Professional Doctorate in Couple Psychotherapy

Tavistock Relationships

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Overview

This Professional Doctorate in Couple Psychotherapy aims to develop practitioners in the field of psychoanalytically-oriented couple psychotherapy in advanced research skills and understanding so that they can make an original contribution to professional knowledge and problem-solving through an extended piece of Doctorate research and writing.

It is an opportunity for couple psychotherapists to do qualitative or quantitative research in the field of adult relationships and can be based on clinical, conceptual, or applied work (for example work with parents).

Tavistock Relationships has a long history of researching and writing about couple relationships, and is staffed by experts in the field. It is unique because our level of expertise adds depth of thinking and reflective capacity to psychotherapeutic practise and research with the added dimension of a psychoanalytic and psychodynamic frame.

Why study a Professional Doctorate at Tavistock Relationships?

Highest academic award in the field of Couple Psychotherapy
Teaching is given by leading experts in the field with international reputations in the field of couple relationships
An opportunity to be part of an Institution with 70 years training and research experience
Benefit from Tavistock Relationships' long history of researching and writing about couple relationships
You will be part of Tavistock Relationships learning and research community, and will be able to participate in professional development events and activities
Students will have access to face-to-face and online Research Skills and Research Methods teaching in line with Vitae's Researcher Development Framework. You will have good library and online database support from UEL and you will have access to PEPweb – the world's premier psychoanalytic literature database.
Become a student member of the Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology – the original parent body of the Tavistock Clinic
Get a free subscription to the international journal, Couple and Family Psychoanalysis
The Graduate School of UEL will provide support to your postgraduate research.

Accreditation

Successful completion of programme Professional Doctorate in Couple Psychotherapy at Tavistock Relationships leads to the award of Professional Doctorate by the University of East London.

Who can apply

Suitable for qualified couple therapists who want to develop advanced research knowledge and skills.
For those who wish to be supported in doing a sustained piece of research and writing at Doctoral level.
For those who want to base their research on their own professional practice and interests as couple clinicians.
For those with ambitions to be creative and innovative in their solution of professional problems and in the production of new knowledge in the field, with support given for publications if desired.

Research Supervision

Whilst this part of the programme is individual and unique to each candidate, the thesis for all students will normally be based on clinical or applied practise with couples or a closely related field (such as parents and parenting). Students may choose to do a more theoretically-orientated dissertation (for example, conceptual research), but in any case it should build on the body of practise experience and knowledge that couple therapists have developed in their clinical work and applied to allied settings. Indicative examples of topics are:

issues in the content, process, conceptualisation or theory of couple interaction as applied to therapy or other forms of intervention in couple relationships;
shared understandings of key issues in couple therapy across the field, such as adult attachment; sexuality, gender differences.
outcome and other studies that illuminate contemporary clinical issues, including the process of change.

Research may be case study or small-scale research study-based, or conceptually-based. The research may be a part of a larger research project but, if so, the student's own research must form the dissertation. Qualitative methods, survey-based or quantitative research methods (or a mix) may be used.

Professional Doctorate students will have at least two, and normally not more than three, supervisors who together demonstrate an appropriate range of academic and/or professional experience. At least one will be expert in the area of couple psychotherapy. One supervisor will be the Director of Studies with responsibility to supervise the student on a regular, frequent and recorded basis. Tavistock Relationships will help advise on appropriate supervisors and at least one is usually a senior member of Tavistock Relationships' staff.

Thesis

Students will be supported to plan and write an extended dissertation (40,000-60,000 words) that includes a thorough literature review situating the research in the couple therapy field, a comprehensive justification and description of the methodology used, transparent accounts of the ‘data’ (whatever these may be), and a clear analysis of the data that meets contemporary standards for analysis at doctoral level. These will be followed by a good discussion of what the results mean as well as their limitations, and the whole dissertation has to conform to UEL’s requirements for doctoral writing. Generally, it is helpful for students to write as they conduct their research, and all the assessments in the taught part of the programme are designed to help with the final dissertation.

Assessed course assignments

You will be supported throughout the course by a personal tutor

Assessment

100% course work
Clinical Research Methods (Clinical Research Methods paper, 4,500 words)
Clinical Theory and Practise (Oral Presentation of Seminar Paper of 15 minutes (50%) & Critique of Theory Paper, 1,000 words (50%))
Advanced Clinical Research Methods (Literature Review, 3,000 words (50%) & Research Proposal, 2,000 words (50%))
Advanced Clinical Practise and Theory (Portfolio – 5,000 words, to comprise of:
1 assessed presentation at Tavistock Relationships' Summer School (1,500 words) & 1 x Reflection on Learning (2,000 words))
Developing Research Methodology for Professional Doctorates (Oral Presentation of 15 minutes (10%) & Methodology paper, 3,000 words (90%)
Doctoral Dissertation (Dissertation minimum 40,000 words; maximum 60,000 words)

Course Leader

David Hewison is Head of Research; programme leader of the Professional Doctorate in Couple Psychotherapy and project manager for the IAPT Couple Therapy for Depression Training

David joined Tavistock Relationships in 1996 with a background in adult mental health social work and training. A Jungian analyst and couple psychoanalytic psychotherapist, he has been involved in all aspects of Tavistock Relationships' work over the years including being part of the senior management team. He is currently leading the Centre's research and publication functions.

What can it lead to

Our Professional Doctorate is the highest academic award in the field of Couple Psychotherapy. It is a unique programme of study, the only one of its kind in the UK that specifically centres on couple relationship research and located within an Institution.
Holders of the Doctorate can expect to take up senior positions in the health, psychotherapy, social care sectors and become the future leaders in couple therapy settings, including potentially working for Tavistock Relationships.
This programme will open up specialist professional leadership roles. Holders of the Doctorate will be able to show employers and others that they have outstanding knowledge and skills.

Qualification after successful completion of the course

You will gain a Professional Doctorate in Couple Psychotherapy (D.Cpl.Psych) from the University of East London (UEL).

Fees

Course dates & time

Start date: September 2019

4 years part-time (with provision for early submission or more time if necessary).

Part 1 of the Doctorate is taught within years 1& 2, seminars mainly take place on Tuesday late afternoon and evenings, as well as some Saturday workshops. Students don’t have to attend all the seminars if they can claim Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) of elements previously undertaken as part of Tavistock Relationships' Masters Awards in Couple Psychodynamic, Psychoanalytic, or Psychosexual Psychotherapy, or other demonstrated equivalence

Part 2 is the research part of the Doctorate and extends over the next two years or so

Programme structure and components

Part 1 is made up of 5 modules:

Clinical Research Methods, Clinical Theory and Practise, Advanced Clinical Research Methods, Developing Research Methodology for Professional Doctorates, Advanced Clinical Theory and Practice (July Summer School in year 2)

These are taught through a mix of seminars, workshops, tutorials and research supervision.

Part 2 is the research part of the Doctorate and is an extended opportunity over 2 years+ to develop and apply the skills learned in Part 1 to a professional area or problem. It culminates in the submission of a 40,000- 60,000 word thesis and its defence in an oral examination.

Entry requirements

Students will usually have the following:

A first degree or equivalent.
A recognised M-Level couple therapy qualification that included a substantial psychodynamic component.
A year or more’s experience of personal psychotherapy that is psychoanalytically/psychodynamically informed (for example, Integrative therapy, Jungian therapy, psychoanalytic therapy).
An interest in psychoanalytic/psychodynamic theory and practice (eg through other courses or supervision)
The time and capacity to work for some years, increasingly independently, at a high academic level.

Examples of recognised qualifications are:

Tavistock Relationships' professionally-accredited qualifications in Psychoanalytic, Psychodynamic, or Psychosexual clinical work with couples and relationships
LMG’s Diploma in Psychodynamic Marital and Couple Therapy
Relate’s MSc in Relationship Therapy
Relate’s MA in Relationship Therapy
Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust’s Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Couples (D59C)
Graduate Membership of the Tavistock Institute of Medical Psychology
Previous Full Membership of the British Society of Couple Psychotherapists and Counsellors gained through professional peer recognition of competency in the psychoanalytic treatment of adult couples

Holders of:

Relate’s Postgraduate Diplomas in Relationship Counselling or Psychosexual Therapy
London Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship therapy

may also be eligible to apply depending on evidence that their overall experience gives them the equivalent of the above.

If in doubt, please contact the Programme Leader, David Hewison: dhewison@tavistockrelationships.ac.uk

Further information

Further information about this programme is available from:

If you are interested in any of these programmes please phone the Programme Leader, David Hewison: 020 7380 1955 - direct line and voicemail. Email: dhewison@tavistockrelationships.ac.uk to arrange an informal discussion. This is a chance to gather information and clarify details.

How to apply

Apply using the application form below:

Download application form here

Applications should be sent to:

Course Admissions
Tavistock Relationships
70 Warren Street
London W1T 5PB

Contact T: 020 7380 8288 E: training@tavistockrelationships.ac.uk

Closing date for application has passed.

>>> Note: We are not currently accepting new applications <<<

Applicants complete an application form and short listed applicants are invited for an interview: with a senior Tavistock Relationships staff member couple specialist and a UEL research specialist. Offers of places on the programme are made following a selection meeting.

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