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The M.Sc. course in Counselling Psychology is a postgraduate course open to those with a 2nd class Honors Degree in Psychology or equivalent. The course provides theoretical, practical, research and personal development modules.
During the first year the focus is on therapeutic skills training, case management
and theoretical input on the primary approaches to counselling psychology. In
second year the emphasis is on further theoretical knowledge, more advanced
counselling skills and research. Students also undertake a major project, finalised as a written Dissertation. Every student has a minimum of 2 placements during the course.
In first year, placements run from November through August and in second year from September through August. Students are, however, encouraged to continue in a placement throughout the summer months, and or begin their 2nd year placement early. Students may be required to remain on placement during the summer to attain the requisite contact hours or pursue further professional development to ensure that they don´t become deskilled.
Placement dates and hours are consistent with the site´s schedule and not the college calendar.The object of the course is to build upon and develop the psychology graduate´s academic competence, professional knowledge and skills. This is achieved by a combination of personal development work, academic and experiential components together with supervised (small group and individual), professional
placement experiences in counselling. An integrative framework is developed over the course of the 2 years.
All approaches and theories are underpinned by the core values of humanistic psychology. In addition to employing mainstream psychotherapeutic approaches, Counselling Psychologists include a positive focus within their work, remaining mindful of their clients´ resiliency, strengths, coping skills and other personal resources.
The academic core of the programme is primarily informed by person-centred theory and integrating other established theories related to Counselling Psychology. Namely Psychodynamic, Cognitive and Behavioural, broad Humanistic (e.g. Gestalt) and Systemic perspectives and approaches are particularly emphasised to ensure the student´s ability to self-reflect and engage in personal and interpersonal process in relation to self and clients. Guest lecturers are brought from specialist areas within the profession.
The M.Sc. in Counselling Psychology is an intensive programme and as such the following support systems are in place to assist student´s personal and professional development.
The course criteria facilitate the following for each student:
* A personal tutor is assigned to each student throughout the duration of the course.
* Professionally facilitated group therapy sessions.
* Weekly small group supervision supporting clinical practice.
* Team´s commitment and dedication to teaching and learning.
* Guidance for assignments
* Guidance around organising a placement.
* Organising peer support and learning partner relationships.
* Attendance of class representatives at course management meetings and for review and development meetings.
In addition to the above, students are required to attend individual therapy.
The academic component of the course provides the knowledge and broad understanding of theory on which counselling psychology practice rests. The general counselling skills and specific techniques essential to effective counselling intervention are taught by means of lectures, workshops, student presentations, video role-plays, and supervised practical work. There is a particular emphasis in the course on experiential work and personal development. Students are exposed to a variety of problems and contexts.
FIRST YEAR - BRIEF CURRICULUM
Small Group Supervision:
As soon as placements begin, students have weekly small group supervision during each term. Students present their cases, concerns and questions; receive feedback from group members and staff to further their own personal process and to enhance their developing skills. Each student is required to present a minimum of 4 cases, including tapes and transcripts of their sessions, to facilitate discussion and feedback. Formative supervisor and peer feedback is given on a continual basis throughout the year and more formally in Hilary Term. Summative feedback is provided in Trinity Term.
Counselling Skills Training (Skills Training):
A series of workshops are conducted providing training in interviewing techniques, listening skills, establishing empathy, immediacy, identifying feelings, reflecting feeling and content, paraphrasing, summarising, reframing, dealing with `resistance´, and action planning.
Counselling Skills Training (Video):
In these sessions, video is used to role-play both clients and counsellor to sensitise students to the use of body language, how their own interventions enable clients to open up, or alternatively become blocked. The initial interview will be explored as will dealing with difficult counselling situations.
Counselling Skills Training (Workshops on Specific Topics):
There are workshops on selected topics, e.g. sexual abuse, multicultural issues, etc.
Personal Development - Group Therapy:
The group process is an opportunity for students to experience themselves in relation to others in the group. While recognising that work in the group will inevitably touch off, and bring up the past experiences of individuals, the emphasis of the work is on the here and now present.
As group members discover how they are creating their own experience in a group, this opens up the possibility of choosing to respond differently. The facilitator´s role is to track and support the emerging interactive process. Confidentiality between the group facilitator and the students is highly respected. All students must, however, attend all
sessions and participate actively in this critical component of selfdevelopment
or the facilitator must inform the Course Director.
Otherwise, only where there are truly exceptional concerns about the student´s ethics, mental health, physical health, or performance in their capacity as a counselling psychology trainee will the Facilitator contact the Course Director. If such a circumstance does arise, the Director or Designee will meet with the student to agree a suitable course of action.
Personal Development - Personal Therapy:
Each student is required to undertake individual counselling throughout the 2 years. Incoming students are encouraged to commence personal counselling before their entry and must continue at least until May. This provides first hand experience of being in the client role, as well as giving students an opportunity for self exploration, and coming to terms with issues experienced during the year. The Course must `agree´ counsellors/therapists to work with students and a list of those who already meet with course criteria is circulated to students. Students are required to return a signed contract form from their therapist at the beginning of their therapy.
Criteria for personal therapy are as follows:
a. to provide support during this demanding time
b. to develop a deep understanding and appreciation of self
c. to become aware of and utilise personal strengths and assets
d. to become aware of blind-spots, blocks and vulnerabilities.
The student must demonstrate a serious attempt at addressing these criteria and engage fully in the therapy process. If they are not being met, the therapist should bring this up in the therapy situation, and set specific goals for the student.
The confidentiality between the therapist and student is highly respected. Only in truly exceptional circumstances where there is a major concern about the student´s capacity as a counselling psychology trainee, would a therapist contact the Course Director. Should this occur, the Director or Designee would meet with the student to agree a suitable course of action.
Reflective practice (Tutorials):
During Michaelmas term, each student will be assigned a core staff member who will be their primary contact person on the course for all matters, including placement issues. Students will formally meet 1:1 with their Tutor at least once during the year to discuss any issues of concern or interest to either party. This is an opportunity to both receive and provide feedback so is best scheduled from February onward. Students may, however, request additional tutorials if they need to at anytime and are encouraged to do so if there are any outstanding questions or concerns, including their status on the course. Tutors may also request additional meetings if required.
Reflective practice (Learning Partner):
A Learning Partner is chosen in the first few weeks of Michaelmas Term. Partners should meet weekly to discuss progress, set personal learning objectives and give each other support, encouragement and feedback.
Reflective practice (Learning Journal):
From entry to the course through completion, a personal Learning Journal must be kept by each student, recording in detail, their opinions and reactions to all aspects of learning on the course, including classes and unstructured learning, personal development and client work. It should also demonstrate awareness of relationships with peers and tutors. Personal learning objectives should be regularly set and reflected upon. The Journal should be regularly shared with the learning partner during weekly meetings together. It will also provide the basis for self evaluation and written personal development reports throughout the year.
Reflective practice (Integration & Reflection):
Periodically throughout the year, sessions are held during which the students reflect upon all that they are experiencing on the course, and how this is being integrated by them. This is also an opportunity for students to provide feedback to the course staff. Written, anonymous evaluation forms are also distributed at the end of each term.
An elected class representative attends course staff meetings to be informed, present feedback and make recommendations. S/he also liaises with staff on behalf of the class throughout the year.
Orientation:
In addition to courses, the students will receive an orientation to the College, the School of Psychology, and the Counselling Psychology Course.
Orientation:
During the first 5-6 weeks students are on campus daily, prior to their practical placement experience. During this induction/intensive teaching period, core theories and professional issues will be presented and basic skills conveyed. The importance of research will also be introduced.
Professional Issues in Counselling Psychology:
This course will provide a history of the Counselling Psychology profession in Ireland and abroad, duties of care procedures, mandatory reporting, informed consent issues, PSI code of ethics, identifying and resolving ethical dilemmas, an overview of the health service system in Ireland, interdisciplinary team and cross agency issues, and self-care techniques. (Continued in small group supervision sessions.)
Theories and Approaches to Counselling:
These seminars, held over the year, will provide a foundation in the major theoretical approaches used in counselling psychology.
