Masters Degrees (Systemic)

The Postgraduate Certificate in Systemic Practice covers the first two years of family therapy training and combines both Foundation and Intermediate level training in systemic practice. Each level of training is accredited by the Association of Family Therapy.

The programme is multi-disciplinary and covers aspects of working with families in clinical settings, as well as wider applications of systemic thinking and practice. It is suitable for professionals working in psychology, nursing, psychiatry, social work, counselling, voluntary organisations and related fields.

The programme is accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice and successful completion meets the training requirement for application to the qualifying course in Systemic Family Therapy leading to UKCP registration.

More information

The Leeds Family Therapy and Research Centre has been training therapists for over 20 years to help individuals, couples and families find ways of tackling their problems.

You can study this subject at other levels:

• Foundation course in Family Therapy
• Family Therapy (Intermediate)
• Systemic Family Therapy MSc

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and as such fulfils the training requirements for Foundation and Intermediate Level training in Systemic Practice. Read more on the Association for Family Therapy website.

Course content

The programme runs over two years, combining the Foundation course in Family Therapy and Family Therapy Intermediate programmes.

In the first year, at Foundation level, you will be introduced to key theoretical approaches in family therapy and the skills and techniques associated with them.

The second year, at Intermediate level, builds on your knowledge and use of theory and practice in systemic family therapy and concentrates on the development of your therapeutic skills with families, couples and individuals, and the application of systemic ideas in your work context. You will be required to undertake 60 hours of systemic therapeutic practice in your own work agency. In the second year themes are followed each term, with an initial focus on your personal and professional development as a systemic practitioner, followed in the second term by further study of the theory of systemic practice and related skills. The final term considers the application of systemic theory and practice in a range of health and social care settings and to your own therapeutic practice. Throughout the programme you will be encouraged to develop a commitment to actively promote ethical, anti-discriminatory practice and to highlight and critique culturally-based assumptions in their practice.

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures and practical teaching followed by theory and application discussions and skills practice in small groups facilitated by qualified family therapists.

The programme runs on approximately 20 Wednesday evenings each year (5pm to 8.30pm) in September-June, plus up to three full days. It takes place on the University's main campus.

Course structure

Year 1 Compulsory modules

• Foundation Course in Systemic Practice 30 credits

Year 2 Compulsory modules

• Intermediate Course in Systemic Practice 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Systemic Practice PGCert in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You’ll be taught through lectures, practical classes, and group tutorials. We make extensive use of IT and a wide range of material to enable students to study at their own pace and in their own time to enhance and extend the material taught formally. In the second year you will develop your learning in systemic skills and practice based upon your systemic practice in your own work setting.

Assessment

We monitor your progress through attendance, participation in lectures and tutorials, feedback on written assignments, exam (second year) and a learning log. You will be required to complete 60 hours of systemic practice and provide evidence completion.

Career opportunities

Students who complete the Postgraduate Certificate in Systemic Practice training can describe themselves as Systemic Practitioners. This is not a formal qualification but is a recognised professional development indicating the knowledge and skills development in this training.

Past students have progressed to training on MSc in Systemic Family Therapy programme. Students who complete the MSc in Systemic Family Therapy are eligible to register with the UKCP as Systemic Psychotherapists and to practise in the public and voluntary sectors, as well as privately.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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Join us on this course and you will develop your systemic knowledge and skills, and increase the effectiveness of your direct work with children and families with children.

Designed as an intermediate year of training for systemic psychotherapy and end-stage training as a systemic practitioner, it is built on the theoretical and practice frameworks established in the foundation year.

It aims to deepen your confidence in employing different approaches encompassed by systems theory, and will encourage you to incorporate reflexive thinking in your work.

This course is delivered in partnership with the Institute of Family Therapy in London.

Choose Intermediate Child Focused Systemic Practice PgCert and:

• Study the application of systemic ideas and learn how they can help you understand the developmental stages of children
• Explore the five major models of systemic practice, including the philosophical underpinnings, main theorists, main theoretical principles, model of change and role of the practitioner with particular reference to work with families with minor aged children and their networks
• Develop your ability to apply systemic practice skills to a number of different client groups and across a range of practice contexts
• Gain the ability to work within the ethical and legal frameworks that are relevant to multiple practice contexts and the particular requirements of organisations
• Benefit from an enhanced ability to use relevant evidence-based research to make assessments, formulate interventions and review the effectiveness of your direct work.

Visit the website: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/courses/postgraduate/next-year/intermediate-child-focused-systemic-practice#about

Course detail

The course is designed to help professionals to develop and deepen systemic knowledge and skills in order to increase the effectiveness of direct work with individual children and families with minor children across a broad range of contexts. The course is both an intermediate year of training for systemic psychotherapy and end stage training as a systemic practitioner. It is built on the theoretical and practice frameworks established in the foundation year of training. It seeks to deepen students familiarity with and confidence in employing a number of approaches encompassed by systems theory.

The course is suitable for professionals who wish to increase their capacity to work directly with families with young children. This includes nurses, social workers, teachers, counsellors, other health professionals and those in front line services who wish to utilise a systemic approach with clients.

The course stresses the importance of understanding professional contexts and the way in which they relate to work with families with children. Particular emphasis is placed on thinking about ways of working which meet the needs of the most disadvantaged client groups and which take account of the legislative frameworks within which most practitioners will have to work. Attention to issues of difference and the promotion and development of anti-oppressive practice are central to the course philosophy and permeate all aspects of the teaching.

In addition the course focuses on the development of the therapeutic relationship and the use of self in direct work with individuals and families.

