Which course is right for me?
We understand that training to become a counsellor or psychotherapist is a long-term commitment, and that it is important for you to make an informed choice about planning your training. The diagram below outlines the possible training routes, which you can follow at the Minster Centre
To find out more about our training routes book onto to one of our Open Days or contact our Admissions Team on [email protected].
We also offer professional development courses in Advanced Clinical Practice and Supervision for qualified practitioners.
Routes to Qualification
Our Courses
An Introduction to Counselling Skills
Key Information
Course format: We offer both online and in-person teaching formats for this course. Please see dates below for details.
About the Course: An introductory course, which is open to anyone who is interested in learning how to use counselling skills and more about themselves. If you are considering a career in counselling this course is a good taster to see if you want to go further and will help prepare you for taking a Foundation Course in Counselling at The Minster Centre or elsewhere.
For course start dates please click on the tab below.
About the Course
Counselling skills can help you gain insight into how to deal effectively and helpfully with people who are distressed or you may find challenging. These are skills that can be useful at work and in your personal life. You will practice basic counselling skills, such as how to accurately reflect back what a person is saying, summarising, and asking open-ended questions. You will also learn about :
- The skill of ‘active listening’ – being with a person, and at the same time being able to step back.
- The ‘core conditions’ – the ability to be with a person:
- without introducing your own agenda;
- to accept what they are saying, in their own terms;
- and to be your genuine self.
This course, like all our courses, emphasises an experiential style of learning. Central to counselling skills practice is the idea that to understand the experience of another person you must first understand our own.
The course is structured so that students learn not only from what is taught, but also by actively engaging in exercises. Much of the learning is in small groups and there is an emphasis on students, where appropriate, sharing and reflecting on their own experience.
Course Content
Each session will be made up of three parts:
- Counselling and Psychotherapy Theory,
- Skills practice,
- Self-development.
All three elements are central in developing professional competence within any helping profession.
Theory Seminar
In the theory seminar you will learn about counselling skills and some key ideas in counselling theory. You will be invited to discuss and explore some of these ideas and reflect on how you relate to these ideas and concepts. You will also be encouraged to reflect on your own intersectionality and start thinking about this in the context of theory and the psychotherapy profession.
Skills Practice
In the skills practice session, you will be divided into small groups where you will practice active listening skills, usually with one person in the role of listener, one as client and one or two as observer to give feedback. There will also be an opportunity for your tutor to observe you in these roles.
Personal Development Group
And finally for personal development, there will be what is called an experiential group (self-development group). This is an opportunity to explore your own response to the course, your interactions with other people and where appropriate, the process of the group itself. You will be invited to reflect on your own patterns in relationship to others, and the impact of others on you. The self-development group provides you with a unique opportunity to deepen your learning about yourself and others.
Assessment
A 750-word essay on what you have learnt from the course and your reflections on your self-development. This essay will not be graded. However, feedback will be given to you by your tutor about your engagement on the course.
There is a 80% minimum attendance requirement for this course.
Course Leader(s)
Course Leader: Neelam Zahid
Course Tutors: Cindy Delport, Anita Gaspar, Patricia Grey, Áine Hayes, Nadine Hughes, Fiona Pope and Neelam Zahid.
Course Dates and Times
Course Dates 2024-25
- Mon 13th Jan to Mon 24th Mar 2025; 10.00am-1.00pm, in person (10 weeks)
- Thurs 16th Jan to Thurs 27th Mar 2025; 6.00pm-9.00pm, in person (10 weeks)
- Sat 18th Jan to Sat 15th Mar 2025; 9.30am-1.15pm online (8 weeks)
- Mon 2nd June to Mon 4th Aug 2025; 10.00am-1.00pm, in person (10 weeks)
- Thurs 24th Apr to Thurs 3rd July 2025; 6.00pm-9.00pm, in person (10 weeks)
- Sat 17th May to Sat 12th July 2025; 9.30am-1.15pm online (8 weeks)
- Sat 5th July to Sat 2nd Aug 2025; 10.00am-5.00pm online (5 weeks)
Intensive Course Dates 2024-25
- Mon 2nd Dec to Fri 6th Dec; 10.00am-5.00pm, in person intensive
- Mon 6th Jan to Fri 10th Jan 2025; 10.00am-5.00pm, in person intensive
- Mon 31st Mar to Fri 4th Apr 2025; 11.00am-6.00pm, in person intensive
- Thurs 3rd Apr to Mon 7th Apr 2025; 11.00am-6.00pm, in person intensive
- Mon 7th Apr to Fri 11th Apr 2025; 10.00am-5.00pm, in person intensive
- Mon 7th July to Fri 11th July 2025; 10.00am-5.00pm, in person intensive
- Mon 14th July to Fri 18th July 2025; 11.00am-6.00pm, in person intensive
- Mon 21st July to Fri 25th July 2025; 10.00am-5.00pm, in person intensive
- Thurs 24th July to Mon 28th July 2025; 11.00am-6.00pm, online intensive
- Mon 4th Aug to Fri 8th Aug 2025; 11.00am-6.00pm, in person intensive
Who Is It For
- Those in the helping professions to enhance their listening skills.
- Those who want to develop their self-awareness.
- Those who want an experience of experiential learning.
- Those interested in training to become a counsellor or psychotherapist
- Those who want to prepare for The Minster Centre’s Foundation courses.
Entry Requirements
This is an open access course. You do not need particular qualifications or work experience to attend this course. Undertaking counselling training at any level can be a psychologically and intellectually demanding process, and requires a degree of psychological robustness. Therefore, personal qualities we are looking for in trainees include:
- An openness to forming and maintaining relationships with others.
- The ability to engage in experiential learning.
- A willingness to tolerate difference and engage with intersectionality.
- The capacity to develop empathy.
- The ability to reflect on experiences.
- Openness to feedback from tutors and peers.
Having had a mental health diagnosis or difficulty in the past is not, necessarily, a barrier to training. However, we do need to consider whether there is a danger of the training exacerbating mental health problems in applicants. For this reason, we may ask about mental health during the application process, and the Centre reserves the right to refuse admission to applicants who we judge would not, at this time, be suitable for the course.
For courses taught online, applicants need the technical ability to work online and have a private and confidential space to attend training sessions.
Qualifications
Students are eligible for an Introduction to Counselling Skills Certificate at the end of the course if they have submitted the 750-word assignment by the deadline and they have attended a minimum of 80% of their classes.
Students who have not met the criteria above on any of our Introduction to Counselling Skills courses will receive a letter of attendance only at the end of the course.
Career Prospects
The Introduction to Counselling Skills course can:
- Be a stepping stone to ongoing counselling and psychotherapy training
- Support careers in HR, Healthcare and Teaching
- Support your applications to some mental health vocations.
- Be part of your continual professional development.
Fees
2024-25: £495
Terms and Conditions Once you receive a conditional offer of a place on our Introduction to Counselling Skills course, you have three days to pay your course fee in full by bank transfer. After that deadline, if your place has not been secured by paying your fee in full, your conditional offer will be automatically moved to our waiting list.
Transfer Students who have secured their place on a course and can no longer attend it are permitted to transfer their place once to another Introduction to Counselling Skills course within the same academic year only, as long as we are able to fill their place (please note: places are subject to availability).
Refunds Should you withdraw from your course 14 days prior to the start date, or within the 14-day period and we can fill your place, we will refund your course fee in full. Should you withdraw after commencing the course there is no refund.
Venue
The Minster Centre is a five minute walk from Queens Park Tube (Bakerloo line) and Rail Overground Station and a 10-15 min walk from Brondesbury Park Station.
How to Apply
Applications: You apply directly to The Minster Centre via the online application form below. Please ensure each section is fully completed in order for your application to be considered for this course. If you have any further questions please see our FAQs page or email us on [email protected]. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
The Foundation Course at The Minster Centre
Key Information
About the course: The course provides a comprehensive and critical introduction to the field of psychotherapy and counselling from an integrative viewpoint. Students increase their self-awareness, their awareness of others and their capacity to relate and interact with others. This course, or an equivalent, is a requirement before starting professional training to become a psychotherapist or counsellor at The Minster Centre and many other training organisations.
Start date: Monday 16th September 2024
About the Course
About the course: The course provides a critical introduction to the field of counselling and psychotherapy from an integrative standpoint which will be informative and enriching in itself and will provide a foundation for those who wish to go on to train as a practicing counsellor or psychotherapist. This is done by introducing students to some of the key thinkers and theories that have shaped and formed the field of psychotherapy. In the process, we will also help you to understand how a process of integration may begin to take place, this will happen through the learning in this module, the skills work and participation in an Experiential Training Group.
Course Content
Foundation Theory and Practice Seminar
A weekly two hour seminar where students are introduced to key thinkers including Carl Rogers, Sigmund Freud, Melanie Klein, Alice Miller, Donald Winnicott, Carl Jung, Fritz Perls, John Bowlby, Ernesto Spinelli. In addition, the course will explore Bodywork theory, CBT, and Neuroscience. Students will also be introduced to key skills and attitudes that are used by counsellors and psychotherapists and offered opportunities to explore and practice different styles of facilitation.
Experiential Training Group
A weekly one-and-a-half-hour group experience which supports the development of self-awareness and awareness of others. introduces students to group processes and provides a space for the processing of material raised by the course. Sessions are entirely experiential and have no set agenda. Each group has an experienced facilitator.
Weekend Workshop
For 2024/2025, we have updated our weekend workshop provision. Students now participate in a weekend workshop offering a different structure and context for skills work.
Individual Psychotherapy
It is a requirement that all students attending the Foundation Course to be in weekly personal psychotherapy throughout the course. Your psychotherapy should be with a qualified and experienced, UKCP Registered or BACP Accredited practitioner, or equivalent. Therapists should not be Minster Centre staff. Personal psychotherapy is undertaken at your own expense.
Assessment
Assessment is by Minster Centre staff. Students’ experiential and written work is assessed.
One 3,500 word essay, an academic written assignment of 1000 words, a self-assessment of 1,050 words and a 1,500 word process report reflecting on the movements, changes, realisations and conflicts students have experienced during the course.
In addition to assessment of individual pieces of written work, consideration is given to whether students are ready to progress to professional training based on continuous assessment of participation, self-awareness, awareness of others and therapeutic skills.
Course Leader(s)
Vaughn Goldschagg (Course Leader)
Neelam Zahid (Deputy Course Leader)
Course Dates and Times
This is a one-year part-time course, taught on Mondays, 5.30pm to 9.30 pm for 30 weeks of the year, with the addition of two weekends. The course provides 129 training hours in total.
There is an 80% minimum attendance requirement – successful completion of the course entails a minimum of 80% attendance of each of the three components (i.e. the seminar, skills and ETG). You are required to attend 100% of the two weekends to pass the course.
First term
Compulsory Induction: 6.00pm – 7.10pm on Monday 9th September, 2024
Monday 16th September to Friday 29th November 2023
Half-term – Monday 21st October to Friday 25th October
Second term
Monday 13th January to Friday 28th March 2025
Half-term – Monday 17th February to Friday 21st February
Third term
Monday 21st April to Friday 4th July 2025
Half-term – Monday 26th May to Friday 30th May
Bank Holidays/Closure:
Christmas and NY closure: 20th December 2024 to re-open 2nd January 2025
Good Friday – 18th April 2025
Easter Monday – 21st April 2025
May Day – Monday 5th May 2025
Spring B/H – Monday 26th May 2025 (within half-term)
Term dates for following years will normally be available in July each year; timings for seminars will normally be released in early September.
Course Length
30 weeks
Who Is It For
This course is for people who:
- Want to learn about psychotherapy or counselling.
- Wish to gain skills for another career or interest.
- Seek to build on previous introductory skills training.
- May wish to go on to train as a counsellor or psychotherapist.
Entry Requirements
Training is open to those with a first degree or with previous training in non-degree courses e.g. in social work or health care or those without formal qualification who have equivalent and suitable life experience and can demonstrate the capacity to complete the academic aspects of the course.
Practising as a counsellor or psychotherapist, and training to be one, is a psychologically, as well as intellectually, demanding process. Personal qualities we are looking for in trainees include:
Awareness of own process
-
- An ability to express and explore a range of emotions.
- An ability to reflect upon your own process in terms of personal history, identity, intersectionality and patterns of interaction with others.
- Capacity to travel beyond your normal patterns of thinking and feeling to explore your own process.
Intersubjective awareness
-
- An awareness of your responsiveness to others and your impact on others including your capacity to be aware of and take responsibility for your own process in interactions with others.
- Your demonstrable capacities to listen to others, to maintain empathy, and/or to demonstrate the ability for self-support.
- Your potential to engage in experiential learning.
An ability to recognise and value difference and diversity and/or maintain curiosity and receptivity to new experiences.
This requires a degree of psychological robustness Having had a mental health diagnosis or difficulty in the past is not, necessarily, a barrier to training; however we do need to consider whether there is a danger of the training exacerbating mental health problems in applicants. For this reason, we may ask about mental health during the application process, and the Centre reserves the right to refuse admission to applicants who we judge would not, at this time, be able to benefit from this course or for whom it might be too disturbing.
Due to high volume of applications, we cannot offer further individual feedback on your application/interview outcome. You can find more information about our Admissions Complaint Procedure here.
Applicants need the technical ability to work online and have a private space to attend online training sessions and for online/phone therapy sessions, if remote client work at the student’s home is required.
Qualifications
Students who successfully complete the Foundation Course will be awarded a certificate of attendance.
Successful completion of the course is also an entry route into the Diploma and MA courses in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, although a place cannot be guaranteed. We reserve a large number of places each year for students progressing from our Foundation courses.
Please note, if you wish to progress to the Diploma, your Foundation course must have been completed not more than 2 years before the start of the Diploma course.
Career Prospects
About a third to a half of the students who successfully complete this course apply to join the first year of The Minster Centre professional training courses, others continue to train elsewhere or pursue training in related areas.
Fees
Course fees are subject to annual inflation. Once you have started a course, we will endeavour to keep fee increases in subsequent years as low as possible. Increases may occur to reflect changes to the course, changes in the requirements of accrediting organisations, inflation, staff pay rises or other increases to the cost of providing the course.
Fees are payable by bank transfer, cheque or card and may be paid in instalments. For more details see the Fees & Funding page on our website.
A non-refundable deposit is payable to secure your place once you receive an offer. If you withdraw your place on the course after you have paid a deposit and within 28 days prior to the course start date, half of the deposit can be refunded to you as long as we can fill your place with another applicant. The other half of your deposit will be retained to cover administrative costs. The deposit is not transferable. If you withdraw after the course start date, fees are non-refundable and the full year’s fees will be due. If you defer after the course start date, you could be offered a place in the following year, if one is available, but will need to pay a further deposit then. Please note that places are subject to availability on all our courses. Places can only be deferred once after which you will need to reapply.
Venue
The Minster Centre is a five minute walk from Queens Park Tube (Bakerloo line) and Rail Overground Station and a 10-15 min walk from Brondesbury Park Station.
How to Apply
Application update
This Foundation course is now fully recruited for September 2024 and applications are closed. However, you can still apply to our Fast Track Foundation course, starting in February 2025.
Applications
Early application is recommended. You apply directly to The Minster Centre via the online application form below. Please note: we operate a rolling admission process, on a first-come-first-served basis. Interviews will take place from March 2024 onwards.
Please ensure each section is fully completed in order for your application to be considered for this course. If you have any further questions please see our FAQs page or email us on [email protected].
Interviews: Applicants are offered an individual interview with a senior staff member in order to assess suitability for training. The interview fee is £105.
We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
Please note that initial assessment of applications can take from two to four weeks to complete. For shortlisted applications, interviews will be scheduled in the autumn term, from January 2024 onwards.
Course Handbook
The Fast Track Foundation Course at The Minster Centre
Key Information
About the course
The course provides a comprehensive and critical introduction to the field of psychotherapy and counselling from an integrative viewpoint. Students increase their self-awareness, their awareness of others and their capacity to relate and interact with others. This course, or an equivalent, is a requirement before starting professional training to become a psychotherapist or counsellor at The Minster Centre and many other training organisations.
Start Date: Saturday 15 February 2025
About the Course
The course provides a critical introduction to the field of counselling and psychotherapy from an integrative standpoint which will be informative and enriching in itself and will provide a foundation for those who wish to go on to train as a practising counsellor or psychotherapist. This is done by introducing students to some of the key thinkers and theories that have shaped and formed the field of psychotherapy. In the process, we will also help you to understand how a process of integration may begin to take place, this will happen through the learning in this module, the skills work and participation in an Experiential Training Group.
Course Content
Foundation Theory Seminar
A three hour theory seminar where students are introduced to key thinkers including Carl Rogers, Sigmund Freud, Melanie Klein, Eric Berne, Donald Winnicott, Carl Jung, Fritz Perls, John Bowlby, Ernesto Spinelli. In addition, the course will explore Bodywork theory, CBT, and Neuroscience.
Skills Practice Session
In a one hour and forty five minute session, students will also be introduced to key skills and attitudes that are used by counsellors and psychotherapists and offered opportunities to explore and practice different styles of facilitation.
Experiential Training Group
A two hour group experience which supports the development of self-awareness and awareness of others. introduces students to group processes and provides a space for the processing of material raised by the course. Sessions are entirely experiential and have no set agenda. Each group has an experienced facilitator.
Individual Psychotherapy
It is a requirement that all students attending the Foundation Course to be in weekly personal psychotherapy throughout the course. Your psychotherapy should be with a qualified and experienced, UKCP Registered or BACP Accredited practitioner, or equivalent. Therapists should not be Minster Centre staff. Personal psychotherapy is undertaken at your own expense.
Assessment
Assessment is by Minster Centre staff. Students’ experiential and written work is assessed.
One 4000 word essay and two self assessments of 750 words reflecting on the movements, changes, realisations and conflicts students have experienced during the course.
In addition to assessment of individual pieces of written work, consideration is given to whether students are ready to progress to professional training based on continuous assessment of participation, self-awareness, awareness of others and therapeutic skills.
Course Leader(s)
Vaughn Goldschagg
Course Dates and Times
The course runs over eight weekends to the Summer providing 112 training hours in total. This format may especially suit people who wish to start Diploma training in the coming Autumn or who live at a distance from London.
There is an 80% minimum attendance requirement – successful completion of the course entails a minimum of 80% attendance of each of the three components (i.e. the seminar, skills and ETG). Attendance on both days of the skills weekend in May is a mandatory requirement to complete the course.
The weekends run from 10am until 6pm.
Compulsory Induction: 6pm 14 February 2025
15, 16 February 2025
8, 9 March 2025
29, 30 March 2025
26, 27 April 2025
10, 11 May 2025
24, 25 May 2025
14, 15 June 2025
28, 29 June 2025
Course Length
8 weekends
Who Is It For
This course is for people who:
- Want to learn about psychotherapy or counselling.
- Wish to gain skills for another career or interest.
- Seek to build on previous introductory skills training.
- May wish to go on to train as a counsellor or psychotherapist.
Entry Requirements
Training is open to those with a first degree or with previous training in non-degree courses e.g. in social work or health care or those without formal qualification who have equivalent and suitable life experience and can demonstrate the capacity to complete the academic aspects of the course.
Practising as a counsellor or psychotherapist, and training to be one, is a psychologically, as well as intellectually, demanding process. Personal qualities we are looking for in trainees include:
- Openness to forming and maintaining therapeutic relationships with others.
- The ability to engage in experiential learning.
- The ability to reflect on experiences.
- Openness to feedback from tutors and peers.
This requires a degree of psychological robustness. Having had a mental health diagnosis or difficulty in the past is not, necessarily, a barrier to training; however we do need to consider whether there is a danger of the training exacerbating mental health problems in applicants. For this reason, we may ask about mental health during the application process, and the Centre reserves the right to refuse admission to applicants who we judge would not, at this time, be able to benefit from this course or for whom it might be too disturbing.
Applicants need the technical ability to work online and have a private space to attend online training sessions and for online/phone therapy sessions, if remote client work at the student’s home is required.
Qualifications
Students who successfully complete the Foundation Course will be awarded a certificate of attendance.
Successful completion of the course is also an entry route into the Diploma and MA courses in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy, although a place cannot be guaranteed. We reserve a large number of places each year for students progressing from our Foundation courses.
