Counselling And Psychotherapy

Counselling and psychotherapy are practices concerned with supporting people through psychological distress, emotional difficulties, trauma, relationship problems and mental health challenges through structured, confidential and therapeutic conversation. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, psychotherapy typically involves deeper exploration of longer-standing psychological patterns, while counselling often focuses on present difficulties and the development of coping strategies. Both require practitioners who are not only theoretically knowledgeable and ethically grounded but also deeply self-aware and capable of forming genuine therapeutic relationships.

At Edge Hill, this three-year full-time programme prepares you to practise as a counsellor. You will develop your self-awareness through personal development work and reflective practice, study the theoretical frameworks and ethical principles of counselling and psychotherapy, and apply your skills with real clients in supervised placement settings. The programme includes a sandwich year and a work placement, meaning your professional development is embedded in actual practice from an early stage, which is essential in a profession where the quality of the therapeutic relationship depends on the practitioner's development as much as their technical knowledge.

You will learn to work with individuals and groups, in private practice or within counselling and psychotherapy organisations, developing competence across a range of presenting issues and client populations.

Graduates typically seek professional membership and registration with bodies such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Career destinations include private practice, the NHS, schools and colleges, employee assistance programmes, charities, addiction services and voluntary sector mental health organisations. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in counselling, psychotherapy or clinical psychology.