Modules

• Intermediate Systemic Child Focused Practice (ASS047-6) Compulsory

Assessment

The course is composed of graded and pass/fail elements of assessment. The pass/fail assessments do not contribute towards your overall mark, but must be completed to a pass standard. There are two pass/fail elements: your log of 60 hours of systemic practice, and your reflective journal which charts your journey through the course.

Careers

On completing the course students are likely to have access to posts that require therapeutic skills in working with families with minor children. One example is in the Health and Social Care fields following the Munro Report on Child Protection which promotes systemic ideas as essential skills for front line workers. This course provides Intermediate training in systemic ideas that are applicable to social care, health, education and other contexts. On successful completion of this course students may describe themselves as systemic practitioners, an end target in itself, and also an intermediate stage in the full systemic psychotherapist training.

Some students enter the course to enhance their current practice with families with minor children or their carers without changing their work context. One example are counsellors who have originally trained to work with individuals and who use this foundation training to move towards working with families in the voluntary sector or as a stepping stone to further training.

For those in the statutory sector, many use the course to expand their practice and to develop routes to promotion into social care, management or supervision.

Students are encouraged to apply all of the learning to their work context which will enhance their career management skills. The course develops a range of practice skills which the student transfers directly into the work place; these include direct work and consultation skills.

On successful completion of the course you can use the title `Systemic Practitioner. This is a title recognised by the Association of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice and is highly regarded by employers in social care, education and the voluntary sector.

Funding

For information on available funding, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/money/scholarships/pg

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/course/applicationform

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This course is the Intermediate level training in Systemic Practice which builds on the knowledge and use of theory and practice in systemic family therapy achieved on the Foundation level course.

It concentrates on the development of your therapeutic skills with families, couples and individuals and the application of systemic ideas in your work contexts. It is delivered through a combination of lectures and practical teaching, followed by theory and application discussions and skills practice in small groups facilitated by qualified family therapists. The course is available as a stand-alone module or as part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Systemic Practice.

The course is multi-disciplinary and covers aspects of working with families in clinical settings, as well as wider applications of systemic thinking and practice. It is suitable for professionals working in psychology, nursing, psychiatry, social work, counselling, voluntary organisations and related fields who have completed Foundation level training in Systemic Practice or equivalent.

More information

The Leeds Family Therapy and Research Centre has been training therapists for over 20 years to help individuals, couples and families find ways of tackling their problems.

You can study this subject at other levels:

• Foundation course in Family Therapy
• Systemic Practice PGCert
• Systemic Family Therapy MSc

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and as such fulfils the training requirements for Intermediate Level training in Systemic Practice. Read more on the Association for Family Therapy website.

Course content

Over the year you’ll develop your understanding of how to engage families, couples and individuals in systemic therapeutic work and you’ll develop your ability to use systemic ideas and related therapeutic skills in your clinical practice and in your broader professional context.

The course considers key issues in the application of systemic theory and practice to your work, with further development of self-reflexive skills and ethical perspectives informed by systemic theory. Themes are followed each term with an initial focus on your personal and professional development as a systemic practitioner, followed in the second term by further study of the theory of systemic practice and related skills. The final term considers the application of systemic theory and practice in a range of health and social care settings and your own therapeutic practice. Throughout the course you will be encouraged to develop a commitment to actively promote ethical, anti-discriminatory practice and to highlight and critique culturally-based assumptions in your practice.

The programme runs on approximately 20 Wednesday evenings (5pm to 8.30pm) in September-June, plus up to three full days. It takes place on the University's main campus.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Intermediate Course in Systemic Practice 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Family Therapy in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You’ll be taught through lectures, practical classes, and group tutorials. We make extensive use of IT and a wide range of material to enable students to study at their own pace and in their own time to enhance and extend the material taught formally. You will also develop your learning in systemic skills and practice based upon your systemic practice in your own work setting, with opportunities to discuss and reflect on your practice in the tutor group setting.

Assessment

We monitor your progress through attendance, participation in lectures and tutorials, feedback on written assignments, exam and a learning log. You will be required to complete 60 hours of systemic practice and provide evidence completion.

Career opportunities

Students who complete the Intermediate Level Systemic Practice training can describe themselves as Systemic Practitioners. This is not a formal qualification but is a recognised professional development indicating the knowledge and skills development in this training.

Past students have progressed to training on our Systemic Family Therapy MSc programmes. Students who complete the MSc in Systemic Family Therapy are eligible to register with the UKCP as Systemic Psychotherapists and to practise in the public and voluntary sectors, as well as privately.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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Critical and reflective examination of systemic theory is at the heart of this course, and you will also focus on the application of a systemic framework to practice and research.

You study different approaches to therapeutic work across a range of subjects and client groups, including adult mental health, individuals, couples, children and families.

You will also sharpen your own critical responses to discourses relating to power, difference and diversity, and develop the skills needed to address issues of discrimination.

This course is delivered in partnership with the Institute of Family Therapy in London.

Intermediate qualifications available:

• Postgraduate diploma – 120 credits at Masters level

Choose Family and Systemic Psychotherapy MSc and:

• Study through a combination of lectures, group exercises and activities, and in addition to focusing on research and theory, benefit from the programme’s clinical practice component
• Explore a range of qualitative methods for conducting research, before designing and conducting a piece of work in an area of your own interest and practice that you will write up for your final dissertation
• Develop systemic practice skills through weekly attendance of a supervision group where you will work directly with clients assessing risk, safety and vulnerability, the therapeutic relationship, interventions, and theories of change
• Gain an opportunity to develop your professional interests and contribute to the development of knowledge within the systemic field
• Benefit from power and diversity group plenaries which will support you in the development of a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding power and discrimination.

Visit the website: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/courses/postgraduate/next-year/family-and-systemic-psychotherapy#about

Course description

The Research component of the course encourages independent learning, providing you with an opportunity to develop your own professional practice interests in initiating and taking responsibility for a research project and dissertation, contributing to the development of knowledge within the systemic field. The course aims to help you develop your work with families and couples, to increase and consolidate your theoretical and clinical skills and your understanding of the use of the self in practice. The inclusion of a wide range of approaches is an important characteristic. It is part of the course philosophy to encourage you in the development of a critical approach to theory and practice examining the inequalities and differences for example of race, class, gender, and to encourage an ethical and anti-discriminatory approach to clients. Use of self and self-reflexive practice is a core aspect of training,

A particular feature of the course are the Power and Diversity group plenaries, which support you in developing your understanding of issues of power and discrimination. These plenaries supplement and support the acquisition of these skills in your supervision group to apply this understanding in your therapeutic practice.

Subject to the agreement of your agency, you will be expected to bring your own case material for discussion and video or audio recordings of your work. Where appropriate signed, informed consent will be obtained from families for this purpose. For review of work during the course through DVD consultation, the consent forms for therapy include consent to record and review for the purposes of training. The academic and experiential learning provided encourages you to develop a broad critique and to apply a range of interventions in family and other related contexts in which you have a professional role. .

The course is the final stage of training leading to qualification as a family / systemic psychotherapist and eligibility to register with the UKCP.

The part time structure of the course enables you to continue in your employment while you study. The combination of evening and day time study and its central location make it accessible geographically to students from different parts of the UK. Tutors and supervisors are all registered systemic psychotherapists and systemic supervisors, many of whom have a PhD, combining academic rigour which is also grounded in clinical practice, contributing to a rich learning experience.

Modules

• Advanced Theory In Context (ASS044-6) Compulsory
• Clinical Practice: The Developing Therapist (ASS042-6) Compulsory
• Clinical Practice: The Maturing Therapist (ASS045-6) Compulsory
• Research Dissertation (ASS043-6) Compulsory
• Research Methods (ASS040-6) Compulsory
• Theory In Context (ASS041-6) Compulsory

Assessment

The spirit of the course is developmental learning and the promotion of connections between different aspects of the course and modes of learning. You will build on the skills and learning achieved in your Foundation and Intermediate level courses, taking them to a greater level of complexity.

The course employs a range of assessment strategies which respond to the learning outcomes of the course. The strategies include written assignments that give you the opportunity to show your systemic writing skills and critical use of the literature, particularly in the Research and Theory Units. In extending this assessment strategy, in different units on the course you will produce written analyses of your systemic work with clients showing the development of your application of theory to practice in both your course and agency-based places of work, as well as in vivo presentations. The strength of this strategy is that it draws on a range of strengths, and applies equally well to organisational dilemmas as well as case consultations and gives you the chance to extend your systemic thinking beyond the frame of direct work.

Career/Further study opportunities

This course qualifies you to practice as a family and systemic psychotherapist, and to apply for registration with the UKCP. Depending on your background and first professional qualification you may also have the possibility to apply for designated family therapist posts within the NHS. Following the Munro Report published in 2011 opportunities are beginning to open up for family therapy posts within the Social Care context, and a growing number of independent and third sector agencies are interested in having a qualified family / systemic psychotherapist on their staff, or providing consultation to their work. Other students go on to develop independent practice, often alongside posts within the statutory sector

Qualified practitioners with post-qualifying experience are eligible to apply for further study to become qualified systemic supervisors.

They may also apply for further study at Doctorate level, contributing to the development of knowledge within the field.

Students also use the increased confidence in their written and academic abilities to contribute written articles to journals within the field, for example the Journal of Family Therapy and to further develop their research interests.

Funding

For information on available funding, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/money/scholarships/pg

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/course/applicationform

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The different ways in which systemic leadership and consulting practices respond to organisational challenges and personal, relational and development issues is a key element of this course, which will help you develop insights into systemic organisational practice and theory.

Developed for corporate and business leaders in health or care settings, social and community workers, religious leaders and other professionals, it will enable you to take a step-change in your leadership practice.

Intermediate qualifications available:
• Postgraduate diploma – 120 credits at Masters level

Why choose this course?

• Study how different paradigms influence ways of leading, consulting, coaching, organising and managing change and development in organisations
• Explore current research and advanced scholarship in systemic and related fields, including a range of theoretical frameworks and approaches in relation to systemic practice and research methodologies
• Develop systemic coaching and consultation techniques so that you can ethically engage with, explore and expand possibilities for communication and action in an organisational context
• Gain reflexive leadership skills so you can observe, discuss, critique and draw learning from your own practice, with a particular focus on issues surrounding power, diversity and social difference
• Benefit from the creative use of a range of inquiry techniques in leadership and consulting situations in ways that serve to ethically intervene in unfolding possibilities in organisations.

Course detail

This course on systemic leadership and organisational development is distinctive in its approach to learning, the transformational experience it offers, the development of practical skills and its ethos. To point to some of these features more specifically the course offers:

• Comprehensive and practical systemic frameworks that help you to orientate in complex organisational situations and work effectively and ethically as leader or consultant from within such situations.

• Development of relational sensibilities and skills in listening and talking with others in ways that invite understanding, orientation, direction and commitment.

• An opportunity to make practical ethical contributions to your organisation whilst you are studying, and in the process developing your role and position in relation to others.

• A transformational experience that changes your way of making sense of your organisational `reality and your contribution from within it. The course is likely to also change your sense of professional identity and agency in the world.

• Development of scholarship in systemic social constructionist approaches which are increasingly recognised as contributing to cutting edge thinking and practising in the field of organisation studies and development.

• An opportunity to take stock of the resources and resourcefulness you bring to the course and build them into your learning practice and experience.

Modules

• Designing, Facilitating And Sustaining Systemic Organisational Development (ASS054-6) Compulsory
• Dissertation In Systemic Organisational Practice (ASS056-6) Compulsory
• Systemic Leadership And Organisational Development - Principles And Applications (ASS051-6) Compulsory
• Systemic Research Methods: Positions, Actions And Interventions (ASS055-6) Compulsory
• The Leader And Consultant As Systemic Coach (ASS052-6) Compulsory
• The Reflexive Leader/Consultant Within Organisational Complexity (ASS053-6) Compulsory

Assessment

Central to the learning on the course are assignments for systemic practice which relate directly to the content focus of the respective units. Assignments provide you with a structure to make your learning relevant to your work place, using systemic approaches to make sense of situations, engaging with or collaborating with others, supporting others, facilitating developments and so forth. The course structure facilitates you in the development of your assignments through teaching, practice and formative exercises and tutorials.

Assignments create possibilities to learn from action and reflection and provide the opportunity for valuable feedback for your learning. You will account for assignments in seminar papers, presentations or performances that explore how the assignment connects to the course unit, how systemic practice and theory have been applied, provide insight into the specific practice, explore the developments that emerge from it and the learning it creates.

Assessments of seminar papers and presentations provide an opportunity to consolidate and share learning from the course and practice and provide another level of feedback, reflection and discussion on practice learning.

Careers

The course helps your employability and career management in developing your abilities:

• to account for your practice as leader or consultant facilitating the development of organisations and the achievement of objectives
• to engage with and make sense of a job opportunity from a wider contextual awareness and mindfulness of the organisation as whole.
• to engage with the emergent possibilities rather than only the set properties of a particular job or position
• to use your reflective skills to account for your own practice, abilities and experience and how these contribute to developments in coherent and compelling ways.

Funding

For information on available funding, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/money/scholarships/pg

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/course/applicationform

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To register interest and for more information on the programme, please contact Dr Christine Oliver [email protected] m +44 (0)7803 987940 or Dr Martin Miksits [email protected] m +43 (0)660 4444009.

Course information leaflet - PDF 217.0 KB http://www.beds.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/259701/SystemicLeadership032015.pdf

Course Summary

The different ways in which systemic leadership and consulting practices respond to organisational challenges and personal, relational and development issues is a key element of this course, which will help you develop insights into systemic organisational practice and theory.

Developed for corporate and business leaders in health or care settings, social and community workers, religious leaders and other professionals, it will enable you to take a step-change in your leadership practice.

Intermediate qualifications available:

- Postgraduate diploma – 120 credits at Masters level

Choose Systemic Leadership and Organisational Development MSc at Bedfordshire and:

- Study how different paradigms influence ways of leading, consulting, coaching, organising and managing change and development in organisations
- Explore current research and advanced scholarship in systemic and related fields, including a range of theoretical frameworks and approaches in relation to systemic practice and research methodologies
- Develop systemic coaching and consultation techniques so that you can ethically engage with, explore and expand possibilities for communication and action in an organisational context
- Gain reflexive leadership skills so you can observe, discuss, critique and draw learning from your own practice, with a particular focus on issues surrounding power, diversity and social difference
- Benefit from the creative use of a range of inquiry techniques in leadership and consulting situations in ways that serve to ethically intervene in unfolding possibilities in organisations.

Why choose this course?

This course on systemic leadership and organisational development is distinctive in its approach to learning, the transformational experience it offers, the development of practical skills and its ethos. To point to some of these features more specifically the course offers:

Comprehensive and practical systemic frameworks that help you to orientate in complex organisational situations and work effectively and ethically as leader or consultant from within such situations.

Development of relational sensibilities and skills in listening and talking with others in ways that invite understanding, orientation, direction and commitment.

An opportunity to make practical ethical contributions to your organisation whilst you are studying, and in the process developing your role and position in relation to others.

A transformational experience that changes your way of making sense of your organisational `reality and your contribution from within it. The course is likely to also change your sense of professional identity and agency in the world.

Development of scholarship in systemic social constructionist approaches which are increasingly recognised as contributing to cutting edge thinking and practising in the field of organisation studies and development.

An opportunity to take stock of the resources and resourcefulness you bring to the course and build them into your learning practice and experience.

Career Management Skills

The course helps your employability and career management in developing your abilities:

to account for your practice as leader or consultant facilitating the development of organisations and the achievement of objectives
to engage with and make sense of a job opportunity from a wider contextual awareness and mindfulness of the organisation as whole.
to engage with the emergent possibilities rather than only the set properties of a particular job or position
to use your reflective skills to account for your own practice, abilities and experience and how these contribute to developments in coherent and compelling ways.

Career/Further study opportunities

As participants on this course come from diverse backgrounds and experiences it is impossible to point to specific career moves. However the course is likely to be instrumental unlocking career opportunities in several ways:

The course develops you as relational leader who participates with agency and relational responsiveness in your emerging organisation. It will equip you to facilitate and co-create meaning making in your organisation but also to critically reflect on current organisational practice and promote ethical practice. This includes making sense of the organisation as a whole and in your every day practice acting with relational sensibility, poise and practical wisdom.

You will become an agent for change, development and organisational learning who contributes to your organisation or your clients organisation from different systemic consultancy positions, by becoming a reflexive learner yourself, by critically and appreciatively engaging in the process of organisational development and change, and by designing, facilitating and evaluating development interventions to achieve organisational aims.

You will form an identity as a systemic organisational research practitioner with your own research experience and contribution to ethical organisational practice through inquiry and a critical appreciation of different forms of inquiry as instrumental to the emergence of an organisation and the people in it. This will be paramount to taking responsibility for the design and conduct of further research and research programmes and the promotion of ethical organisational practice through forms of inquiry.