Please note, if you wish to progress to the Diploma, your Foundation course must have been completed not more than 2 years before the start of the Diploma course.
Career Prospects
About a third to a half of the students who successfully complete this course apply to join the first year of the Minster Centre professional training courses, others continue to train elsewhere or pursue training in related areas.
Fees
A non-refundable deposit of £750 is payable to secure your place once offered.
Fees are payable by bank transfer, cheque or card and are non-refundable if you attend beyond the first two weekends. Fees may be paid in instalments.
For more details on fees and financial terms and conditions click on the button below:
Venue
The Minster Centre is a five minute walk from Queens Park Tube (Bakerloo line) and Rail Overground Station and a 10-15 min walk from Brondesbury Park Station.
How to Apply
Please note: we operate a rolling admission process. Early application is recommended.
You apply directly to The Minster Centre via the online application form below.
Please ensure each section is fully completed in order for your application to be considered for this course. If you have any further questions please see our FAQs page or email us on [email protected].
Interviews: Applicants are offered an individual interview with a senior staff member in order to assess suitability for training. The interview fee is £105.
We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
Course Handbook
Diploma in Integrative Counselling Course
Key Information
About the course: The course provides for an intensive development of counselling skills and a deep understanding of the theoretical frameworks and concepts underpinning different counselling approaches. It is taught through a mixture of academic theory, experiential learning, group discussion, practical application and microskills exercises. This course is BACP Accredited.
Start Date: Tuesday 22nd September 2025
About the Course
About the course: Successful completion of the Diploma in Integrative Counselling qualifies students to practice as an Integrative counsellor, supports BACP Registered Membership and is the first step to obtaining BACP accreditation. If students successfully complete the first two years of training they can also apply to continue to do the MA/Advanced Diploma.
The course provides for an intensive development of counselling skills and a deeper understanding of the theoretical frameworks and concepts underpinning different counselling approaches, leading to an integration of these into sound counselling practice. The Integrative approach encourages people to find their own voice and identity as counsellors. The Minster Centre has a long tradition of social commitment and our training syllabus reflects this, with students encouraged to reflect on issues of diversity and society as part of their work.
The course will cover humanistic, existential, psychodynamic and body work approaches to counselling. Over three years students mix teaching, experiential learning, group discussion, practical application and microskills exercises with relevant theory. As well as being grounded in the traditional approaches to psychotherapy and counselling, our tutors also have experience and expertise in contemporary understandings, such as neurobiology, relational and embodied work.
Course Content
Three core academic modules exploring theoretical traditions from a range of therapeutic approaches: Humanistic and Existential models of Psychotherapy and Counselling; From Object Relations to Current Psychodynamic Thinking; The Body and Intersectionality in Psychotherapy.
Weekend Workshops: Students participate in experiential weekend workshops during the course to extend their learning. They offer specific experiential exploration or give more time to cover specific areas in more depth. Topics covered include: How to Address Race/Racism in the Here and Now; Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity; Family and Belonging; Jung; Skills for Trauma; Working with the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse; Severe Presentations and
Medication.
Experiential Training Group (ETG): Focuses on the personal and emotional development of the students, their sensitivity towards/awareness of themselves, others, and the interactions within the group of students.
Skills and Supervision groups: Sessions may include presentation and discussion of work with training clients, role plays, practice sessions and discussion of issues related to practice.
Support from your Head of Year.
It is also a requirement for all students to be in individual psychotherapy at least once weekly throughout the course.
Clinical Practice and Placements
When both the student and their supervisor agree they are ready, usually in the second year, students start working with one or more training clients, and may start an external placement. A total of 150 supervised clinical hours is required to qualify.
In most cases, we are able to refer ‘training clients’ to our students via The Minster Centre Psychotherapy and Counselling Service (MCPCS) our affordable therapy service. You will usually work with one or two long term training clients. In addition, you will need work in an external placement. Placement experience accelerates and deepens your professional learning and understanding and increases your employability. Placements are an opportunity to learn about working within therapeutic services and to make contacts with others in the field. Both training clients and placements will help you accrue the necessary client hours for qualification.
You will be responsible for securing a placement but will receive advice and guidance from the Placement Coordinator. You will need an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. One DBS check is included within your course fees and will be organised with you in the second year. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist each case is considered on an individual basis. You will be given an opportunity at your selection interview to discuss this with your interviewers. For more information about DBS checks see here.
Accreditation
The Minster Centre Diploma in Integrative Counselling is accredited by the BACP. BACP reviews the course accreditation every five years. The accreditation was last reviewed in 2023.
Assessment
There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. Assessment methods are primarily coursework assessments including essays, portfolios, presentations and live assessment of a recorded piece of clinical work. Support and guidance is given for each assessment. Assessment is by course tutors, except for the Live Assessment, which is assessed by examiners not teaching on this course. In addition to formal assessment of written work, tutors and supervisors assess students’ experiential and clinical work. All marking is moderated and we also have an external examiner to ensure that marking is fair and consistent. You will receive feedback on all formal assessments to support your learning.
Students are assessed each year and given specific recommendations on areas they need to work on and whether they are ready to progress to the next year. Students can be asked to repeat modules or take time out of training.
Course Leader(s)
Heads of Year 1: Nancy Browner and Jenny Clark
Heads of Year 2: Anne Marie Keary and Reena Shah
Head of Year 3: Hycinth Taylor
Course Dates and Times
Attendance
The Counselling Diploma is a three-year course. Each year is taught over three ten-week terms. Training takes place one day a week, on Tuesdays 12-8 in the first year, Thursdays 10-6 or 11-7 in the second year, and Wednesdays usually 1.30pm-6.30pm in the Third year plus 26 days study at weekends over the three years. From the Second year onwards students will also need to allow time for clinical practice (you are likely to be seeing up to four clients a week).
Because of the experiential nature of learning required to become a counsellor there is a 80% minimum attendance requirement for all components of the course i.e. 80% attendance of each module (including ETGs and supervision) and weekend teaching.
First term
Compulsory Induction: 2pm – 3.15pm on Tuesday 15th September 2025 (TBC)
Monday 22nd September to Friday 5th December 2025
Half-term – Monday 27th October to Friday 31st October
Second term
Monday 12th January to Friday 3rd April 2026
Half-term – Monday 16th February to Friday 20th February
Third term
Monday 20th April to Friday 3rd July 2026
Half-term – Monday 25th May to Friday 29th May
Bank Holidays/Closure:
Christmas and NY closure: 19th December 2025 to re-open 5th January 2026
Good Friday – 3rd April 2026
Easter Monday – 6th April 2026
May Day – Monday 4th May 2026
Spring B/H – Monday 25th May 2026 (within half-term)
Term dates for following years will normally be available in July each year; timings for seminars will normally be released in early September.
Course Length
3 years, part-time
Who Is It For
This course is for people who want to train as counsellors and have completed Foundation level training and/or have equivalent relevant experience.
Students come from all walks of life including people already working in caring and related professions such as nursing and social work and people coming from very different backgrounds including creative professions, teaching, practical or technical careers.
Entry Requirements
Students must have successfully completed The Minster Centre Foundation course or had training and/or experience to a similar level before beginning the Diploma. Their training must have been completed not more than 2 years before the start of the Diploma course.
Any Foundation course undertaken elsewhere should be at least 90 contact hours, covering theory and skills.
Applicants must have completed a minimum of 20 hours of ongoing personal individual therapy within the year prior to the start of the course. It is essential for all students to be in individual psychotherapy at least once weekly throughout the course. Choice of therapist is made with flexibility subject to Minster Centre approval.
Training is open to those with a first degree or with previous training in non-degree courses e.g. in social work or health care or those without formal qualification who have equivalent and suitable life experience and can demonstrate the capacity to complete the academic aspects of the course (including through successful completion of a Minster Centre Foundation Course).
If English is not your first language you will need to demonstrate a capacity to study in English either through your written and practical work during previous training at the Minster Centre, or in your application and interview and through qualifications such as IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all four components).
You will need a satisfactory DBS report to undertake clinical practice which is an essential component of the course – see section on Clinical practice and placements above.
Practising as a counsellor or psychotherapist, and training to be one, is a psychologically, as well as intellectually, demanding process. Personal qualities we are looking for in trainees include:
Awareness of own process
-
- An ability to express and explore a range of emotions.
- An ability to reflect upon your own process in terms of personal history, identity, intersectionality and patterns of interaction with others.
- Capacity to travel beyond your normal patterns of thinking and feeling to explore your own process.
Intersubjective awareness
-
- An awareness of your responsiveness to others and your impact on others including your capacity to be aware of and take responsibility for your own process in interactions with others.
- Your demonstrable capacities to listen to others, to maintain empathy, and/or to demonstrate the ability for self-support.
- Your potential to engage in experiential learning.
An ability to recognise and value difference and diversity and/or maintain curiosity and receptivity to new experiences.
This requires a degree of psychological robustness and a capacity for self reflection. Having had a mental health diagnosis or difficulty in the past is not necessarily a barrier to training; however we do need to consider whether there is a danger of the training exacerbating mental health problems in applicants. For this reason, we ask about mental health during the application process, and the Centre reserves the right to refuse admission to applicants who we judge would not, at this time, be able to benefit from this course or for whom it might be too disturbing.
Due to high volume of applications, we cannot offer further individual feedback on your application/interview outcome. You can find more information about our Admissions Complaint Procedure here.
You will need the technical ability to work online and have a private space to attend online training sessions and for online/phone therapy sessions, if remote client work at your home is required.
Accredited Prior Experience and Learning (APEL)
If you feel you have accredited prior learning that may be relevant to your application, please contact [email protected] for further information.
Qualifications
Minster Centre Diploma in Integrative Counselling
Career Prospects
If students successfully complete the first two years of training they have the option to apply to continue to do the MA/Advanced Diploma. BACP will accept these ongoing studies as Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
The Diploma is also the first step to obtaining BACP accreditation.
Graduates of the Minster Centre can be found working successfully all over the UK and abroad. As well as private practice, graduates often work with a variety of client groups in the NHS; in schools, colleges and universities; in organisations such as MIND and other charitable foundations; and as tutors in other training organisations.
