BSc (Hons) in Counselling & Psychotherapy

The BSc(Hons) in Counselling and Psychotherapy is a four-year part-time programme which meets the requirements for pending statutory registration of counsellors and psychotherapists.

The BSc (Hons) programme is aimed at those who wish to train to become professional counsellors in Integrative Humanistic Counselling and Psychotherapy. It is designed to meet the minimum training and qualification requirements for counselling practice, accreditation with Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), and registration with the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board.

The part-time mode of study allows students to continue working while they train.

The BSc (Hons) Counselling & Psychotherapy programme aims to: 

• Bring students to study and practice at Degree level in Integrative Humanistic Counselling and Psychotherapy; 
• Resource students in developing an advanced understanding of the Integrative Humanistic paradigm through the sourcing, discussion, critical evaluation and application of current and cutting edge literature and research findings in the areas of Integrative Humanistic counselling, relational approaches, and assessment paradigms;  
• Encourage students to apply their understanding of this literature and research to practice through identification and understanding of the formation and maintenance of complex relationship dynamics in themselves, their clients, and the relationships that they co-create;   
• Create learning conditions that support students in further developing their ability to identify and respond to these advanced counselling issues and complex relationship dynamics with immediacy, spontaneity, and creativity; 
• Emphasise the central role of personal development in the Integrative Humanistic paradigm and encourage students to attend to their own personal development with the aim of fostering the counsellor characteristics identified as essential in current research findings;  
• Encourage an ongoing and in-depth appreciation of the role of socio-cultural-political factors in human experience and the necessity to consider these factors in the counselling relationship (IACP Code of Ethics and Practice, 2018); 
• Emphasise and support students’ live and espoused commitment to ethical awareness, best practice, responsibility, and accountability (IACP Code of Ethics and Practice, 2018); 
• Resource students to understand, critically evaluate and employ current assessment tools consistent with the course philosophy and rationale;  
• Promote students’ understanding of the structure, role, and function of allied professions and support their growing ability to form working relationships with these professionals, including a critical understanding of the practical and ethical issues involved in collaborative work, client referral and report writing;  
• Resource students in developing an ongoing appreciation of the necessity of research in the profession and concurrently demonstrate an applied and critical understanding of a wide range of established research methods.  

The next cohort will begin in October 2024.

We are currently accepting applications.

We are pleased to extend the deadline to 12am on Monday, 16th September, 2024. Limited places available. 

Year 1 of this programme is delivered via nine weekend based workshops between October and June.

The teaching and learning strategy of the BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy is influenced both by traditional teaching methods and by the model of practice that the Institute deploys. Our teaching strategies are influenced by Humanistic and, in particular, specific Gestalt therapy principles of education. The teaching methods are further underpinned by modern research on characteristics of effective psychotherapy, learning, teaching and ongoing feedback from our stakeholders. 

Principles of Gestalt psychology and Gestalt therapy applied to learning emphasise methods focussing on the social and relational nature of human beings, how knowledge is acquired, and a learning motivation that is based on the self-directive capacity and creative auto-adjustment of human learners.    

Trainer input and facilitation takes place over compulsory workshops scheduled each year. The workshops are scheduled in line with the course calendar and module requirements and will vary between two and five days in duration.  Students in Year 3 and Year 4 also attend a compulsory monthly personal and professional development group. Students will complete clinical sit in’s from Year 2 before completing the remainder of their clinical client hours on placement in Years 3 and 4. In addition, students are required to participate in scheduled seminars, academic tutorials, and peer-led discussion groups. 

In addition to these attendance requirements all students will engage in ongoing learning, independent reading and study.  All students will attend personal therapy and will maintain a reflective personal journal.  Students will undertake sit-ins, counselling practice, participate in a case study support group and attend a combination of individual and group supervision.   

This course is accredited by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP), which is the largest psychotherapy association in Ireland. They are a professional reference organisation who set and maintain training and practice standards and who represent the profession of counselling and psychotherapy both nationally and internationally. They hold registers of recognised therapists and accredited training organisations.

A BSc (Hons) Counselling and Psychotherapy (validated by Coventry University) is awarded to students on successful completion of their studies. Coventry University (in Cork’s twin city) is a dynamic and outward-looking institution with a tradition of teaching excellence, impactful research and bold international partnerships. Through Coventry’s worldwide network of collaborators in academia and industry, the 50,000 learners studying its degrees in different countries enjoy access to global opportunities, which ensure their employment prospects are enhanced.

Coventry University was Shortlisted for University of the Year in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021 and also received 5 QS Stars Overall Rating in the QS Stars University Ratings. Coventry University’s significant international success has also seen the institution presented with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise – the UK’s most prestigious business award.

Cork Counselling Services Training Institute (hereafter CCSTI), through its humanistic integrative psychotherapy base, believes that effective training has to incorporate work in personal awareness, counselling theory and techniques, skills training, supervised clinical practice and research. CCSTI training provides all of the above.

In keeping with the humanistic integrative philosophy, the primary mode of training is experiential learning. The topics covered through the modules for each year include:

• Applied personal development
• Social and Cultural Awareness
• Relational Development
• Counselling Skills
• Counselling Theory
• Professional, Ethical Development
• Supervised Counselling Practice
• Professional Collaboration
• Research

Prospective applicants are expected to demonstrate that they

• are self-aware
• are able reflect on their life experience
• can cope with the emotional and the academic demands of the course
• are able to self-evaluate and give and to be open to constructive feedback
• have previous experiences of personal development, i.e. group work, personal therapy, etc.
• are able to be relational and have the potential to develop client therapeutic relationships later
• have an awareness and interest in diversity and inequality

Assessment is continuous and based on submitted assignments, attendance, and feedback on personal development from self, peers and trainers.

Please note that current fees apply to academic year October 2024 to June 2025.

The current tuition fee for Year 1 is €4,950. This is paid in two stages. €2,500 non-refundable deposit is paid on acceptance of a training place by a specific date notified in the letter of offer and the balance of €2,450 is due for payment before the first workshop commences. There is a non-refundable application fee of €150. Price includes Garda Vetting and Credit Card fees if applicable.

The current tuition fee for Year 2 is €4950.

The current tuition fee for Year 3 is €3,850.

The current tuition fee for Year 4 is €3,500.

See here for Frequently Asked Questions and see here for Terms and Conditions. It is important that you read and consider these as you will later be asked to consent to your agreement of these terms as part of your application.

There are three application steps:

Step 1: Your Application

Fill out our online application form and attach your CV here . You will also be asked to pay your non-refundable application fee of €150. Please note, we will not receive your completed application form without payment of the €150 non-refundable application fee.

Step 2: Your References

Please ask two referees to submit a reference for you online here by emailing them the link.

Please note that after completing step one and two, you will get a confirmation of complete application by email from us. Only at that point are you eligible to progress to next steps (your interviews) which we will lead after the closing date.

Step 3: Your Interviews

Applicants need to attend and pass an individual interview and subsequently to attend and pass a group interview. Please note that both individual and group interviews generally happen on the same day.