The following is a sample of the approaches and Theories to be explored in year one:
* Humanistic,
* Psychodynamic,
* Cognitive-behavioural,
* Systemic
The module is conducted through a problem based learning approach, thus students are responsible for substantially researching content and contributing to these classes. The aim is to become familiar with the theoretical constructs, understand how these are evidenced in the therapy session, and to insure they are translated into practice by the student with their own clients.
Case Management:
This course will include the responsibilities of the counselling psychology trainee in following a case through from referral to discharge. Topics will include procedures related to referrals, phone protocol, file management, case notes, letter and report writing, case conceptualisation, on-going case management, use of supervision, and termination issues.
Advanced Life Span Developmental Psychology:
These workshops will emphasise the value of seeing clients' problems in their developmental and ecological context. Issues related to the various ages and stages of life, from childhood through old age, will be discussed in terms of how this shapes the counselling psychologist´s approach to conducting therapy. This series of classes, in the form of student presentations, will draw upon current literature, specifically journal articles. Actual case material will also be referenced.
Assessment and therapy with Adolescents and Children:
These sessions will focus on translating the student´s knowledge of children and adolescent issues into effective counselling practice with this sometimes challenging age range. Issues and approaches to therapeutic work with children will also be introduced. Related systemic issues will also be emphasised.
Assessment Procedures:
This course of lectures and workshops will expand the student´s knowledge of test construction, use, administration, interpretation and reporting. The various types of instruments available to Counselling Psychologists will be reviewed. The most commonly used self-report inventories, ratings scales and projective tests will be researched by the students and discussed with respect to case conceptualisation and therapeutic intervention. Some tests will be taken by the students themselves and incorporated into their ongoing personal development as a counselling psychologist. The DSM-IV will also be presented and discussed as it relates to Counselling Psychology.
Assessment Procedures (Psychometrics):
As a part of the assessment module, students will follow `Psychometrics´ module. The aim of this module is: to acquaint students with essential principles of psychometric theory, test design, test construction and validation; to provide students with an understanding of the importance of standardised assessment procedures to the professions of applied psychology; to provide a thorough grounding in the concepts of validity and reliability; to provide exposure to the administration, scoring and reporting of selected tests.
Theoretical Issues in Counselling Psychology (Students Presentations):
These sessions in Hillary and Trinity terms, provide students with an opportunity to orally present a piece of work, exploring the difficulties associated with various forms of psychological distress, and based on the published literature, preferred methods of treatment. Class discussion will be facilitated.
Research in Counselling Psychology:
These lectures are aimed at orienting students towards their Dissertation research. Students will be instructed in how to approach the practical issues around conducting a major piece of research. Methodologies will be reviewed and initial ideas for dissertations will be entertained and constructively critiqued. Special emphasis will be placed on how to conduct practitioner research.
Research in Counselling Psychology (Counselling and Psychotherapy Research):
An overview of different areas of counselling and psychotherapy research will be provided. Instruments used in both, outcome and process research, will be reviewed. Research designs used in outcome and process research will be presented. Special emphasis would be put on using research to inform one´s practice. Students will be asked to become familiar with the relevant literature on psychological interventions pertinent to the topic of their dissertation.
SECOND YEAR
On successful completion of the first year of the Course, as verified by the Court of Examiners, a student will automatically proceed to the second year.
Much of the information included under the heading of First Year students is also applicable to Second Year students who should read through this entire booklet for all relevant requirements.
Continued training in counselling psychology is an important element of the second year course. The student's own counselling work is supported byworkshops and courses designed to build on the course content of the first year. Personal development is continued.
The focus of this year is to further integrate theory and practice, and to develop
research skills in counselling psychology as demonstrated by the design, execution and presentation of a research Dissertation.
Learning Partner: Each student will continue to work with a learning partner. It
is particularly important during this year that learning partners set and review
learning objectives, meet on a weekly basis and continue to support one another
throughout the year.
An elected class representative attends course staff meetings to be informed,
present feedback and make recommendations. S/he also liaises with staff on
behalf of the class throughout the year.
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