Integrative Humanistic Psychotherapy Studies (UKCP preparatory year)

This Level 6 bridging programme provides a foundation for students wishing to progress to postgraduate psychotherapy training. It introduces key humanistic principles, integrative theory, and reflective practice, supporting students to develop the personal insight and theoretical understanding necessary for advanced therapeutic study. The Integrative Humanistic Psychotherapy Studies (UKCP preparatory year) is designed to help students 'find their modality' – developing an informed awareness of the different approaches to psychotherapy and counselling available at Metanoia Institute. Through experiential and theoretical learning, participants gain clarity on their professional direction and readiness for postgraduate-level study.
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Key Information

Field of Study

  • Integrative Humanistic Psychotherapy Studies (UKCP preparatory year)

Duration

  • 1 year (part time)

Start Date

  • 01/09/2026

Teaching Institution

  • Metanoia Institute

Awarding Institution

  • Middlesex University

Accrediting Professional Body

  • UKCP

Location

  • Blended - in-Person at Metanoia Institute and online.

This Level 6 bridging programme provides a foundation for students wishing to progress to postgraduate psychotherapy training. It introduces key humanistic principles, integrative theory, and reflective practice, supporting students to develop the personal insight and theoretical understanding necessary for advanced therapeutic study.

The Integrative Humanistic Psychotherapy Studies (UKCP preparatory year) is designed to help students ‘find their modality’ – developing an informed awareness of the different approaches to psychotherapy and counselling available at Metanoia Institute. Through experiential and theoretical learning, participants gain clarity on their professional direction and readiness for postgraduate-level study.

If you have already taken a Foundation Year in Psychotherapy, or training that may be equivalent to our UKCP Preparatory Year, you may be eligible for Direct Entry onto one of our Psychotherapy MSc programmes.  Please see their programme pages on our website for more details of Direct Entry.

Course Philosophy

The programme emphasises experiential learning, reflective practice, and personal growth within an integrative humanistic framework. It encourages students to explore their relational style and therapeutic identity while grounding their learning in theory and ethical awareness.

Course Modules

Supporting Information

Teaching and learning
Teaching takes place through weekend sessions that combine experiential group work, theoretical lectures, and counselling skills practice. Reflective discussions are central to the learning process, helping students connect their personal experiences with broader therapeutic concepts.

Assessment
Students are assessed through reflective journals, written assignments, practical evaluations, and multimedia portfolio-based work, allowing for a holistic demonstration of learning and self-development.

Clinical and experiential work
While there is no formal placement requirement, experiential exercises and skills practice are integrated throughout the programme to help students apply theory to practice in a supported environment.

Programme delivery
This part-time programme is designed to prepare students for postgraduate modalities. The programme has two delivery models: a weekend model which runs Friday to Sunday six times a year and an evening model which runs every Monday evening (except holidays) between September and July between September and July.

On campus learning will be supplemented by some live, online learning activities too, building skills for online practice. These online activities may be scheduled on a different day of the week to the on campus learning.

Alumni Path

Successful completion of the Integrative Humanistic Psychotherapy Studies (UKCP preparatory year) enables students to progress to MSc-level psychotherapy training at Metanoia Institute, including pathways such as Integrative, Humanistic, Person-Centred, Gestalt, and Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy.

Key Contacts

Dr John Hills

Associate Director of Post Graduate Taught Programmes and Access and Participation Lead

Email john.hills@metanoia.ac.uk
Telephone 02085792505
Dr John Hills, MA, PhD, MBACP (Accred), SFHEA is a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accredited psychotherapist, a member of the national Pluralistic Practice steering group and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. John trained in integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy at the University of Leeds where he took his PhD, and went on to become a senior lecturer, course leader and course director at Leeds Beckett University. John's PhD centred upon the meaning and patterns of therapeutic change as modelled between therapist and client.   John has been in practice since 2011 and has worked in a variety of settings including prison counselling, cancer and hospice care, and student counselling. John practises privately from West Yorkshire.  As a practitioner he has a particular interest in pluralistic, systemic, and existential approaches to counselling and psychotherapy. As a researcher he is particularly interested in change in psychotherapy, systemic reframing of psychotherapy change principles, and the social contexts in which psychotherapy takes place, including the social determinants of mental health. John is also a practitioner-researcher of psychological therapies. In addition to training work, John has four PhD students and has organised several research conferences, including serving as local host for the Society for Psychotherapy Research's UK conference in 2022.  John’s membership of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, saw him contribute the SPR’s response to the NICE Guideline on Treatment for Depression which was published in 2022 following changes recommended by the SPR as part of a coalition of organisations including the BACP, UKCP, BPS, Mind and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, expressing scientific concerns about the creation of the guideline. Before joining the Metanoia Institute, John facilitated the launch of an Integrative Counselling professional training program at Leeds Beckett University and an equivalent course delivered at a partner college in Singapore, including facilitation of teaching and student exchanges. John is an advocate for the role of higher education in advancing social mobility, in particular in pathways for students from non-traditional backgrounds, and at Leeds Beckett took a lead role in the creation and maintenance of scholarships for both clinical training and PhD study.   John is now Metanoia’s Institute’s lead for Access and Participation. As defined by the Office for Students (OfS) Access and Participation Plans set out how Higher Education providers will improve equality of opportunity for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access, succeed in, and progress from Higher Education.

Entry Requirements

Applicants are normally expected to hold 120 Level 5 credits.

Candidates should have relevant experience of working with people in a responsible role.

For students whose first language is not English, an IELTS score of 7.0 (with a minimum of 6.5 in each component) is required unless you have a prior higher education qualification taught in English.

Fees and Funding

Initial Fees

Annual Course Fees for 2026/2027

  • £4,950

How to Apply

At Metanoia, we are committed to empowering the next generation of professionals in counselling and psychotherapy. This programme offers a unique opportunity to develop your skills and achieve your career aspirations in a supportive learning environment.

Click one of the buttons below to begin your application.