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Undertake comprehensive training as a counselling practitioner to work across diverse contexts and settings. Gain a critical awareness of current problems and contemporary discourses in counselling and psychotherapy. Develop a comprehensive understanding and competence in the practical application of the clinical skills underpinning practice.
Counsellors work across diverse contexts and settings ranging from private practice to the charitable and public sectors. If you are passionate about and have an interesting in helping others who experience difficulties in their lives, struggle with emotional or relational concerns, or experiences mental health difficulties then training as a counsellor may be for you.
There is a focus on reflexive practice as a core component throughout your studies as you gain the knowledge and skills to work with complex moral, ethical, and professional issues. Principles of anti-oppressive practice support you to work in systematic and creative ways which recognises the intersection of issues of difference and diversity and the role of self in interactions with others.
The course has several unique features including its focus on discourses in mental health and the role of the counsellor within contemporary mental health workforces. In addition, there is the option to pursue either a focus in counselling children and young people or counselling adults in year two of your studies (subject to numbers) with the name of your award reflecting this focus. Whichever option you choose you will develop the specialist skills for working with these client groups informed by experienced practitioners and current research, theory and practice.
We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials.
A diversity of assessments are used across the course including presentations, case studies, reports, viva’s, essays, and reflective work.
You will undertake a clinical placement of 100 hours during which you will work with real clients within a counselling organisation supervised by an experienced practitioner. This is a requirement to qualify and register with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). You will need to find your own placement but will be supported in this process.
We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.
The course is open to any graduate who holds a 2:2 Degree classification and has experience of using counselling skills in a helping role.
The course is particularly suited to:
Other graduates with experience working in a helping role, for example, such as working as a bereavement support volunteer with Cruse Bereavement Care, a mental health support worker, a Samaritan, a listener or befriender etc. Degree holders who do not have any experience in a helping role may be required to complete a level 3 counselling certificate before being admitted onto the course.
Your completed application will be reviewed by our Admissions team to ensure that you have the required entry qualifications. If you meet these requirements, your application will be individually assessed by the Admissions Tutor and, if successful, you'll be shortlisted for interview.
Fees are £500 per 10 credits.
We are unable to accept international applicants for part-time courses who require a Student visa to study in the UK.
Additional costs for this course may include student membership fees of BACP and/or NCPS.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
Students will need to gain student membership of a professional body in counselling. This can be either the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) OR the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). Both bodies offer discounted membership for students, please refer directly to these bodies for details.
Students may need to purchase their own professional indemnity insurance if their placement does not provide cover. Teaching staff can provide advice on this.
Students may need to pay for clinical supervision if not covered by their placement. The cost would be negotiation with the clinical supervisor, but fees can range from £45 - £80 per session and would need to be for a minimum of 1.5 hours per month or a ratio of 1:8 client hours whichever is applicable whilst the student is in placement.
Students would need to pay for personal therapy at a fee negotiated with their therapist. There is a requirement that students would have 20 hours of personal therapy in total. A minimum of 10 hours of personal therapy in their first year of the course and a further 10 hours spread across year 2 and 3 of the programme. The cost of personal therapy can range from £20-80 per hour.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
Graduates of the MA will be qualified as professional counsellors and able to work within the voluntary or statutory sectors as well as in private practice.
With this qualification, you can work in industries such as: