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.
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UCAS Code
BB99
Start Date
September 2026
Location
Newport
Campus Code
C
UCAS Points
104
Fees
Home students: £9,790*
International students: £17,200*
UCAS Code
BB99
Start Date
September 2027
Location
Newport
Campus Code
C
UCAS Points
104
Course Overview
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.
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.
Accreditations
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The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
Why study this course?
What you'll study
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.
Explore therapy philosophies and theories and learn to apply evidence-based approaches.
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’.
Understand child development, therapeutic play, and building effective therapeutic relationships with children.
Enhance your academic skills and understand recent research to support your practice.
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.
Learn to integrate short-term, change-oriented skills and apply theory, research, ethics, and law in both in-person and online counselling.
Enhance reflective practice with personal development groups, case note writing, and 40 hours of supervised clinical practice, plus an ‘away day’.
Use development theory to create effective frameworks and age-appropriate skills for working with young people.
Explore the differences between in-person and online counselling in this expanding practice area.
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.
Build on your knowledge of counselling theory and research to address complex client groups and mental health issues more effectively.
Deepen self-awareness through reflection and group activities. Includes a local ‘away day’ and 60 hours of supervised clinical practice.
Critically reflect on practice and research for helping children and young people with complex issues and how to work with professionals and families.
Learn to use creative techniques in therapy, enhancing your flexibility and therapeutic approach for clients across all ages.
Understand evidence-based practice in counselling and develop skills to critically evaluate research and propose a small-scale research project.
We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.
Teaching and Assessment
Our BACP accredited 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.
You'll complete various assessments, including, counselling skills, reflective practice, written assignments, poster, research presentations, case studies, and portfolio work.
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.
Our Newport campus offers dedicated counselling rooms for one-to-one skills practice suitable for work with children, young people and adults. The USW Therapy clinic is based on our Newport Campus offering bespoke facilities and invaluable experience of being part of an active clinic that provides services to adults and children and young people. Our clinic provides students with a unique opportunity to be part of dynamic working clinic which through its wide range of collaborations with community groups and local services, meets the needs of diverse groups. This provides students with invaluable ‘real life’ 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 for example, exploring complex themes around domestic violence and extensive library resources across USW campuses.
Extra-curricular learning includes CPD workshops, alumni and partner lunch time talks, 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.
Entry Requirements
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.
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.
How to applyContextual admissions policyAsk us a question104 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)
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.
International studentsPre-Sessional EnglishEnglish 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 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component 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.
Fees and Funding
per year
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.
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.
BACP Student membership
Professional body student fees.
Cost: £43 - £86
Enhanced DBS
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
DBS Updating service
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
Personal Therapy
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
Professional indemnity insurance
Cost varies depending on individual circumstances. Only required in years 2 and 3 to cover placement work with clients.
Travel to Placements
Dependent on length and location of placement.
Data Collection
Cost Varies
per year
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.
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.
BACP Student membership
Professional body student fees.
Cost: £43 - £86
Enhanced DBS
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
DBS Updating service
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
Personal Therapy
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
Professional indemnity insurance
Cost varies depending on individual circumstances. Only required in years 2 and 3 to cover placement work with clients.
Travel to Placements
Dependent on length and location of placement.
Data Collection
Cost Varies
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Counselling and Therapeutic Practice interviews
Everything you need to know before attending your Counselling and Therapeutic Practice interview.
Read our interview tipsHow 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).
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Apply direct
Counselling and Therapeutic Practice
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Full-time, 3 years
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September
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Newport
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Apply direct
Counselling and Therapeutic Practice
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Full-time, 3 years
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September
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Newport
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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.
Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.
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.
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