BA Counselling and Psychotherapy

Next Intake - February 2010

Venues:
Athlone Institute of Technology

Dublin City University (DCU)

Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy Department - Dr Damian Davy (Former President of The Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP))

Many people choose counselling or psychotherapy for different reasons. You might recognise the same destructive issuest repeating themselves again and again in your life. Or maybe you keep hitting the same roadblock in your relationships. Perhaps a problem or concern that has been sitting quietly in the background and has developed into a problem that is causing you to obsess about it. It could just be that some crisis has developed in you life has developed that feels too big to manage on you rown. Whatever the reason, life can sometimes prove challenging and there might come a time when you decide you need the support of a professional to help you through.

To be an effective and competent counsellor/psychotherapist you need to have substantial knowledge and skills. Everything depends upon your ability to make and sustain sound & trustworthy therapeutic relationships. At times, the relationship between client and counsellor can be complex and demanding. Thus, to be the skilled and self aware psychotherapist you have to develop a capacity to sustain such relationships. It takes dedication, openness and sufficient self-esteem to bear the challenges that this profession requires.

At ATI training and Education, we offer a 3 year BA in Counselling and Psychotherapy that provides a comprehensive professional educational programme. The course has been created in partnership with the Athlone Institute of Technology and is accredited by HETAC. It is designed to encourage the development of knowledge and self-awareness, not in isolation from one another but in their inter-related meanings for the whole person.

Our BA in Counselling and Psychotherapy training primarily focus on self development and involves experiential work, interacting with others in role-play and actual client work. During this course period, being a student you will receive support from other, which is an essential element for a safe learning environment.

Aim of this course

The primary aim of the course is to make sure you as a student get well equipped to practice safely and effectively within the context of counselling and psychotherapy. In addition the course also aims to:

• Nurture every student's decisive thinking and analytical skills that facilitate them to be make proper use of healthy evidence-based practice in counselling and psychotherapy practice.
• Provide inter-professional and interdisciplinary education surroundings that are vital for the critical analysis and practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy.
• Develop student's personal growth that can further enable them to work at levels of increasing complexity.

Entry requirements for this course

It is not necessary to have previous training in Counselling to participate on the programme. Our selection criteria include both of the following considerations:

Personal Competencies:

• This profession can be psychologically and emotionally challenging, so an applicant must demonstrate the interest in and commitment to the subject.
• Since this profession is primarily about developing relationships between client and counsellor, the applicant must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Develop student's personal growth that can further enable them to work at levels of increasing complexity.

Academic Qualification:

• An applicant must have a proper English Language proficiency.
• An applicant also needs to have the Leaving Certificate.

Apart from all this, each applicant must be over 23 and will have to attend an interview to determine individual suitability. Garda clearance will be required before placement commencement and applicants should be aware that failure to obtain same will affect their continuation on the course.

Application process

All applicants are required to attend an information day and must submit their filled in application form to qualify for interview. Applicants must carefully complete the application form which will be read by the Programme Director/Admission Tutor to ensure that the basic entry requirements have been met. At ATI training and Education every application is considered on an equal basis. Only after receiving a completed application form, potential students are interviewed. The interview process is designed to give each candidate the fullest possible consideration.

Click here for submission on new regulations for Counselling and Psychotherapy practise.

Cost of Programme: E3950 per annum

Recognition of Prior Learning. (RPL)

If you have a Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy or are already an Accredited Counsellor or Psychotherapist and want to gain a Degree qualification in one academic year you can apply to our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) services.

If you are pursuing an Educational Programme in Counselling & Psychotherapy, the training must be accredited with the NFQ. AIT/ATI degrees fully accredited with HETAC and NFQ. Click on the link below:

For more information, click on the buttons below: