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level: masters top_up: false international: false clearing: false full_time: false part_time: true start_month: September location: Waterside

Counselling Children and Young People MSc

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Key Facts

  • Level

    Master'sPG MSc

  • Duration

    2 years part time

  • Starting

    September

Updated 17/12/2024

Apply Now Open Days

Updated 17/12/2024

Get in touch

For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:

UK STUDENTS ENQUIRIES

study@northampton.ac.uk
0300 303 2772

Overview

The University of Northampton’s Counselling Children and Young People MSc degree is a multidisciplinary course that aims to promote an advanced level of knowledge and understanding that underpins practice in the area of counselling with children, young people and their families.

This postgraduate children counselling course supports you in developing your skills and theoretical knowledge of counselling with children, young people and their families. If you have a particular interest in counselling work with children, then this children’s counselling course is designed with you in mind, allowing you to develop the skills and knowledge needed to pursue a career in counselling.

Highlights

  • On this children and young people counselling course there are opportunities to develop your practical and professional counselling skills.
  • Exploration of eco-systemic perspective integrating Systemic Family Therapy, CBT, and Creative therapies.
  • Excellent teaching staff who teach with an integrated approach to counselling with children and young people, imparting their experience from their personal practice.
  • Face-to-face client placement.
  • Credits can count towards a professional body accreditation with UKCP or BACP.
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Entry Requirements

You will need to hold a first or second class bachelors’ degree in order to be eligible to apply for this children and young people counselling course. Voluntary or professional experience of work with children and young people is desirable, but not essential.

Applicants are advised to mention any relevant experience related to the counselling children degree programme within the last 5 years with their personal statement.

Applicants are required to provide a reference with their application.

  • The closing date for applications is 16 of August. Applications made after this date may be considered for the next available intake.

    All offers of a place on the programme are subject to:

    • a successful interview by the University
    • you will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check with our Placements office after enrolment.  This will allow you to take part in a face-to-face client placement, which is a mandatory part of the course.
    • due to BPS requirements, you must also complete the enrolment process by the end of the first teaching.

    For information on how to apply to study with us, please see our How to Apply page.

    For information on how to apply to study with us as an international student, please see our How to Apply for International Study page.

  • All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:

    • Minimum standard – IELTS 6.5 overall (or equivalent) with a score no lower than 6.0 for writing and no remaining band/component below 5.5 for study at postgraduate level.

    For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.

Course Content

  • This children counselling masters degree has been designed to contribute towards achieving the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: SDG3 Good Health and Wellbeing.

    This Masters in Children Counselling course provides you with opportunities for you to enhance your employability and skills are structured into the course to allow you to develop your self-awareness, reflect upon your practice and to benefit from the supervisory relationship. Our CAMH conference (see highlight video below) is an excellent example of the extra opportunities that are available as part of the course.

    Our experienced counselling children course team includes specific expertise in CBT, systemic family therapy, Creative therapies, Play therapy and Gestalt approaches. Our teaching staff are able to teach you an integrated approach to counselling with children and young people, imparting their experience from their personal practice.

    The child counselling course is led by specialists in the field of counselling with a variety of specialisms and backgrounds. Throughout your study, you will also be supported by practitioners from similar professions (e.g. psychology, social work, nursing, psychiatric nursing, law and psychiatry).

    You will study alongside practitioners from health, social or voluntary services who work with children and young people, as well as graduates of psychology and other social and behavioural sciences, allowing you to learn from each other’s experiences as well as course materials.

    You have the option to graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling with Children and Young People or you can complete all of the modules needed to be awarded an MSc in Counselling Children and Young People.

    To count towards a professional body registration, such as with BACP, you will need to undertake a supervised placement practice of a minimum of 100 hours as well as a minimum 40 hours of personal therapy with an approved and BACP or UKCP accredited counsellor or therapist. A student membership of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), a professional indemnity insurance and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check are also mandatory for this course.

    Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 24/25. The modules relating to the academic year 25/26 will be available from June 2025.

