What personal qualities do I need to become a Psychotherapist?
Being a psychotherapist is not just about academic or analytic achievement. In your application process we are also keen to assess the personal qualities that are needed to be a safe, effective and sufficiently robust professional. Those qualities include:
A lively and enquiring mind
An ability to experiment and value learning from mistakes as much as successes
Enjoyment of others’ process and uniqueness
Curiosity in situations of “not-knowing”
Desire to develop compassion for yourself and others
Training to be a psychotherapist, and practicing as one, are emotionally and psychologically demanding because the skills and qualities needed to form and maintain therapeutic relationships require a good relationship with our own feelings, thoughts and vulnerabilities. When we engage in experiential learning we need to be able to reflect on our experiences and be open to feedback from our own emotions and from peers and tutors.
The ability to safely hold clients who may at times be distressed, confused and processing uncomfortable feelings, depends on us reaching our own capacity for owning, reflecting and processing our own inevitable emotional challenges. This is part of what makes psychotherapy such a rewarding profession, as long as we continually develop our psychological robustness and awareness.
It is not unusual for people to have come to the profession of psychotherapy through having benefitted from it themselves in managing life’s difficulties and sometimes from having received a mental health diagnosis. This is not in itself a barrier to training, it can enhance your learning and practice, however during your application process we need to consider together whether training could exacerbate existing mental health issues and how this is best managed. If we feel that it is not the right time in an applicant’s recovery to be able to benefit from the investment of time and money in training, we reserve the right to not admit that applicant to training.
How much does it cost to train to become a Psychotherapist?
The fees for the Diploma and then Advanced Diploma are between approximately *£14,570 – £15,995 depending on (1) your starting point on the training path and if you we can award you any APL (accredited prior learning) for courses completed elsewhere that we recognise (2) If you choose the discount options available (3) Fees separate and independent of training such as personal therapy, clinical supervision, insurance, organisational membership fees.
*approximate and subject to change. See current fees & dates.
What qualifications do I need to become a Psychotherapist?
We are a UKCP Accredited Organisational member so our training is set at Masters degree level. Therefore you need have a degree OR other demonstration of post-graduate ability. We operate an active Diversity Policy, so if you do not have a first degree, contact us to find out how you may be able to demonstrate eligibility through work experience and applied skills.
Where does the training take place?
Our training happens face-to-face in Mile End London E3 and online. There is free parking at weekends in surrounding streets and pay & display week days. Because there is such a huge range of accommodation available in London we cannot list them all here! Instead we are happy to offer suggestions according to individual preferences at the time of enrolment.
How will my psychotherapy qualifications be recognised?
BeeLeaf Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy is proud to be an Accredited Member of the Register of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP); a Register that has been accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.
The scheme was set up by the Government to improve standards and safety for the benefit of the public. Accreditation demonstrates our commitment to high professional standards, to enhancing safety and delivering a better service.
