Doctoral Courses
University of Aberdeen
The Doctorate in Counselling (DCouns) at the University of Aberdeen is a pluralistic therapeutic training programme that supports students from initial counselling training through to doctoral-level research and practice. The programme is grounded in a pluralistic philosophy that values diversity, collaboration, and critical engagement with theory and context. It encourages students to develop their own integrative approach while exploring the ethical, cultural, and social dimensions of therapeutic work.
Exit awards are available at the levels of PGDip, MSc, MPhil, and DCouns. Students who already hold an MSc in Counselling or Psychotherapy can apply for direct entry to MPhil/DCouns level.
The programme includes 450 supervised client hours, advanced-level coursework, and a substantial research component. Part-time and full-time study options are available.
SCOPED C requirements are fulfilled by completing the DCouns.
For more information and to apply, visit: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/2032/professional-doctorate-in-c…
University of Manchester
DCounsPsych Counselling Psychology
The Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at the University of Manchester is a pluralistic therapeutic training programme which adopts a stance that values the social and political contexts in which the profession of counselling psychology developed and therapeutic work is undertaken. It has become known for its research in the area of social justice and (in)equality in psychology and explorations of the interface between education and therapy. The programme emphasises an ecologically informed humanistic perspective throughout the course, a perspective that fits with the ethics underpinning the pluralistic perspective, and currently provides teaching on the pluralistic framework in the first year of the three year Doctorate.
The DCounsPsych at The University of Manchester is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and British Psychological Society (BPS).
University of Roehampton
The PsychD programme provides professional training that leads to eligibility for registration as a counselling psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and chartered status with the British Psychological Society (BPS).
The course is based on a pluralistic relational philosophy that values diversity, and promotes individual empowerment and social change. This means that we respect and value a wide range of approaches to psychological intervention and research, view relationships as central to wellbeing, and seek to enable trainees to make a positive difference both at an individual and social level through their clinical and research work.
All candidates for application must have the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS.