Skip to content

Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy

Key information 2025

DurationFour years (30 weeks per year), from January to November, one evening per week lectures and supervision from 7pm-10.10pm. (A new four-year Diploma course starts every January).
This Diploma Course is delivered in person at CCPE in Little Venice.  We do not offer an online option.
Cost* Year 1 - 2025£5174 (including £300 deposit)
Cost* Year 2 - 2026£6048 (including weekend residential)
Cost* Year 3 - 2027£6048
Cost* Year 4 - 2028£6048
AwardDiploma, accredited by UKCP
Term dates

Term 1: 20th January - 28th March
(1st Year students start w/c 13th January)
Term 2: 22nd April - 27th June
(1st Year students finish 3rd July)
Term 3: 8th September - 14th November
Weekends Year 1Six weekends plus a six-day seminar and a non-compulsory one-day workshop, 10am-5pm each day (dates TBC)
Interviews and Application2024 Application are closed.
The intake for January 2025 is now open. Please find the Application Pack here.

Please note that in addition to the above set fees, the following costs also need to be taken into consideration:

Required Costs

  • Application fee: £85
  • Private therapy: The cost for a minimum of 160 hours of one-to-one personal psychotherapy with a qualified UKCP accredited psychotherapist
  • DSM-5 Workshops: The cost of four DSM-5 workshops which are £80 each

Missed Session Costs

  • Missed Weekend Seminars: If you miss a compulsory weekend seminar, the cost of making this up is £250.  If you a miss a three day weekend seminar, you need to do two weekend makeup seminars at a cost of £250 each.
  • Evening Group Supervision: If you miss more than two evening group supervision sessions per half year, this will need to be made up at the supervisor’s rate.
  • Tutorials: If you miss a compulsory tutorial, this will need to be made up at the tutor’s rate.

Optional Costs

  • Private Supervision: The cost of private supervision taken in addition to supervision offered by the course.  The ratio of supervision is one hour for every six client hours until you have completed your training and are registered with UKCP.
  • CCPE Library: There is a £10.00 non refundable fee payable to join the CCPE library.
  • Travel: The cost of your own travel.
  • Written Work Tutorial Support. If you choose to have tutorial support to help you with academic work, this will be at the tutor’s rate.
  • Mental Health Familiarisation Placement: Please note that there may be potential costs charged by some of these placement.

Professional  costs

  • Insurance: In order to practice as a psychotherapist, you will need to get your own insurance.
  • UKCP: Once you have qualified and registered with the UKCP, you will need to pay the fees for membership to UKCP.
  • Room Rental: If, when you move to private practice and are seeing clients at the CCPE, room rental will be charged at the rate of £16 for 50 minute room booking.

There is a vast field of knowledge in the realm of psychology. The knowledge of imagination and the same turning into thought; the knowledge of feeling and the same turning into emotion; the knowledge of passion and the same turning into expression; the knowledge of impulse and its outlet; the knowledge of impulse and its suppression; the knowledge of attraction and the knowledge of its contrary effect; the knowledge of sympathy and antipathy, their origin and their source - All these belong to psychology.

- HAZRAT INAYAT KHAN -- Spiritual Dimensions of Psychology

The spiritual approach to counselling and psychotherapy

The word ‘human’ comes from the two sources, ‘hu’ meaning ‘divine’ and ‘mana’ meaning ‘mind’. From the psychological point of view, ‘hu’ relates to the character, or that unique blend of inner qualities that make us an individual. ‘Manas’ refers to the different temperaments or what we might call personality, which reflects our inner qualities.

In transpersonal psychotherapy personal breakdowns and crises are seen to have a useful purpose in that they act as a warning signal as well as indicating the way for us to change, grow and unfold.

Once the crisis is over and the mental condition is stabilised there is a chance to re-examine ourselves with a view to change, and then unfold, thus preventing a recurrence of the crisis. This involves reassessing our motivation, sense of purpose and meaning in life and our capabilities.

