DCounsPsych Counselling Psychology

The programme-specific open evening will be held on Monday, 6 December 2021 at 5pm on Zoom. 

Please contact pgr-seed-admissions@manchester.ac.uk for further information and the Zoom link.

Apply online

For help with your application, please read  how to apply . Your completed application should include:

• two references, one of which should be familiar with your academic work, on headed paper from the institution, signed, dated and stamped; 
• a degree certificate and transcript for your bachelor's and master's degrees; 
• evidence of your English language proficiency; 
• a personal statement outlining your reasons for wishing to study on the programme, and the experience and skills you will bring (maximum 3,000 words). Candidates are required to follow the guidance (in the 'how to apply' document above) on this personal statement; 
• evidence of your basic counselling skills training or professional experience of using such skills (such as training certificates); 
• A piece of previous academic work - this should be sole authored work, and evidence your academic and research skills. We recommend submitting something from your highest level of academic training to date (e.g., undergraduate or master's). This is assessed at application and forms part of the scoring of the application; 
• evidence of Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the British Psychological Society; 
• a copy of the data pages of your passport; 
• a detailed CV.

You will also need to pass a Criminal Convictions Check, which is undertaken and paid for by the University.

Admission to studying for a PhD or a Professional Doctorate is highly competitive, so please allow as much time as possible to prepare your application, browse our research pages and academics' profiles, and familiarise yourself with the application process and any important deadlines.

For further guidance on your personal statement, please download our  DCounsPsych information document  and the How to apply document .

Please note - the DCounsPsych candidates are not required to approach a particular research supervisor ahead of applying, as supervisors are allocated during the first year of training.

The Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology (DCounsPsych) at The University of Manchester is the only Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and British Psychological Society (BPS)-approved doctoral programme in counselling psychology offered by a Russell Group university. The programme has four major components:

• the development of appropriate theoretical knowledge;  
• the development of research skills; 
• the development of therapeutic practice skills;  
• and an emphasis upon personal development.

Throughout the programme, you will be introduced in detail to a pluralistic approach of therapy, with a focus on humanistic counselling during the first year and cognitive behavioural therapy in the second.

Alongside assessed units, you will complete a minimum of 450 hours' supervised therapeutic practice and 40 hours' personal therapy.

All members of staff are psychologists who are active in the fields of both research and clinical practice in counselling psychology.

In terms of clinical practice, their work is ongoing within NHS, private healthcare and third-sector settings.

Their training backgrounds include skills in humanistic therapies, cognitive-behaviour therapy, and group analytic approaches.

Staff members publish their research and write widely in the fields of counselling, counselling psychology, psychotherapy, applied psychology, and education, including exploring critical and methodological innovations between psychotherapy and education.

In recent years they have been successful in receiving research funding to conduct work looking at topics such as how wellbeing is supported in educational settings, online therapeutic approaches, and the impact of austerity measures on the wellbeing and education of children and families.

Dr Terry Hanley  and  Dr Laura Winter  have recently edited the fourth edition of the well-known SAGE Handbook of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

The team also have excellent connections within the community of counselling psychology in the UK, as well as strong local links with voluntary sector organisations working around mental health provision for disadvantaged and minority populations.

For example, Dr Terry Hanley was Research Lead for the Division of Counselling Psychology and Editor of Counselling Psychology Review and Dr Laura Winter previously established the division's Social Justice Networking and Special Interest Group, which she led until 2018.

Dr Jo Shuttleworth is an HCPC registered and Charted Counselling Psychology, specialising in the field of trauma. 

Dr Gabriel Wynn  has worked as a practitioner in diverse therapeutic settings. Alongside her work for the University, she manages a local social enterprise psychology service.

Caroline is also a BACP registered and accredited counsellor.

In the wider therapeutic fields, Professor  Erica Burman  is registered with the United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapists (UKCP), via the Institute of Group Analysis, as a Group Analyst.

For more information, download our  DCounsPsych information document .

You will, upon completion, be equipped as a competent counselling psychologist who is eligible to apply for HCPC registration and BPS chartered status.

Education has been a discipline of study at Manchester since 1890.

Our Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology is the only Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and British Psychological Society (BPS)-approved doctoral programme in counselling psychology offered by a Russell Group university.

