Psychology with Counselling and Psychotherapy Integrated Foundation Year

Do you have an inquiring mind and enjoy debating ideas, with a desire to listen to and support others? On this degree, you will explore the human experience across a range of contexts and lifespans.

Our foundation year will help you on your way to achieving the full BSc Hons. This course is designed to help you develop the skills needed to competently and compassionately help people explore their difficulties, express their feelings and work towards deeper self-awareness and understanding. Our psychology degrees are ranked 1st in the North West and 11th in the UK (GUG 2023 Results).

Course Overview
If you're passionate about pursuing a career in psychology, counselling or psychotherapy but do not have the qualifications for direct entry, our IFY offers a supportive alternative route into HE.

On this course you will explore human experience across a range of contexts and lifespans, from understanding the biological basis of behaviour to questioning the impact of social media on child development. You'll learn the academic knowledge and practical skills you need to help make a difference in the lives of others.

Accredited by the BPS, you'll be able to apply for a Graduate Basis for Chartership, helping you develop the knowledge and skills for a successful career in psychology or counselling/psychotherapy. This standout course adheres to the training requirements of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Upon graduation, you will be eligible to apply for individual membership of the BACP and apply for registration, subject to passing the BACP Proficiency.

On this course you'll

• Explore and apply psychological literature to current issues, contexts and experiences

• Develop key knowledge, skills and abilities to help you prepare to become a counsellor, psychotherapist

• Develop your knowledge and build a solid foundation of the core skills needed to progress from the foundation year onto the full BSc Hons

• Be taught and given high-quality support and guidance by our expert lecturing team, who are active in research and practices.

• Have the opportunity to get involved in a range of extracurricular activities including sessions by experts in the field of psychology and counselling.

• Benefit from our excellent links with regional and national charities, not-for-profit and penal institutions to gain work experience and enhance your job prospects.

What You'll Learn
You'll learn about the research, knowledge, skills and attributes needed to work within psychological and therapeutic settings. You'll start by building your knowledge and developing your key skills through lectures, workshops and problem-based learning. You'll explore the history of psychology, research methods and analytical techniques.

You'll examine the wider issues around therapeutic diversity whilst gaining work experience within therapeutic settings allowing you to further advance your knowledge, skills and advanced counselling skills. An independent research project will allow you to explore a topic of your interest.

Year one
You will build knowledge in the foundations of psychology, counselling and psychotherapy as disciplines and develop key skills through lectures, workshops and problem-based learning. You will build knowledge of the history of psychology, research methods and analytical techniques as well as start to develop key counselling, academic and professional skills.

• Psychology in Action
  An introduction to a range of theories and models from developmental, cognitive and biological psychology.
• Introduction to Psychological Research Methods
  An introduction to the nature of psychological enquiry and research skills.
• Introduction to Data Analysis
  An introduction to the processes involved in the analysis and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data.
• Academic and Professional Skills
  Begin working with others in a professional setting including covering issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Foundational Counselling and Coaching Skills
  Develop basic counselling and coaching skills.
• Counselling Skills: Preparation for Practice
  Develop a range of basic counselling skills.

Year two
You will start to develop a more in-depth understanding of research, theory and practice and develop important research and practical skills. You will build on the foundation of the skills developed in year one and begin to understand wider issues around therapeutic diversity and start to gain work experience within a therapeutic setting.

• Research Methods and Statistics
  Become familiar with statistical techniques that deal with more than one independent variable at two or more levels, including within, between and mixed participant designs.
• Development, Brain and Cognition
  Explore the potential impact on human development and behaviour of a range of factors.
• Social and Community Psychology
  Apply theories of social psychology to understanding the experiences and behaviours of people within their community.
• Work Experience
  An opportunity start your supervised counselling practice.
• Intermediate Counselling Skills
  Develop a practical and professional understanding of ethical practice and decision making with attention to the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Ethical Framework and relevant legislation.
• Understanding Therapeutic Diversity
  Develop a complex understanding of several therapeutic approaches (including the person-centred approach) and critically compare them.

Year three
You will undertake an independent research project that will allow you to explore a topic of interest and pursue your own research question. You will also be able to further advance your knowledge and skills through further work experience and advanced counselling skills.

• Dissertation
  Pursue an investigation on a topic of your own interest.
• Individual Differences: Abilities, Personalities and measuring differences
  An introduction to the nature of individual differences in human behaviour across a wide spectrum of human development.
• Critical Psychology
  Engage in a critical debate about the ideological basis of psychological knowledge, methods and applications.
• Advanced Counselling Skills
  Develop a critical theoretical awareness and professional understanding of the theories and experiences of psychological and emotional distress.
• Work Experience 2
  Another opportunity to start your supervised counselling practice.

The assessment throughout the programme will include a blend of assessment activities such as written assignments, unseen in-class tests, presentations and reports, alongside innovative and employability focused tasks such as case study analysis, problem-based activities and reflective logs.

These methods are chosen to encourage knowledge development, practitioner skill development, and a range of transferable and professional capabilities such as communication skills, presentation skills, problem-solving, teamwork, numeracy and IT skills.