Counselling & Psychotherapy Training Institute - TA Psychotherapy Training

Psychotherapy Qualifications & MSc
The primary objective of the psychotherapy programme is for qualification enabling registration with the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

The training extends over four taught years; the difference between TA counselling and psychotherapy training lying principally in additional professional requirements in the psychotherapy programme that includes a psychiatric placement and significantly higher practice and supervision components.

In common with all TA training a pre-requisite for entry is the completion of the two day TA101 course. Trainees complete a foundation year followed by three advanced years; there is an expectation that supervised practice will be engaged in from the second year. Entry to each subsequent year is by attendance, completion of projects and a demonstration of personal development within the training group. Psychotherapy trainees are required to be in therapy for the duration of their training.

At the completion of the second year of training (Advanced Year 1), trainees can register for the MSc in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy and the remaining two advanced years comprise the taught element of the MSc. The CPTI training programme is designed to meet the requirements of the TA validating bodies (ITA and EATA) and to comply with the requirements of UKCP. Registration with the UKCP, subject to fulfillment of practice requirements, is by passing the CTA examination set by EATA and organised in the UK by the ITA. This open book examination comprises four written sections including a case study and theory essays; on receiving a pass on the written exam, candidates attend an oral examination where they demonstrate their competence as a practicing psychotherapist.

Obtaining the CTA leads to registration with the UKCP through the ITA. Candidates for the MSc present the case study and theoretical essays from their written CTA examination as their master’s project to Queen Margaret's University, an acceptance by QMU gives the award of the master’s degree.

Psychotherapy qualification requires the completion of considerable supervised practice and for this reason the process is inevitably longer than counselling training. Trainees going for the psychotherapy CTA work in a Practice Development Group on completion of the taught years and at an appropriate time join an Exam Preparation Group for completion of the case study and preparation for the MSc. Both these groups meet for five weekends per year.

In view of the length of training necessary for the psychotherapy qualification many trainees undertake a counselling diploma as a stepping stone on the route thus gaining a counselling qualification in the first three years of training.