      • Module code: PSYM062
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to enable an in depth understanding of children and young people?s mental health in their social and family context, offering a critical perspective on diagnosis and treatment, and a nuanced analysis of cognitive-emotional, social and behavioral development.
      • Module code: PSYM066
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to provide students with opportunities to develop advanced counselling skills, associated with evidence based approaches suitable for counselling with CYP.
      • Module code: PSYM067
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is:To offer students opportunities for the practical application of knowledge and skills. To support students in creating a network or professional relationships and build opportunities for career development and employability.To help students build a consistent model of counselling with CYP and families.
      • Module code: PSYM085
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to provide students with the opportunity and resources to develop a critical understanding of research methods so that they can evaluate research they read and/or propose research of an acceptable standard.
      • Module code: PSYM086
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is ?To build on basic research methods skills from modules PSYM085 or PSYM102. The module is designed to develop advanced research skills enabling students to autonomously formulate and conduct an empirical research project in a field relevant to individual masters programs under supervision.
      • Module code: PSYM111
        Status: Compulsory
        The purpose of this module is to equip students with the core skills needed for working with children, young people and their families in CAMH related contexts, enabling students to appreciate the complexity of counselling with CYP.

    The children and young people counselling MSc promotes an advanced theoretical understanding of Counselling with Children and Young People, integrating opportunities to develop your practical and professional counselling skills.

    The child counselling course equips you with a working knowledge of child development, psychological difficulties in children and young people in their contexts and counselling based skills for working with them and their carers within an an eco-systemic perspective integrating Systemic Family Therapy, CBT, and Creative therapies.

    Opportunities for you to enhance your employability and skills are structured into the course to allow you to develop your self-awareness, reflect upon your practice and to benefit from the supervisory relationship. Our CAMH conference (see highlight video below) is an excellent example of the extra opportunities that are available as part of the course.

    Our experienced course team includes specific expertise in CBT, systemic family therapy, Creative therapies, Play therapy and Gestalt approaches. Our teaching staff are able to teach you an integrated approach to counselling with children and young people, imparting their experience from their personal practice.

  • How is the children counselling course structured?

    You will ordinarily be required to attend classes for 1-2 days per week (once per week in Year 1 and 2 days per week in year 2, when the research methods and dissertation modules run). A typical teaching day runs from 9am to 5pm. Depending on which group you are allocated to, the core classes will be taught either on Wednesdays or Thursdays. In the second year, you will need to attend research methods and dissertation classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

    There are two intensive weeks (Tue-Wed-Thu) in year one, the first of which being held as an induction week at the start of the academic year, whilst the second is a “putting it all together” week toward the end of the second semester.

    What is child and adolescent counselling?

    Child and adolescent counselling is an area of counselling that enables people to explore the issues that young people face within their behaviour, their mental health and overall well-being. The therapeutic processes and practices employed, including play therapy in child counselling, can be effective in helping young people to express their feelings in a safe and constructive environment.

    How do I become a child counsellor?

    A postgraduate counselling children degree which specialises in counselling practices for children and young people will best equip you with the essential and most relevant knowledge required to gain a career in this field. In order to step into this profession, you will need the appropriate certification, relevant professional experience and the necessary skills.

    If you have a first degree in psychology which is Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) accredited, your further postgraduate training opportunities will include doctoral training on British Psychological Society (BPS) accredited courses in Counselling Psychology. Graduates from this counselling children and young people course will be able to work as a counsellor in a range of settings such as healthcare and educational institutions, residential facilities and community and youth work agencies.

    If you have a professional background in areas such as teaching, nursing and social work, you will find this course will strengthen your skills and competencies and allow you to develop a strong specialism in children’s mental health. You will have the skills to appropriately position yourself as a counsellor and will have a good critical and in-depth understanding of professional practices when working with children, young people, families, parents and carers.

    Will the university provide me with a placement?

    You will need to find your own placement. However, our team is highly committed in supporting you throughout. We are engaged in maintaining and expanding partnerships with placement agencies all over the UK. We have two dedicated placement coordinators who can offer you guidance in evaluating your options.

    Do I need to have my placement at Northampton?

    No. You can have your placement virtually anywhere in the world, including, of course other areas of the UK, provided that BACP and course requirements are met by the placement. An audit is carried out with all placement agencies to ensure the quality of the placement experience.

    How will I learn?

    Teaching methods that are used on our Counselling Children and Young People course include lectures, workshops, one-to-one tutorials, private study, online activities, group work and role play scenarios.

    How will I be assessed?

    Our assessment strategy is designed to include a broad range of assessment methods, in order to ensure that you have the maximum opportunity to demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes for the course. Assessment methods include: essays, case studies, self-reflective log books, critical reviews, video recorded role plays and oral presentations.

    Please note that there are no examinations in this course.

    The Research Methods and Dissertation module supports you in completing a supervised, but original and independently undertaken, research project which is assessed through a 12,000 to 15,000 word dissertation.

    Is the course accredited, and what difference does it make for me?

    The counselling children course is not currently accredited. However, the course is designed to meet the requirements that the BACP has set for counselling courses, therefore it provides you with the opportunity of progressing towards individual applications for personal accreditation. Please be mindful that course accreditation and personal accreditation are two completely different matters.

    What happens when I finish the course?

    You will be awarded both a Master of Science and a Professional Qualification for Counselling with Children and Young People.

    Who can I counsel when I have completed the qualification?

    You can counsel virtually any client between 5 and 24. You will not be able to counsel adults. Although you will be trained in conducting interviews with parents in light of your commitment to work with children, this does not qualify you as an adult counsellor.

Fees and Funding

2025/26 Tuition Fees

Fees quoted for this counselling children and young people degree relate to study in the Academic Year 25/26 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

  • UK – Part Time Year 1 £4,240 (90 Credits) / Year 2 £4,240* (90 Credits)

*Fee may be subject to an inflationary increase in 26/27.

  • Additional costs
    • 40 hours of personal therapy (average cost is £30-50/hour, although there is high variability across the market)
    • Clinical supervision in compliance with BACP recommended ratio (this might or might not fall on the students, as some placements offer free supervision to trainees, but we cannot predict which ones. This has always been clarified during interviews)
    • DBS clearance
    • BACP student membership requested
    • Professional insurance policy (some placement services may cover students with their organization policy but not all so we recommend you to factor this in).

    All these costs are communicated during the admission interviews.

  • For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.

    For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.

  • Fees quoted for this counselling children and young people degree relate to study in the Academic Year 24/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.

    • UK – Part Time Year 1 £4,140 (90 Credits) / Year 2 £4,140 * (90 Credits)

    *Fee may be subject to an inflationary increase in 25/26.

Staff

Ferdinando Salamino, Senior Lecturer in Psychology (Mental Health)

Senior Lecturer in Psychology (Mental Health)
Faculty of Health, Education and Society

Ferdinando Salamino
Placeholder image for Elisa Gusmini, Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Counselling

Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Counselling
Faculty of Health, Education and Society

Elisa Gusmini
Placeholder image for Claire Harrison-Breed, Senior Lecturer in Counselling (Children and Young People)

Senior Lecturer in Counselling (Children and Young People)
Faculty of Health, Education and Society

Claire Harrison-Breed

Careers and Employability

As a professional master programme, the child counselling MSc leads to a counselling qualification and opens you up to a range of employment possibilities. Upon completion of this course you could find employment in one of the following areas: private practice, educational and healthcare institutions, community and youth work services, third sector organisations and residential facilities. You may choose to take the MSc as a stepping stone towards further postgraduate study such as a Clinical Doctorate.

Facilities and Equipment

  • Three dedicated psychology technicians available to support students
  • Six research cubicles
  • Observation suite

Listed below are some of the key tests you can administer within our psychometrics library:

  • Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children, and the Weschler
  • Abbreviated Intelligence Scale x 2
  • Measures of Children’s Mental Health & Psychological Well-Being
  • Child Behaviour Checklist
  • Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking – Verbal/Figural

Is this course for you?

Apply Now
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