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Home arrow Training Courses arrow Doctorate in Family and Systemic Therapy

Doctorate in Family and Systemic Therapy


The Doctorate in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy continues our productive and creative relationship with Birkbeck College, University of London. The course offers the opportunity to do higher level research as well as enabling course members to fulfill the criteria for registration with AFT as a clinical supervisor.

The taught part of the doctorate (years one and two) will concentrate on:

a) supervision, and
b) advanced research methodology

The third and fourth year will mainly be spent on completing and writing up the research, together with tutorials with a research supervisor.

The course is designed to provide a coherent balance between work carried out at the Institute of Family Therapy and Birkbeck College, the course member's own professional community and that carried out in private study time.

Entrance Requirements

Candidates must have completed an MSc in family therapy to a good pass level from IFT/Birkbeck or from an equivalent body. Those applicants without an MSc may be admitted to the course subject to the proving of equivalence.

Candidates should normally have consolidated their advanced training in family and systemic psychotherapy for at least one year, have experience of using systemic ideas in supervision for at least two years, have a commitment to be supervising regularly during the period of the course and have a commitment to continuing to work clinically with families/couples/individuals during the period of the course.

Research Thesis

The award of the degree shall be dependent on the submission of a research thesis which shall make a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and which affords evidence of originality. In order to qualify for submission of this thesis, candidates will be required to complete formally taught and practical elements of the course.

The research thesis will assess the candidate's abilities to apply the principles of research methodology to different areas and levels of research in family and systemic psychotherapy. Normally the research project will be in the range of 35,000 words.

Candidates who already fulfill the criteria for registration as a supervisor with AFT will have different course requirements. People who feel they may be in this category are invited to phone Dr Barry Mason on 020 8802 9165 for further discussion.

Course Structure

Two days per month, Mondays and Tuesdays for 10 months in both Year 1 and 2. Consistent with AFT criteria, the course will be divided into four components:

  • Practice
  • Theory
  • Personal development
  • Ethics

Year 1 and 2

The course will include:

Practice Workshops - these will explore the coherence of the course participants' ability to understand and translate theory into practice. This will be done via role plays, video and audio taped examples of course members' supervisory practice in their own professional community as well as the development of technique and individual style of supervision.

Research Seminars and Tutorials - Research seminars take place at Birkbeck College on Tuesday afternoons.


Supervision project - each course member will be required to organise a project in their professional community/agency which will allow them to develop their supervisory skills. The people being supervised should be post foundation level in terms of their family therapy/systemic expertise. Course staff will visit each course member in this context on five ocassions during the course.

A variety of supervisory models will be explored on the course.

Course curriculum for the two years will take into account the contexts of gender, culture and race, disability and sexual orientation.

Year 3

Research tutorials.

Assessment

  1. Written assignments, including a supervision practice dissertation of 5000-6000 words
  2. Portfolio of supervisory project  at the end of years 1 and 2
  3. Research dissertation
  4. Presentation to a panel at the end of Year 2 which will comprise staff members of the Institute of Family Therapy and the external examiner

There will be a mid course evaluation at the end of Year 1.

 

Applications

Closing date for receipt of application is January 2010, for May 2010 intake.
Short listed applicants will be invited for interview.


Fee
The current course fee is £2,328 p.a. plus a £960 final (4th) year writing up fee.
Course fee for 2010 intake to be confirmed.

Programme Chairs

Professor Stephen Frosh, BA, MPhil.PhD

Dr Barry Mason, BA, D.Sys.Psych., ACTFT




 

 
 
 

Children in Mind

The Institute is offering information sessions on the needs of children to parents in the process of separation or divorce.  Next sessions are on the 23rd or 24th September from 6.00 - 9.00pm, at a cost of £40.

 

Contact Natasa Golja for a booking form and further information.