• How far away is it from my home?
• Can I take find time within my pattern of work / life commitments to attend?
• Can I afford the fees?

Some are more specific to the individual:

• Am I the right sort of person to train in this field?
• Do I have the right background?
• Will I be successful?

Some are related to the training which is offered:

• What approach is best?
• Should I choose a qualification in Counselling or Psychotherapy?
• How long will it take to get qualified?
• Can I take time out if I need to?
• Does the institute have a good reputation?

We recognise that training in this field is a long and costly endeavour and that people need clear and helpful information in order to make the right choices. Based on my experience of conversations with students, graduates, professionals and people who attend Introductory Evenings at the Minster Centre, I have written this document to help people make the right choice for them.

Free Introductory Evenings are run regularly at the Minster Centre wherein the course is presented in more detail and questions are answered. Please see the section Introductory Evenings for details of the dates offered over the next few months.

WHAT IS THE INTEGRATIVE APPROACH?

The Integrative approach is a synthesis of the main theoretical and methodological strands of psychotherapy and counselling, encompassing both humanistic and psychodynamic understandings. Its foundations lie in the recognition that there is not one single therapeutic approach which is globally more effective than all others. Integrative practitioners use a variety of understandings and skills to “meet” the person seeking therapy within their own frame, rather than subtly or overtly requiring that the client conform to the model of treatment offered. Thinking, feeling and doing are all considered as important aspects of the human experience rather than any one mode being favoured over another.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNSELLING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY?

Counselling and psychotherapy are more alike than they are different. Both could be described as involving a helping relationship wherein a person trained in understanding the causes and effects of human unhappiness and dysfunction and the process of change collaborates in a therapeutic alliance with a person motivated to increase their awareness and capacity to change. In the UK counselling trainings are often two or three years part-time and Diploma awards require 100 hours of clinical practice.

Counselling training is often seen as being at an equivalent level as study at undergraduate degree level.

Psychotherapy trainings are usually four years part-time and require more hours of clinical practice to qualify for Post Graduate Diploma (we require 350 hours) and are considered to be a level of study equivalent to a postgraduate university degree.

Sometimes it is considered that counsellors specialise in shorter term therapeutic work and focus on specific issues, within settings such as schools or projects. Psychotherapists might be considered to do longer term work, with a deeper and more wide ranging focus, operating at a more senior level.

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH PATHWAY IS BEST FOR ME?

It can be very difficult at the outset to make the decision about whether to train as a counsellor or psychotherapist. At the Minster Centre we do not require you to make this choice straight away, as the pathways to qualification are identical for the first two years of professional training. You can start the training uncertain which endpoint of qualification you are aiming at.

During the Second Year of the Diploma training tutors give guidance in making the decision about which pathway to follow – whether to finish with the Diploma in Counselling or continue onto Post Graduate Diploma and MA in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling. It is possible to be awarded the Diploma whilst continuing onto the Post Graduate Diploma, enabling trainees to seek paid work whilst still training.

WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO YOU OFFER?

We offer:

• Diploma in Integrative Counselling accredited by BACP
• Post Graduate Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling accredited by UKCP.
• Masters Degree in Integrative Psychotherapy and Counselling in collaboration with Middlesex University.

WHAT SORT OF REPUTATION DOES THE MINSTER CENTRE HAVE?

The Minster Centre was established in 1978 and our founders were instrumental in the setting up of the UKCP and the development of Integrative psychotherapy in the UK. We specialise in Integrative Psychotherapy rather than offering a diffuse range of approaches and are regarded as amongst the foremost training institutes in the UK. Our graduates are extremely well considered due to their outstanding level of professional skill and expertise, which is a result of our rigorous selection procedures, stringent training standards and the personal care and guidance offered to our trainees.

WHAT DOES THE TRAINING INCLUDE?

Our training includes teaching on theory, skills and opportunities for personal development. The methods used are direct teaching, discussion, experiential, academic, creative and kinaesthetic work. Students are encouraged to find their own voice, style and personality as therapists, rather than being forced to mould themselves into a prescribed way of thinking or acting.

I HAVE HEARD THAT TRAINING AS A THERAPIST CAN INCLUDE HIDDEN EXTRA COSTS – IS THIS TRUE OF THE MINSTER CENTRE?

We set our fees to be all inclusive. Unlike some training institutes which structure their fees in a less transparent way, presenting lower basic costs at the outset and then requiring higher, extra fees for assessments, referrals, tutorial, submission of work and clinical supervision, the Minster Centre training fees are inclusive of:

• Coursework assessment
• Tutorials
• Academic supervision for Finalist work
• Clinical supervision
• Client referrals
• All required theoretical, skills development and personal development modules

However, please note that you must pay for your own therapy, which is a requirement of training throughout the course.

WHY DO I NEED TO BE IN THERAPY WHILE TRAINING?

Training as a counsellor or psychotherapist is a profound experience. The ideas and practices that trainees study are focused on deep exploration of the experience of being human – what causes sadness, anger, fear and distress; what people mean to each other; how life experiences form our sense of self, , the tension between being an individual and being part of a group, what brings happiness … and much more. All manner of emotions, thoughts and sensations from joy to desperation are examined.

People who are interested in these subjects tend to be people who are moved and affected when they examine these areas closely. To get the most out of training, to support the trainee as they encounter their own history and understanding of their place in the world and their relationship with others, it has long been considered necessary that those training to be counsellors and psychotherapists undergo their own personal therapy. It is also crucial to understand at first hand what it is like to seek help – to be a client yourself, with all the fears and hopes that this brings.

ISN’T THIS ALL RATHER SELF-INDULGENT?

At the Minster Centre we don’t think that all distress or change is based in mental or emotional process. We recognise that there are very real, concrete factors which are important in understanding how to help people. We demonstrate our recognition of the importance of social factors such as class, gender, culture, ethnicity and sexuality both through our curriculum which includes modules on relevant topics, and also through the inclusion within the Minster Centre of three clinical projects:
 

• Mapesbury Clinic, an advocacy and counselling project for refugees and people in exile
• Families without Fear, a project which both offers therapeutic treatment to those affected by domestic violence, and does research into effective methods for treatment
• Low Cost Referral Service, which offers low cost, high quality, self-referred counselling and psychotherapy to people in need

Some trainees do clinical placements with the Mapesbury Clinic or Families Without Fear. All trainees are given client referrals (subject to geographical considerations) in order to develop their clinical practice.