Much of the counselling and psychotherapeutic work done at the Centre is based on the fundamental principle of building and expanding on people's strengths or 'qualities'. Attention is also paid to balancing the person's energies and lifestyle, i.e. the balance between grounded and aspirational, between being expressive and receptive, and to helping the person find their natural rhythm in work, at home, etc.

At this point the client is able to sense the right direction and to set goals that give him or her a sense of fulfilment and achievement in life.

CCPE History

In January 1984 a two-year part-time training programme, offering a Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy was launched to fill the need for a genuinely transpersonal approach to counselling and psychotherapy. This was followed in 1986 by the introduction of an additional year of training so as to integrate some useful material from other therapeutic approaches. In 1991 the three-year course was extended to four years’ part-time training, so as to meet the high standards required in future professional therapeutic practice.

In 1987 a one-year part-time Certificate Course in Fundamentals of Counselling and Psychotherapy was introduced for those applicants who have had no previous counselling training or experience.

The Centre also offers a Supervision and Advanced Psychotherapy course, a research-based M.A. in Transpersonal Counselling & Psychotherapy, and a taught M.A. in Transpersonal Child, Adolescent & Family Therapy. The diploma course is UKCP accredited, the M.A. trainings are validated by the University of Northampton.

There are a variety of weekend seminars and on-going groups open to the public. Some 200 therapists currently practice at the Centre.

Diploma Course Description

The course is run by staff trained and qualified in counselling, psychotherapy and the spiritual disciplines. The emphasis on the Course is on developing a spiritual perspective on human interaction, on learning practical techniques to help people with psychological problems as well as those who are seeking to unfold their own potential.

The four-year part-time Diploma course involves 900 contact hours, including one six-day intensive, one residential weekend, 24 weekend seminars and 120 evening meetings spread over four years. The evening meetings include a period for lectures and group supervision. In addition, students undertake a minimum of 160 hours of individual therapy and at least 550 hours of supervised counselling/psychotherapy practice and 100 hours at an approved psychiatric observational placement.  Students will draw on their supervised counselling/psychotherapy practice hours to submit case histories for assessment. Finally, Diploma students are required to develop an individual counselling practical project, which reflects their beliefs, personality and therapeutic style of working.

The Diploma Programme

The course philosophy does not adhere to any belief, dogma or religion and is open to all those sincerely interested in the field of counselling and psychotherapy from a spiritual perspective. Students who successfully complete the four-year training requirements will be awarded the CCPE Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

NOTE: This is a prerequisite to UKCP registration as a psychotherapist. The CCPE is a Member Organisation and Training member Organisation of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). The award of the Diploma does not automatically qualify you for UKCP registration.

Criteria for diploma course entry

The following are the criteria for the four-year UKCP accredited Diploma course:

  • Sufficient relevant life experience and resilience for intensive experiential training 
  • 50 hours therapy with a qualified psychotherapist prior to commencement of the course
  • Successful completion of a one-year Counselling Foundation Skills course or equivalent that provides basic Counselling skills training and knowledge of basic counselling theory
  • Personal maturity and a willingness to reflect deeply
  • An interest in and commitment to their own personal spiritual development
  • Personal qualities and aptitude to work with vulnerable adults and those in mental emotional or spiritual crisis
  • Evidence of skills and capacity for essay writing and academic work

Those applicants who do not meet the above requirements may be eligible for or asked to first complete the one year Foundations of Counselling and Psychotherapy course.  Sometimes applicants are required to attend specific weekend courses at CCPE as part of the requirements to be accepted onto the Diploma.  The courses incur a charge to attend, and you will be evaluated during the weekend as to your suitability.

The course is intended for people who wish to obtain a theoretical and practical training in the counselling and psychotherapy profession, from a spiritual perspective.

The Diploma Course is set at a postgraduate level of academic competence, which will be assessed through written work, as outlined below. Students also need to show that they have sufficient emotional competence and maturity and the spiritual resources necessary to engage with the demands of the training and the work of psychotherapy. Qualities that we look for include: a lively and enquiring mind, an ability to listen and respond with compassion and respect, awareness of prejudice, the capacity for in-depth self-reflection, self-awareness and commitment to self-development.

