Code

PG24185

Title

Higher Diploma in Arts in Counselling and Psychotherapy

Programme Purpose

The Higher Diploma is aimed, primarily, at graduates of disciplines outside of this field, introducing them to the core theoretical and practical elements of counselling and psychotherapy and bringing them to the point of sufficient skills, knowledge and know-how to match those of a graduate of a Level 8 honours degree. Thus, it will enable learners to graduate with a relevant qualification suited to a broad range of career and professional development options and progress on the path towards becoming a professional working in this field. The orientation of the programme is humanistic, psychodynamic from an integrative model and learners are also introduced to the principles of psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, family systems, group psychotherapy, and psychopathology and so on. The programme is centred on the learners’ personal development, and provides them with experience of counselling and psychotherapy through both group and individual settings. Alongside the learners’ own experiential learning, the programme also develops knowledge of different forms of psychopathology and theories of psychotherapy and counselling. The programme includes the required counselling skills, personal development and theoretical components which mean that the Master of Arts in Psychotherapy in combination with this Higher Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy is recognised by the Irish Association for Humanistic Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP). The programme is constructed as a two-year part-time programme of 12 modules leading to an award of Higher Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy. The Higher Diploma in Arts in Counselling and Psychotherapy consists of three interconnected strands: experiential training groups, personal development through the experience of psychotherapy and process groups. For learners who apply and progress to the Master of Arts in Psychotherapy, supervised clinical practice is added to these three strands. Personal psychotherapy, undertaken from year 1 of the programme, is a requirement that is not represented in the modules of the course. The other major component of personal exploration and development, namely the Process Group Work is represented. In summary, the Higher Diploma, as the first two years of the four-year professional training in combination with the Master of Arts in Psychotherapy, is crucial to allow a decision to be made on the basis of a knowledge of a learner’s work and participation concerning their suitability for supervised clinical practice. The Higher Diploma is therefore a period primarily of personal development for the learner and allows DBS to establish a profile of the learner so that a fair and balanced informed decision can be made regarding suitability for supervised clinical practice.

Duration Description

NFQ Level(s)

8

EQF Level(s)

6

Location

Dublin City

Delivery Modes

Centre/School/College Based

Part Time

PEL Applies

Yes

PEL Arrangements

Insurance Product

What is PEL?

Details

Validation Documents

Panel Report, Certificate of Validation