This module provides an overview of the implications of specific intervention skills in various stages of loss and addresses the aspects affecting the bereavement process. It will be a discussion and evidence based presentation of issues around loss and bereavement to facilitate acquisition of knowledge and skills for working with clients who have been impacted by loss and bereavement.

This module familiarizes students with the major theories and perspectives of counselling and psychotherapy and it strongly emphasizes the application of these theories to real-world practice. It also explores empirical evidence for the efficacy of the various theoretical approaches, ethical considerations, and current paradigms in professional counselling and practice. Some examples of the therapeutic approaches that will be addressed are Psychoanalytic, Adlerian, Existential, Person-centred, Gestalt, reality, Cognitive-behaviour, and postmodern approaches) as they are used in practice. The main emphasis will be on critical analysis of the most frequently used counselling theories in professional practice.

This module provides a fresh and reflective perspective on the clinical applicability and recent developments in Family & Couples Therapy. This module will present how current approaches relating to family and couples therapy can be applied in real life situations, highlighting the basic skills and processes. It will provide real examples of how social, cultural, international and gender related issues can affect the final outcome. An essential part of it will be based on observation and reflection, and the way the latter can be utilised in supervision, with a clear focus on the importance of goal setting and related issues when dealing with more than one client.

This module covers in detail the practice of research methods in their field of study, with particular attention to the opportunities and challenges that researchers face in applying the methods of science to the study of human behaviour.  A great emphasis is also given to the ethical issues in research methods.  During the first lectures, students will explore the various designs that are used in quantitative research (e.g., experimental and quasi experimental design, correlational design, surveys). They will learn how to evaluate patients’ or research participants’ scores on standardized questionnaires and they will become familiar with developing research questions, formulating hypotheses, and selecting participants and measures for a study. In the second part of the module (weeks 6 to 11) students will be introduced to main approaches (methodology) in qualitative research and their application to student’s field of study.  Emphasis will be given to qualitative research methods like interviews, focus groups, participant observations and fieldwork notes. In general, students will be advised on how to select the most suitable methodological approach (qualitative or quantitative) to their problem, how to design their study, and how to proceed with data collection and, analysis, as well as with the discussion of their findings. Finally, students will discuss about ethics, and reliability and validity in research.

The module introduces students to the main issues in personal and professional development, such as self related issues affecting the perceptual style that is used when interacting with others at personal or professional level. Demonstrating these issues will be enhanced through a combination of teaching and learning methods and assessment components as well (i.e. the use of the personal learning journal that will facilitate the development of a helping relationship).

This module will introduce students to the code of ethics, professional standards, legal frameworks and principles underpinning the clinical practice of counselling and psychotherapy. The module will place particular emphasis on students’ active participation in class discussions by posing actual ethical dilemmas experienced by clinicians in counselling practice. The primary aim of this module is to introduce students to the ethical principles and professional guidelines that are required for practicing in line with the regulatory and accreditation counselling bodies. Students will be invited to challenge themselves to consider how their own values and backgrounds are likely to influence their own personal sets of ethics. It is hoped that this module will assist students in their future daily work as professional counsellors and will facilitate ethical decision-making when faced with ethical dilemmas.

This module provides an up-to date and reflective perspective on the clinical applicability and recent developments of the DSM-V, ICD-11 and the Power and Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) as the current tools.

The course bridges theory and practice to advance skills and knowledge in a broad spectrum of psychopathological conditions and on designing a roadmap to clinical diagnosis. This will cover step by step the diagnostic principles and beyond diagnoses in order to be able to identify signs and syndromes, construct differential diagnosis, work on decision tree to select most likely provisional diagnosis and recognize comorbidity (simultaneous presentation of two or more disorders). Understand according to the Power and Threat Meaning Framework, the meaning and impact of power and threat on someone’s psychological profile Emphasis will be on some of the most critical issues of the diagnostic classification system, such as DSM construct validity versus clinical utility, medicalization and diagnostic inflation, links of diagnosis and therapeutic pathways and research practice- gap with the aim to increase students’ awareness and provoke critical thinking. In addition, a few things about psychological formulation which is also known as case conceptualization, is where an understanding of a client’s psychological difficulties is formed through assessment and integration of psychological theory, will be mentioned. Formulation aims to explain the development and maintenance of a client’s difficulties and informs a plan of intervention (Division of Clinical Psychology [DCP], 2011). It is a core competency of clinical psychologists and has been identified as an important skill for other mental health professions (Royal College of Psychiatry, 2017). Throughout the module students will engage in an ongoing review on the most recent scientific research literature and evidence-based assessments and treatments for the range of disorders considered, as well as precipitating & resilience factors, prevalence & incidence, prognosis as well as controversies and overlapping symptomatology with other disorders, context of one’s ill health, change of someone’s Health/ill health and cultural/socioeconomic factors.

This module will facilitate awareness and appreciation of how counselling and psychotherapy theories developed to lead to an integrative approach. It will emphasise the importance of reflecting on personal aspects which set the individual approach to integrative counselling practice, along with knowledge and understanding of common factors among different approaches that can be utilised in real examples of practicing. It will also provide the background for students to develop the ability to justify their decisions when dealing with counselling and psychotherapy situations where an integrative approach would be more efficient.