A student handbook with detailed guidelines on meeting the course requirements is available at the beginning of the first term.

The Research MA Programme

Suitable Diploma course students may be able to transfer to the M.A. programme at the beginning of the fourth year of their training. Suitability is based on the standard of their essays, case presentation in supervision, therapeutic skills, personal maturity and attendance of the Diploma training. M.A. track students must submit two case histories in the fourth year of the Diploma. In addition students must attend a module on research methodology, complete a research proposal and a critical review in the fourth year of their training. The M.A. research dissertation is then carried out in the fifth year, the date for completion of the written submission being in the autumn of the fifth year. Transfer students will also be awarded the Diploma on successful completion of the M.A. Please note that M.A. track students can only apply for UKCP registration after completion of the M.A.

Elements of the course

PART 1 - Theory and skills

A brief outline of each year follows:

FIRST YEAR

Transpersonal and Psychodynamic Approaches

The first year is intended to train students in the fundamentals of psychotherapy/counselling theory and practice and is also used as an introduction to the spiritual dimensions of counselling and psychotherapy. Some analytical approaches are included. Students are also required to undertake peer counselling on a one hour per week basis as a means of practicing skills and having further peer support. The topics covered in each year are grouped into the following headings, but the order in which these will be taught will only be available on the student website once you join the course.

Term 1 - Topics

  • Spiritual model of human being and personality
  • Core theories of Klein, Winnicott, Bowlby (and early childhood issues), Freud (and psychoanalysis)
  • Personality theories

Term 2 - Topics
The therapeutic interview:Verbal and non-verbal communication

  • Assessment of clients for counselling and psychotherapy
  • Creating a therapeutic alliance
  • Transference and counter-transference
  • Defence mechanisms
  • Interpretation, intervention and insight
  • Transformation strategies, working through
  • The concept of resistance
  • Acting out
  • Termination

Term 3 - Topics

  • Counselling with obsessive clients
  • Counselling with depressed clients
  • Counselling with personality-disordered clients
  • Counselling with disturbed clients
  • Thought processes, cognition, emotion and perception
  • Psychopathological syndromes

Weekend Seminars

  1. Fundamental Skills
    Two days of working under supervision with listening, empathy, clarifying, and reflection skills
  1.  Alchemy of Transformation 
    Understanding the stages of transformation;
    Problems encountered at each stage;
    How this relates to the counselling process and to life in general.
  1. Alchemy, Archetypes and Personal Unfoldment
    Discovering the archetypes within, and their role in our development;
    Self image and archetypes;
    Sensing the qualities in a person;
    Expressive, receptive and balanced qualities.
  1. Creative Imagination in Therapy (Six Days)
    Concentration practices and their use;
    Visualisation practices and their use;
    Using guided imagery in therapy;
    Working with dreams;
    Developing creativity.
  1. The Inner Child
    Contacting the Inner Child as a means of working on early life issues and touching the inner core of our being.
  2. Alchemy of Relationships
    A course to explore the dynamics of interpersonal relationships as they go through different stages of transformation (and transform us);
    Relationships as a path of growth and development;
    Awakening the ability to open, communicate, be vulnerable, co-operate, share, be independent;
    Purpose, meaning and faith in relationships.

SECOND YEAR

Adolescence, Group, Self and Society

This focuses on early youth to adulthood, incorporating many of the humanistic approaches.

Terms 1, 2 and 3 - Topics

  • Violence and Anger
  • Dealing with angry clients in placements and private practice
  • Gestalt
  • Gestalt skills
  • Couples work
  • Co-dependency
  • Eating disorders
  • Death, Dying and Transformation
  • Touch in therapy
  • Working with the shadow
  • Envy, jealousy and greed
  • Transactional Analysis

Terms 1 and 2 - Group Work - 16 evenings
We focus on the use of group therapy starting with the relationship between each individual member and the group, as well as interpersonal relations and projections between group members.

Residential Weekend: A two-day residential group weekend (starting Friday evening and finishing Sunday afternoon) to complete the group work as one whole group.