Fees
Course fees are subject to annual inflation. Once you have started a course we will endeavour to keep fee increases in subsequent years as low as possible. Increases may occur to reflect changes to the course, changes in the requirements of accrediting organisations, inflation, staff pay rises or other increases to the cost of providing the course.
A non-refundable deposit is payable to secure your place once you receive an offer. If you withdraw your place on the course after you have paid a deposit and within 28 days prior to the course start date, half of the deposit can be refunded to you as long as we can fill your place with another applicant. The other half of your deposit will be retained to cover administrative costs. The deposit is not transferable. If you withdraw after the course start date, fees are non-refundable and the full year’s fees will be due. If you defer after the course start date, you could be offered a place in the following year, if one is available, but will need to pay a further deposit then. Please note that places are subject to availability on all our courses. Places can only be deferred once after which you will need to reapply.
Fees include supervision of training clients, one DBS check, common room facilities and refreshments, access to the library and on-line resources, insurance for seeing client through the Minster Centre Psychotherapy and Counselling Service.
The following course related costs are not included in the fees: personal therapy, placement supervision (usually but not always provided by the placement), any additional costs associated with placements, the provision of consulting rooms for seeing training clients, assessment of resubmitted coursework. Personal therapy can cost from £50 per session upwards in London, sometimes less outside London. In addition, you will need to budget for the purchase of key books a year (these are texts you will need to refer to frequently) and travel to the Centre, to placements and to therapy. Depending on the topics you choose for your written assessments you may need to buy books or internet access to articles, or access books, articles or other resources through the British Library or other specialist libraries. You will also need a secure means of audio recording client work, ideally this will be on a password protected and encrypted digital recorder, which cost around £400.
Accommodation and living costs are not included in fees and as all our students are part time we do not have on-site accommodation. The Centre has no parking available for students unless you have a blue badge. The Centre is close to public transport. We cannot guarantee that the timing of courses will not require peak time travel.
For more details on 2024-2025 fees and financial terms and conditions click on the button below.
Fee information for 2025-2026 will be published in due course.
Financial Support
Click here to see details on funding.
Venue
The Minster Centre is a five minute walk from Queens Park Tube (Bakerloo line) and Rail Overground Station and a 10-15 min walk from Brondesbury Park Station.
How to Apply
Applications
Early application is recommended.
Please note that we reserve the right to close applications early if we receive a high number of applicants.
You apply directly to the Minster Centre via the online application form below.
Please ensure each section is fully completed in order for your application to be considered for this course. If you have any further questions please see our FAQs page or email us on [email protected].
We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
Interviews: Applicants are offered an individual interview with two senior members of staff in order to assess suitability for training. The interview fee for 2025-2026 intake is £135.
Course Handbook
MA/Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling
Key Information
Applications update: Our waiting list is full and we are not currently accepting new applications for this course.
IMPORTANT: This programme is only for those who have already obtained a Diploma in Counselling (or equivalent) and are applying for direct entry into Year 3. Please see the section below: Accreditation of Prior and Experiential Learning (APEL).
Coronavirus Response: Please see our COVID-19 FAQS section which has more details about our plans for delivering our courses from September 2021 onwards.
About the course: The Advanced Diploma is a four-year (minimum) modular course which qualifies students to practice as Integrative Psychotherapists and meets the training requirements for registration with UKCP as a psychotherapist. The first two years follow the same curriculum as the Diploma in Integrative Counselling; the last two years form the MA. This programme is quality assured by Middlesex University and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion. The whole 4 years is a UKCP Accredited programme. The course is taught through a mixture of academic theory, experiential learning, group discussion, practical application and microskills exercises. Students’ practical and academic integration is further developed as they are encouraged to find their own voice and identity as therapists.
Start Date: Tuesday 19th September 2023
About the Course
About the course: This is a four-year modular course which qualifies students to practice as Integrative Psychotherapist and meets the training requirements for registration with UKCP as a psychotherapist. The first two years follow the same curriculum as the Diploma in Integrative Counselling; the last two years form the MA.
The Advanced Diploma is a high-level vocational qualification. The MA (Master of Arts) is an academic qualification. The MA is always obtained in combination with the Advanced Diploma, it cannot be obtained separately and the work submitted is the same. This programme is quality assured by Middlesex University and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion.
The Minster Centre’s Integrative approach encourages people to find their own voice and identity as therapists. The theoretical framework of the MA/Advanced Diploma includes Psychodynamic, Humanistic and Existential, Body work and Relational thinking within a structure which contains academic, experiential and practical components. As well as being grounded in the traditional approaches to psychotherapy and counselling, our tutors also have experience and expertise in contemporary understandings, such as neurobiology, relational and embodied work.
The Minster Centre prides itself in offering small study groups, personal attention and a friendly, supportive learning environment which encourages personal development. The Centre also has a long tradition of social commitment and our training syllabus reflects this, with students encouraged to reflect on issues of diversity and society as part of their work.
In most cases, we are able to refer ‘training clients’ to our students via the MCPCS, our affordable therapy service. Both training clients and placements will help you accrue the necessary client hours for graduation and accreditation with the BACP or UKCP.
Students who successfully complete the MA/Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling may go on to seek UKCP registration.
Course Content
Students will have completed the course work from the first two years of the Minster Centre Diploma in Integrative Counselling. Students then go on to study:
Two core academic modules which develop students’ practical and academic integration, making links across theoretical and methodological models: Personal and Clinical Integration and Contemporary Theories of Psychotherapy
Weekend Workshops (21 weekend days over 2 years): Students participate in weekend workshops during the course to extend their learning, they cover experiential exploration or give more time to cover areas in more depth. Topics covered include, Death and Bereavement, Working with Sexual and Erotic Charge and Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity.
One Mental Health Familiarisation module which consists of 6 weekend teaching days on Severe Presentations, The Use of Medication, Psychiatric Assessment, Self- harm and Suicide (included in the total of 21 weekend days stated above) plus direct experience.
Clinical Practice and Placements: Students continue their work with training clients. After completion of 450 hours of supervised practice, students may go on to seek UKCP accreditation through the Minster Centre, or personal accreditation with BACP.
Two Clinical Supervision modules where work with long term training clients is supervised and students are supported to develop their clinical practice and prepare for final assessment. You will attend clinical supervision weekly in term-time plus 5 supervision sessions during the holiday periods.
Teaching on research methods, skills and ethics. There will be both weekday and weekend research teaching options.
Following research teaching students prepare a 15,000-word dissertation with the support of a research supervisor.
It is also a requirement for all students to be in individual psychotherapy at least once weekly throughout the course.
Clinical Practice and Placements
When both the student and their supervisor agree they are ready, usually in the second year, students start working with one or more training clients, and may start an external placement. A total of 450 supervised clinical hours is required to qualify.
In most cases, we are able to refer ‘training clients’ to our students via the Minster Centre Psychotherapy and Counselling Service (MCPCS) our affordable therapy service. You will usually work with two or three long-term training clients. In addition, you will need to work in an external placement. Placement experience accelerates and deepens your professional learning and understanding and increases your employability. Placements are an opportunity to learn about working within therapeutic services and to make contacts with others in the field. Both training clients and placements will help you accrue the necessary client hours for qualification and to seek registration with UKCP.
You will be responsible for securing a placement but will receive advice and guidance from the Placement Coordinator. You will need an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. One DBS check is included within your course fees and will be organised with you in the second year. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist each case is considered on an individual basis. You will be given an opportunity at your selection interview to discuss this with your interviewers. For more information about DBS checks see here.
Accreditation
All four years are accredited by UKCP. Modules for the final two years of the programme (which form the MA) are quality assured by Middlesex University at postgraduate level (Level 7) and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion.
UKCP reviews course accreditation every five years, we were last reviewed in 2017. Middlesex University reviews validation every six years, our validation was last reviewed in 2020.
Assessment
There is a formal or ‘summative’ assessment at the end of each module. Assessment methods are primarily coursework assessments including essays, portfolios, reflective accounts, case studies and live assessment of a recorded piece of clinical work, and a dissertation. Support and guidance is given for each assessment.
Assessment is by course tutors, except for the Live Assessment, which is assessed by examiners not teaching on this programme. In addition to formal assessment of written work, tutors and supervisors assess students’ experiential and clinical work. All marking is moderated and we also have an external examiner to ensure that marking is fair and consistent. You will receive feedback on all formal assessments to support your learning.
Students are assessed each year and given specific recommendations on areas they need to work on and whether they are ready to progress to the next year. Students can be asked to repeat modules or take time out of training.
As well as passing all modules and written work as required, students must have accrued 450 hours of supervised clinical practice with training clients and on placement and undertake a Mental Health Familiarisation Placement.
Course Leader(s)
Head of Year 1: Nancy Browner and Jenny Clark
Head of Year 2: Anne Marie Keary and Reena Shah
Head of Year 3: Farah Cottier and Brigitta Mowat
Head of Finalists: Nancy Browner and Sue Martin
Course Dates and Times
Attendance
This is a part-time course which takes a minimum of four years to complete. The first two years follow the same timing as the Minster Centre Diploma in Counselling. The first year of the MA (third year of professional training) runs on Wednesdays (9.30-6, 10-6.30 or 12- 8.30) for three ten week terms. In addition, there are six weekends covering personal and professional development topics and 5 2-hour holiday supervision groups.
In the second year of the MA (fourth year of professional training) students come into college for 35 supervision groups (weekly in term time) and complete the written final submissions of a dissertation and two case studies and present their clinical work for live assessment. There are also 14 taught weekends. Finalist supervision is usually on a Wednesday but there are some other options available and there is some choice of day and time.
Research is taught via both weekday and weekend teaching options.
From the second year of professional training onwards students will also need to allow time for clinical practice (you are likely to be seeing four or more clients a week). The timing of this will depend on your placement requirements and the time that both you and your training clients can manage.
Because of the experiential nature of learning required to become a counsellor and psychotherapist there is a 80% minimum attendance requirement for all components of the course i.e. 80% attendance of each module (including ETGs and supervision) and weekend teaching.
First-term
Monday 18th September to Friday 1st December 2023
Half-term – Monday 23rd October to Friday 27th October
Second-term
Monday 8th January to Friday 22nd March 2024
Half-term – Monday 12th February to Friday 16th February
Third-term
Monday 22nd April to Friday 5th July 2023
Half-term – Monday 29th May to Friday 2nd June
Bank Holidays/Closure:
Christmas closure: 22nd December 2022 to re-open 2nd January 2024
Good Friday – 29th March 2024
Easter Monday – 1sh April 2024
May Day – Monday 6th May 2024
Spring B/H – Monday 27th May 2024 (within half-term)
Term dates for following years will normally be available in July each year; timings for seminars will normally be released in early September.
Course Length
Minimum 4 years, part-time.
Minimum 2 years for the MA component.
Some students take more than 1 year to complete the final submissions.
It is possible to complete the Diploma in Integrative Counselling concurrently.
Who Is It For
This course is for people who wish to train as psychotherapists working at depth and long-term with clients who may have more complex issues.
Entry Requirements
Applicants must have:
- Successfully completed the first two years of the Diploma in Integrative Counselling (also known as Professional Training) at the Minster Centre and be recommended to continue to further training
OR
- Are trained practitioners who have successfully undertaken an Integrative counselling training elsewhere.
- Have significant clinical experience of providing counselling and psychotherapy (at least 150 hours).
- Be able to demonstrate extensive self-development activity (usually obtained through recent one to one personal therapy).
- Have completed a minimum of 20 hours of ongoing personal individual therapy within the year prior to the start of the course and have had at least 40 hours of personal therapy at some point prior to the course.
- Possess a first degree or be able to demonstrate the capacity to study at Postgraduate level through providing evidence of work at this standard produced through academic or professional study or other experience.
- Must be competent in the English language. If English is not your first language you will need to demonstrate a capacity to study in English either through your written and practical work during previous training at the Minster Centre, or in your application and interview and through qualifications such as IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all four components).
- We are not able to consider applicants who require a Tier 4 visa to study.
- Please note a DBS check will be required before you can start seeing clients. see section on Clinical practice and placements above for more information.
Practising as a counsellor or psychotherapist, and training to be one, is a psychologically, as well as intellectually, demanding process. Personal qualities we are looking for in trainees include:
- Openness to forming and maintaining therapeutic relationships with others.
- The ability to engage in experiential learning.
- The ability to reflect on experiences.
- Openness to feedback from tutors and peers.
This requires a degree of psychological robustness and a capacity for self reflection. Having had a mental health diagnosis or difficulty in the past is not necessarily a barrier to training; however we do need to consider whether there is a danger of the training exacerbating mental health problems in applicants. For this reason, we ask about mental health during the application process, and the Centre reserves the right to refuse admission to applicants who we judge would not, at this time, be able to benefit from this course or for whom it might be too disturbing.
Applicants need the technical ability to work online and have a private space to attend online training sessions and for online/phone therapy sessions, if remote client work at the student’s home is required.
Accredited Prior Experience and Learning (APEL)
If you feel you have accredited prior learning that may be relevant to your application, please contact [email protected] for further information.
Qualifications
Students who successfully complete all the requirements are awarded a Minster Centre Advanced Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling. If you have registered with Middlesex University you will also be awarded an MA in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling by Middlesex University.
Career Prospects
The Advanced Diploma/MA is accredited by UKCP. After successful completion of the course students may go on to seek UKCP Registration through the Minster Centre.
Graduates of The Minster Centre can be found working successfully all over the UK and abroad. As well as private practice, graduates work with a variety of client groups in the NHS; in schools, colleges and universities; in organisations such as MIND and other charitable foundations; and as tutors in other training organisations. After further clinical experience, graduates may obtain further qualifications in clinical supervision.
Graduates have gone to higher-level study on doctoral programmes.
Fees
Fees for September 2023-24*:
First Year: £6,455*
Second Year: £6,775*
Third Year: £4,545*
*Indicative fee from 2023-24, may be subject to increase for 2024-25. This will be confirmed prior to interviews being organised. Course fees are subject to annual inflation. Once you have started a course we will endeavour to keep fee increases in subsequent years as low as possible. Increases may occur to reflect changes to the course, changes in the requirements of accrediting organisations, inflation, staff pay rises or other increases to the cost of providing the course.
A non-refundable deposit of £700 is payable to secure your place once you receive an offer. If you withdraw your place on the course after you have paid a deposit and within 28 days prior to the course start date, half of the deposit can be refunded to you as long as we can fill your place with another applicant. The other half of your deposit will be retained to cover administrative costs. The deposit is not transferable. If you withdraw after the course start date, fees are non-refundable and the full year’s fees will be due. If you defer after the course start date, you could be offered a place in the following year, if one is available, but will need to pay a further deposit then. Please note that places are subject to availability on all our courses. Places can only be deferred once after which you will need to reapply.
Course fees are subject to annual inflation.
Fees include supervision of training clients, one DBS check, common room facilities and refreshments, access to the library and on-line resources, insurance for seeing client through the Minster Centre Psychotherapy and Counselling Service.
The following course related costs are not included in the fees: personal therapy, placement supervision (usually but not always provided by the placement), any additional costs associated with placements, the provision of consulting rooms for seeing training clients, assessment of resubmitted coursework. Personal therapy can cost from £50 per session upwards in London, sometimes less outside London. In addition, you will need to budget for the purchase of key books a year (these are texts you will need to refer to frequently) and travel to the Centre, to placements and to therapy. Depending on the topics you choose for your written assessments you may need to buy books or internet access to articles, or access books, articles or other resources through the British Library or other specialist libraries. You will also need a secure means of audio recording client work, ideally this will be on a password protected and encrypted digital recorder, which cost around £400.
Accommodation and living costs are not included in fees and as all our students are part time we do not have on-site accommodation. The Centre has no parking available for students unless you have a blue badge. The Centre is close to public transport. We cannot guarantee that the timing of courses will not require peak time travel.
For more details on fees and financial terms and conditions click on the button below:
Financial Support
If you register on the MA you may be eligible for a Postgraduate Student Loan in the final 2 years. These are Government funded student loans for students on Masters courses of up to £11,222 to help with fees and living costs. These are not based on income and are paid directly to you. There are personal eligibility requirements which are determined by the Government, for instance, you have to be under 60 and not already have an MA, you will need to repay the loan plus interest and repayments will be based on your income. More information loans and how to apply can be found here:
http://media.slc.co.uk/sfe/nysf/pgl/sfe_pgl_main_guide_1617_d.pdf
and
https://www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan/overview.
The Minster Centre also offers some bursaries. Click here for more details on Funding.
Venue
The Minster Centre is a five minute walk from Queens Park Tube (Bakerloo line) and Rail Overground Station and a 10-15 min walk from Brondesbury Park Station.
How to Apply
IMPORTANT: This programme is only for those who have already obtained a Diploma in Counselling (or equivalent) and are applying for direct entry into Year 3. Please see the section below: Accreditation of Prior and Experiential Learning (APEL).
Coronavirus Response: Please see our COVID-19 FAQS section which has more details about our plans for delivering our courses from September 2021 onwards.
Applications:
Applications for September 2022-23 are now open.
You apply directly to the Minster Centre via the online application form below.
All candidates are selected by individual interview with two senior staff members. The interview fee is £135 and is paid upon application.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
Course Handbook
MA/PG Dip Advanced Clinical Practice in Psychotherapy and Counselling
Key Information
This course is for qualified therapists and counsellors, who want to update their knowledge, gain a higher-level qualification and reflect in-depth on their clinical practice.
Start Date: Friday 17th January 2025
About the Course
This course is for qualified therapists and counsellors, who are looking for an opportunity to update their knowledge, gain a higher-level qualification and reflect in-depth on their practice. Teaching will be given via seminars on theory as well as through experiential learning sessions. Students will have the opportunity to integrate new perspectives into their clinical work with ongoing in-house supervision groups. In addition, seminars on contemporary theories will be delivered by experts in the field.
The course is designed to meet the requirements of busy professionals, with the teaching taking place in weekend blocks.
Students will be able to sign up for either the one year Post Graduate Diploma or the two-year MA programme, both of which are validated by Middlesex University.
Course Content
Two core academic modules which develop students’ in-depth knowledge of some of the most significant contemporary theories as well as advancing their understanding of the inter-relationship between theory, their own personal history and their clinical practice.
Two core practicum (clinical) modules which encourage students’ development as ethical integrative practitioners, able to draw on their own capacity to make therapeutic use of the relational encounter.
One Mental Health Familiarisation module on topics: Severe Presentations, The Use of Medication, Psychiatric Assessment, Self- harm and Suicide plus direct experience.
Support from a personal tutor.
Forms of assessment include case studies, client logs, self-reflective accounts, live assessment, a 40-minute presentation and a 15,000-word dissertation.
The course requires that the student completes a minimum of 60 hours supervised clinical practice with long term clients and 20 hours in-house supervision across the two Practicum modules.
Clinical Practice and Placements
Students will agree suitable long-term clients with their programme clinical supervisor. Students may use work undertaken with private clients, in the course of their employment (with suitable agreement with their employers), students seen in placements or through the Minster Centre Psychotherapy and Counselling Service (MCPCS).
Students are responsible for securing a placement but will receive advice and guidance from the Placement Coordinator. You will need an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. One DBS check is included within your course fees and will be organised with you in the second year. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist each case is considered on an individual basis. You will be given an opportunity at your selection interview to discuss this with your interviewers. For more information about DBS checks see here.
Accreditation
The Post Graduate Diploma and the MA programme are quality assured by Middlesex University and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion.
Assessment
There is one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessment associated with each module. Assessment methods include essays, portfolios, presentations, reflective accounts, case studies and live assessment of a recorded piece of clinical work, and (for the MA) a 15,000 word dissertation. Support and guidance is given for each assessment.
Assessment is by course tutors, except for the Live Assessment, which is assessed by examiners not teaching on this programme.
In addition to formal assessment of written work, tutors and supervisors assess students’ experiential and clinical work.
All marking is moderated and we also have an external examiner to ensure that marking is fair and consistent. You will receive feedback on all formal assessments to support your learning.
Course Leader(s)
Andrew Sutton
Course Dates and Times
For the Post Graduate Diploma, the teaching is delivered over 10 weekend blocks, comprising three full days on Fridays and Sundays (10am to 5.30pm), Saturdays (10am to 4.30pm) in the first year.
