It is estimated that one in four people seek professional support for a mental health problem and therefore there is high demand for psychological therapies and interventions. This programme is aimed at those who wish to develop careers in psychological therapy or mental health by building on your knowledge, practical skills, experience and confidence when applying for highly competitive roles such as Assistant Psychologist or Clinical Psychology Research Assistant.
This programme will provide you with the academic, practical and research skills you need to continue onto further professional training in clinical psychology, counselling psychology, psychotherapy, clinical research, and health management.
You will be introduced to a range of approaches to psychological therapy and intervention and will be supported to develop a range of therapeutic communication and intervention skills both in workshops and through work experience.
As part of the Masters programme, you will also acquire the knowledge and skills required to critically assess research in therapeutic psychology and to undertake research in a topic that is relevant to psychological therapies or interventions. You will be taught by staff who are therapy practitioners and researchers in mental health, psychological wellbeing and trauma.
There is also the option of undertaking a PG Diploma in Psychological Therapies and Interventions (completion of all modules except the dissertation module and gaining 120 credits), or undertaking a PG Certificate in Psychological Interventions (gaining 60 credits through completion of two modules; the Counselling and Psychotherapy, and Trauma Impact and Interventions modules).
Please note that this programme does not lead to a therapy practitioner qualification.
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During the course, you will focus on developing in-depth knowledge, understanding, skills and experience for progressing to, or within, therapy related careers, including clinical psychology, counselling psychology, psychotherapy, clinical research, and health management. You will also explore the key approaches to, and practice in, psychological therapy and interventions as well as understanding lifespan trauma experience and its impacts on psychological disorder; how it is assessed and identified, and experienced cross-culturally.
You will gain a range of therapeutic communication, motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural intervention skills and a reflective approach to the development of these skills. You will also have developed the knowledge and skills required to critically assess research in therapeutic psychology and be able to undertake novel research in an area relating to psychological therapies or interventions.
This module will introduce the main schools of psychological therapy, their theoretical origins and demonstrate how the theory is applied in practice. You will also be introduced to the basic principles of communication skills that form the foundation of all counselling and therapy.
In this module, you will develop a critical understanding of current research evidence and perspectives on psychological trauma and its effects. You will review the impact of trauma on different groups and at different stages of the lifespan and critically examine the models of intervention for psychological trauma. You will also explore the current debates around ameliorating factors and developmental outcomes.
This module aims to introduce you to qualitative research methods, and to provide you with knowledge and practice by equipping you with a combination of practical and theoretical skills. You'll be introduced to and familiarised with a range of qualitative methodologies and methods of generating and analysing data in-depth. You'll also develop reflexive practice, which is an essential aspect of qualitative research.
This module will provide you with the professional practice knowledge and practical skills relevant to therapeutic applications of psychology and experience in an organisation that is concerned with mental health and/or well-being. You will spend a minimum of 140 hours in a placement of your choosing and will develop your ability to apply psychological knowledge and/or therapeutic communication skills in a workplace context.
*Please note that you will complete either this module or the Psychology Work Based Project module.
You will conduct a work-based project in order to develop your ability to apply psychological knowledge and/or therapeutic communication skills in your current workplace context. If you are already employed at a relevant organisation, discussions with the module leaders will enable you to think through and decide if this is a suitable option for you.
*Please note that you will complete either this module or the Psychology Placement module.
This module will give you the opportunity for an in-depth, advanced study in a specific area of applied psychology. You will apply appropriate principles of empirical research, and present your research study in the form of a written journal article, using appropriate styles and conventions.
This module aims to provide you with the core skills and knowledge in quantitative research methods in psychology. The focus is on understanding how research questions relate to design and appropriate analyses. It provides you with advanced skills in a variety of statistical analyses.
