HUMANISTIC & INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY SECTION

School of Psychotherapy and Counselling SPC

Regent's College, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London NW1 4NS
T: 020 7487 7406
F: 020 7487 7446
E:
W: www.spc.ac.uk
Contact Name: Dr Rosalind Pearmain

Organisational History

The School of Psychotherapy and Counselling at Regents College was one of the first institutions to link together an MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling with clinical psychotherapy training in the late 1970s. Originally, until 1992, the School was validated by Antioch University, Ohio, USA and programmes were initially focused on humanistic psychology. Latterly more emphasis was placed on an existential-phenomenological approach to psychotherapy which was a unique and innovative aspect of the School within the field at large. Most institutions of psychotherapy now embrace an academic Master's level of accreditation as well as formulating their programmes to meet the common standards required by UKCP and/or BACP. This dual approach to psychotherapy training, that combines both academic and clinical aspects, requires some careful crafting in order to honour the special and peculiar elements that psychotherapy requires of its practitioners. These embrace levels of personal awareness, maturity, professional integrity and skill. The School's MA/PgD and MPhil/PhD programmes are validated by the University of Wales.

Training Course Selection & Admission

MA/PgD in Psychotherapy and Counselling entry requirements. All applicants will:

• have successfully completed a Foundation/ certificate course in psychotherapy/counselling of at least 120 hours involving theoretical, practical and experiential elements;
• have some initial experience of the use of counselling or psychotherapeutic skills within an appropriate professional context;
• normally be over 25 years of age;
• normally have experience of personal psychotherapy or counselling;
• have demonstrated a capacity for independent study;
• have demonstrated personal maturity.

Advice on the equivalence of qualifications may be obtained from the Academic Registrar. Four years of post-secondary level study and/or extensive professional experience may be acceptable in lieu of formal qualifications. Additional entry requirements In addition to the above, applicants for the MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling would normally have a first degree or professional equivalent. Applicants for the Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy and Counselling do not require a degree but will need to provide evidence of their ability to study at a postgraduate level. It must be emphasised that exceptions to requirements for a first degree or foundation training will be made only in those cases where applicants are able to clearly demonstrate that they have acquired equivalent knowledge and experience via some alternative route.

Advanced Diplomas Entry requirements:

• Satisfactory completion of either:
  the taught components of SPC's MA in Psychotherapy and Counselling, or
  an equivalent masters-level professional training in psychotherapy/counselling/ counselling psychology;
• Working knowledge of a range of psychotherapy and counselling approaches which includes psychodynamic, and humanistic/integrative perspectives;
• Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 100 client contact hours in a formal clinical placement;
• Evidence of emotional maturity and evidence of an ability to be self-reflective, function effectively under pressure, and to manage conflict constructively;
• Completion of a minimum of two years regular individual psychotherapy.

Note: In the case of existing SPC MA students, the MA dissertation can be completed concurrently with the ADIP; students should aim to submit by the end of Year 1 of the ADIP.

Training Course Requirements

Personal therapy Every student is expected to be in individual therapy with an approved UKCP registered therapist for the duration of the course.

Clinical Placement MA/PgD Students undertake a supervised clinical placement from the end of Year 1. The School has an excellent relationship with a large number of providers of psychological healthcare and is able to provide guidance and support for students at this stage of their training. Advanced Diplomas Every trainee is expected to work with 2 - 3 adult clients on a minimum once-weekly long-term basis for the duration of the course.

Placement supervision It is the responsibility of the Placement Supervisors to provide regular clinical supervision in the placement, ideally weekly, in groups of no more than four students at intervals no greater than fortnightly and in sessions lasting no less than 1.5 hours. It is the responsibility of SPC training supervisors to monitor students' progress in client work in the clinical placement through the medium of the weekly training supervision sessions and to address any issues regarding concerns about students' client work which may be reported in the placement supervisor's report. Normally 2 hours with 4 students weekly.

Written work Essays, process reports, case studies and video assessments.

Attendance 8 out of 10 weeks must be attended each term. Students/trainees may disenrol from the course (take a break in studies) for no less than one term and no more than three terms. Disenrolment is only granted in extreme circumstances.

Training Course Assessments, standards, role of training committee

The Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Committee reports to the Academic Board on matters which relate to teaching, learning and assessment. Its focus is on the School's strategic approach to teaching, learning, assessment and the professional practice which underpins these activities. It is accountable to the Quality Assurance and Enhancement Committee.

