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BA (Hons)

Counselling and Therapeutic Practice

Become a skilled, empathetic, evidence-based Pluralistic Integrative Counsellor ready to support others. Get hands-on experience with practical placements and therapeutic skills development.

How to apply Apply Through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to Us

Key Course Details

  • UCAS Code

    BB99

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Newport

  • Campus Code

    C

Fees

  • Home students

    £9,535*

  • International students

    £16,200*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.

Learn professional counselling skills through theoretical knowledge and practical experience in this BA Counselling and Therapeutic Practice. With real-life placements and a key focus on therapeutic relationship, self-awareness, ethics and various therapeutic styles, you’ll be all set for a fulfilling career in counselling.

DESIGNED FOR

This course is ideal for young people interested in caring professions and mature students retraining for a career in counselling or wanting to take further study. If you’ve worked in education, care, or people-focused roles and are passionate about emotional wellbeing, this course will help you build a meaningful career in therapeutic practice.

Currently undergoing Accreditation with

  • The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

Career paths

  • Professional counsellor  
  • Youth counsellor  
  • Substance abuse therapist  
  • Mental health worker  
  • Private practice therapist  

Skills taught

  • Counselling techniques  
  • Ethical practice  
  • Reflective and self-awareness skills  
  • Therapeutic models  
  • Professional standards in counselling  

We make a difference in practice, not just on paper. Our courses are designed by people who offer jobs - and taught by people who have real work experience.

Two people sat opposite eachother at a table, talking.
A student with shoulder-length bright pink hair listens intently to a fellow student while taking notes in a practice counselling session
A student and lecturer are sat together at a table reading through books and making notes.

Course Highlights

Broad therapeutic scope

Train to work with clients of all ages - children, young people, adults, and older adults.

Inclusive learning 

Thrive in a diverse and supportive environment that helps you succeed, no matter your background or needs. 

Diverse placements 

Get hands-on experience through placements with university services, schools, and various partner organisations.

Excellent job prospects 

94% of graduates land great jobs or continue their studies. We’ll set you up for success in your career.

Module Overview

The BA Counselling and Therapeutic Practice course provides a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experience. You'll learn to develop and maintain safe therapeutic relationships, apply counselling techniques in everyday settings while studying therapeutic approaches, ethical practice, and reflective self-development.

Study pluralistic, person-centred, psychodynamic, and cognitive behavioural theories and approaches, and enhance your listening and communication skills. Study ethical standards and begin self-reflection. Completing all core modules and assessments earns you an HE Certificate in Counselling Studies but doesn't qualify you to practice.

Introduction to Pluralistic Practice  
Explore therapy philosophies and theories and learn to apply evidence-based approaches.  

Introduction to Personal and Professional Development  
Take part in experiential learning with peers to further develop self-awareness and reflective skills and engage in 40 hours of Orientation Placement and two ‘away days’.  

Introduction to Counselling Children  
Understand child development, therapeutic play, and building effective therapeutic relationships with children. 

Academic and Research Skills  
Enhance your academic skills and understand recent research to support your practice.  

Mental Health and Wellbeing 
Learn about mental health perspectives and therapeutic approaches to common difficulties.  

In Year 2, you'll put into practice your main therapeutic integration from Year 1 and begin your supervised placement for practical experience. Completing core modules in Years 1 and 2 earns an HE Diploma in Counselling Studies, though it doesn’t qualify you to practice.

Developing Pluralistic Practice  
Learn to integrate short-term, change-oriented skills and apply theory, research, ethics, and law in both in-person and online counselling.  

Deepening Personal & Professional Development  
Enhance reflective practice with personal development groups, case note writing, and 40 hours of supervised clinical practice, plus an ‘away day’.   

Counselling Adolescents and Young People  
Use development theory to create effective frameworks and age-appropriate skills for working with young people.  

Online and Telephone Counselling  
Explore the differences between in-person and online counselling in this expanding practice area.  

Counselling Older Adults
Gain expertise in theory and research for effective counselling with older adults, refining your skills for this client group.  

In your final year, you'll perfect your counselling skills, complete your placement, and conduct a research project. You'll also focus on professional development. Completing all modules, assessments, and 100 hours of supervised practice earns you the degree, qualifying you to practise.

Enhancing Pluralistic Practice  
Build on your knowledge of counselling theory and research to address complex client groups and mental health issues more effectively.  

Enhancing Personal and Professional Development  
Deepen self-awareness through reflection and group activities. Includes a local ‘away day’ and 60 hours of supervised clinical practice.  

Counselling Children and Young People with Complex Issues  
Critically reflect on practice and research for helping children and young people with complex issues and how to work with professionals and families.

Integrating Creative Methods  
Learn to use creative techniques in therapy, enhancing your flexibility and therapeutic approach for clients across all ages.    

Evidence-Based Practice  
Understand evidence-based practice in counselling and develop skills to critically evaluate research and propose a small-scale research project.  

Course Highlights

How you’ll learn

Our counselling course combines lectures, seminars, and hands-on workshops with personal development activities and practice placements.

You'll attend all classes and complete various assessments, including written assignments, presentations, case studies, and portfolio work.

Teaching at USW’s Newport campus includes interactive sessions, practical workshops, and group discussions, with a strong emphasis on real-world experience through counselling placements.

The Hydra Suite enhances your learning through simulations of real-life situations. You'll gain valuable skills and knowledge, preparing you for a successful career in counselling.  

Teaching staff

Our BA Counselling and Therapeutic Practice course is led by a team of experienced counsellors and academics.

They bring a blend of lived experience and academic expertise, ensuring you learn both theory and practice effectively. Registered with professional bodies, our staff are committed to ethical standards and industry best practices.

With diverse specialisations, including CBT, neurodivergence, and workplace counselling, they prepare you for a successful career in counselling, guiding you through every step of your journey. 

Placements and work experience

Placements are key to your course, with 100 hours of supervised practice in real counselling settings like mental health organisations or schools. You’ll get hands-on experience and develop professional skills. The university supports you in finding placements, and we recommend working across various settings to experience diverse client needs and environments. This approach complements your pluralistic training and boosts your employability, fully preparing you for a successful career in counselling. 

Facilities

Our Newport campus offers dedicated counselling rooms for one-to-one skills practice and an in-house service that provides valuable work experience opportunities.

You'll have access to specialist resources for online counselling, video recording facilities for skills development, The Hydra Suite for simulated work and extensive library resources across USW campuses.

Extra-curricular learning includes CPD workshops, mental health training, and the annual Pluralistic Conference.

The campus also features quiet study spaces for personal reflection and research, meaning you have the tools and environment needed to excel.

Why USW?

A group of Therapeutic Studies and Counselling students chatting in a classroom with a lecturer

Why USW?

Top

in Wales for student satisfaction in Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy. (Complete University Guide 2023)

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

Graduates of our BA Counselling and Therapeutic Practice are well prepared for diverse roles such as mental health advocates, school-based counsellors, or private practice.

With a strong foundation and practical experience, you can also go on to study further qualifications, like postgraduate diplomas or master’s degrees, to broaden your career prospects.

Our alumni often find roles in mental health services, education, or even NGOs, and are encouraged to explore various fields to improve mental health support.

Your comprehensive training prepares you for a fulfilling career or further academic opportunities. 

Careers support

At USW, you'll benefit from our Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after graduation. Access one-to-one appointments with career advisers in person, by phone, Teams, or email. Our online resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, an interview simulator, and job application help. We also offer weekly job alerts from our database of over 2,000 employers.   

Our dedicated teams include a work experience team to help with placements, an employability team with the Grad Edge program, and an Enterprise team focused on business and entrepreneurship.  

Industry partners

Our BA Counselling and Therapeutic Practice course connects you with over 500 partners, like mental health charities and schools, offering hands-on experience with different client groups both young and adult.

USW offers unique placements through its clinical services and Talking Zone for school-based work. Thanks to our strong reputation, many students get job offers from their placements before they even graduate.  

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

104 UCAS Points (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A Level: BCC to exclude General Studies
  • Welsh BACC: Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales Grade C/B and BC - CC at A Level to exclude General Studies (this is equivalent to 104 UCAS tariff points).
  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit
  • Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points
  • T Level: Pass (C and above)

Additional requirements include:

An interview is required for this course. Those applying will be provided with further details if successful at the initial selection stage.

  • GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.
  • An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on the Child & Adult Workforce and Child & Adult Barring List and subscription to the DBS Update Service is required. (Overseas equivalent required for non-uk applicants).
  • Minimum 50 hours work experience* with children or with adults with physical, psychological, social or emotional needs is normally required. This can be, for example, full or part-time paid work in a care setting, or volunteering that involves face-to face support for children or adults. This work experience must normally be completed before you submit your application. If you are able, you must clearly explain how you meet this requirement in your personal statement and also provide a written reference that confirms you have completed these hours.
  • Advanced entry to year 2 can be considered for applicants with a foundation degree in counselling. Evidence of the foundation degree with module list must be submitted with the application.

*Download our Work Experience Guide for further information.

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Fee

£9,535

per year*
International Full-time Fee

£16,200

per year*

Further Information

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

 

Fees and Funding Scholarships and Bursaries Cost of Living Support

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

*Obligatory

Professional body student fees.

Cost: £43 - £86

 Students will be expected to pay for a DBS or certificate of good behaviour from their home country. The DBS fee includes £49.50 for the enhanced DBS certificate, the Post Office Administration fee and the online administration fee

Cost: £64.74

Subscription required for each year of the course for a yearly fee of £16. Please note the service has to be joined within 30 days of receipt of your enhanced DBS certificate

Cost: £16

Cost varies - some agencies offer free or low cost counselling. Students are required to attend minimum 20 hours personal therapy across the course.

Cost: £30-50

Cost varies depending on individual circumstances. Only required in years 2 and 3 to cover placement work with clients.

Dependent on length and location of placement.

Cost Varies

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time.)

Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.