Frequently Asked Questions by Potential Students

WPI training specialises in long term humanistic relational therapy where people can address emotional wounds that may be long-standing and choose to change old habits that are no longer useful. We focus on developing trainees’ skills in actively using the Therapeutic Relationship as the locus of psychological growth. This is in line with consistent research outcomes which demonstrates that this is the most important factor in effecting therapeutic change.

At WPI our training is designed to apply to many settings but concentrates on Private Practice.

WPI is a small Institute with a cohesive team that is committed to supporting you to achieve your training goals. We practice our values of being relational, flexible and ethical and seek both to support and challenge our trainees.

WPI takes a maximum of 12 people into the first year.  Small cohorts means that trainees experience a supportive and creative training which is responsive to individual attributes and needs.

The course is spilt into 2 parts. The first is the taught part which is 4 academic years.

The second part is the Independent Study Stage, and this can be up to 30 months long.

The time at the end is to write up your final submission and to complete all the hours you need for qualification and UKCP Registration.

The website is our ‘shop window’ and is used for up-to-date course information.  Currently content is under review. 

Year 1 is a combined year of common modules

then in Years 2/3 the training separates into 2 specific groups which you choose at the end of year 1,

either Gestalt training

or Integrative training,

you then remain in this group until Year 4. 

Year 4 the groups merge and  changes back to common Modules.

Year 1 is made up of common modules and gives you an introduction to all the themes of the training. At the end of year 1 you select which modality is for you.

The open days cover this in more detail, however –

  1. 21 days per year taught in Cardiff over 7 x 3 day modules and 1 x 5 days Creative Psychotherapy module is held as a residential usually in West Wales
  2. Unlike a university, WPI does not specify hours of study. This is because people read and digest information at different speeds. There are 4 assignments a year for which you need to prepare and read widely.

From year 2 it is recommended that you will need to see a minimum of 2 clients a week. This will increase throughout the course as and when you are ready. Your clinical hours will need to be supervised at a ratio of 1:6 throughout your training. This could be through monthly group supervision or fortnightly individual supervision. 

Currently all training is in-person and we follow a strict risk assessment to reduce covid-19 transmission. WPI follows Welsh Government rules and so if there are further restrictions in Wales WPI would again use zoom based training.

We believe that offering in-depth therapy is only possible if we have engaged with our own psychological processes to a similar level. For this reason, WPI requires each trainee to do a minimum of 40 hours of personal therapy per academic year. This needs to be with someone on the UKCP Adult Psychotherapy Register If you choose Gestalt then your therapist will need to be a Gestalt practitioner. This is in line with the requirements of the European Association for Gestalt Therapy (EAGT) and the UK Association for Gestalt Practitioners (UKAGP) If you choose the Integrative modality then your therapist can be any practitioner from the Humanistic and Integrative College of UKCP, which can include Gestalt psychotherapists.

Prices vary regionally but in Cardiff therapists charge between £50 – £70 per session. Please ensure that the therapist you choose is the right ‘fit’ for you.

Supervision costs also vary widely with some placements contributing to costs. Expect to pay a similar price as for therapeutic work. For every 6 client hours you work, you will require 1 hour of supervision. 

per hour. for room hire.

Membership fees to WPI £36 and UKCP (see UKCP website for membership fees) and Indemnity Insurance approximately £45 per year from year 2. Extra for travel, accommodation and food if you live outside of Cardiff and also for the 5-day module if you choose to stay locally.

Books – some students like to buy a lot of books, some use the WPI extensive lending library. We suggest you invest in journals too e.g. British Gestalt Journal.

WPI does not require you to have a placement before applying. We encourage you to find a placement at the end of year one.

WPI Tutors can give guidance and support with this however it is up to you to research your local area and to approach potential placements in the first instance. Similarly with supervision, you are encouraged to search via the UKCP website for suitable supervisors in your locality. Once you have completed a minimum of 50 supervised clinical hours with a placement, you will be eligible to apply for the WPI Affordable Therapy Service where you can set up in semi-autonomous private practice whilst training.

Supervision:

You will need a UKCP supervisor from the HIPC College of UKCP. As above, if you choose the Gestalt modality your supervisor will need to have a Gestalt training. If Integrative, this can be anyone from the HIPC College of UKCP Placements do offer other supervisors and the hours you have with these are additional to the mandatory supervision hours needed with the Integrative / Gestalt Supervisor. Please request to see our Supervision Pack for more detailed information from the WPI administrator.

Trainees find consulting rooms local to where they live.  WPI runs the training from The Practice Rooms in Cardiff, which also rents rooms to Trainees (please see The Practice Rooms website for local rates if interested)

WPI does not give exams – each trainee builds a portfolio of evidence that is presented to the external examiner at the end of the training process. This is externally marked and assessed along with your final submissions.

WPI always passes our trainees on merit and not on a quota system. WPI endeavours  to ensure that all of our trainees develop a high standard of skilled and ethical practice so that vulnerable clients are protected.

WPI offers a vocational Post Graduate Diploma at level 7 in either Integrative or Gestalt Psychotherapy. This is at Masters level but is not a Masters, as WPI is not allied with a University. Our aim is to integrate a high level of theoretical training with rigorous interpersonal skills in order to develop effective, reflective and robust psychotherapists.

As an Organisational Member of UKCP, successful completion of WPI training leads to accreditation by and registration with UKCP. This enables graduates to practice as psychotherapists in private practice and in a range of organisations.

  • WPI’s trainees also have the option – subject to several additional criteria – of attaining a Level 6 Diploma in Relational Counselling at the end of Year Three. This enables trainees to advertise as Level 6 counsellors in registers such as the Counselling Directory.

All costs are available on the website. The training fees can go up by no more than 10% per annum and it is our aim for any increase to be in line with inflation.

As WPI is not allied with a University, trainees cannot apply for post graduate funding; however, UKCP has a limited number of bursaries for which trainees can apply to part-fund their training.

From 2020 WPI has a new ‘not for profit’ structure. It is managed by a small team of dedicated therapists and volunteer Board members. Students/Trainees have representatives on the Board. WPI has a business plan to ensure continuity for all our members.  

 

Disclaimer

WPI takes every effort to ensure that the information on this website is accurate at the time of publication.