Training Courses	Course Information
One year Foundation	Full or Part time - Part Time Dates - intakes in Oct and Jan Length - 1 year Location - SPC Number of places - 90 per year Cost - Time Commitment - 4 hours per week / term time
Winter Intensive Foundation	Full or Part time - Part Time Dates - intake in Jan Length - 4 months Location - SPC Number of places - 18 Cost - Time Commitment - Weekday and weekend modules
Spring Intensive Foundation	Full or Part time - Part Time Dates - Intake in April Length - 4 months Location - SPC Number of places - 18 Cost - Time Commitment - Weekday and weekend modules
Summer Intensive Foundation	Full or Part time - Full Time Dates - intake in July Length - 5 weeks Location - SPC Number of places - 18 Cost - Time Commitment - Weekday and weekend modules
MA/PgD in Psychotherapy and Counselling	Full or Part time - Part Time Dates - intake in Oct and Jan Length - 2 years Location - SPC Number of places - 48 per year Cost - Time Commitment - 6 hours per week term time and clinical placement
DCounsPsy/MA in Counselling Psychology	Full or Part time - Part Time Dates - intakes in Oct and Jan Length - 3 years Location - SPC Number of places - 32 per year Cost - Time Commitment - 6 hours per week term time and clinical placement
Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy	Full or Part time - Part Time Dates - intake in Jan Length - 2 years Location - SPC Number of places - 14 per year Cost - Time Commitment - 6 hours per week term time and clinical placement
Advanced Diploma in Existential Psychotherapy	Full or Part time - Part Time Dates - intake in Jan Length - 2 years Location - SPC Number of places - 14 per year Cost - Time Commitment - 6 hours per week term time and clinical placement
Mphil/PhD in Psychotherapy and Counselling	Full or Part time - Full-time or Part-time Dates - intakes in Oct, Jan, April Length - P/T min 5 years. F/T min 3 years Location - SPC Number of places - up to 30 per year Cost - Time Commitment - full or part-time study
ADR/Mediation	Full or Part time - Dates - 6 courses per year Length - 4 years Location - SPC Number of places - 120 per year Cost - Time Commitment - 34 hours
Coaching	Full or Part time - Dates - 3 courses per year Length - 5 days Location - SPC Number of places - 36 per year Cost - Time Commitment - 46.5 hours

Theoretical orientation

The Integrative Attitude The underlying ethos upon which rests the whole of SPC's educational and training programme is its Integrative Attitude which can be summarised as follows: No single perspective or set of underlying values and assumptions is universally shared in current psychotherapeutic thought and practice. The School therefore advocates a non-doctrinaire 'Integrative Attitude' throughout all of its courses. This attitude allows competing and diverse models to be considered both conceptually and experientially so that their areas of interface and divergence can be exposed, considered and clarified. The aim is to highlight the value of holding the tension between contrasting and often contradictory ideas, of 'playing with' their experiential possibilities and of allowing a paradoxical security which can 'live with' and at times even thrive in the absence of final and fixed truths. The School believes that this deliberate engagement with difference should be reflected in the manner in which the faculty relate to students, clients and colleagues at all levels. We are hopeful that this philosophical, impartial and innovative attitude will both inspire and appeal to those students who are planning to gain professional psychotherapy accreditation.

Accreditation, graduation, membership

Professional membership of UKCP is open to those who successfully complete the ADIP and ADEP and 450 supervised clinical hours.

Code of ethics/ethical principals

The SPC Code of Ethics exists to establish and maintain standards for psychotherapists and counsellors and to inform and protect members of the public seeking their services. Members of the School of Psychotherapy and Counselling, in assenting to this Code, accept their responsibility to clients, colleagues, trainees, this School, their agencies and society. The client's interest is paramount, but where practitioners have a conflict of responsibilities they have to use their considered judgement within the framework of this Code of Ethics. The purpose of this Code of Practice is to establish and maintain standards for all tutors and supervisors who are graduates, Professional Members, or members of faculty of the School of Psychotherapy and Counselling at Regent's College, and to inform and protect members of the public seeking training, consultation or supervision in the field of psychotherapy and counselling. Training includes training in counselling, psychotherapy, group work, interpersonal skills, personal development, supervision, mediation and other topics involving psychotherapeutic and counselling theory and practice.

Is the organisation accrediting, training or both?

Both

Is the organisation running a low cost scheme?

No

Does the organisation offer clincial services?

Yes

Does the organisation have members included in the UKCP national register?

Yes

Other Relevant Information

UKCP, 2nd Floor, Edward House, 2 Wakley Street, London, EC1V 7LT
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