PGCert Primary Mental Health Care / Course details

This course will develop your knowledge, skills and competencies to work as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner in an NHS Talking Therapies Service.

You will learn to carry out problem-focused assessments with people experiencing common mental health problems, developing your engagement and interpersonal competencies to ensure you are patient-centred.

You will learn how to offer high-quality, evidence-based low intensity cognitive behavioural therapy interventions and contribute to service developments that promote socially inclusive mental health care for individuals, families and communities.

Our course is directly relevant to clinical practice and uses a bio-psychosocial framework so you can develop knowledge and skills in evidence-based interventions delivered through a range of methods (such as face-to-face, telephone, computerised).

You will benefit from an enriching and enjoyable learning experience, delivered by a programme team of clinicians and researchers who have practical expertise in low intensity working.

Please note: the PGCert can be completed as a graduate certificate and also meets national competencies for becoming a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner. Please contact us about completing the qualification at graduate level.

PhD with integrated master's

If you're planning to undertake a PhD after your master's, our Integrated PhD programme will enable you to combine your postgraduate taught course with a related PhD project in biology, medicine or health. You can also visit this page for examples of projects related to integrated master's courses.

The course aims to develop your competencies to undertake a patient-centred problem-focused assessment, and support patients to use evidence-based Low Intensity Cognitive Behavioural Therapy interventions outlined in the National Institute of Clinical Excellence's guidelines for people experiencing common mental health problems in face to face, telephone, group and CBT formats.

You will develop your knowledge and skills in adapting interventions for diverse groups and understand the importance of respecting and valuing individual difference.

The course is delivered using a blended format, with 50% taught face-to-face in class and 50% taught online. This format mirrors the Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner role in practice.

You will participate in a range of teaching and learning methods, including lectures, small group work, student-led seminars, tutorials, problem-based learning scenarios, skills practice and clinical simulations. There is a strong emphasis on skills development through the use of role play, experiential exercises and analysis.

Supervised practice and clinical hours are essential to achieve practical skills outcomes for the course. In addition, you will undertake independent study to further develop and consolidate your learning.

The course involves sessions by users and/or carers who are seen as essential contributors to student learning as experts by experience.

You will be required to attend university on campus for part of the week and the rest is spent in clinical practice.

The course is part-time but you can choose to complete over one or two years depending on the length of the placement.

• 1 year route: 2 days in university and 3 days in service for the first unit and then 1 day in university and 4 days in service for the remaining programme.
• 2 year route: 2 days in university and 1 day in service for the first unit, then 1 day in university and 2 days in service for the remaining programme. 

Students on both routes will engage in taught content at the same time. However, students on the 2 year route will have extended assessment deadlines and will complete the course within two years, opposed to the usual one year, due to the reduced clinical time in service.

You are required to identify a suitable practice supervisor/mentor to oversee and assess the clinical and/or practice work required for the programme and pathway. Student trainees working within an NHS Talking Therapies service are expected to receive supervision from supervisors who have completed NHS Talking Therapies PWP Supervisor Training. This is an accredited five-day training programme currently provided by the University.