Weekend Seminars

  1. Intermediate skills
    Two days of working with skills and receiving supervision.
    Skills worked with are congruency, intervention, insight and interpretation.
    Also, a review of visualisation skills and other skills learned in the first year.
  2. Gestalt
    An experiential weekend combined with Gestalt theory.
  3. Bodywork
    An experiential weekend working with body awareness.
  4. Maleness, femaleness, sexuality
    Exploring our personal and archetypal male and female images, and how they affect our relationship with the opposite sex.
  5. Sexual Abuse
    A weekend explaining and learning how to deal with the issues around sexual abuse.
  6. Family Therapy
    Basic theory of family therapy. Skills and working with families. Recreating our own families

THIRD YEAR

Existential and Transpersonal Approaches

The focus is on the transpersonal approaches to therapy. Here the spiritual dimension is fully considered.

Terms 1 and 2 - Topics

  • Psychopathology and the role of medication in psychotherapy.
  • Dealing with Personality Disorders.
  • Reading seminars - Existential Psychotherapy and its influence on the Transpersonal model.
  • Reading seminars - The Transpersonal: the Jungian approach.
  • The Transpersonal: the Spiritual perspective in psychotherapy
    a) Boundaries
    b) Beyond boundaries
    c) Meaning and Purpose in Life
    d) Intuition, faith, unfolding personal qualities, inherited qualities
    e) Integrating the personal and transpersonal outlooks in life.

Term 3 - Topics

  • The Transpersonal: the spiritual perspective in psychotherapy
    a) Energy centres
    b) Subtle levels of consciousness
  • Case Histories: preparation, presentation and assessment; Examples.

Weekend Seminars

  1. Research Methods 
  2. Advanced Skills Training (three days)
    Feedback and supervision on the skills learned on the course to date.
  3. Psychology of Accomplishment
    Developing mastery through accomplishment.
    Roles of will, concentration.
    Choosing goals, aligning with purpose and achieving balance in our development.
    Balance between power and intelligence.
  4. Healing with Breath and Sound (three days)
    Gestalt and Reichian bodywork use what we consider the grosser energies, whereas we now focus on pin-pointing and working through the more subtle energy blocks using more subtle techniques such as our breath and voice.
  5. Life Crisis
    Opportunities for a breakthrough.
    Causes and purpose of a crisis.
    Process of transformation in a crisis.
    Intervention points in a crisis.
    Holding in a crisis.
  6. Facilitating spiritual growth in counselling and psychotherapy
    Guiding the client who is spiritually questioning and seeking.

FOURTH YEAR

Integration & Professional Development

This year is intended as a year of consolidation, attending to the practical issues, case histories and projects.

Term 1 - Topics

  • Reading seminar
  • Planes of consciousness
  • Review of topics covered during the course and integrating this with the spiritual perspective
  • Linking the Transpersonal perspective to therapeutic practice - spiritual formulation
  • Theory of dream work - use of myths in therapy - alchemy and the therapeutic process

Term 2 - Topics

  • Ethical issues in practice
  • Transcultural issues and dealing with difference
  • Practical projects: planning, development, execution
  • Professional issues: ethics, legal issues, building a
    professional practice

Term 3 - Group Work
Four evenings are spent in three large groups focusing on appreciating the qualities of each group member, and giving positive, critical feedback to each member on areas they need to work on. Course endings.

Weekend Seminars 1, 2 & 3

  1. Dreams
    Role of dreams as metaphor for our inner life.
    Waking dream therapy. Interpretation. Imaging work with dreams.
  2. Dreams and Archetypes
    Exploring the relevance of archetypes in dreams and their significance in our personal lives.
  3. Working with Dreams: A transpersonal approach

Weekend Seminars 4, 5, 6
Fourth year students are required to attend three weekend seminars during which they will receive specialised supervision and skills training based on their client case load.

PART 2 - practicum
All students are required to complete 550 hours of one-to-one client work under supervision and a further 100 hours observational psychiatric placement in a medical setting, totalling 650 placement hours. A minimum of a 100 hours are to be completed within the first year of training. Students are required to attend a placement induction meeting (normally prior to the start of the course) where information and assistance regarding placements is given.

PART 3 - tutorials
Students attend two individual tutorial sessions in the first and the second year, and small tutorial groups in the third year.

PART 4 - case supervision
Lectures and weekly case supervision in small groups will be held at the Centre. Practical work will be discussed and supervised, with students' case studies being used as teaching material. Students will also be required to obtain individual supervision in the second, third and fourth year, at their own expense. This would typically involve one individual supervision session per month.

PART 5 - individual psychotherapy
It is a requirement of the course that all students should undergo a minimum of 160 hours of psychotherapy with a recognised and approved therapist over the span of the 4-year course at a rate of approximately 40 hours annually.

PART 6 - ongoing assessment
In the first, second and third year students are required to submit an essay applying theory to practice, based on the course work. In the first and second year, a self-assessment essay based on their own personal growth is also required. In the fourth year students are required to write two case histories and complete an individual practical therapeutic project.

Interview procedure

To apply for this course please email admissions@ccpe.org.uk to arrange an interview.

Candidates who have attended an interview and who are considered suitable will then be invited to apply by formally filling in an application form. You are then required to attend one of our weekend seminars open to the public. This is to assess your ability to function in a group and relate to the course material. It is also an opportunity for you to meet current students and help you decide whether the course feels right for you. A fifteen-minute appointment may be arranged to meet a second member of staff for further assessment where applicable. Student selection takes place on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Requirements for award of the diploma

The following are the requirements for the award of the Diploma:

  1. Satisfactory completion of essays during the course (two in year 1, two in year 2, and one in year 3).
  2. Two written case histories based on client work, showing a clear integration of theory and practice.
  3. Completion of an individual practical therapeutic project designed and documented by the student.
  4. Completion of 160 hours of individual therapy.
  5. Completion of 550 hours of counselling with clients spread over the duration of the course (100 hours are to be completed during the first year practicum).
  6. Completion of 100 hours at an approved psychiatric observational placement.
  7. Full attendance of course programme. Missed attendance at weekend seminars needs to be made up by attending a full weekend seminar at an additional cost. Any other missed attendance beyond the allowance needs to be made up at additional cost.

Prospective UKCP registrants will need to complete a short clinical module and make a formal application to the CCPE UKCP Registration Committee. The clinical module consists of four DSM-5TM one-day workshop at the student’s own cost (currently at £80 per one day seminar). These workshops can be taken over the course of the Diploma from the second year onwards.
Exceptionally, students who have been awarded the Diploma may be asked to gain further experience before being added on the UKCP register.

The M.A. in Transpersonal Counselling and Psychotherapy

For more information, entry requirements and award of this research-based Masters degree please click. The additional cost for the M.A. option will be confirmed on application to the M.A. (during 3rd year of the Diploma).

M.A. in Child, Adolescent and Family Therapy

For more information, entry requirements and award of this taught Masters degree please click here. The additional cost for the M.A. option will be confirmed on application to the M.A. (during 3rd year of the Diploma).

2024 weekend dates as a guide only

Weekend seminars Diploma Year One only

DateTopic
3rd and 4th FebruaryFundamental Skills
2nd and 3rd MarchAlchemy of Transformation
23rd and 24th MarchAlchemy & Archetypes
22nd to 27th JuneCreative Imagination Week (N.B. six-day seminar)
12th and 13th OctoberInner Child
2nd and 3rd NovemberAlchemy of Relationships

All weekend courses run from 10am - 5pm each day.
Please note: CCPE reserve the right to change the dates as and when necessary.

Training staff

Tutors and core staff

Nigel Hamilton, Founder, Ph.D, M.A. (Couns. Psych.), Dipl. ClinPsych & Social Psych.
Ian Burton, Managing Director, M.A.  BSc (Hons.)   Dipls. Psych
Susie Sanders, Deputy Director, M.A.,B.A.(Hons.),M.Sc.,Dipls.Psych.,Supvn & Adv.Psych. MInst GA
Dr Rashon Chowdhury, Director of Professional & Academic Studies, (EdD) M.A., Dipls. Psych., Supvn & Adv. Psych.

Supervisors & facilitators

Elena Adams
Feisal Ali
Ulla Andrews, MA., Dipls. Psych., Supvn., Adv. Psych & Couples
Dave Bain M.A., BSc (Hons), Dip Psych
David Billington M.A., Dip Psych
Suzanna Brown
Ian Burton M.A. BSc (Hons.)  Dipls. Psych., Supvn & Adv. Psych
Dr. Rashon Chowdhury (EdD) M.A., Dipls. Psych., Supvn & Adv. Psych.
Paul Croal Dipls. Psych., Supvn.
Debra Deaville M.A., Dipls. Psych., Supvn, Adv. Psych.
Cornelia Dobb M.A. (Cantab) Dipls, Psych., Supvn, Adv. Psych
Tyrone Duff
Marcelo da Cruz Fagundes M.A., B.A., Dipls Psych., Supvn.
Madelaine Fielden
Shaun Goodwin M.A. Dipls. Psych. Supvn. Sand.
Dawn Grantham M.A., Dipls. Psych., Supvn., Sand., Art.
Daška Hatton B.A. (Hons) Dipl. Psych.
Alshamsha Burns-Heath
Yasmin King BEng(hons), PGCE, Dipls. Psych. & Supvn, Cert. Dreams, EMDR
George Lambton
Emma Leonce
Bryony Livingstone MSc, Dipl Psych.
Keith Mainland
Paul Maiteny B.Sc. (Hons), MBA, Dipls. Psych.& Adv. Psych., Adv Dipl ERT & Wild
Rina Malin M.A., Dipls, Psych, Adv Psych. Supvn
Manuela Meilak M.A., MBA, Dipls. Psych. & Adv. Psych., EMDR
Sue Nappez M.A., Dipls. Psych., Supvn., Adv. Psych.
Ann Oldknow M.A., B.A. (Hons) Dipls Psych., Supv
Tamsin Olivier Dipls. Psych, Supvn
Eluned Owen B.Ed (Hons), Dipls Psych, Adv. Psych.
Raj Pagarani B.A. (Hons) Dipl. Psych.
Tracy Richards
Emanuela Roberti
Jennifer Rooney-Levy M.A., Dipls. Psych., Adv. Psych., Supvn., EMDR., Dreams.
Suzanne Rose BA (Hons), PG Dips Hsg, Psych, Adv Psych, Supvn 
Ellen Lin Perry M.A. BA. (Hons.)  Dipls. Psych., & Supvn
Tracy Phillips Dipl. Psych 
Rachel Podger M.A., Dipls., Psych., Supvn.
Cristina Preda M.Sc, BSc (Hons), Dipls.Psych.
Suzanne Stafford Dipls. Psych. Adv. Psych & Supvn
Colin Stewart  Dipls. Psych & Supvn
Richard Stewart B.A. (Hons), Dipls. Psych. Supvn, Adv. Psych.
Helen Stokes
Ben Tye MAPsych (Dist.), Dip. Psych., Cert. Adv. Facilitation, BEng (Hons).
Katherine Walker

All Staff are UKCP Registered Psychotherapists.
Dipls. Psych., Supvn. & Adv. Psych. means Diplomas in Counselling & Psychotherapy, Supervision and Advanced Psychotherapy

Please note: All content may be subject to change.

CCPE equal opportunities policy

CCPE promotes equal opportunities for students, clients and staff. CCPE is committed to a policy and practice where students' admission and assessment on the course will be determined only by personal merit and performance. No applicant as a student or for a staff appointment will be treated less favourably than another. CCPE does not discriminate on the grounds of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, age, social class, disability, political, religious or spiritual persuasion or practice. CCPE promotes an Equal Opportunities and a Diversity Policy where students, staff and graduates recognise, respect and value the dignity and diversity of others. This statement also applies to all client practice.