This module provides opportunities to consolidate knowledge and understanding of clinical practice and offers you a focus for further development of self-reflexivity, identity, and autonomy as a practitioner within the Person-Centred and Experiential modality. You will be facilitated to foster your own developmental agenda and professional identity in order to determine your position within the Person-Centred and Experiential framework, whether single-orientation or adopting a coherent integrative model consistent with commonalities among the Person-Centred and Experiential approaches: thereby ensuring the development of a robust and informed approach to your individual therapeutic practice. Ethical dimensions of the therapeutic relationship are explored with attention to diversity and working with the client’s significant life events (as well as their emotional, cognitive and behavioural reactions to them). You will consider theory and research from positive psychology in order to ascertain how this knowledge base might inform personal development and therapeutic practice in a range of contexts. Research in therapeutic practice is revisited at ‘grass roots’ level, exploring how it can be a personal journey of discovery and a continual transformational experience. Undertaking a single case study as practice-based research will inform how Person-Centred and Experiential methods are implemented, as well as how it may be critically utilised as a reflexive tool in your journey to becoming a competent professional. This encourages your contribution to practice-based evidence, as well as expanding awareness of how to access research to inform and support your client work. This will support you to critically consider a range of skills, both discipline-specific and general, enabling you to evolve as a competent, relational, critical, reflexive, ethical and legally cognisant practitioner, as is required for successful practice in this professional field.

Part A Presentation (PASS/FAIL)
A 15 minute presentation introducing your selected therapeutic relationship with attention to key ethical reflections undertaken within the selection process, evidencing learning outcomes 2-3 of this module.
This is a formative assessment involving self; peer and tutor feedback (both verbal and written) in direct support of the refinement and completion of Part B.

Part B Case Study (100%)
A written assignment evidencing learning outcomes 1-3 of this module (4000 words + or – 10%).

Both elements must be passed.

Total hours = 56
• Group process – 16 hours
• Experiential and theoretical learning – 12 hours
• Supervised clinical practice in small and/or large groups – 16 hours
• Self-reflective journal writing – 4 hours
• Student-focused activities encouraging active participation,(including accessing electronic systems and support staff for data, literature, resources and contacts, tutorials) – 8 hours

Total hours = 144
• Self-directed independent study including research, reading, assignment planning and writing – 74 hours
• Placement preparation and attendance – 30 hours
• Personal therapy (preparation, attendance, post-session journaling) – 12 hours
• Clinical supervision (preparation, attendance, post-session journaling) – 12hours
• Tutor-directed independent study (including workshop preparation) – 16 hours

COOPER, M. et al. (eds.) (2013) The Handbook of Person-Centred Psychotherapy & Counselling. 2nd Ed. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

MCLEOD, J. (2010) Case Study Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy. London: Sage.

SANDERS, P. (ed.) (2012) The Tribes of the Person-Centred Nation. 2nd Ed. Ross-on-Wye: PCCS Books.

WILKINS, P. (2003) Person-Centred Therapy in Focus. London: Sage.

• Creative materials
• Audio-recording/playback devices
• Access to an approved placement which provides suitable learning opportunities, and a suitably qualified supervisor to provide the required ratio of supervision hours to clinical practice
• Access to a suitably qualified therapist to provide the required sessions of personal therapy

1. Demonstrate critical awareness and evaluation of contemporary knowledge regarding relational ethics and diversity and the relevance of this to your Person-Centred/ Experiential practice. (Analysis)

2. Systematically evaluate a range of therapeutic responses, in order to determine the appropriateness and efficacy of these with reference to therapeutic intent, the impact upon the client and the process and progression of the therapeutic relationship. (Problem-solving)

3. Demonstrate the independent learning ability required to advance your knowledge, understanding and professional expertise when critically comparing Person-Centred and Experiential perspectives regarding therapist presence with those of alternative psychotherapy/counselling approaches. (Learning)