Masters Level Clinical Training in Systemic Family and Couple Psychotherapy

This programme will deliver a professional training at postgraduate level in Systemic Family and Couple Psychotherapy leading to UKCP registration. This professional qualification will be accredited by AFT and assure that graduates are fit for safe and effective practice as Systemic Psychotherapists in the NHS, social care, voluntary or independent practice. It will equip graduates to undertake systemic psychotherapeutic work with individuals and people in family and relational groups in accordance with the AFT and UKCP Codes of Ethics and Practice.

Systemic Psychotherapists are often core members of multidisciplinary teams in a variety of agencies.

Specialist systemic family therapy services have an established evidence base for working with a wide range of presenting difficulties. Trainees will be taught the necessary knowledge and skills to work effectively with evidence-based models across the age range.  They will need to evidence their knowledge, skills and attributes through the specified assessments and clinical practice requirements.

By the end of the course trainees should be able to demonstrate a range of skills including:

•   A comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge and critical awareness of the literature relating to family therapy and systemic practice.
• Conceptual understanding which enables them to elaborate and critically evaluate a range of the most contemporary and advanced theoretical frameworks in relation to practice.
• Conceptual understanding which enables them to compare and critique different approaches in systemic therapy and their relationship with other therapies and theories of change, and to propose original hypotheses regarding developments in theory.
• Advanced knowledge of a range of possible problems presented by clients coming for therapy.
• A comprehensive and advanced understanding of the key developmental processes within and affecting individuals, families (in diverse forms) and social systems.
• An advanced ability to develop effective therapeutic relationships with a range of clients.
• An advanced capability to act autonomously and make sound judgements in selecting from, using, and adapting a range of techniques to help clients to make beneficial changes in their lives.
• An advanced understanding of wider systems and their impact on individual and family life, and an ability to include this perspective in work with clients.
• A commitment to anti-discriminatory and culturally sensitive practice and evidence this in clinical work.
• An ability to communicate complex information clearly and effectively to non-specialist (clients, families) and specialist (professionals, academics) audiences.
• An ability to recognise the limits of personal expertise, skills and approach and refer clients to other support when appropriate.
• An ability to organise work and manage organisational tasks and liaison efficiently and effectively.
• An advanced capacity to use supervision and consultation processes to enhance personal and professional development.
• An awareness of personal and professional development processes and an ability to use them in therapeutic, reflexive ways and be able to identify areas of personal strength as well as areas for future professional development.
• A comprehensive understanding of research methods relevant to the planning and implementation of practice-based research.
• Independent learning skills that are sufficient to promote high level personal learning and inquiry, including the ability to independently conduct practice-related research.
• An ability to apply the AFT Code of Ethics and Practice to clinical work and an awareness and ability to consider and respond appropriately to ethical dilemmas.

 

Who is the training for?

AFT require any candidate for this qualifying training to have a first degree or have evidence of ability to study at a postgraduate level.  Furthermore, you need to have completed an AFT accredited CYP Systemic Family Practice or Intermediate Level Systemic training course and have a professional qualification in one of the following:

• Social Work
• Nursing: mental health nursing and other nursing specialities which require counselling skills.
• Psychology: clinical psychology, educational psychology or counselling psychology
• Teaching: individuals should have substantial experience of working with pupils and families in a counselling capacity.
• Psychiatry and other medical specialities
• Creative Therapies: art, dance and movement and music therapists, qualified and registered through the Health Professions Council
• Counselling: Three-year minimum training, full BACP accredited membership and experience either in the public or voluntary sector
• Occupational Therapy: qualified and registered with the Health Professions Council
• Speech and Language Therapy: qualified and registered with the Health Professions Council

Applicants without one of these recognised core professions will be considered for eligibility via the Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes (KSA) framework based on that developed by the BABCP.  The KSA requirements for this training programme will be sent out to applicants.  An example of KSA requirements can be found on the BABCP website Knowledge Skills and Attitudes (babcp.com)

Applicants must have a work context within which they can apply their systemic learning in working with families over the two-year training period and receive systemic supervision of their practice ideally by an approved Systemic Supervisor or a registered Systemic Family Psychotherapist.

To discuss the training please contact our Programme lead Heidi Karamat Ali: Heidi.KaramatAli@gmmh.nhs.uk

Trainees are required to attend teaching days 2 – 3 days a month during term time on a Wednesday or Thursday (some weeks will have two-day blocks). Trainees are required to complete 200 hours of systemic practice in their own agency over the course of the two years under the supervision of a qualified and registered Systemic Family Psychotherapist who ideally is also a registered Systemic Supervisor.

The teaching will take place in Manchester and will be mainly in person with some online teaching (subject to Covid restrictions). Teaching methods will include workshops, tutorials, large and small group experiential learning. This will include videos of lecturers and trainers engaging in therapy with children and young people and parents (with consent), lecturers modelling (role play) to demonstrate techniques/skills; trainee role play, self-experiential work, discussion and individual and group exercises to promote skills acquisition and reflection. Trainees will use private study and research for assignments.

Personal and Professional Development (PPD) learning groups will be facilitated several times a year. Trainees will also be required to undertake six sessions for themselves (and significant others) of systemic family therapy with a UKCP registered family therapist as part of the PPD component of the training.

During term time in both year one and year two trainees will work within a weekly live family therapy team, with three other trainee colleagues and a qualified systemic therapy supervisor, who will support and assess their practice. During the first cohort these live family therapy team placements were within NHS CAMHS services (specialist and generic) across the Northwest (including Greater Manchester, Warrington and Knowsley) and we also had a satellite placement in Nottingham. We are anticipating having similar placements next cohort including some new placements within the North West.

Trainees will undertake this 2-year programme alongside employment within an agency within which they are able to apply their learning.  They will be trained to work with a variety of presenting difficulties and a diverse range of children, young people adults and families. They will also work in collaboration with a range of different professions, organisations and networks.  The programme will develop trainees' decision-making abilities and enable them to use supervision and to recognise when and where it is appropriate to seek further advice, to refer to a specialist service, including working in relation to safeguarding and risk issues.

In Summary the minimum number of expected hours of teaching, clinical practice and independent study over the two years will be as follows:

·         Face-to-face clinical work with clients seen with live supervision in a supervision group: 40 hours

·         Clinical Practice within the live supervision group: 300 hours

·         Clinical practice hours in own organisation/agency/workplace (health and/or social care setting): 200 hours

·         Direct teaching hours and Personal and Professional Development: 180 hours. Of this direct teaching time 25 hours will be dedicated to PPD

·         Independent study and research time: 1175 hours

The fees for 2025 – 2027 is £7250 per academic year (£14,500 for the 2-year course).

Potential limited national funding

A limited amount of funding for this training nationally is available from NHS England (NHSE) for course fees. This funding is obtained via employers (mainly NHS Trusts) and is likely to be dependent on employers identifying gaps in provision for family therapy and employers guaranteeing that they will offer a permanent family therapy post for applicants on successful completion of the course. Agencies who did receive NHSE funding received this via their Regional NHS Chief Psychological Professions Officer. Further information may be available via the NHSE website:

https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/mental-health/psychological-professions/nhs-funding-psychological-professions-training-programmes

Other funding/self-funding

Previous trainees were funded by their employers either full or part funding and some trainees also self-funded (payment plans are available over the duration of the first year).

 

 

Please contact our programme administrator, Charlotte Sahota, Charlotte.Sahota@gmmh.nhs.uk for an application pack and/or to register to attend one of the online open evenings taking place on Thursday, 12 December 2024, 5 – 6pm and Monday, 10 March 2025, 6 – 7pm.

Applications will be open from 20 November 2024 to 30 June 2025*. 

*There are a limited number of places available and once these are filled the application process will be closed.

If you have any queries regarding this course not covered in the information detailed in any of the sections above or in the FAQ section of this website, please email our course lead Heidi Karamat-Ali: Heidi.KaramatAli@gmmh.nhs.uk