MSc Supervision and Consultation: Psychotherapeutic and Organisational Approaches

To obtain the master’s degree, you will complete all the compulsory modules and conduct and write up a research project on supervision and/or consultation. You will be expected to take a critical and reflective stance in relation to the theory and practice of supervision and consultation, including evaluating the contribution of previously published research evidence.

There are a total of 187 teaching hours conducted over two years. In Year 1 there are 137 hours and 50 hours in Year 2.

Personal study time should be roughly twice that of direct teaching time. A minimum of 80 hours of supervision practice should be conducted in Year 1.

The programme has been designed to be flexible and responsive to the needs of professionals, linking theory with practice in a way that is relevant and sensitive to their varied work contexts. A major strength of the programme is the mix of professional backgrounds of trainee supervisors and consultants, which stimulates discussion across disciplines and so helps to contribute to a more varied understanding of the applicability of theoretical models to different contexts.

It is essential that, during the training, you are in a position to provide ongoing supervision and consultation within your workplace. You will also need to be able to present that practice within different teaching contexts on the programme and receive advice and feedback on your practice from other trainees and staff.

One of the four pathways listed below is followed in conjunction with the Supervision of Supervision module.

• Cognitive-Behavioural Approaches to Supervision and Consultation
• Integrative Approaches to Supervision and Consultation
• Systemic Approaches to Supervision and Consultation
• Psychodynamic Approaches to Supervision and Consultation

Your practice during the Supervision and Consultation Practice module will be overseen via feedback forms, small group consultation, audio/video review and live observation.

There are three pathways to entry on the programme:

• A professionally qualified psychologist registered with the Health Professions Council
• A qualified psychotherapist or counsellor (psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, systemic, integrative) eligible to be registered with the UKCP, BPC, BABCP or BACP
• Qualification in a relevant profession with some knowledge of psychology at an undergraduate/postgraduate level (teaching, medicine, nursing, human resources, social work, occupational therapy)

All candidates should have experience of providing supervision and consultation or, as part of their employment, are required to supervise and consult to others.

The programme is based within the Department of Psychology with lecturers who are practitioners in non-academic settings qualified to use a range of different psychological and psychotherapeutic models. This means that the programme offers advanced training in supervision and consultation using cognitive-behavioural, integrative, psychodynamic and systemic approaches.

A variety of teaching methods will be used, including experiential/self-reflective exercises, use of video/audio recordings, as well as formal lectures and seminars.

The Department of Psychology is a hub of energy, information and support. You will have access to the following facilities:

Computing

Two computing rooms, one dedicated to MSc students.

Test library

300+ psychometric tests available, as well as five years of dissertations and theses from all programmes.

Video and audio editing

Image and audio manipulation; interview and telephone recording; transcription equipment.

Seminar and classrooms

Three fully equipped rooms for presentations and an observation suite (video and audio recording).

The Department of Psychology at the University of Surrey is one of the most active and highly regarded psychology departments in the country. We specialise in applied and policy-oriented teaching and research within a strong theoretical context. The international, interdisciplinary, policy and applied strengths of the Department mean that students’ theoretical and methodological research puts them at the cutting edge of the discipline.

We are one of the highest ranked departments in the country for graduates entering employment, and also one of the largest providers of postgraduate training in the UK.

The University of Surrey Department of Psychology has been the centre for many cross-national studies and has attracted funding from research councils and local and national government departments, such as ESF, Defra, the MoD, the Home Office, the Environment Agency, the Countryside Agency, Surrey County Council and the EU.

If you choose to study psychology at the University of Surrey, you will be provided with a combination of opportunities that would be hard to match elsewhere. We offer you a degree that provides a thorough grounding in the theories, methods and practice of contemporary psychology.

Our programmes lay particular emphasis on the application of psychology to real-world problems, and also consider issues related to professional practice in preparation for your career as a professional psychologist. The basis of good postgraduate courses is the research activity of staff, the incorporation of current research programmes in teaching material and a reciprocal relationship between theory development and applied research in everyday contemporary issues. We believe in involving all postgraduate students in the research life of the Department through active participation in one of the research groups, by attendance at research seminars and, where possible, an attachment to ongoing research projects. As a student of the Department of Psychology, you will also have access to a number of conferences, seminars and workshops hosted throughout the year.