Counselling University of Aberdeen

Overview

We focus on professional practice and competencies, offering the opportunity to undertake pluralistic practice, the fastest-growing therapy modality in the UK. The programme offers advanced entry for qualified practitioners already registered with a professional body in counselling.

Key facts

The programme is structured into three integrated stages, allowing you to advance through the professional standards to achieve the doctorate. We offer the following designated exit points:

• MSc – consists of core learning required to become a practising therapist.
• MPhil – gain advanced therapist training required to achieve accredited status as a practitioner.
• DCouns – the most advanced level of training available to practitioners.

We have a robust, contemporary curriculum, built on a pluralistic model which ensures creative collaboration and responsiveness to client needs when undertaking therapeutic practice through a social justice lens. You will discover and deploy different interventions and methods for working with diverse client groups while enhancing your personal and professional development as an ethical, self-aware therapist.

You will learn from leading academics in pluralistic practice within a vibrant, inclusive community of practitioners, opening diverse perspectives to share and explore. You will engage in client practice under supervision using a pluralistic approach to counselling and therapy at advanced levels of competence.

Our tutors will support you in establishing your philosophical and operational approach to therapy based on key principles of pluralism. We emphasise linking research to practice, enabling you to complete an initial project in year 2 (full time) or year 3 (part-time) before progressing onto the doctoral dissertation from year 3 (full-time) or year 5 (part-time).