If you are not yet qualified as a general counsellor and are interested in specialising in psychosexual and relationship therapy from the start of your therapy career, your qualification pathway with CICS starts with the CICS Diploma in Pluralistic Psychotherapy.
This two-year part-time programme is designed to meet the requirements of SCoPEd Column A (Level 4 equivalent) and to prepare you for the CICS Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy.
The therapeutic theoretical orientation of our institute is Pluralism, based on the work of Professor Mick Cooper and John McLeod. Founded on person centred principles, pluralism is based on the fundamental assumption that no one therapeutic approach has the monopoly on understanding the causes of distress or on the most helpful therapeutic responses. Instead, it suggests that different clients are likely to want, and benefit from, different things in therapy. Pluralism allows for a range of therapeutic approaches to best serve each unique client, whilst maintaining the centrality of the client, relational working and the therapeutic alliance to all counselling and psychotherapy work
We live in a society based on systems of power and privilege and that societal context affects us, our clients and the work of counselling and psychotherapy. Many counselling students with marginalised identities experience their counselling training as oppressive and harmful, as their lived experiences are ignored or dismissed. That is not how we do things at CICS.
At CICS we explicitly state our commitment to being an anti-racism organisation and our training follows the guidance of the Coalition for Inclusion and Anti-Oppressive Practice. We are a Disability Confident Committed organisation, and our course assessment protocols ensure that we support individual student learning access needs.
The whole of the Diploma in Pluralistic Psychotherapy is based on anti-oppressive practice principles and is inclusive of indigenous approaches to healing, liberation psychology and justice in therapy.
This course has approval pending status with the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists for their Specialist Foundation Pathway Accreditation, which we call Pathway 1.
The course comprises 300 Guided learning hours, over 22 live teaching weekends, supported by comprehensive home study materials and online modules, accessed via our e-learning platform. The course in run in a synchronous hybrid format, with both online and in person access, and 70% of the course must be attended in person.
Year 1
Block 1: Fundamentals of Psychotherapy Practice
Block 2: Anti-Oppressive Psychotherapy Practice
Block 3: Core Pluralistic Approaches and Skills
Year 2
Block 4: Advancing Psychotherapy Practice
Block 5: Core Psychotherapy Presentations
Block 6: Endings
To apply for the CICS Diploma in Pluralistic Psychotherapy you must have a degree, or equivalent level of training or work experience and either be enrolled on or have completed a CPCAB Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies.
100 hours of general psychotherapy clinical practice are required to complete the course. Placements start in Year 2 and support is provided in securing an appropriate placement and supervisor.
Students are required to undertake personal therapy with a UKCP, BACP or COSRT registered therapist for a total of 40 hours whilst attending the course.
Assessment comprises a combination of continuous assessment, personal reflection, skills practice and case study submissions.
£5,900, for the full course and all materials, inclusive of VAT. £500 non-refundable deposit followed by 24 monthly payments of £220 commencing 1st September.
Loki Grey and Kim Loliya are the Lead Tutors for this programme. For more details see Our Team.
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