Students registered for the MA will attend an extra three weekends on research awareness and methods during the first year, which lead to undertaking a piece of independent research, in the second year. This will be overseen by a research supervisor and supported by the course staff.
In addition, in the second year MA students attend a further nine days of teaching which may be on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. PG Dip students will attend a further three days of training in the Second Year.
Dates for students starting January 2025:
17, 18, 19 Jan 2025
14, 15, 16 Feb 2025
21, 22, 23 Mar 2025
25, 26, 27 Apr 2025
9 May 2025 (MA students only)
16, 17, 18 May 2025
6, 7, 8 Jun 2025 (6 Jun all students attend, 8 and 9 Jun are for MA students only)
27, 28, 39 Jun 2025
18, 29, 20 Jul 2025
5, 6, 7 Sept 2025
26, 27, 28 Sep 2025 (26 Sep all students attend, 27 Sep and 28 Sep are for MA students only)
24, 25, 26 Oct 2025
7, 8, 9 Nov 2025 (7 Nov all students attend, 8 and 9 Nov are for MA students only)
12, 13, 14 Dec 2025
Continuing into 2026:
Dates Jan-Jul 2026 to be confirmed
Course Length
16 months for Post Graduate Diploma or 2 years for the MA programme, part-time.
Who Is It For
Qualified therapists and counsellors who are looking for an opportunity to update their knowledge, gain a higher-level qualification and reflect in-depth on their practice.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate significant clinical experience, including at least one year of practice post qualification. Students must also demonstrate recent self-development work, usually personal therapy, and will be required to undertake weekly one to one therapy during the course.
Entry Requirements
- You must hold a professional qualification in counselling or psychotherapy (BACP or UKCP accredited course or equivalent).
- You must be able to demonstrate significant clinical experience, including at least one year of practice post qualification.
- You must be able to demonstrate recent self-development work, usually personal therapy, and will be required to undertake weekly one to one therapy during the course.
- If you do not have a first degree you will need to demonstrate that you can produce work to MA standards, either through results in previous professional training or through equivalent training or experience.
- You must have competence in the English language. If English is not your first language you will need to demonstrate a capacity to study in English either through your written and practical work during previous training at the Minster Centre, or in your application and interview and through qualifications such as IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all four components).
- You will need an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, if you don’t already have one. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist each case is considered on an individual basis. You will be given an opportunity at your selection interview to discuss this with your interviewers. For more information about DBS checks see here.
- You will need the technical ability to work online and have a private space to attend online training sessions and for online/phone therapy sessions, if remote client work at your home is required.
- We are not able to consider applicants who require a Tier 4 visa to study.
Accredited Prior Experience and Learning (APEL)
We do not offer an APEL option for this programme.
Qualifications
On successful completion all academic and course requirements students may exit from the programme with either a:
- PG Diploma Advanced Clinical Practice in Psychotherapy and Counselling
Or
- MA Advanced Clinical Practice in Psychotherapy and Counselling
Qualification can also lead to UKCP accreditation.
Career Prospects
Graduates of The Minster Centre can be found working successfully all over the UK and abroad. As well as private practice, graduates often work with a variety of client groups in the NHS; in schools, colleges and universities; organisations such as MIND and other charitable foundations; and as tutors in other training organisations.
MA graduates could go on to higher-level study on doctoral programmes.
Fees
We offer a 15% discount to Minster Centre members (graduates and those who maintain their UKCP membership through the Centre). The discount does not apply to the Middlesex University registration fee (£840).
Course fees are subject to annual inflation. Once you have started a course we will endeavour to keep fee increases in subsequent years as low as possible.
A non-refundable deposit of £750 is payable to secure your place once offered. Fees are payable by bank transfer, cheque or card and are non-refundable if you attend beyond the first half term. Fees may be paid in instalments.
Fees include supervision of training clients, one DBS check, common room facilities and refreshments, access to the library and on-line resources, insurance for seeing client through The Minster Centre Psychotherapy and Counselling Service.
The following course related costs are not included in the fees:
Personal therapy, placement supervision (usually but not always provided by the placement), any additional costs associated with placements, the provision of consulting rooms for seeing training clients, assessment of resubmitted coursework. Personal therapy can cost from £50 per session upwards in London, sometimes less outside London. In addition, you will need to budget for the purchase of key books each year (these are texts you will need to refer to frequently) and travel to the Centre, to placements and to therapy. Depending on the topics you choose for your written assessments you may need to buy books or internet access to articles, or access books, articles or other resources through the British Library or other specialist libraries. You will also need a secure means of audio recording client work, ideally this will be on a password protected and encrypted digital recorder, prices start from £215.
Accommodation and living costs are not included in fees and, as all our students are part time, we do not have on-site accommodation. The Centre has no parking available for students unless you have a blue badge. The Centre is close to public transport. We cannot guarantee that the timing of courses will not require peak time travel.
For more details on fees and financial terms and conditions click on the button below:
Financial Support
If you register on the MA you may be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan. These are Government funded student loans for students on Master’s courses to help with fees and living costs. These are not based on income and are paid directly to you. There are personal eligibility requirements which are determined by the Government, for instance, you have to be under 60 and not already have an MA, you will need to repay the loan plus interest and repayments will be based on your income. More information loans and how to apply can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan/overview.
For a full breakdown of the course fees and financial terms and conditions see here.
Venue
The Minster Centre is a 5 minute walk from Queens Park Tube (Bakerloo line) and Rail Overground Station and 10-15 min walk from Brondesbury Park Station.
How to Apply
You apply directly to The Minster Centre via the online application form below. Please note: we operate a rolling admission process. EARLY APPLICATION IS RECOMMENDED.
Please ensure each section is fully completed in order for your application to be considered for this course. If you have any further questions please see our FAQs page or email us on [email protected].
Applicants are offered an individual interview with a senior staff member in order to assess suitability for training. The interview fee is £135.
We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
Please note that initial assessment of applications can take from two to four weeks to complete. For shortlisted applications, interviews will be scheduled in the autumn term, from September 2023 onwards.
Course Handbook
MA/PG Dip Supervision in Psychotherapy and Counselling
Key Information
This course is designed for qualified therapists and counsellors from any modality who wish to undertake a training in supervision and obtain a postgraduate qualification.
Start Date: Saturday 18th January 2025
About the Course
This course is designed for practising psychotherapists and counsellors who want to become clinical supervisors and obtain a post-graduate qualification. The programme will allow counsellors and psychotherapists from any modality to train as supervisors. Students’ learning is supported through experiential work and a significant amount of direct tutor contact.
The Minster Centre prides itself on offering small study groups, personal attention and a friendly, supportive learning environment which encourages personal development. Applicants are not required to have been in recent academic training in order to be considered for a place on this course.
Students will be able to sign up for either the one year Post Graduate Diploma or the two-year MA programme, both of which are validated by Middlesex University. The course will follow the same syllabus as the Minster Centre Supervision Diploma for the first three modules with the addition of a further clinical supervision module for the PG Dip. Students registered and continuing on for the MA will attend an extra three weekends on research awareness and methods which lead to undertaking a piece of independent research, in the second year. This will be overseen by a research supervisor and supported by the course staff.
Course Content
Two core academic modules which develop students’ in-depth knowledge of the main theoretical concepts of effective supervision plus opportunities for students to integrate this knowledge into their practice.
Two Supervision Skills-in-practice (Practicum) modules which lay the foundations for effective and ethical supervisory practice and explores supervisory procedural issues relating to clinical responsibility, contracting, risk assessment, auditing and professional record keeping.
For MA students – teaching in research methods and ethics and research supervision will prepare students to complete a 15,000 word dissertation.
Forms of assessment include an essay, case report, reflective assignments, two presentations, a 15,000-word dissertation and a portfolio.
This course requires that the student completes a minimum of 40 hours supervision practice and 21 hours supervision of supervision across both practicum modules (1&2).
Supervision Practice and Placements
Students will agree suitable supervisee and supervision of supervision arrangements with course tutors. Students may use work undertaken with private supervisees in the course of their employment (with suitable agreement with their employers) or supervisees seen in placements. Students are responsible for securing a placement but will receive advice and guidance from the Placement Coordinator.
Accreditation
The Post Graduate Diploma and the MA programme are quality assured by Middlesex University and you will receive a Middlesex award on successful completion.
The course meets both the UKCP requirements for supervision training and the BACP Counselling Supervision Training Curriculum. In order to be placed upon the UKCP Directory of Supervisors you’ll have to be a UKCP registrant.
On successful completion of the Minster Centre Diploma in Supervision you can be nominated to the UKCP Directory of Supervisors through your membership organisation.
If you are a BACP accredited therapist you need to go directly to the BACP and go through their processes in order to become a BACP accredited supervisor.
Assessment
There is one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessment associated with each module. Assessment methods include essays, portfolios, presentations, reflective accounts and case reports and (for the MA) a 15,000 word dissertation. Support and guidance is given for each assessment.
Assessment is by course tutors. All marking is moderated and we also have an external examiner to ensure that marking is fair and consistent. You will receive feedback on all formal assessments to support your learning.
In addition to formal assessment of written work, tutors and supervisors assess students’ experiential and clinical work.
Course Leader(s)
Roshmi Lovatt and Reena Shah
Course Dates and Times
For the Post Graduate Diploma, the teaching is delivered over seven weekend blocks between January and July, comprising Saturdays and Sundays (10am to 5pm), followed by six further weekend days and additional on-line supervision of supervision and CPD to be agreed individually.
Students registered and continuing on for the MA will attend a further three weekends on research awareness and methods which lead to undertaking a piece of independent research, in the second year. This will be overseen by a research supervisor and supported by the course staff.
Dates for students starting January 2025:
18, 19 January 2025
22, 23 February 2025
15, 16 March 2025
12, 13 April 2025
10, 11 May 2025
7, 8 June 2025 (MA students only)
14, 15 June 2025
12, 13 July 2025
27, 28 September 2025 (MA students only)
8, 9 November 2025 (MA students only)
Continuing into 2026:
Dates Jan-Jul 2026 to be confirmed
Course Length
1 year for Post Graduate Diploma or 2 years for the MA programme.
Who Is It For
This course is for people who:
- Have a professional qualification in counselling or psychotherapy (UKCP or BACP accredited course or equivalent) and wish to train clinical supervisors.
- Qualified therapists who want to advance their careers through acquiring a postgraduate level qualification.
Entry Requirements
- You must hold a professional qualification in counselling or psychotherapy (BACP or UKCP accredited course or equivalent).
- You must have been in clinical practice for at least three years.
- You will need to practice supervision or work in a supervisory capacity during the course.
- If you do not have a first degree you will need to demonstrate that they can produce work to MA standards, either through results in previous professional training or through equivalent training or experience.
- You must have competence in the English language. If English is not your first language you will need to demonstrate a capacity to study in English either through your written and practical work during previous training at the Minster Centre, or in your application and interview and through qualifications such as IELTS 6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all four components).
- We are not able to consider applicants who require a Tier 4 visa to study.
- ‘You will need an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, if you don’t already have one. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist each case is considered on an individual basis. You will be given an opportunity at your selection interview to discuss this with your interviewers. For more information about DBS checks see here.
- You will need the technical ability to work online and have a private space to attend online training sessions and for online/phone therapy sessions, if remote client work at your home is required.
Accredited Prior Experience and Learning (APEL)
If you feel you have accredited prior learning that may be relevant to your application, please contact [email protected] for further information.
Qualifications
On successful completion of all academic and course requirements combined with the fulfilment of the specific practice requirements, students may exit from the programme with either a:
- PG Diploma Supervision in Psychotherapy and Counselling
Or
- MA Supervision in Psychotherapy and Counselling
Career Prospects
Graduates of The Minster Centre can be found working successfully all over the UK and abroad. As well as private practice, graduates often work with a variety of client groups in the NHS; in schools, colleges and universities; organisations such as Mind and other charitable foundations; and as tutors in other training organisations.
MA graduates could go on to higher-level study on doctoral programmes.
Fees
We offer a 15% discount to Minster Centre members (graduates and those who maintain their UKCP membership through the Centre). The discount does not apply to the Middlesex University registration fee (£840).
Course fees are subject to annual inflation. Once you have started a course we will endeavour to keep fee increases in subsequent years as low as possible.
A non-refundable deposit of £750 is payable to secure your place once offered. Fees are payable by bank transfer, cheque or card and are non-refundable if you attend beyond the first half term. Fees may be paid in instalments.
Fees include supervision of training clients, one DBS check, common room facilities and refreshments, access to the library and on-line resources, insurance for seeing client through the Minster Centre Psychotherapy and Counselling Service.
The following course related costs are not included in the fees:
Supervision of supervision, any additional costs associated with placements, the provision of consulting rooms for seeing supervisees, assessment of resubmitted coursework. In addition, you will need to budget for the purchase of key books (these are texts you will need to refer to frequently) and travel to the Centre and to placements. Depending on the topics you choose for your written assessments you may need to buy books or internet access to articles, or access books, articles or other resources through the British Library or other specialist libraries.
Accommodation and living costs are not included in fees and, as all our students are part time, we do not have on-site accommodation. The Centre has no parking available for students unless you have a blue badge. The Centre is close to public transport. We cannot guarantee that the timing of courses will not require peak time travel.
For more details on fees and financial terms and conditions click on the button below:
Financial Support
If you register on the MA you may be eligible for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan. These are Government funded student loans for students on master’s courses to help with fees and living costs. These are not based on income and are paid directly to you. There are personal eligibility requirements which are determined by the Government, for instance, you have to be under 60 and not already have an MA, you will need to repay the loan plus interest and repayments will be based on your income. More information loans and how to apply can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/postgraduate-loan/overview.
For a full breakdown of the course fees and financial terms and conditions see here.
Venue
The Minster Centre is a 5 minute walk from Queens Park Tube (Bakerloo line) and Rail Overground Station and 10-15 min walk from Brondesbury Park Station.
How to Apply
You apply directly to The Minster Centre via the online application form below. Please note: we operate a rolling admission process. Early application is recommended.
DECEMBER 2024 UPDATE: THIS COURSE IS NOW FULLY RECRUITED. You may still apply for a place on the waiting list.
Please ensure each section is fully completed in order for your application to be considered for this course. If you have any further questions please see our FAQs page or email us on [email protected].
Applicants are offered an individual interview with a senior staff member in order to assess suitability for training. The interview fee is £135.
We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
Please note that initial assessment of applications can take from two to four weeks to complete. For shortlisted applications, interviews will be scheduled in the autumn term, from September 2023 onwards.
Course Handbook
Diploma in Integrative Supervision (in person, January start)
Key Information
A flexible professional training route for counsellors and psychotherapists who wish to obtain a supervision qualification.
Start Date: Saturday 18th January 2025
About the Course
This course is designed for practicing psychotherapists and counsellors who want to develop their professional skills to offer clinical supervision. The programme will allow counsellors and psychotherapists from any modality to train as supervisors.
This course provides a solid foundation in the theory and practice of supervision drawing on the model outlined by Shohet & Hawkins in Supervision in the Helping Professions (2002) and the developmental model proposed by Stoltenberg and McNeill. It provides a structure which contains theoretical, experiential and practice components and aims to enable the supervisor to work with counsellors and/or psychotherapists who may have trained in a variety of different orientations.
Course Content
Two core academic modules which develop students’ in-depth knowledge of the main theoretical concepts of effective supervision plus opportunities for students to integrate this knowledge into their practice.
Skills-in-practice component which lays the foundations for effective and ethical supervisory practice and explores supervisory procedural issues relating to clinical responsibility, contracting, risk assessment, auditing and professional record keeping.
Forms of assessment include a 4000 word essay, a Portfolio containing supervision logs and a progress report.
This course requires that the student engages in a minimum of 40 hours supervision practice and 20 hours supervision of supervision.
Supervision Practice and Placements
Students will agree suitable supervisee and supervision of supervision arrangements with course tutors. Students may use work undertaken with supervisees in their private practice or with supervisees in the course of their employment (with suitable agreement with their employers) or supervisees seen in placements. Students are responsible for securing a placement but will receive advice and guidance from the Placement Coordinator.
Accreditation
The course meets both the UKCP requirements for supervision training and the BACP Counselling Supervision Training Curriculum. In order to be placed upon the UKCP Directory of Supervisors you’ll have to be a UKCP registrant.
On successful completion of the Minster Centre Diploma in Supervision you can be nominated to the UKCP Directory of Supervisors through your membership organisation.
If you are a BACP accredited therapist you need to go directly to the BACP and go through their processes in order to become a BACP accredited supervisor.
Assessment
Assessment is by Minster Centre staff. In addition to formal assessment of essays, tutors and supervisors assess students’ experiential and clinical work.
Course Leader(s)
Roshmi Lovatt and Reena Shah
Course Dates and Times
The teaching takes place over weekend blocks: Saturdays and Sundays 10.00am – 5.00pm.
Dates for 2025:
Dates for students starting January 2025:
18, 19 January 2025
22, 23 February 2025
15, 16 March 2025
12, 13 April 2025
10, 11 May 2025
14, 15 June 2025
12, 13 July 2025
Course Length
7 weekends January to July, plus supervision practice and written work to be completed over 1 year.
Who Is It For
Practising counsellors and psychotherapists who wish to obtain a supervision qualification.
Entry Requirements
Applicants need to possess a professional qualification in counselling/psychotherapy (BACP, UKCP accredited or equivalent) and have been in practice for at least three years.
Students will need to practise supervision or work in a supervisory capacity during the course. Students gain most from the course if the supervision placement or work is arranged prior to, or as near to the start of the course as possible. The Minster Centre can assist with suggesting practice placements.
You will need an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, if you don’t already have one. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist each case is considered on an individual basis. You will be given an opportunity at your selection interview to discuss this with your interviewers. For more information about DBS checks see here.
Applicants need the technical ability to work online and have a private space to attend online training sessions and for online/phone therapy sessions, if remote client work at the student’s home is required.
Qualifications
Minster Centre Diploma in Supervision
Career Prospects
Graduates of The Minster Centre can be found working successfully all over the UK and abroad. As well as private practice, graduates often work with a variety of client groups in the NHS; in schools, colleges and universities; organisations such as Mind and other charitable foundations; and as tutors in other training organisations.
Fees
We offer a 15% discount to Minster Centre members (graduates and those who maintain their UKCP membership through the Centre).
For a full breakdown of the course fees and financial terms and conditions please click on the Fees button below:
Venue
The Minster Centre is a 5 minute walk from Queens Park Tube (Bakerloo line) and Rail Overground Station and 10-15 min walk from Brondesbury Park Station.
How to Apply
You apply directly to The Minster Centre via the online application form below. Please note: we operate a rolling admission process. Early application is recommended.
DECEMBER 2024 UPDATE: THIS COURSE IS NOW FULLY RECRUITED. You may still apply for a place on the waiting list.
Please ensure each section is fully completed in order for your application to be considered for this course. If you have any further questions please see our FAQs page or email us on [email protected].
Applicants are offered an individual interview with a senior staff member in order to assess suitability for training. The interview fee is £135.
We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
Please note that initial assessment of applications can take from two to four weeks to complete. For shortlisted applications, interviews will be scheduled in the autumn term, from September 2023 onwards.
Course Handbook
Diploma in Integrative Supervision (online, September start)
Key Information
A flexible, online professional training route for counsellors and psychotherapists who wish to obtain a supervision qualification.
Start Date: Saturday 28th September 2024
About the Course
This course is designed for practicing psychotherapists and counsellors who want to develop their professional skills to offer clinical supervision. The programme will allow counsellors and psychotherapists from any modality to train as supervisors.
This is a new, online version of our successful supervision diploma course. Sessions are live and interactive, just as in the in-person course, but delivered online via video. It is suited to students who would prefer not to travel to the Minster Centre, or those who would prefer a September start.
The course provides a solid foundation in the theory and practice of supervision drawing on the model outlined by Shohet & Hawkins in Supervision in the Helping Professions (2002) and the developmental model proposed by Stoltenberg and McNeill. It provides a structure which contains theoretical, experiential and practice components and aims to enable the supervisor to work with counsellors and/or psychotherapists who may have trained in a variety of different orientations.
