Introduction to Counselling and Psychotherapy

Entry requirements

In order to undertake this course, we ask that you:

• have a demonstrable interest in psychodynamic counselling, psychoanalytic psychotherapy or psychoanalysis and a wish to make a deeper study of the human mind, either for professional reasons or for the purposes of your own personal development
• are able to organise a workplace observation project which must be in place before the course begins. While it is not mandatory for a placement to be organised by the time of interview, it is encouraged to start thinking about this as early as possible

Although the course aims to be supportive and containing in its approach, the subject matter can be emotionally challenging. Personal readiness for the course is therefore an important factor which will be explored at interview.

Application guidance:

When completing the application form, you will be asked to write a personal statement of up to 8,000 characters. The personal statement is a very important part of the application process, which gives us a sense of who each applicant is as a person. For this reason, the style of writing can include personal experiences and reflections, where relevant.

In your personal statement, we would hope to get a sense of the following areas:

• Your reasons for applying
• A general idea of what your understanding of psychotherapy is, and what this course entails
• Your personal background, and how this relates to your interest in this course
• Any past experiences of therapy and their impact on you, or demonstration of an interest in engaging in psychotherapy in the future
• Reflection on the idea of taking up a placement, and some personal thinking or exploration around what this might be like on an emotional level.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This popular course provides an introduction to a psychoanalytic understanding of the human mind and to specific principles of psychodynamic psychotherapy at an elementary level.

We will analyse human development through a psychoanalytic lens, while exploring key psychoanalytic concepts, complex mental health presentations and how we view the life of groups and organisations, as well as difference and diversity.

The course is suitable for both individuals and healthcare professionals wishing to explore their interest in psychoanalytic psychotherapy, including those thinking of taking their first steps toward a formal qualification.

This course is available to study as in-person the Tavistock Centre in London, or as a fully online version.

There are three common reasons why our students study this course:

• to investigate further whether or not they would like to undertake a clinical training in psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy
• for interest, and to find out more about psychoanalysis in order to apply the approaches and theories to their personal and work lives
• to support them whilst they gain the necessary experience to be eligible for a clinical training in psychodynamic or psychoanalytic psychotherapy

We celebrate the rich diversity of our student group and encourage people to apply whatever their background.