{"id":49,"date":"2016-01-20T10:29:22","date_gmt":"2016-01-20T10:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ccpe.org.uk\/general\/?page_id=49"},"modified":"2026-01-15T12:48:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T12:48:51","slug":"m-a-child-adolescent-and-family-therapy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ccpe.org.uk\/?page_id=49","title":{"rendered":"M.A. in Transpersonal Child, Adolescent and Family Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Validated by The University of Northampton<\/em> and Accredited by UKCP<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key information 2026-2027<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>Applications for the 2026-2027 cohort are now closed<\/mark><\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Duration<\/strong><\/span><\/td>Two years taught, part-time, 30 weeks per year, lecture day Fridays from 1pm-5.30pm with occasional days starting at 10am. Dissertation written in third year.<\/td><\/tr>
Cost* Year 1 - 202<\/strong><\/span>6<\/strong><\/td> \u00a35762<\/td><\/tr>
Cost* Year 2 - <\/strong><\/span>202<\/span>7<\/strong><\/td>\u00a35798 <\/td><\/tr>
Additional Fees<\/strong><\/td>University fees (2026 & 2027)*  \u00a31037 
Deposit (non-refundable)             \u00a3500 
Exam fee (2027)                          \u00a3550
Dissertation fee (2028)                \u00a3850 
DSM-5 seminars (x 4)                  \u00a385
CCPE library fee (optional)           \u00a310<\/td><\/tr>
Award<\/strong><\/td>M.A. accredited by UKCP and validated by University of Northampton.<\/td><\/tr>
Term dates Year 1 <\/strong><\/span><\/td>Term 1: 23rd January - 27th March
<\/span>Term 2: 24th April - 26th June
Term 3: 11th September - 20th November<\/td><\/tr>
Term dates Year 2<\/strong><\/span><\/td>TBC - 2026 dates can be used as a guide<\/td><\/tr>
Weekends <\/strong><\/span><\/td>Twelve weekend seminars spread over two years, 10am-5pm each day unless advised otherwise.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Interview and Application Process <\/strong><\/span><\/td>Applications for the 2026-2027 cohort are now closed<\/mark><\/strong>
In the first instance, we invite applicants to complete our Pre-Application Form<\/a> to check their eligibility. If they meet our criteria, they will be sent an Application Form and offered a 20-minute Introductory Call with the Course Director to answer any questions they may have. On receipt of the completed Application Form, the applicant will be invited for a 50-minute interview, for which there is a fee of \u00a360.
\u00a0
Successful applicants will then be offered a place on the course.<\/td><\/tr>
Further information<\/strong><\/td>Please email Tony, the MA Course Administrator, on tony@ccpe.org.uk<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
*the University of Northampton reserves the right to alter or increase these fees at any time<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Supplementary costs<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Whilst on the course students are required to have 90 hours of one-to-one personal psychotherapy (a total of 160 hours is required for UKCP registration). These fees are not included in the above costs.
Students may also require additional supervision to meet supervision ratios for UKCP registration which will be at your own expense. 
If students miss any supervision, observation sessions and\/or weekend seminars then you may incur additional fees making up these sessions.
We encourage (though do not require) students to purchase their own sandtray (approx. \u00a395) and you will incur costs in building your sandplay symbol collection.
Students also need to ensure they have budgeted for any technology needed, books required for course reading, accommodation and\/or travel expenses to attend the course and placements. There may also be additional costs for academic tutorial support (if required), proofreading, printing etc.
CCPE reserves the right to change course content and requirements.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThus the process that ultimately leads to the realisation of the Personal Essence begins with self-realisation in childhood; i.e., with the Essential Self, and ends with the Personal Essence, the essential person. Between these essential poles, ego development makes up the rest of the process. In this way, Being acquires the wisdom of the world. It can now live in the world, although it is fundamentally not \u2018of\u2019 it.\u201d (Almaas, 1988, p. 283).

\u201cIn each baby is a vital spark, and this urge towards life and growth and development is a part of the baby, something the child is born with and which is carried forward in a way that we do not have to understand\u201d (Winnicott, 1949, as cited in Davis & Wallbridge, 1981, p. 177).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c.. we are in fact connected with one another as human beings and within nature as members of a broader belonging, an identity that is integrated with more of the world than the body alone, a self that is a part of a synergy of systems much bigger than the individual\u201d (Siegel, 2023, p. 4).<\/p>\nAlmaas, A.H. (1988). The pearl beyond price.<\/em> Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Davis, M. & Wallbridge, D. (1981). Boundary and space: An introduction to the work of D. W. Winnicott. <\/em>London, England: Karnac Books.
Siegel, D. (2023). IntraConnected: Mwe (Me + We) as the integration of self, identity and belonging.<\/em> W.W. Norton & Co.
<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

MA in TRANSPERSONAL CHILD, ADOLESCENT & FAMILY THERAPY<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The MA in Transpersonal Child, Adolescent and Family Therapy (MATCAFT) course combines the breadth of knowledge required to become an integrative child psychotherapist together with the depth and richness of the transpersonal perspective. Undertaking this training is a truly transformative journey for the trainee Child Psychotherapist.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The course offers a comprehensive academic and professional programme of study validated at Masters\u2019 Level by the University of Northampton (UON) and accredited by the College for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapies (CCAP) within the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). The MATCAFT leads towards registration as a UKCP Child Psychotherapist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The course is suited to therapists who are already working therapeutically with children and young people and wish to gain a formal UKCP registration as a Child Psychotherapist. It is also suitable for candidates already qualified or qualifying as adult psychotherapists and who wish to broaden the scope of their practice to work with children and young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MATCAFT course is challenging intellectually and personally, combining both the integration of theory and practice, with the demands of self-reflection and openness to personal growth. It promotes high professional standards in the field of child psychotherapy, sound ethical practice, and appreciation of difference and sensitivity to others.  Applicants should be committed to learning about themselves, have an openness to the transpersonal, and be striving for fuller integration in all aspects of their personal and professional lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduates from the MATCAFT have found employment in a variety of settings including schools, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), young persons\u2019 counselling services, specialist bereavement services, social services as well as independent private practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE TRANSPERSONAL INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO CHILD PSYCHOTHERAPY<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

CCPE brings a creative and innovative contribution to the field of child psychotherapy with its holistic approach to child development and child psychotherapy. The CCPE transpersonal integrative model recognises that no one theory of development can explain the complexities of an individual client. Each theory describes a dimension of the psyche and can illuminate our understanding of that facet. Theoretical and practical perspectives are integrated from the transpersonal, humanistic, archetypal, psychodynamic, systemic and cognitive orientations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CCPE adopts a fundamentally relational approach, with the therapeutic relationship seen as the primary vehicle facilitating change. The trainee child psychotherapist is encouraged to develop qualities of presence, openness and authenticity and a respect for the client\u2019s innate capacity for self-healing. The training helps build the therapist\u2019s capacity to see beyond the dysfunctional symptoms to the client\u2019s true potential.  Emphasis is also placed on understanding the unconscious and symbolic communication of the child or young person, and the trainee is introduced to a variety of creative interventions including play therapy, sandplay, art and other creative media. The training is in-person and has a strong experiential emphasis. The course leads to both positive transformation for the trainee, as well as guiding them how to bring about positive transformation for their clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CCPE and MATCAFT HISTORY <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

CCPE\u2019s adult Diploma in counselling and psychotherapy course was accredited in 1991 by both the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and UKCP. In 1997, a research MA in Transpersonal Counselling and Psychotherapy was introduced followed by the MATCAFT in 1998.  The MATCAFT was first accredited by UKCP in 2004 and has undergone successful re-accreditations in 2008, 2013 and 2021 by UKCP and CCAP.  Both MA courses are validated by the UON.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COURSE STRUCTURE<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The course is a taught two-year part-time Masters, with the written final dissertation submitted in the third year. The teaching is divided into six modules, totalling 180 Masters-level credits. The course runs every other year, and from January \u2013 December. The next intake is for January 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

YEAR ONE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Child Development and Child Therapy (40 credits)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Infant Observation (20 credits)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Clinical Practice (20 credits)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    YEAR TWO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Adolescence and the Family (20 credits)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Child Observation (20 credits)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Dissertation (60 credits)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      YEAR ONE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      MODULE PSYM041 Child Development and Child Therapy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Students study how the infant develops a sense of self, from the different perspectives of object relations\/self psychology, attachment theory, archetypal theory, transpersonal theory, as well as contemporary neuroscience. Students are encouraged to integrate the different theories into a holistic understanding of child development. This module will also help the student develop an understanding of the significance of emotional and symbolic communication in children. The student is introduced to a range of verbal and non-verbal methods of therapeutic work with children including play therapy, sandplay, art and other creative media. Students are challenged to explore their unconscious biases, reflect on the impact of intersectionality, and understand the legal, ethical and safeguarding issues that are relevant to working with children and young people. The students are introduced to the DSM-5 and understanding diagnoses of the medical model when working with children and young people. Essential writing and research skills are also given to students to help them develop their skills at Masters level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Topics covered include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      • Transpersonal perspectives of ego development<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Alchemy as a model for therapeutic transformation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Archetypal perspectives of ego development<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Object relations and self-psychology perspectives of ego development<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Attachment theory<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Interpersonal neurobiology and the right\/left brain divide<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Pre and perinatal psychology<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Play therapy skills and creative techniques<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Sandplay, symbols and imagery<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Therapeutic art and working with children\u2019s drawings<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Working creatively with trauma<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Unconscious bias and intersectionality considerations<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Ethical, legal and safeguarding issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • DMS-5 and child mental health<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Writing at Masters-level<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Research skills and critical evaluation of research<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        MODULE PSYM043 Clinical Practice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Individual and group training supervision throughout the year provides the student with guidance, tutoring, and feedback from the clinical supervisor on their clinical casework and therapeutic practice. In small supervision groups students are asked to present their client work. Students are invited to discuss and consider the rationale for their therapeutic interventions with clients and consider alternative options. Through supervision, students develop an understanding of how theory applies in practice and how practice relates to theory. In addition, supervision provides the appropriate setting for full discussion of the ethical and professional issues that arise from clinical practice. A termly equality, diversity and inclusion group session provides students the space to reflect on their own experiences and biases, and to share clinical practice questions on topics such as race and neurodiversity. This module provides the student with a vital opportunity to integrate the theoretical and subjective aspects of their clinical practice work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Topics covered include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n