Possibilities for further study: Some graduates decide to expand and deepen their systemic insight and practice through a Professional Doctorate in Systemic Practice. Other graduates may want to apply and amalgamate their systemic skills and insight in studying subject matters related to their field of practice e.g. human resource management, business or public administration, education, social work, project management and so on.

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The Foundation Course in Systemic Practice introduces systemic principles, models of family therapy and their application to practice. You will be introduced to key theoretical approaches in family therapy and the skills and techniques associated with them. The course is multi-disciplinary and is delivered through a combination of lectures and practical teaching, followed by theoretical and application discussions and skills practice in small groups facilitated by qualified family therapists. It offers opportunities to observe and to practise key skills in a class room setting.

The course is available as a stand-alone module or as part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Systemic Practice and is suitable for professionals working in psychology, nursing, psychiatry, social work, counselling, voluntary organisations and related fields.

More information

The Leeds Family Therapy and Research Centre has been training therapists for over 20 years to help individuals, couples and families find ways of tackling their problems.

You can study this subject at other levels: Family Therapy (Intermediate), Systemic Practice PGCert, and Systemic Family Therapy MSc.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and as such fulfils the training requirements for Foundation Level training in Systemic Practice. Read more on the Association for Family Therapy website.

Course content

The course will introduce you to:

• the basic theory and concepts of systemic family practice
• theories of change and "schools" of systemic practice, from structural and Milan through to post-Milan constructionist and narrative approaches
• family life cycles, developmental tasks and inter-generational patterns
• approaches to systemic practice in different settings and with different client groups.

The course will also provide opportunities for you to examine your own personal and professional context from a systemic perspective and to acquire basic systemic practice skills.

On successful completion of this course you should be able to describe a range of systemic approaches to family and other relationships and give examples of their application, particularly in your own areas of work. You will be able to take a critical stance to systemic ideas and their value, and place systemic therapy in a historical context.

You will be able to use systemic ideas to promote anti-discriminatory practice and demonstrate an awareness of the impact of wider social context, with particular reference to race, gender and disability. You will demonstrate through role play, a range of systemic skills such as genogram construction, circular questions and offering reframes or alternative perspectives.

The course runs on approximately 20 Wednesday evenings (5pm to 8.30pm) in September-June, plus up to three full days. It takes place on the University's main Campus.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Foundation Course in Systemic Practice 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Foundation Course in Family Therapy in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You’ll be taught through lectures, practical classes, and group tutorials. We make extensive use of IT and a wide range of material to enable students to study at their own pace and in their own time to enhance and extend the material taught formally.

Assessment

We monitor your progress through attendance, participation in lectures and tutorials, feedback on written assignments, a group presentation on an area of interest and a reflective learning log completed during the year of the course.

Career opportunities

Students who complete Foundation level training in Systemic Practice add theoretical knowledge and practical skills to their professional range, developing the extent to which they can work with clients in family and other relational settings. Past students have progressed to training on our Family Therapy (Intermediate) and Systemic Family Therapy MSc programmes. Students who complete the MSc in Systemic Family Therapy are eligible to register with the UKCP as Systemic Psychotherapists and to practice as qualified family therapists in the public and voluntary sectors, as well as privately.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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The next intake for this course is September 2019.

The MSc in Systemic Family Therapy is a part-time course over 24 months that is an accredited Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice course. Successful completion of the course makes graduates eligible to register with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

The course is appropriate for a wide range of mental health professionals: psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, teachers and counsellors. The use of systemic family therapy for treatment of psychological difficulties is increasingly represented in NICE Guidelines and this is attended to in the course. It is designed for people who wish to work in the NHS as well as for people who seek employment in other agencies or independent practice.

More information

The Leeds Family Therapy and Research Centre has been training therapists for over 20 years to help individuals, couples and families find ways of tackling their problems. This programme has been running since 1996. The MSc programme is preceded by the Foundation and the Intermediate level courses, so that people can have prior experience to determine whether the systemic approach suits them and their area of work.

You can study this subject at other levels:

• Foundation course in Family Therapy
• Family Therapy (Intermediate)
• Systemic Practice PGCert
• Family Therapy and Systemic Supervision

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Association for Family Therapy and as such fulfils the training requirements for qualifying level as a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist. Read more on the Association for Family Therapy website.

Course content

The MSc is a part time course and has one or two day-long teaching sessions per month. There are supervision clinics located in various parts of northern England, currently in Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Keighley, Runcorn and Newcastle. Students are thus able to do the most significant amount of work closer to their own locale. Clinic locations for 2017/2019 cohort will be confirmed in Spring 2017.

PROGRAMME AIMS

Once you successfully graduate from the programme, you will be eligible to register with the UKCP. As a systemic therapist you should then be able to have a level of responsibility as an independent practitioner in the NHS, Social Services or other mental health agencies.

From the programme, you will have gained a depth of knowledge of systems theory, cybernetics, constructivism, and social constructionism. You will have an understanding of therapeutic models contained in the systemic field (Structural, Milan, Solution Focused, Narrative, Collaborative Dialogic) and the skills associated with them. You will have acquired a wide range of approaches to draw upon and will work with client preferences and strengths. You should be able to work with individuals and groups of people (and families) who hold different perspectives and may be drawn to different actions. The programme will enable you to develop the skills to work with more severe emotional / behavioural/ situational presentations and with cases that contain multi agency complexity.

Upon successfully completing the programme, you will have an appreciation of individual psychological development and family life cycle and the way in which these stages impact upon and are influenced by significant others. People and their difficulties should be seen in the context of interpersonal relationships and wider institutional and cultural discourses. You will have developed a working knowledge of other psychological and psychotherapeutic theories (psychodynamic, attachment, cognitive behavioural) such that they may be incorporated in the systemic work or posed as an alternative.