See the course specification for more information:
Optional modules are usually available at levels 5 and 6, although optional modules are not offered on every course. Where optional modules are available, you will be asked to make your choice during the previous academic year. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, or there are staffing changes which affect the teaching, it may not be offered. If an optional module will not run, we will advise you after the module selection period when numbers are confirmed, or at the earliest time that the programme team make the decision not to run the module, and help you choose an alternative module.
We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we've learnt in recent years by enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning.
You are taught through through interactive lectures and participative workshops which encourages discussion and debate as well as critical thinking and a deep approach to learning. Skills and the ability to apply theory to practice are also developed through work experience and/or implementation of work-based projects.
Assessment includes case study reports, research reports, a reflective diary, critical essays, reflective essays or a work-based project report, and the applied research dissertation.
We have developed new approaches to teaching and learning for the 2021/22 academic year.
We are currently reviewing our approach to teaching and learning for 2022 entry and beyond. We've learned a lot about how to give you a quality education - we aim to combine the best of our in-person teaching and learning with access to online learning and digital resources which put you more in charge of when and how you study. We will keep you updated on this throughout the application process.
Your timetable will be built around on campus sessions using our professional facilities, with online sessions for some activities where we know being virtual will add value. We’ll use technology to enhance all of your learning and give you access to online resources to use in your own time.
The table below gives you an idea of what learning looks like across a typical week. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on campus sessions.
This information is likely to change slightly for 2022 entry as our plans evolve. You'll receive full information on your teaching before you start your course.
Learning structure: typical hourly breakdown in 2021/22 | ||
Live in-person on campus learning | Contact hours per week, per level: | 5.5 hours |
Live online learning | Average hours per week, per level: | 8 hours |
Tutor set learning activities | Average hours per week, per level: | 3 hours |
Outside of these hours, you’ll be expected to do independent study where you read, listen and reflect on other learning activities. This can include preparation for future classes. In a year, you’ll typically be expected to commit 1200 hours to your course across all styles of learning. If you are taking a placement, you might have some additional hours.
Definitions of terms
Support
You have a strong support network available to you to make sure you develop all the necessary academic skills you need to do well on your course.
Our support services will be delivered online and on campus and you have access to a range of different resources so you can get the help you need, whether you’re studying at home or have the opportunity to come to campus.
You have access to one to one and group sessions for personal learning and academic support from our library and IT teams, and our network of learning experts. Our teams will also be here to offer financial advice, and personal wellbeing, mental health and disability support.
Upon graduation, you could go on to work in the areas of mental health, psychological and social wellbeing, overseas development work, and clinical research. You could also pursue a career in clinical psychology such as psychotherapy and counselling trainings. Or you could choose to continue your academic studies and undertake a PhD in psychology.
We also aim to attract professionals working with deprived client groups; in the field of interventions, treatments and social policy, and this qualification will enhance their career path.
Please note, this course does not provide BPS or BACP accreditation.
Dr Bailey-Rodriguez is a Lecturer in Psychology, with key interests in attachment theory and qualitative research methods. She completed her PhD exploring the transition to second-time parenthood in couple relationships, using qualitative mixed methods at Middlesex University.
Her doctoral research drew and built upon her undergraduate qualitative exploration of the transition to second-time motherhood, where the second child has a disability. During this time, she worked as a voluntary bereavement counsellor.
Dr Bailey-Rodriguez is an Executive Committee member of the International Attachment Netwok (IAN-UK) as well as a member of the Network for Pluralistic Qualitative Researchers (N-PQR), and the Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies (CATS) at Middlesex University.
Dr Westley designs psychological interventions to help people to build emotional resilience, and to improve focus and creativity. He has published research on a range of topics including creativity, imagery, memory and psychological wellbeing.
Professor Bifulco has spent her career investigating trauma at different life-stages and intergenerationally. She is well published and has worked internationally with health and social care agencies undertaking vulnerability assessments and evaluating interventions.
Dr Starr works with young people, children and families in clinical practice. She is integrative in her clinical approach and draws on evidence-based CBT, systemic and psychodynamic approaches to psychological distress.
We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.
Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.
Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.
At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.
