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Advanced Diploma in Existential Psychotherapy

• Entry Requirements
• Course Structure
• Accreditation
• Start Dates & Fees
• Module Descriptions

Introduction

SPCP’s Advanced Diploma in Existential Psychotherapy provide a specialist psychotherapy training emphasising the challenges, innovations to, and re-interpretations of the therapeutic encounter. It prepares participants for advanced professional work in private practice or institutional settings.

Satisfactory completion will achieve eligibility to apply for registration with the appropriate bodies.

The aim of the course is to produce practitioners who are able to explore their clients’ orientation to the world and to themselves, and who are competent in an approach which focuses on descriptive rather than analytic examination and clarification of the client's issues, beliefs, and world-views in a manner that respects the client's autonomy within an existential-phenomenological perspective of the therapeutic relationship and process.

Objectives

The key objective of the course is to make it possible for trainees:

• to develop a consolidated understanding of the fundamental contribution of existential philosophy
• to become competent practitioners in the application in therapeutic practice of their philosophical understanding
• to have a general level of understanding of other major modalities of therapy
• to develop their capacity for informed reflection on their clinical practice
• to consolidate their capacity effectively to utilise supervision from peers and supervisors
• to gain an understanding of ethical research methods relevant to clinical practice in the field
• to become eligible for professional registration as practitioners of the chosen modality of psychotherapy and/or counselling

At the end of Year 1: Eligibility in terms of training hours to apply for individual Accreditation with BACP

At the end of Year 2: Eligibility to apply for UKCP Registration as an Existential Psychotherapist

To apply for registration/accreditation with either UKCP or BACP a minimum of 450 clinical hours must be completed.

Existential Psychotherapy

Existential psychotherapy is a down-to-earth form of therapy. The emphasis is on the individual’s existence rather than just his/her mind, the client’s experience rather than theories. It is characteristically focused more on the therapist's attitude than upon any specific technique.

Existential psychotherapy is primarily a place of encounter where two human beings meet and enter into a dialogue. It is firmly based on continental philosophy and phenomenology: life problems are philosophical and the process of therapy enables clients to become aware of their philosophy of life.

The therapist seeks to attend to the client's experience of being-in-the-world via descriptive clarification and challenge. At the same time the process challenges therapists to consider and confront their own biases and assumptions.