Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice MA

LJMU's Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice MA develops practitioner researchers and offers the equivalent components of a PgDip in Counselling and Psychotherapy and Independent Research Dissertation.

PLEASE NOTE: The deadline for this course is 6 February, 2026.


• Qualify as a Counselling and Psychotherapy Practitioner on this flexible Masters programme with a two year clinical Diploma-level component



• Enjoy a contemporary curriculum delivered by a research centre of excellence



• Study a core model of person-centred and experiential practice, integrating other specific approaches



• Carry out novel research in your chosen field



• Benefit from excellent educational and professional training facilities, exceptionally supportive staff and a thriving student community



Counselling and Psychotherapy students come from a wide range of backgrounds in the voluntary, statutory, and commercial sectors. This creates a rich learning environment, enhancing the experience for everyone.

Our programme locates counselling and psychotherapy in its social, political, ecological, and economic context. It explores counselling through an intersectional lens and advocates anti-oppressive practice.

Integral to the course are considerations of power and prejudice, including those pertaining to class, disability, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.

The programme is a professional training in Person-Centred Experiential Therapy. This includes Pre-Therapy, Focus Orientated Therapy, and Emotion Focused Therapy. Students will be supported to meet the required competencies to offer online and phone counselling to clients. Students will be given an overview of other therapeutic models that are not practiced on the course. This may include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Brief Solution Focused Therapy (BSFT), Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Existential Therapy, and Psychodynamic Therapy.

The programme is delivered by practicing therapists and supervisors who are registered with Counselling and Psychotherapy professional bodies such as British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and National Counselling Society (NCS). You will learn to work with issues such as loss, bereavement, anxiety, trauma, stress, mental health issues, depression, suicidal ideation, and sexual abuse.