As a graduate you are able to work with teams and other professionals in a collaborative and coordinated manner. You will have developed an appreciation of the code of ethics and practice within the profession and an awareness of the large scale and smaller operations of power and attend to these in practice. You will be responsive to issues of risk and safety for clients. You will have developed a capacity for self-reflexive practice and see it as part of ongoing professional discipline.

The programme will raise your awareness of professional journals in the field and you should be able to critique current research in family therapy. You should develop a high level of ability in articulating theory and practice in relation to case material. Graduates of the programme will have skills in teaching others systemic ideas and some basic experience in supervision. Written material will also be of an appropriately sophisticated level.

Course structure

Year 1 Compulsory modules

• Theories of Change and Practice I 20 credits
• Introduction to Research Methods 15 credits
• Family Therapy Skills I 25 credits
• Systemic Supervision and Case Presentation I 30 credits

Year 2 Compulsory modules

• Theories of Change and Practice II 20 credits
• Advanced Research Methods 15 credits
• Family Therapy Skills II 25 credits
• Systemic Supervision and Case Presentation II 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Systemic Family Therapy MSc in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You will be taught through lectures, practical classes, tutorials, seminars and supervised research projects. We make extensive use of IT and a wide range of materials to enable students to study at their own pace and in their own time to enhance and extend the material taught formally.

Assessment

Achievement for the degree of Master will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme.

We monitor your progress through attendance, participation in lectures and tutorials, clinical supervision, feedback on written assignments, exam, video review, teaching practice, case presentation etc.

Career opportunities

Successful graduates are able to register with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) and apply for family therapy posts.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.

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This course is designed to help nurses, social workers, teachers, counsellors and other health professionals develop their knowledge and increase the effectiveness of their work with families, couples and individuals.

It is built on the theoretical and practice frameworks established in the foundation year, and is both an intermediate year of training for systemic psychotherapy and end-stage training for the systemic practitioner.

This course is delivered in partnership with the Institute of Family Therapy in London.

Choose Intermediate Systemic Practice with Families and Couples PgCert and:

• Study professional contexts and the way in which they relate to work with clients, learn about ways of working which meet the needs of disadvantaged client groups, and investigate the legislative frameworks practitioners have to work with
• Explore issues of difference and the promotion and development of anti-oppressive practice which are central to the course’s philosophy and permeate all aspects of your learning
• Develop your familiarity with and confidence in employing approaches that are encompassed by systems theory
• Gain a wide range of critical skills through reading, discussion, student presentations and reviews of current research
• Benefit from a critical approach to theory and practice in the light of inequalities and your clients’ differences in relation to race, class and gender.

Visit the website: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/courses/postgraduate/next-year/intermediate-systemic-practice-with-families-and-couples

Course detail

This course equips participants with a systemic approach to working with individuals, couples and families at intermediate level. About one third of our students finish at this level and add the skills to their professional practice, as a systemic practitioner. About two thirds of our students continue to the MSc in Systemic Psychotherapy.

The inclusion of a wide range of systemic approaches has been considered an important characteristic of our courses across the two courses and the four years of the training. It is part of the philosophy of the course to encourage a critical approach to theory and practice in the light of inequalities and differences of race, class and gender, and to encourage an anti-oppressive approach to working with clients. Developing self-reflexivity, the awareness and utilisation of the person of the practitioner in action, is also a core aspect of the course.

Modules

• Intermediate Systemic Skills With Families And Couples (ASS049-6) Compulsory
• Intermediate Systemic Theory With Families And Couples (ASS048-6) Compulsory

Assessment

The course is composed of graded and pass/fail elements of assessment. The pass/fail assessments do not contribute towards your overall mark, but must be completed to a pass standard. There are two pass/fail elements: your log of 60 hours of systemic practice, and your reflective journal which charts your journey through the course.

Careers

On successful completion of the course you can use the title `Systemic Practitioner. This is a title recognised by the Association of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice and is highly regarded by employers in social care, education and the voluntary sector.

Funding

For information on available funding, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/money/scholarships/pg

How to apply

For information on how to apply, please follow the link: https://www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply/course/applicationform

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If you’re committed to a career as a qualified systemic psychotherapist then this postgraduate certificate (PG Cert) is your first stepping stone. Over two years you’ll study flexibly to fit around your work commitments. The course is also for any professional who wants to develop skills in working systemically with individuals, couples and families.

See the website http://www.anglia.ac.uk/study/part-time/family-therapy-and-systemic-practice

Our PG Cert is the first two years of a four-year qualification for Family and Systemic Psychotherapy. Made up of two modules, our course is accredited by the Association of Family Therapy (AFT), so you can be confident that you’re developing skills that are up-to-date and relevant for a career in family psychotherapy. Each module can be studied alone as part of your continued professional development, or they can be combined as you work towards your full training to become a qualified systemic (family) psychotherapist.

Our course is suitable whatever client groups you work with and will build on your knowledge, beliefs and experiences within your own work context. You’ll develop a deep understanding of systemic thinking and practice and how to put this into practice with clients and families, exploring a range of presenting problems and contexts spanning the lifecycle from birth to old age.

Teaching times: Year 1, Tuesdays 3-8pm. Year 2. Wednesdays 3-8pm. Seventeen weeks of the year during term-time.

See the website http://www.anglia.ac.uk/study/part-time/family-therapy-and-systemic-practice

Careers

By successfully completing your PG Cert you’ll be able to continue your studies to the completion of your MSc, which will then allow you to register as a family and systemic psychotherapist, on the basis that you fulfil AFT requirements. You’ll also be able to refer to yourself as a systemic practitioner, which will be a significant addition to your professional portfolio.

