- Examine Engel’s biopsychosocial model alongside developmental, relational, cultural and social determinants of distress. Compare DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 as descriptive classification systems, distinguishing diagnosis from formulation and the person’s lived experience.
- Trace Freud’s movement from neurology to the talking cure through Studies on Hysteria (1895). Explore unconscious conflict, repression, defence, resistance and the symptom as a compromise formation, considering the historical context and limits of these concepts.
- Introduce Lacan’s subject of the unconscious, the signifier, the divided subject and the Imaginary, Symbolic and Real. Compare the psychoanalytic structures of neurosis, psychosis and perversion with descriptive categories; these are theoretical concepts, not interchangeable diagnostic labels or moral judgements.
- Applied learning: analyse a fictional vignette through descriptive, biopsychosocial and psychoanalytic perspectives. Identify what each model illuminates, what remains uncertain and which conclusions require further assessment.
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Advanced Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology
A live-online specialist programme in clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice.
Advanced Professional Diploma
Advanced Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology & Mental Health Practice
A live-online specialist programme in clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice.
At a Glance
Course Details
€645Course Fee
€322.50Deposit to Secure Place
60 hrs Live Zoom Teaching
60 hrs Self-Directed Learning
Overview
Course Description
The Advanced Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology & Mental Health Practice is a specialist live-online programme designed for counsellors, psychotherapists, healthcare and social-care practitioners, students and adult learners. It develops a structured and professionally bounded understanding of clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice. The programme combines conceptual teaching, clinical reflection, applied skills, case discussion and ethical decision-making so that learners can connect theory with real-world therapeutic and helping contexts.
Teaching begins by establishing the principal concepts and language used in clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice. Learners examine how biological, psychological, relational, social and cultural influences shape presentation and recovery. The course then moves progressively into assessment, formulation, communication and intervention, with careful attention to what falls within the learner’s role and when specialist referral, multidisciplinary consultation or medical input is required.
A psychodynamic strand runs throughout the programme. Freudian concepts such as unconscious conflict, defence, repetition, transference and countertransference are used to deepen formulation, while Lacanian ideas concerning language, desire, the symbolic order and the subject’s relationship to the Other are introduced where they illuminate the course theme. These perspectives are integrated alongside contemporary evidence-informed approaches rather than presented as stand-alone doctrine.
Practical application is central. Learners participate in structured skills practice, case formulation, reflective exercises and scenario work designed to strengthen professional judgement. The programme emphasises relational safety, informed consent, scope of competence, cultural humility, safeguarding awareness, appropriate boundaries and the use of supervision. Learners are encouraged to notice their own emotional responses, assumptions and countertransference so that self-awareness becomes part of safe practice.
The live-online format supports direct lecturer engagement and peer discussion while Moodle provides structured resources for independent learning, revision and assessment preparation. The wider learning hours are used for reading, reflective practice, skills rehearsal and engagement with supplementary academic material. The overall design therefore combines live teaching with disciplined self-directed study rather than treating online delivery as passive distance learning.
By completion, learners should be able to discuss clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice with greater conceptual clarity, formulate relevant presentations using an integrated framework, communicate safely and respectfully, and apply course-specific skills within appropriate professional boundaries. The qualification is intended to strengthen continuing professional development and reflective practice; it does not replace statutory, medical, diagnostic or specialist training where those functions are legally or professionally restricted.
Why Choose This Course
Course Highlights
Comprehensive specialist training in clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice.
Live-online lecturer-led delivery with real-time discussion and applied learning.
Course-specific assessment, formulation and intervention skills.
Integration of contemporary evidence-informed approaches with reflective practice.
Freudian concepts including unconscious conflict, defence, repetition and transference.
Lacanian perspectives on language, desire, the symbolic order and the Other where relevant.
Strong emphasis on ethics, scope of competence, safeguarding and professional boundaries.
Applied case discussion, scenario work and structured skills practice.
Moodle-supported self-directed reading, revision and assessment preparation.
Attention to attachment, development, trauma and relational processes where relevant.
Focus on supervision, practitioner self-awareness and countertransference.
Final integration of learning into safe, reflective and professionally appropriate practice.
What You Will Achieve
Learning Outcomes
Explain key theories, language and professional concepts relevant to clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice.
Analyse presentations using integrated biological, psychological, relational and social perspectives.
Apply structured assessment and formulation principles within the limits of the learner’s role.
Use clear, respectful and non-stigmatising professional communication.
Recognise indicators requiring referral, safeguarding action, medical review or multidisciplinary input.
Integrate appropriate evidence-informed interventions with relational and reflective practice.
Use Freudian concepts to consider unconscious conflict, defence, repetition and transference.
