Masters Level Clinical Training in Systemic Family and Couple Psychotherapy

Programme Aims:

This programme will deliver a professional training at Masters level in Systemic Family and Couple Psychotherapy leading to UKCP registration. The professional qualification is accredited by AFSP and assures 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 AFSP and UKCP Codes of Ethics and Practice.

Systemic Psychotherapy has 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 families across the age range.  They will need to evidence their knowledge, skills and attributes through the specified assessments and clinical practice requirements.

Personal Professional Development is at the heart of the programme and trainees will be given various opportunities for personal growth and professional development.  One of the unique selling points is that the programme includes an element of Systemic Personal Learning Therapy for trainees.  The therapy will be focused on the trainee’s transformation over the two years and how this impacts their family & how their family influences their development.  Furthermore, we have introduced Systemic Group Exploration and Process – as a cohort and training team we become a system and we have started using systemic skills with the whole group to offer support and to explore difficulties as they arise over the two years.

The programme values research and conceptual integration and we have developed the BEAR (Beliefs, Emotions, Actions, Relationships across time) framework to support learning, understanding and practice.   The BEAR is used in various ways across the programme and it invites trainees to identifying their own Beliefs (about: their own ability, similarities & differences, how change happens, etc.), their Emotions (how emotions may organise their posture and position in the learning environment and with families), their Actions (what they may choose to do or not do), their Relationships (thinking about self in relation to others in various contexts) and how this may be seen across time. 

Who is the training for?

AFSP 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 AFSP accredited 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 Thursday. 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 an approved Systemic Supervisor.

The teaching will take place in Manchester and will be mainly in person with some online teaching. 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.

Systemic Group Exploration and Process will be facilitated several times a year. Trainees will also be required to undertake a minimum of six sessions, for themselves (and significant others), of Systemic Personal Learning Therapy with a UKCP registered Systemic Psychotherapy 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 systemic supervisor, who will support and assess their practice. The live family therapy team placements are within NHS CAMHS services (specialist and generic) across the Northwest and we also have a satellite placement in Nottingham. We are anticipating having similar placements for the next cohort. 

Trainees will undertake this part-time 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, incl. working in relation to safeguarding and risk.

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: 200 hours
• Direct teaching hours and PPD: 180 hours.
• Independent study and research time: 1175 hours

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