- Links with industry and professional recognition
Our course is carried out at a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit and we have strong links with the local mental health trust, allowing you to come into contact with a wide range of professionals already working in family psychotherapy.

Core modules

An Introduction to Working Systemically with Individuals, Couples and Families
Further Developments in Systemic Practice

Please note that you will need to complete all of the above core modules. This course does not have any optional modules. Modules are subject to change.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed in a range of ways to determine your expertise as an advanced reflective practitioner, including case and paper presentations to peers, a reflective portfolio, a case study and, at the end of the second module, a presentation to peers on a systemic concept of your choice and its application to practice. Assessment is on-going throughout the course and small group learning develops your skills with formative and informal feedback available on an ongoing basis.

Your faculty

The Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education is the largest provider of health, social care and education courses in the East of England, with over 6,000 students from more than 20 countries.

With 95% of our students finding full-time employment within six months of graduating, you can be sure that our courses have been designed with your career in mind. We’ve been educating nurses, midwives and social workers for over 25 years.

At the cutting edge of research, we offer a range of internationally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses taught by friendly and experienced staff.

Designed to enhance your learning experience, our facilities include state-of-the-art simulated skills laboratories that mirror real-life clinical situations and UK hospital wards. Our students also benefit from our Early Childhood Research and Resource Centre; a space in which they can experiment with equipment and play activities.

You’ll study in an exciting, modern faculty which has strong links with regional, national and international organisations, including healthcare trusts, schools and academic institutions.

Your enthusiasm. Our passion. Your best foot forward.

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The masters in counselling award provides a framework for theoretical understanding and skills development in the application of a systemic approach to working with individual adults and children, couples and families as well as supervision of counselling practice. Alongside these frameworks, students can enjoy a detailed analysis of models and practices in supervision, including an understanding of wider systemic influences that impact practice.

Systemic approaches to psychotherapy and family therapy have been the cornerstone of the Family Institute’s clinical practice, teaching and research since 1967. The Institute was the first centre in the UK to develop these approaches to problems in living. Forty years on, progress in family therapy has occurred at a rapid pace. The application of systems thinking and practice in health and social care contexts has grown considerably. It has, therefore, become essential to ensure the highest standards of practice, training and qualification in applying systemic approaches effectively within these fields.

“The course allowed me to find my own way around the myriad of counselling and psychotherapy approaches, and to appreciate the theoretical support of such approaches.” Ann Jones, BSc Systemic Counselling

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/751-msc-systemic-counselling

What you will study

You will study the following modules:
- Foundation in Family Therapy and Systemic Practice
- Using Systemic Practice in the Work Setting
- Research Methods
- Counselling Supervision and Consultation

The programme aims to offer students opportunity to:
- develop in-depth understanding of conceptual frameworks underpinning systemic theory and practice applied to counselling;

- understand and utilise methods of integration in order to develop their own personal epistemology in counselling practice;

- develop skills in responding to challenging or complex issues that may arise in counselling;

- develop and promote appropriate treatment responses and skills in working with areas new to their experience and knowledge (e.g. serious mental illness, couples, children, families, elders, refugees, forensic settings, new theoretical developments, methods and techniques);

- develop knowledge and practice of appropriate supervision in counselling;

- develop an understanding of organisational development and the interaction between relevant wider systems in the practice of supervision, for example, management and governance of services;

- promote high professional standards.

Learning and teaching methods

The award integrates practice-based evidence with evidence-based practice and offers excellent training in research methods. You will study through a mixture of lectures, group discussion via action learning and independent study. Assessment will involve directed study assignments, analysis of practice in supervision and video or audio review.

Practice based learning is a central component to this award and is embedded in the philosophy of the award. The award has been designed to develop the professional requirements of counsellors from a variety of professional backgrounds and takes into account current British Psychological Society criteria for Chartered Counselling Psychologists.

Staff delivering this award have extensive experience of designing and teaching Family Therapy and Systemic Practice programmes at postgraduate level (UKCP accredited) as well as Counselling programmes leading to a BSc Hons in Counselling (BACP accredited). The Institute is a member of the European Family Therapy Association and also the Universities Psychotherapy and Counselling Association.

Work Experience and Employment Prospects

There is an increase in the demand for counsellors and there is a corresponding need for supervision and continuing professional development. The demands on counsellors to practice to the highest ethical, theoretical and practical standards increase as we move towards statutory regulation (possibly by 2012). In the context of increasing focus on evidence-based practice, the practitioner’s relationship to the scientist’s practitioner model will influence how they locate their practice and thinking within wider networks of research and collegial exchange of good practice, not only as practitioners but also as supervisors.

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This course provides an introduction to systemic ideas and their relevance in helping us gain a better understanding of individuals, families and the organisations in which we all function. In particular it will appeal to all those working in the caring professions who have an interest in developing their practice in terms of working with families. Moreover this type of training offers a broader perspective and understanding of how crucial family dynamics are in the development and maintenance of problems. At the same time it provides creative ways of involving the family in finding solutions to their difficulties.

Key benefits

- Work placement

- Fully accredited for Foundation Level Training with the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice

Visit the website: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/course/pgc-family-therapy-and-systemic-practice-pt-me

Course detail

- Description -

Graduates of the course can go on to undertake the next stages in this training - that of Intermediate Level and Masters Level. In addition to this, students working in a variety of work contexts will also benefit from supplementing their own professional skills with the systemic theory and skills learned on the course. Given the broad appeal and applicability of systemic therapy principles, this course will inform and enhance students' understanding and approach to supporting individuals, couples and organisations, as well as families.

- Purpose -

The course aims to:

- Introduce the participants to the field of systemic theory, practice and research;
- Introduce the participants to the basic skills, applicable to their work settin;
- Increase participants’ awareness and acceptance of the need for professional practice to be characterised by respectfulness and reflexivity;
- Provide a basis from which the student may proceed towards intermediate level training.

