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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

Key information for 2027-28

Start date:
October 2027
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.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study  (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

  • Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

Come and meet us

14 October
Postgraduate International Webinar

If you are an international student looking to start postgraduate study in January 2027, this webinar is for you. Book Postgraduate International Webinar

11 November
January Starts 2027: Postgraduate Open Evening

Are you looking to start postgraduate study in 2027? Join us on campus and discover your postgraduate study options. Book Postgraduate Open Evening

Campus tours

Join a current student for a lively 45-minute campus tour available year-round. Book a campus tour

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

MA: Four years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2027

Academic year 2027-28

To be confirmed

PG Dip: Three years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2027

Academic year 2027-28

To be confirmed

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 on our how to apply page.

  • 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.

Important: Applications to study starting in 2027/28 will open in September 2026.

Starting in September 2026

Part-time

Starting in October 2027

Part-time