MSc Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy

Why choose this course?

Study MSc Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy with us and gain the skills you need to practise as a therapist. The University of Wolverhampton’s proven programme incorporates best practice from psychology, psychotherapy and healthcare fields, preparing you for professional positions within the thriving area of counselling.

The programme has a foundation in humanist values, with an emphasis on an empathic therapist-client relationship being central to mental health work. You will develop your understanding of the subject alongside qualified experts from the School of Psychology, learning to positively engage with patients in a supportive environment. The advantages of our Centre for Psychological Research, opportunities for applied placements, and partnerships with NHS supervisors will help facilitate your development into a self-directed, adaptable modern practitioner.

What happens on the course?

Your year will begin with an intensive week of teaching and group-based activities, developing your group contract and preparing you for university life at postgraduate level. Semester 1 will prepare you for a work placement and build the foundations of your therapeutic approach. You will go through a range of theoretical and experiential activities in therapeutic relationships, relational dynamics, assessment, ethics, risk management, professional conduct, engaging in supervision, and much more.

In January/February you will enter a placement with an approved provider, applying your skills to a live clinical setting. Your supervisor will provide you with detailed supervision, ensuring you have the reflective space in which to grow as a practitioner. You will also engage in a research project, studying an issue relevant to your course.

The course is part of the School of Psychology in the Faculty of Education, Health, and Wellbeing which is the professional home to over 50 teaching and research staff, bringing a broad range of interests and experience to benefit students learning on our portfolio of courses. We are recognised as one of the leading providers of psychology education and use innovative teaching methods that focus on the application of scientific and theoretical principles to the study of people’s lives. Psychology staff are grouped into a variety of highly active research clusters through our Centre for Psychological Research, publishing in the latest academic journals and working to make a real-world impact on people’s lives.

An upper second-class honours degree (2:1). Graduates of a BSc Psychology & Counselling degree are ideally placed for entry. Applicants who have not completed any counselling component, as part of their previous qualification, will need to demonstrate an understanding to the nature of the counselling profession (or some experience in a helping role) and an increased self-reflective attitude upon life experience and the emotional stability required for counselling practise.