- Teaching and learning assessment -

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, workshops, and student-led peer groups. The peer groups promote experiential learning on the programme via role-play and group tasks, designed to develop students' clinical skills and understanding.

Assessment takes the form of essays, reflective diaries, and presentations. There are no written examinations on the programme.

Career options

This course is fully accredited for Foundation Level Training with the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice. It therefore forms the first step in training to become a fully qualified Family Therapist. Graduates of the course can go on to undertake the next stages in this training - that of Intermediate Level and Masters Level. In addition to this, students working in a variety of work contexts will also benefit from supplementing their own professional skills with the systemic theory and skills learned on the course. Given the broad appeal and applicability of systemic therapy principles, this course will inform and enhance students' understanding and approach to supporting individuals, couples and organisations, as well as families.

How to apply: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/how-to-apply#pg

Why Choose Ulster University ?

1. Over 92% of our graduates are in work or further study six months after graduation.
2. We are a top UK university for providing courses with a period of work placement.
3. Our teaching and the learning experience we deliver are rated at the highest level by the Quality Assurance Agency.
4. We recruit international students from more than 100 different countries.
5. More than 4,000 students from over 50 countries have successfully completed eLearning courses at Ulster University.

Flexible payment

To help spread the cost of your studies, tuition fees can be paid back in monthly instalments while you learn. If you study for a one-year, full-time master’s, you can pay your fees up-front, in one lump sum, or in either five* or ten* equal monthly payments. If you study for a master’s on a part-time basis (e.g. over three years), you can pay each year’s fees up-front or in five or ten equal monthly payments each year. This flexibility allows you to spread the payment of your fees over each academic year. Find out more by visiting https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/postgraduate

Scholarships

A comprehensive range of financial scholarships, awards and prizes are available to undergraduate, postgraduate and research students. Scholarships recognise the many ways in which our students are outstanding in their subject. Individuals may be able to apply directly or may automatically be nominated for awards. Visit the website: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/scholarships

English Language Tuition

CELT offers courses and consultations in English language and study skills to Ulster University students of all subjects, levels and nationalities. Students and researchers for whom English is an additional language can access free CELT support throughout the academic year: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/international/english-language-support

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Family systems perspectives on theory and practice have been rapidly developing across a wide range of professional disciplines and practice contexts. If you work with adults, children, couples or within the family healthcare field, this is your opportunity to further your knowledge and develop the skills to practice therapeutically at a specialised and advanced level using systemic theoretical frameworks.

This award integrates taught clinical practice, theory, personal development and research. It forms Years Three to Four of The Family Institute’s psychotherapy training programme and builds on the Institute’s long experience of teaching psychotherapy. It is designed to meet UKCP, UK Association for Family Therapy and European training standards.

“I have had a good experience of studying other courses. I enjoyed the practical aspect of this course. I also enjoyed spending time at the Family Clinic within the University.” – Tracy Brain, MSc Systemic Psychotherapy, Health Visitor

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/356-msc-systemic-psychotherapy

What you will study

Year One:
- Systemic Approaches to Clinical Practice
- Systemic Psychotherapy in Context
- Integrating Systemic Theory, Practice and Research

Year Two:
- Communication, Change and the Development of Therapeutic Practice
- Second-Order Cybernetics and Complex Systemic Organisation

Learning and teaching methods

Curriculum hours of study are designed to meet national Association for Family Therapy (AFT) and European Family Therapy Association (EFTA) standards. Live supervised practice is based at the Institute’s clinic. Years One and Two comprise 40 taught days in a pattern of fortnightly two-day blocks, with a full week to start each year.

Work Experience and Employment Prospects

Assessment methods:
You will be assessed through lecturer/supervisor assessment, self-assessment, summative and formative assignments. Emphasis is on reflective practice. You must pass both theory and practice components of each module.

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Why choose this course:

• Our courses are highly regarded by professionals working within family therapy, and this course is accredited by the Association of Family Therapy (AFT).

• When you complete this course you will be able to register as a systemic psychotherapist or family therapist with the UK Council Psychotherapy (UKCP).

• With over ten years' experience of teaching systemic psychotherapy, our experienced teaching team is keen to pass its expertise on to you.

• If you have already completed the PG Cert Systemic Thinking and Practice or have passed an Association of Family Therapy (AFT) accredited intermediate course, this course is ideal for you.

About the course:

This two year part time course offers you the flexibility of continuing your professional development without taking a break from your career.

In your first year you'll study for the PG Dip Systemic Thinking and Practice, which includes a weekly supervised training clinic for 40 weeks.

In your second year the teaching will be focused on the MSc Systemic Psychotherapy, which also includes a weekly supervised training clinic for 40 weeks of the year.

You'll need to study both years to form the MSc Systemic Psychotherapy.

You'll be taught in our Clinical Skills Suite, which is a working clinical environment where you'll be able to learn and develop your practical and research skills. The cost for live clinical supervision for both years is covered by the course fees.

You'll study some parts of the course with students on other psychotherapy courses, so you'll have the opportunity to critically appraise systemic practice and other psychotherapy and counselling models.

You may be eligible for Learning Beyond Registration (LBR) funding if you choose this course, contact us for more details.

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This PhD equivalent is aimed at people wanting to undertake research directly related to their practice. Practitioners coming on to this course will have an experienced systemic appreciation of the use of systemic ideas in leadership, therapy, training, organisational development, supervision and community work. This course encourages new ways of inquiring into systemic practice, into the fluid and shifting connections in the reflexive shaping of a) systemic theory and practice and b) systemic research theory and practice. This course is for advanced practitioners who want to benefit from membership of a systemic research school.

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