PGDip/MA in Relationship Therapy

Venues
University Centre, Doncaster - High Melton Campus; Manchester and London

Cost
Costs of Relate Institute Courses

Fees for new starters in 2008/2009 will vary and applicants are advised to liaise with the Programme Leader, Jennifer Warden jennifer.warden@relateinstitute.ac.uk 01302 553553 extension 2351

The programme fee includes all tuition and tutorials. Clinical supervision is included only if the placement is in a Relate Centre. If the placement is NOT in a Relate Centre the student will be liable to pay for their own supervision. The fee does not include the cost of accommodation, meals, travel or attendance on the Relate Institute Continuous Professional Development days (CPD).*** Students will also be expected to purchase or borrow their own books, journals or articles.
Students who already have a degree inan unrelated subject will be required to attend a further weekend of practice and counselling skills, this will incur a £150 surcharge.

The fee can be paid in one installment or may be divided into three equal installments, for which the student will be invoiced. The due dates for each payment will be clearly stated on the invoice.

*The fees will be subject to an incremental increase for 2009/10 so if you are on a three year course, the new fee will apply.

**Students on Relate Institute programmes of study are entitled to a discounted fee for attendance on Relate Institute Continuous Professional Development days (CPD).

The programme
This three year programme, in collaboration with the University of Hull, has been designed in accordance with the course approval criteria of the British Association for Counselling Psychotherapy. It is a combination of the two courses which were run previously, the PG Diploma in Couple Therapy and the PG Diploma in Systemic Therapy. On completing the course the students will be qualified to work in Relate with individuals, couples and families.
The first year of the programme offers psychodynamic and systemic theory together with concepts of human sexuality that are relevant to relationship therapy. Year two extends the theoretical knowledge and applies those ideas to issues which clients often present in therapy. A strength of the programme is the emphasis on integrating these two theories which will be the focus of the first module in the third year. The second module will consider practitioner research.
The programme has been designed to fulfil the likely requirements of a future statutory register. It provides a route for people who want a practice focus in Year 3 rather than a research project.
After successfully completing the programme students will:
1. Have gained an advanced knowledge and understanding of relationship therapy from the perspectives of systemic theory, psychodynamic theory and human sexuality to the level where they will have gained the training requirements for professional accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
2. Be equipped to work in either the voluntary sector or as independent practitioner in the field of relationship therapy.
The taught element of the programme is 9 two day blocks in each of the first two years and 8 two day blocks in the third year. The clinical placement runs alongside the taught element in each year. Each day begins at 9.30am and ends at 5.00pm. As well as the taught programme, students are expected to attend 3 events from the Relate programme of Continuous Professional Development days (CPD)which are paid for separately. Students will also undertake a placement, normally at a Relate Centre, of 250 hours of supervised clinical practice over three years.

Entry criteria
Prospective applicants must have:

• A counselling skills qualification at level 2 or 3 completed at a local college or Relate Centre.
• a first degree or evidence of academic achievement at level 6 (ie, 'honours' level) eg UAD Introduction to Couple Counselling.
• access to a practice base

Interview criteria (for those applicants who do not have a previous Relate practitioner qualification)
Applicants will need to demonstrate personal qualities relevant to therapeutic practice and training, which include:

• Respect for and valuing of others, and their differences
• A commitment to anti-discriminatory practice
• A capacity to cope with the professional and academic demands of the course
• A capacity to be reflexive and use experience and feedback constructively.

All successful applicants will be required to have undergone a Criminal Records Bureau check at enhanced level within the 12 months leading up to the commencement of the programme.

Applicants are strongly advised to ensure they have adequate word processing skills, IT skills and access to the internet before embarking on this course.