Staff working on the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology conduct internationally recognised and world leading research in the area of 'Education and Therapy', and they have a particular strength in research exploring the intersections between counselling psychology, inequality/social justice, and humanistic psychology and education.

Please see staff profiles for more information.

As a doctoral candidate in the Manchester Institute of Education , you'll also be part of the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED), a unique interdisciplinary collaboration between the disciplines of Architecture, Education, Geography, International Development and Planning and Environmental Management.

What unites us is a shared commitment to highlight and address the uneven relationships between societies, economies and the environment. We want to understand better the world in which we live, and to offer solutions to the problems within it.

We acknowledge that a complex and interconnected world presents many challenges for analysts, but researchers in SEED are pioneering new evidence, measures, concepts and theories in order to address these challenges in practice. SEED's world-leading research is rooted in everyday life but international in relevance and scope, addressing social, economic and environmental concerns across the globe.

The programme consists of three days' contact with the University for the first two years, and one day in the third year.

There is a large emphasis on experiential learning and case reflection in the programme.

Professional input combines larger group seminars with smaller workshop-based activities.

Inputs are facilitated by the core staff team, other University staff, and professionals with expertise in specific areas.

Throughout the programme, trainees have an allocated tutor, with whom they can arrange tutorials and meetings.

Trainees are also supported by the wider programme staff team, and their primary and secondary research supervisors.

A significant amount of learning also occurs whilst on placement and trainees are supported here by placement educators and practice supervisors.

As a postgraduate researcher, you'll have access to a large and diverse community of internationally recognised academic experts offering an environment that will stimulate intellectual debate and development. We provide additional financial support for a number of activities related to your PhD, including:

• presenting at international conferences; 
• attending workshops that provide relevant professional opportunities; 
• conducting fieldwork in the UK and overseas.

We utilise a range of assessment methods on the course. This includes:

• videoed therapeutic skills work; 
• written theoretical assignments, research papers and process reports; 
• research poster presentations to peers; 
• practice portfolios; 
• a 50,000-word thesis in the final year of study.

You must also present your research work at a conference during their time on the course.

In addition to successfully completing academic assignments, throughout Years 1 to 3, you will also have to satisfy progression panels related to your therapeutic practice and research.

MIE is located in the University's Ellen Wilkinson building, which is centrally located on the University's Oxford Road campus, close to the Main Library, Alan Gilbert Learning Commons and the Students Union.

Supporting trainees to develop professional profiles that can lead to employment is a central concern for the programme team.

Our graduates have gone on to secure employment in NHS, private, academic and third-sector settings.

In addition to this, trainees have often secured paid positions during their time on the programme.

There is potential for graduates to take part in a BPS-accredited supervision programme, which enables individuals to apply to join the Register of Applied Psychologist Supervisors.

As a postgraduate researcher, you'll have access to a dedicated Researcher Development Team who will support your professional development throughout your doctoral journey and beyond.

Our researcher development programme will enable you to become more aware of your developing researcher identity, equipping you with the skills you need during your PhD and prepare you to integrate into the researcher community.

At every stage of your career, you'll receive relevant, effective and comprehensive professional development opportunities.

We offer training sessions to build your skills and confidence in writing and presenting, with specific sessions on viva preparation, thesis submission and preparing for your Review Panel. You'll also have access to a range of workshops, covering areas such as:

• increasing research impact through blog posts; 
• making the most of social media;  
• publishing in journals; 
• applying for fellowships; 
• designing academic posters; 
• improving time and self-management.

In addition, our Humanities training hub -  ProGRess@humanities  - gives you additional training opportunities within the University.

You can choose courses in public engagement, wellbeing, language training and teaching, alongside more specialist courses in tools and software such as Python, R and NVivo.

methods@manchester , meanwhile, is an initiative that gives you the chance to learn from the very best in research methods expertise at Manchester and beyond.

Regular talks, workshops and other methods-related events are organised throughout the academic year, bringing in experts from across the University and externally.

For more information, see  Careers and employability .

Careers support 

The University has its own dedicated  Careers Service  that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate.

At Manchester you will have access to a number of  opportunities to help boost your employability .