Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology

Summary

Counselling psychology focuses on health and wellbeing, and collaboration between psychologist and client to achieve desired mental health outcomes. Study the AUT Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology gives you the option to complete a pathway towards registration as a psychologist in New Zealand.

The Master of Health Science in Psychology is usually the prerequisite to the Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology, which is the last component of tertiary study for eligibility to register with the New Zealand Psychologists' Board.

Counselling psychologists acknowledge the importance of medical, psychosocial and cultural perspectives in understanding and explaining both the formation of mental illness and problem behaviour, and in understanding, explaining and implementing the treatment and caring regimes to sensitively address illness and problem issues.

For counselling psychologists research and practice are not distinct activities. Counselling psychology is committed to building on the concept of scientist-practitioner by producing:

• Practitioners informed by research findings
• A science informed by practice issues

Complete the following papers

• PSYC812 Theories of Counselling Psychology (15 points)
• PSYC813 Professional Frameworks, Issues and Applications (15 points)
• PSYC814 Counselling Psychology Internship A (45 points)
• PSYC815 Counselling Psychology Internship B (45 points)

And complete 1,500 practice hours

The Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling Psychology internship is an integral part of the programme and is a full year of practice (four days a week working in a practice setting – the equivalent of 1,500 hours as required by the Psychologists’ Board) and one day a week on campus at the AUT North Campus.