core themes that run through the award via three modules. They help you to make clear links between theory and practice and include:
Course structure
Core modules
Modules offered may vary.
Where you study
Teesside University campus. There is also a practical element to the programme and so you must have a clinical placement with access to a practice supervisor qualified and experienced to deliver low intensity interventions underpinned by cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Assistance will be given to find a suitable placement.
How you learn
Learning is through a combination of presentations, group discussion and role-play activities as well as self-directed study and supervised practice in the workplace.
How you are assessed
Assessment is through role-play and real patient activities, an examination and practice competencies. All written academic work is marked at master’s level.
This award prepares you for your role as a psychological wellbeing practitioner. You are eligible to apply for accreditation with the British Psychological Society.
This course will equip you with a valuable professional insight into topics including the causes of addiction and how Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and other evidence based psychotherapies can be used to help address stress, depression,chronic pain and other related disorders.
You'll find the course particularly relevant if you are working in the NHS or healthcare independent sector, including addiction clinics, and want to develop your knowledge and understanding of psychological therapy beyond the basic level offered in some professional qualification courses.
For further information, take a look at our Psychology blog.
The aim of this course is to enable you to develop a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of applied psychology in the context of psychological intervention and therapeutic modalities including cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT).
The full-time route is structured over 12 months and comprises of three 10 week semesters. In semester 1 and 2 you will complete two taught modules in each semester. In semester 3 you will complete your dissertation under the supervision of one of the course tutors. If you choose to follow the part-time route you will complete the course over three years, completing two taught modules in each of the first two years and the dissertation in your third year.
The dissertation module on this course will also give you the opportunity to pursue an area of applied psychology and psychological therapies directly related to your own work or interest.
This course is taught using a mixture of approaches including the following:
You will be assessed in a variety of ways including:
This course has helped students to progress to leadership positions within the field of psychological therapies and to advance to more senior practitioner and research roles. Some of our graduates have received bursaries toward PhD study.
This course is an excellent springboard in applied psychology that you can use to become a leader in your profession. It could open doors to more senior roles (including Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner) in CBT and therapeutic intervention – two areas that government views as key to effective modern healthcare provision.
