Queen's University Belfast

Psychotherapy - Systemic Psychotherapy

Systemic practice and family therapy helps people in close relationships to better understand and support each other. It enables individuals and family members to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, understand each other's experiences and views, appreciate each other's needs, build on family strengths, and work together to make useful changes in their relationships and their lives.

Systemic family therapy has been found to be effective across the life course in helping children, young people, adults, couples and families struggling with a broad range of difficulties and circumstances.

Systemic Practitioners and Family and Systemic Psychotherapists work in many health and social care settings such as children's services, older people's services, physical health and disability, substance misuse, justice and mental health services.

Our multidisciplinary Systemic Practice and Family Therapy programmes are suitable for professionally qualified staff who wish to enhance their skills of working with families, couples, individuals, other systems and relationship networks.

There are three levels of systemic practice clinical training: Foundation (PG Certificate), Intermediate (PG Diploma) and Qualifying (MSc Systemic Psychotherapy).

This MSc in Systemic Psychotherapy is designed for those who have completed Intermediate level training and who wish to qualify as a Systemic Family Psychotherapist and achieve full registration as a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist with the UK Council for Psychotherapy.

Please note that this course is not eligible for a Tier 4 visa.

Entry requirements

Graduate
Normally a 2.2 Honours degree or above or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Equivalent qualifications include the Pre-2007 Post-Qualifying Award in Social Work. Where this is not met, applicants must show that their experience and qualifications enable them to study at postgraduate level through the uptake of references and through completing a reflective assignment on their practice.

This two year pathway is suitable for applicants with a prior relevant professional qualification in a mental health or social care related discipline or equivalent (e.g. social work, nursing, clinical psychology, psychiatry) working in a range of service settings who wish to become qualified Systemic Family Psychotherapists. The course is accredited at Qualification-level by AFT, a member organisation of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). The degree is recognised by the core professions' continuing professional development arrangements. Applicants must have successfully completed Systemic Practice and Family Therapy training accredited by AFT at Foundation and Intermediate levels or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Those who have completed the CYP-IAPT (SFP) Practitioners Course are eligible to apply.

Applicants who do not hold one of the designated relevant professional qualifications, but who have completed AFT accredited Intermediate training (or equivalent) and would find the Qualifying level course useful to their work, may be accepted in accordance with the AFT training standards. This is at the discretion of the Programme Director and will be decided in consultation with AFT course requirements. Additional information and a full CV will be required and a discretionary interview may also be undertaken.

Applicants must be able to evidence 200 hours of systemic practice in their own work setting, and have access to suitable systemic supervision by a qualified Systemic Psychotherapist/Supervisor. Where systemic supervision is not available in their place of work, students may access independent systemic supervision to meet this requirement. The Programme Director will provide additional guidance and support in these circumstances.

At least two references will be sought, one of whom must be the student's current employer. Additional references should be from someone with knowledge of the students' systemic practice and another from a previous training course.

An individual and group interview constitute part of the selection process for this programme.

Please note that this programme is only open to applicants who are working as Social Care Professionals within a suitable setting in NI/UK/RoI. Social Work applicants must have a recognised social work qualification and be registered with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council. It is important that Social Work applicants include their NISCC Social Care Registration Number in the Additional Information section of the application form.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.

English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

•Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level

•Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

Duration

2 years part-time.

Learning and Teaching
Teaching takes place normally one day per fortnight at QUB. This includes lectures, seminars, small group work and case presentations. Additionally students spend one day per week in a supervised practice clinic with other students and a supervisor, to achieve a minimum of 150 hours of direct or observed practice per year.

Careers or further progression

Career Prospects
Introduction
This course provides knowledge and skills which are highly valued in both child and adult services across health and social care.

Systemic Practitioners and Systemic Family Therapists work in many health and social care settings such as children's services, older people's services, physical health and disability, substance misuse, justice and mental health services.

Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes help our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.

Further enquiries

Dr Stephen Coulter, Lecturer
School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work - Lecturer
Life Course Research
email: s.coulter@qub.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)28 9097 1490

Ms Suzanne Mooney, Lecturer, Postgraduate research student
School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work - Lecturer
email: s.mooney@qub.ac.uk
Phone: +44 (0)28 9097 3641

Subjects taught

Core modules

Family Therapy and Systemic Thinking 1: Theoretical Perspectives
Family Therapy and Systemic Thinking 2: Theoretical Perspectives
Family Therapy Skills and Techniques 1: Practice Applications
Family Therapy Skills and Techniques 2: Practice Applications
Dissertation Module

Comment

Systemic Psychotherapy highlights

The MSc constitutes years 3 and 4 of the four year Qualifying level Systemic Family Psychotherapist training.

Professional Accreditations
•This programme is accredited at 'Qualification' level by the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice in the UK (AFT), a member organisation of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). The course is recognised by the core professions' continuing professional development arrangements.

Industry Links
•On these pathways there will be restricted access to relevant data by employers, the NISCC, DHSSPS, HSC Boards and any successor bodies.

Learning and Teaching
Learning opportunities available with this course are outlined below:
Supervised Practice
Students spend one day per week in a supervised practice clinic with other students and a supervisor, to achieve a minimum of 150 hours of direct or observed practice per year.

Assessment method

Assessments associated with this course are outlined below:

Assessment is by written assignment and oral presentation, including a case study and learning portfolio.

Students developing clinical practice is assessed during their supervised clinical practice placements by their supervisor and the portfolio of learning by course staff.

Students must also demonstrate 200 hours of supervised systemic practice in a current work setting or placement and access a minimum of 24 hours of individual supervision by a qualified Family and Systemic Psychotherapist.