Course Content
Two core academic modules which develop students’ in-depth knowledge of the main theoretical concepts of effective supervision plus opportunities for students to integrate this knowledge into their practice.
Skills-in-practice component which lays the foundations for effective and ethical supervisory practice and explores supervisory procedural issues relating to clinical responsibility, contracting, risk assessment, auditing and professional record keeping.
Forms of assessment include a 4000 word essay, a Portfolio containing supervision logs and a progress report.
This course requires that the student engages in a minimum of 40 hours supervision practice and 20 hours supervision of supervision.
Supervision Practice and Placements
Students will agree suitable supervisee and supervision of supervision arrangements with course tutors. Students may use work undertaken with supervisees in their private practice or with supervisees in the course of their employment (with suitable agreement with their employers) or supervisees seen in placements. Students are responsible for securing a placement but will receive advice and guidance from the Placement Coordinator.
Accreditation
The course meets both the UKCP requirements for supervision training and the BACP Counselling Supervision Training Curriculum. In order to be placed upon the UKCP Directory of Supervisors you’ll have to be a UKCP registrant.
On successful completion of the Minster Centre Diploma in Supervision you can be nominated to the UKCP Directory of Supervisors through your membership organisation.
If you are a BACP accredited therapist you need to go directly to the BACP and go through their processes in order to become a BACP accredited supervisor.
Assessment
Assessment is by Minster Centre staff. In addition to formal assessment of essays, tutors and supervisors assess students’ experiential and clinical work.
Course Leader(s)
Roshmi Lovatt and Reena Shah
Course Dates and Times
The teaching takes place over weekend blocks: Saturdays and Sundays 10.00am – 5.00pm.
Dates for 2024/2025:
Dates for students starting September 2024:
28, 29 September 2024
19, 20 October 2024
23, 24 November 2024
7, 8 December 2024
11, 12 January 2025
8, 9 February 2025
8, 9 March 2025
Course Length
7 weekends September to March, plus supervision practice and written work to be completed over 1 year.
Who Is It For
Practising counsellors and psychotherapists who wish to obtain a supervision qualification.
Entry Requirements
Applicants need to possess a professional qualification in counselling/psychotherapy (BACP, UKCP accredited or equivalent) and have been in practice for at least three years.
Students will need to practise supervision or work in a supervisory capacity during the course. Students gain most from the course if the supervision placement or work is arranged prior to, or as near to the start of the course as possible. The Minster Centre can assist with suggesting practice placements.
You will need an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, if you don’t already have one. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from becoming a counsellor or psychotherapist each case is considered on an individual basis. You will be given an opportunity at your selection interview to discuss this with your interviewers. For more information about DBS checks see here.
Applicants need the technical ability to work online and have a private space to attend online training sessions and for online/phone therapy sessions, if remote client work at the student’s home is required.
Qualifications
Minster Centre Diploma in Supervision
Career Prospects
Graduates of The Minster Centre can be found working successfully all over the UK and abroad. As well as private practice, graduates often work with a variety of client groups in the NHS; in schools, colleges and universities; organisations such as Mind and other charitable foundations; and as tutors in other training organisations.
Fees
We offer a 15% discount to Minster Centre members (graduates and those who maintain their UKCP membership through the Centre).
For a full breakdown of the course fees and financial terms and conditions please click on the Fees button below:
Venue
This is an online course delivered by the Minster Centre, 20 Lonsdale Road, London NW6 6RD.
.
How to Apply
You apply directly to The Minster Centre via the online application form below. Please note: we operate a rolling admission process. EARLY APPLICATION IS RECOMMENDED.
Please ensure each section is fully completed in order for your application to be considered for this course. If you have any further questions please see our FAQs page or email us on [email protected].
Applicants are offered an individual interview with a senior staff member in order to assess suitability for training. The interview fee is £135.
We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
Please note that initial assessment of applications can take from two to four weeks to complete. For shortlisted applications, interviews will be scheduled in the autumn term, from September 2023 onwards.
Application update October 2024: The September 2024 online Diploma course is now under way and we are no longer accepting applications to join this cohort. You may however still apply for the in-person Diploma course starting in January 2025.
Course Handbook
Certificate in Body Psychotherapy: Developing Embodied Relational Resonance
Key Information
This post-qualification certificate course offers you the chance to gain knowledge of the body’s place in psychotherapy and to deepen your embodiment experience in a supportive and nourishing environment.
Start date: Friday 8th November 2024
About the Course
Our bodies are shaped by our experience, and it is how we come to know ourselves, and the world. The practice of Body Psychotherapy offers a route to support us in opening by addressing our embodiment directly. The therapeutic relationship is an embodied relational communication and the more we learn to make more use of our felt experience, the deeper our therapeutic contact can be.
This post-qualification certificate course offers you the chance to gain knowledge of the body’s place in psychotherapy and to deepen your embodiment experience in a supportive and nourishing environment. This year-long course will offer an opportunity to integrate some of what Body Psychotherapy has to offer with practices that can inform and extend our work with clients.
This will be an in-person experiential space where we will focus on practising skills and personal embodied development work.
Course Content
This certificate course will cover:
1. Working with breathing and grounding.
The breath is both voluntary and involuntary. Building an awareness of our own and others’ breathing patterns provides us with another way of supporting and working with emotions. Developing reliable grounding capacities for ourselves that are rooted in an understanding of the Social Engagement System deepens therapeutic contact.
2. Focusing on embodied resonance and the transference matrix
Through learning to trust what our bodies are telling us by paying attention to its subtle messages, we will develop an understanding of sensation and feelings. From this awareness, a language of embodiment starts to emerge.
3. Looking at energetic patterns in the body and how to work with them
Here we will use traditional Body in Psychotherapy theories on character and segments to develop our energetic understanding. We will include getting to understanding our relationship to charge and aliveness.
4. Embodied power relations and vulnerabilities as we work
Here we will be focusing on embodied difference and building our capacity to be with the challenging dynamics that emerge when looking at embodiment and how we other.
5. The nature of touch in Body Psychotherapy
Here we will explore our relationship to touch, how to work with embodiment and the contact boundary.
6. Clinical issues and supervision from an embodied perspective
Including working clinically with our inner critic and supporting the “self-care system” of both client and therapist.
Assessment
There will be an ongoing learning reflection, submitted a week after each teaching day.
There will be an embodied reflective piece submitted towards the end of the course.
There will be readings and resources available online via Moodle for each day.
Course Leader(s)
Anne Marie Keary: A Relational Body Psychotherapist (Chiron Centre for Body Psychotherapy), she has worked at The Minster Centre since 2010. Anne Marie is currently a tutor on the Body and Intersectionality in Psychotherapy module and Joint course lead of the second year of training. She is also a certified Diamond Approach teacher. Anne Marie has a special interest in working with issues around disability and childhood sexual abuse and facilitates workshops in these areas. She comes from a teaching background and also works in private practice in Old Street.
Kimcha Rajkumar: An Embodied Relational Psychotherapist (MA from The Minster Centre & Advanced Diploma in Embodied Relational Therapy), she is a tutor on the Body and Intersectionality in Psychotherapy module at The Minster Centre. Kimcha has a special interest in working with issues around identity and belonging, creativity, disability and illness. Previously a sculptor and jeweller she works in private practice with individuals and relationships in St Albans and London.
Hear more from Anne Marie about her approach to the Body in Psychotherapy:
Course Dates and Times
- Friday 8 November 2024;
- Friday 6 December 2024;
- Friday 10 January 2025;
- Friday 7 and Saturday 8 February 2025;
- Friday 7 March 2025;
- Friday 4 April 2025;
- Friday 9 May 2025;
- Friday 27 and Saturday 28 June 2025.
10am-5pm 10 days x 6 hours training. Total 60 hours.
Course Length
Total 60 hours over one year
Who Is It For
This certificate course is suitable for counsellors who want to gain understanding of how to incorporate working with the body in their therapy practise. It is also suitable to Minster graduates who want to consolidate and expand their learning after completing the 2nd year Body and Psychotherapy module. It is open to practicing psychotherapists, counsellors and finalist students from the Minster Centre, and other institutions.
There will be an application form and an introductory meeting with the course facilitators before the course starts.
Entry Requirements
This course is open to practicing psychotherapists, counsellors and finalist students from the Minster Centre, and other institutions.
Accredited Prior Experience and Learning (APEL)
We do not offer an APEL option for this programme.
Qualifications
Students who successfully complete the course will be awarded a Certificate in Body Psychotherapy: Developing Embodied Relational Resonance
Career Prospects
Alumni of The Minster Centre can be found working successfully all over the UK and abroad. As well as private practice, they often work with a variety of client groups in the NHS; in schools, colleges and universities; organisations such as MIND and other charitable foundations; and as tutors in other training organisations.
Fees
£1850 (Minster members £1750)
Venue
The Minster Centre is 5 minutes’ walk from Queens Park Tube (Bakerloo line) and Rail Overground Station and 10-15 minutes’ walk from Brondesbury Park Station.
How to Apply
Application update 7 October 2024: This course is now fully recruited and applications are closed. Please contact [email protected] with any queries.
You apply directly to The Minster Centre via the online application form below. Please note: we operate a rolling admission process. EARLY APPLICATION IS RECOMMENDED.
Please ensure each section is fully completed in order for your application to be considered for this course. If you have any further questions please see our FAQs page or email us on [email protected].
Applicants are offered an individual interview with a senior staff member in order to assess suitability for training. The interview fee is £50.
We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented at the Minster Centre and in the psychotherapy profession.
Open Days and Evenings
If you're interested in finding out more about our professional training courses, we offer open days and evenings, in person and via Zoom. All open days and evenings are hosted by one of our tutors and feature Q & A sessions, the chance to meet a current student and advice on the application process.
Our open events are designed to give you a taste of the kind of experiential training we offer. Each event runs for two hours. Why not book your place on one now?
Testimonials
"I thought there was a good balance between teaching, experiential work, role play and discussion and the different characters of the course facilitators complemented the overall process very well."
"The structure was excellent, boundaried, clear and always seemed to get consolidated and with a constant view on integration. Excellent, I'd recommend this to anyone."
"The course fully met my expectations. I learn best from a mixture of theory, practice and experiential, which I felt the course gave in a balanced way."
