Advanced Diploma in Contemporary
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Key Information

Application Deadline:	Applications for 2026/27 have now closed
Course Start Date:	September 2026
Course Format:	In person (St Albans) for first year and online for final term.
Course Length:	15 months (part-time) — 5 hours in person contact time per week for the first 3 terms and 1.5 hours online contact time per week for the final term, plus clinical work and supervision.
Course Fees:	Details of our course fees and payment options are available in our prospectus. If you have any queries, please do contact us.
Accreditation:	Mapping onto SCoPEd Column C for individual accreditation subject to meeting BACP requirements. As this is a newly developed course, designed to map onto the SCoPEd industry standard competencies, we intend to work with BACP towards course accreditation.

2026 Prospectus

Who is this course for:

This course is suitable for anyone who wishes to deepen their academic and clinical training as a psychodynamic psychotherapist to work at relational depth with their clients.

Applicants are welcome from a variety of backgrounds and will need to have completed a counselling training to Diploma level or equivalent which includes core psychodynamic training and have done a minimum of 100 clinical hours with individual adult clients.

An IELTS score of 7 (minimum) is required if English is not your first language.

Please note: Our courses are currently available to residents of the United Kingdom only.

Course Features

Small Groups

Located in St Albans with small class sizes and 5 hours of tutor contact time per week.

Experienced Tutors

Qualified therapists and tutors who provide a nurturing environment for optimal learning.

Integrated Skills

Develop your career with confidence, equipped with both practical skills and comprehensive theoretical knowledge.

Placement Offered

Choice of using own private practice and/or taking a supervised placement offered in our clinical service with pastoral support provided. Subject to availability.

Psychoanalytic depth

This is a rigorous, experiential programme integrating psychoanalytic theory, clinical competence and unconscious processes, aligned with SCoPEd Column C for depth in psychodynamic therapeutic practice.

Enquire Today

We would be happy to discuss your interest in our course. Please call 0300 303 6690 or click below:

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Open Days

We have various open days available, both online and in-person. Click below for more information:

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Course Overview

Learn more about this course and all of the training options available. Including information on pathways:

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Applications and Further Information

If you are happy with all of the information you have seen so far and would like to apply, please request the application form below and indicate which course you wish to apply for. Alternatively, you can call 0300 303 6690 and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

A limited number of bursaries are available for applicants who would otherwise be unable to afford the training.

For further details, please contact us at training2@counsellingfoundation.org.

Please note:

Once you have requested an application form, you will also receive instructions on how to apply. Please read these carefully and follow them fully. It is important that all questions on the application form are answered as thoroughly as possible, as suitability is assessed based on your responses. We aim to acknowledge receipt of applications within five working days.

Alternatively, you can use our contact form below to get in touch.

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“The thorough training that The Counselling Foundation provided on the Advanced Diploma course allowed me to gain the theoretical knowledge, clinical skills and qualifications to become a Psychodynamic Counsellor, and its robust structure and on-going pastoral support (in the form of tutors, clinical managers and supervisors) helped me on my own personal development journey, enabling me to build confidence to start as a private practitioner, grow a successful private practice and become a BACP Accredited Psychotherapist.”

“The AD course has given me a depth of understanding of psychodynamic and psychoanalytical theory that has bedded in concepts that I still hold today. This has been a great grounding in the confidence that I have in working within my private practice. Because of this I have been able to attend many good, informative CPDs that haven’t necessarily been psychodynamic, but reflect and adapt the concepts to a psychodynamic way of working.”

“Training for the Advanced Diploma was arduous, challenging and an enormous commitment above and beyond everyday life. Once I accepted that and engaged with it, it became a gateway to another world which has undoubtedly enriched and enhanced my life.”

FAQs

Is the course BACP accredited?

The Advanced Diploma is not currently accredited as BACP have only just released the written course criteria for this type of course. We intend to work alongside BACP towards course accreditation in due course.

The decision to apply for individual accreditation is up to each individual student.
What happens if I fail a written assignment?
How many clinical hours do I need?

In line with BACP expectations, the course requirement is 50 clinical hours. However, for column C individual accreditation, you will need 500 clinical hours (including Diploma clinical hours) and 200 of these must be gained after you have qualified. You will be expected to hold between 4-6 clients whilst on the course.
What if I do not achieve my clinical hours during the Advanced Diploma?

You would then enter a second year; become a Finisher and you may incur finisher fees. You would continue working with your clients attending your supervision and your personal therapy. The course CANNOT be extended beyond 2 years after the completion of the course, so your training must be completed within this time.
Where can I get an external placement?

It is your responsibility to gain your clinical hours. We can let you know of external partnerships that we have with other providers, but you can find your own placement. However, talk to the programme provider to ensure it is suitable to count towards your qualification
Will the 5 hours of theory be taught in one session or more than one?
How many students will there be in a seminar group?
Will TCF be able to offer all Advanced Diploma students enough clients/client hours in order to reach the required 50 hours?

It is important to remember that if you are offered and accept an internal placement, we can never guarantee client hours as it depends on your availability, your ability to hold clients, client flow, client availability etc. No placement will ever guarantee client hours. Other options might include a second placement and/ or to start in private practice. However, if for example you were to see 4 clients a week for 45 weeks a year that would be 180 hours per year.
What are the advantages of being aligned with Column C rather than Column B for a newly qualified practitioner? What does Column C provide in terms of options for working outside of the Foundation or being able to set up private practice?

The advantage to being aligned with column C is the robustness and confidence that you will have at the end of the course, because of the competencies that you will have which will support you in both private practice and once accredited in the jobs that you wish to apply for.
Can you apply for individual BACP accreditation at the end of the new 3-year Diploma course and if so, can you set up private practice?

You will need to meet BACP‘s requirements for individual registration – Column A (300 hours of theory and 100 hours of supervised clinical practice) and then individual accreditation Column B (450 hours of theory and 450 hours of supervised clinical practice of which 150 hours need to be post qualifying). The Diploma aims to give you all the required theory hours. The clinical hours component will vary from person to person depending at what speed they wish to progress. This is down to individual choice and lifestyle, and we recommend that you think carefully about what suits you. Students should not expect to apply for individual accreditation immediately on completion of the course.

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Advanced Diploma in Contemporary
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Key Information

Who is this course for:

Small Groups

Experienced Tutors

Integrated Skills

Placement Offered

Psychoanalytic depth

Enquire Today

Open Days

Course Overview

Applications and Further Information

FAQs

Get In Touch

Contact Us

Further Information

Documents and Policies

Get Social

Advanced Diploma in Contemporary Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Key Information

Who is this course for:

Small Groups

Experienced Tutors

Integrated Skills

Placement Offered

Psychoanalytic depth

Enquire Today

Open Days

Course Overview

Applications and Further Information

FAQs

Get In Touch

Advanced Diploma in Contemporary
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy