Academic studies outside of the taught sessions.
If you are not used to writing, we will offer you a session on essay writing.
Please do not let the word research fill you with dread. As therapists we need to know, and have evidence for, what we do. We hope you will be encouraged to see how much you use research every day and why we can be enthusiastic about it!
Our students are expected to undertake one research project during the Diploma course. It is a collaborative work amongst the students, the title of which will be given during the taught research module. Students will also undertake three essays. Each essay will be 4,000 words and will use the Harvard referencing system.
Essay one – death and dying
If I should die and leave you here a while,
Turn Again to Life – Mary Lee Hall
be not like others sore undone,
who keep long vigil by the silent dust.
For my sake turn again to life and smile,
nerving thy heart and trembling hand
to do something to comfort other hearts than mine.
Complete these dear unfinished tasks of mine
and I perchance may therein comfort you.
With reference to the poem above and Gestalt, Existential and Person-Centered theories, how might you work with a grieving client?
Essay two – ethics
You have a choice between:
Using the BACP ethical framework and the three core approaches discuss the issues of a client suggesting that they were suicidal.
Or
Using the BACP ethical framework and the three core approaches discuss issues of working with a client presenting with needing your notes for a court case.
Essay three – endings
You have a choice between:
How might you work with a client with whom you are ending counselling? What would you consider to be the issues in ending work with a client with reference to your theoretical models?
Or
Using the three core models, consider a piece of art work and its symbolism, discuss its impact on you and your work as a therapist.
Essay criteria
- The essay must be of a maximum 4,000 word count with a leeway of five percent.
- The essay must include personal experience, reflective work and must include up to date researched material.
- Harvard Referencing must be used.
- You will be given a code to anonymise your work.
- You must submit two hard copies.
- You must submit your essay to your tutor on the day required. (Late submissions will receive an automatic 10 percent reduction on the mark, which might result in a deferral and will incur a £30 charge to cover the extra expense of sending off to the external marker).
- You must include a word count and number your pages and put your identifying code and date in the header on each page.
- Your work must be presented on single page A4 paper, double line spaced and securely held together.
Requests for a one week extension must be made in writing and will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.
Marking process
| Introduction | 15 Marks |
| Main Body | 60 Marks |
| Conclusion | 15 Marks |
| Sundries (Presentation, references + spelling) | 10 Marks |
One copy will be returned to you and you must resubmit your work for the final assessment prior to your role play/oral exam.
Research
You are expected to carry out a research assignment in a small group. You will agree the research question and procedure after your tutor will give you research theme.
The research will be conducted at the college and afterwards you will be expected to write up your findings individually.
- The research write up will be 4,000 words (with a leeway of five percent), double line spaced, and a word count must be at the end of the piece.
- You will be given an anonymising code which you must put with the date on each piece of A4 single page paper in the header and secure all pages together.
- You must double space each page.
- You must number each page.
- You must submit two hard copies.
- You must submit your research to your tutor on the day required. (Late submissions will receive an automatic 10 percent reduction on the mark, which might result in a deferral and will incur a £30 charge which will be sent off to the external marker).
- You must use Harvard referencing
Requests for a one week extension must be made in writing and will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.
Marking process
| Group participation | 10 Marks |
| Introduction and context | 20 Marks |
| Method | 20 Marks |
| Findings | 15 Marks |
| Discussion | 25 Marks |
| Conclusion | 5 Marks |
| References | 5 Marks |
One copy will be returned to you and you must resubmit your work for the final assessment prior to your oral exam.
The bi-annual oral exam will be the first Friday in July and the first Friday in February.
Two weeks prior to the oral exam the following need to be handed in to the administrator:
- Tutorial forms
- Assessment Forms
- Journey book
- Therapy logs
- Supervision logs
- Client logs
- Placement logs
- Essays
- Research project
If the submitted work is in order the candidate will be sent a synopsis of the client they shall meet at their oral exam. The oral exam will be a remotely viewed, half hour counselling session. This is followed by a supervision session on the work with the exam board, consisting of two tutors and an external examiner.
Questions about the online exam may be asked. All candidates will be informed of the board’s decision at the end of the exam. Successful candidates will be awarded a Diploma in Humanistic Creative Counselling. Deferred candidates may request a second examination. A second unsuccessful oral exam will result in a fail. Requests for a retake must be made in writing and will only be considered under exceptional circumstances.
The online exam is one month after the taught part is finished. The first deferred exams can be resat at no extra cost one month after the first exam. A second resit can be done with the next cohort of students with a final possible resit with the second cohort after the end of your taught part of the course. All resit exams incur a £25 resit fee.
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