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Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy

MA, PG Dip

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:

September 2026

Study route:

MA

  • Four years part-time, on campus

PG Dip

  • Three years part-time, on campus
Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:

Part-time | On campus

Course overview

Our MA and Postgraduate Diploma in Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy are offered in collaboration with Tavistock Relationships, a leading training and research centre in therapeutic and psycho-educational approaches to supporting couples.

  • Why choose this course?
    • Both the MA and Postgraduate Diploma for this course will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to work as a psychodynamic psychotherapist and counsellor with couples and individuals.
    • You will gain an academic qualification as well as the clinical training experience required for accreditation with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and registration with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).
    • Working with experienced practitioners in the helping professions, you will benefit from experiential learning and teaching techniques that foster discussion, creative and collaborative learning opportunities.

  • What will I learn?

    Through experiential learning and your own experience of personal psychoanalytic psychotherapy, you will develop an analytical understanding of self and other, and interpersonal dynamics. A diverse range of family structures are studied on this course, and we encourage an inclusive approach to couple relationships through reading, discussion groups and self-reflection.

    Key areas of study include:

    • assessment of core issues presented by clients
    • principles of working psychodynamically with a focus on unconscious processes and transference
    • psychoanalytic models of the mind
    • historical development of psychoanalytic thought
    • complex theoretical concepts and how they are applied to the couple relationship.

  • How will I learn?

    This course is available to study part-time in the afternoon and evening, with additional time commitments needed on other days with the start of your clinical placement and supervision in Year 2. You will also need to take part in a minimum of once-weekly, in-person individual psychoanalytic therapy for the duration of your training which must commence within two months of starting the course.

    You will learn through theory seminars, clinical workshops, self-reflective groups and small-case discussion clinical groups. You will also be supported by termly one-to-one continuous professional development meetings and weekly supervision with the start of your clinical placement. 

    You will be required to undertake clinical placements under supervision, starting in Year 2 and continuing for the duration of your training, until qualification (or qualifying as a Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counsellor and Psychotherapist).

    Teaching and clinical work is based at Tavistock Relationships in central London, close to Liverpool Street station, with occasional sessions at Birkbeck's Bloomsbury campus.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Part-time: One evening/afternoon a week, October to July.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

  • Tavistock Relationships is the leading couple therapy centre in London. It has a long history in training, research and best practice.
  • You will be invited to join Tavistock Relationships Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors (TRAPC), enabling you to take advantage of its opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) and conferences that will keep you up to date with recent developments in the field and further develop your clinical practice

Modules and Teaching

Birkbeck Centre for Counselling

A centre of excellence for counselling and psychotherapy courses, suitable for complete beginners as well as those wishing to undertake a full professional training.

Visit the centre

Entry requirements

Our standard postgraduate entry requirement is a second-class honours degree (2:2 or above) or an equivalent international qualification.

Professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience are also taken into consideration positively and may be accepted in place of a degree.

You will also need to have:

  • a minimum of six months' voluntary or paid work experience in emotional and mental health wellbeing
  • a Tavistock Relationships Foundation Certificate in Couple Counselling and Psychotherapy or an equivalent level (Foundation/BACP Stage 2) psychodynamic or psychoanalytic counselling skills training.

It would be an advantage to have undergone previous psychotherapy, preferably psychodynamic or psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

We will request a short assignment from applicants without our standard requirements.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

You will be expected to attend psychoanalytic psychotherapy once a week within two months of starting the course.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

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Fees

MA: Four years part-time, on campus, starting in September 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £8,550 per year
Part-time international students: £12,600 per year

PG Dip: Three years part-time, on campus, starting in September 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £8,550 per year
Part-time international students: £12,600 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

  • Birkbeck's Lifelong Learning Guarantee

    If you've studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a reduction on the tuition fee of this course.

  • Can I apply for an international scholarship?

    We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. View Birkbeck's available scholarships.

  • Additional costs

    It is a requirement of this clinical training that you are in personal therapy at least once a week with a British Psychoanalytic Council-registered psychoanalyst or psychoanalytic psychotherapist (not a psychodynamic psychotherapist) within two months of starting the course. This is in addition to any previous psychotherapy you may have undergone.

    Your training therapists need to be approved by us, so you are advised to check first before entering into a new therapy at the same time as applying for a place on the training.

    For those established in current, ongoing therapy, this will be discussed at interview. The current cost of personal psychoanalytic psychotherapy is likely to range between £50 to £90 per session. Fees are negotiated directly between the student and the therapist.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy course, you can pursue the following career paths and opportunities:

  • as a professional couple and individual psychoanalytic psychotherapist, qualified to work in the statutory, voluntary or private sector
  • registration with the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
  • a Diploma in Psychosexual Therapy and registration with the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT)
  • entry into the clinical qualification in psychoanalytic couple psychotherapy which leads to registration with the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
  • Tavistock Relationships and Birkbeck-run CPD courses for qualified clinicians
  • progressing your studies to PhD level at Birkbeck.

Graduates from this course have gone on to work in private practice, the NHS and at the Tavistock Relationships Psychotherapy Clinic.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

  • When should I apply?

    You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places left, and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

    You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

Related courses

Study routes for Couple and Individual Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (MA, PG Dip)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in September 2026

Part-time