Application Process

The interview process involves:

• a group workshop
• a practical interview with a member of the WCP training staff
• a personal interview with a psychoanalytic psychotherapist.

Please see https://wessexcp.co.uk/course-dates-and-calendar-of-events/ for the workshop and practical interview date.  You will be contacted separately regarding the personal interview.

Course Structure

The diploma course consists of 2 Theory Years followed by Clinical Consolidation years.  The Foundation (stage 1) counts as the pre-clinical year.   

The course runs approximately in accordance with the academic year.  The course takes place on a Monday and there are two cohorts, group one begins the day at 9.00am and completes the day at 4.00pm and group two begins the day at 12:45 pm and completes at 8.00pm.  Places are limited; please indicate your preferred start time on your application. 

Please also see https://wessexcp.co.uk/course-dates-and-calendar-of-events/

The day will include a theory and a clinical seminar, small-group supervision* and an experiential group.

There are three compulsory workshops outside term time and three personal tutorials during each academic year.

(*Note – the cost of supervision is included in the overall cost of our courses and takes place 42 weeks of the year)

The final consolidation year takes place on Fridays for 30 weeks and supervision (42 weeks)

Client work:  Trainees must aim to be available between 2 and 4 hours per week to see clients at one of the Wessex locations and/or at an agreed external placement

Personal Therapy: Diploma trainees are required to be in therapy (at least once per week) with a Wessex approved therapist at an additional fee agreed with your therapist. 

Workshops:  In addition to the three compulsory  workshops each academic year, trainees are encouraged to explore some of the other Wessex CPD workshops to broaden clinical and theoretical perspectives.

• Equip trainees with the skills and techniques of the psychodynamic model to enable them to work as professional counsellors, eligible for registration with the BACP and BPC
• Equip trainees to work as reflective practitioners, using psychodynamic theory within a pluralistic culture
• Inform trainees of the context and limits of the psychodynamic approach
• Encourage trainees to further learning by engaging with research and development in our field
• Equip trainees to work ethically with difference in a diverse cultural setting

Assessment

Assessment is continuous and is achieved through self, staff and peer review and feedback.  You must successfully complete each year and your work approved for continued training.  The expectation is to attend 100% of the course however we do understand sometimes situations arise beyond control, therefore the minimum required attendance is 90%.

Theory: Successful completion and achievement of a pass for two 2000-word essays per academic years 2 and 3

Clinical Seminar: Attendance and active engagement in years 2,3 and 4

Supervision: Achievement of approval for practice by your supervisor in years 2, 3 and 4

Client Work: Achievement of 150 supervised client hours.   A one-year relationship with one client. 

Final Clinical Paper: Successful completion and achievement of a pass for one 4,000-word case study

Achievement of the above entitles you to work as BPC Registered Counsellor and a BACP Counsellor.  BACP membership and BPC registration entitle you to register with the PSA accredited National Voluntary Register for Counsellors and Psychotherapists

Course Fees

Please see  https://wessexcp.co.uk/course-fees-2/

• interview fee to be paid as per the application
• course fees (instalment option available, admin fee applies 
• additional cost for access to online psychoanalytic library (pep-web.org)

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