Use selected Lacanian concepts to deepen understanding of language, desire and subjectivity where appropriate.
Reflect on countertransference, assumptions and the practitioner’s use of self.
Maintain ethical boundaries, confidentiality, informed consent and scope of competence.
Use supervision and reflective practice to support safe and sustainable professional work.
Integrate course learning into an ethically bounded plan for continuing professional development.
Good to Know
Additional Information
This programme provides a broad professional foundation in clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice. It should be applied within each learner’s existing role, competence, training background and ethical responsibilities. Where a presentation involves acute risk, safeguarding, complex medical questions, severe dissociation, statutory intervention or specialist assessment, learners are expected to follow appropriate referral and escalation pathways rather than practise beyond competence.
Live sessions are lecturer-led and may include demonstrations, reflective work, case discussion, skills rehearsal and breakout-room activities. Students are expected to participate actively and to maintain confidentiality when discussing practice material. Any case material brought to class should be sufficiently anonymised. The College may provide recordings of appropriate teaching segments for revision, while routine breakout rooms are not normally recorded.
Students are expected to engage consistently with Moodle, directed reading and assessment preparation. Professional learning in counselling and psychotherapy can evoke personal material; learners should use supervision, personal therapy or other appropriate supports where relevant. ICPS College also expects respectful communication, dignity, inclusivity, a non-judgemental attitude and adherence to College policies, procedures and codes of conduct throughout the programme.
Completion of the Advanced Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology & Mental Health Practice does not in itself confer a protected professional title or authority to diagnose, prescribe, provide statutory assessment or undertake specialist interventions outside the learner’s existing competence. Students seeking clarification about accreditation, attendance, assessment, progression or professional scope should contact the Registry Office at registry@icps.ie.
Programme Structure
Course Curriculum — Ten Modules
Module 1: Foundations of Clinical Psychology & Mental Health
Core theory and professional concepts relating to foundations of clinical psychology & mental health
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to foundations of clinical psychology & mental health
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Module 2: Classification, Diagnosis & Critical Perspectives
Core theory and professional concepts relating to classification, diagnosis & critical perspectives
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to classification, diagnosis & critical perspectives
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Module 3: Assessment, Formulation & Case Conceptualisation
Core theory and professional concepts relating to assessment, formulation & case conceptualisation
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to assessment, formulation & case conceptualisation
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Module 4: Anxiety, Depression & Mood Disorders
Core theory and professional concepts relating to anxiety, depression & mood disorders
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to anxiety, depression & mood disorders
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Module 5: Psychosis, Reality Testing & Severe Mental Distress
Core theory and professional concepts relating to psychosis, reality testing & severe mental distress
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to psychosis, reality testing & severe mental distress
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Module 6: Personality, Attachment & Relational Patterns
Core theory and professional concepts relating to personality, attachment & relational patterns
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to personality, attachment & relational patterns
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Module 7: Neurodevelopmental Presentations & Diversity
Core theory and professional concepts relating to neurodevelopmental presentations & diversity
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to neurodevelopmental presentations & diversity
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Module 8: Trauma, Dissociation & Complex Presentations
Core theory and professional concepts relating to trauma, dissociation & complex presentations
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to trauma, dissociation & complex presentations
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Module 9: Risk, Ethics, Referral & Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Core theory and professional concepts relating to risk, ethics, referral & multidisciplinary collaboration
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to risk, ethics, referral & multidisciplinary collaboration
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Module 10: Integration, Reflective Practice & Professional Scope
Core theory and professional concepts relating to integration, reflective practice & professional scope
Course-specific assessment, formulation or application linked to integration, reflective practice & professional scope
Freudian or Lacanian psychodynamic integration where clinically relevant
Applied case discussion, reflective exercise or skills practice
Assessment Breakdown
Assessment & Course Completion
Your overall course mark is calculated from four assessment components, totalling 100%.
Class Attendance — 10%: A minimum of 80% attendance at live online classes is required. Attendance is recorded automatically through Zoom and reconciled by the Registry.
Skills Assessment — 30% (Mandatory): A demonstrated skills assessment is observed by the lecturer. A minimum passing grade of 80% in the skills assessment is required to receive the course award. Learners who do not achieve 80% at their first attempt will be offered a resubmission opportunity.
Moodle Activity & Lecture Viewing — 20% (Mandatory): Engagement is evidenced through Moodle activity logs, including lecture recordings viewed in full, resources accessed, module tasks completed and consistent weekly participation. Passive enrolment without activity will not meet this requirement.
Case Studies — Modules 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 — 40%: Six case-study submissions are completed across Modules 5–10, applying course concepts to practice. The six submissions collectively account for 40% of the overall course mark and are assessed against the published marking rubric on Moodle. This is the largest single component of the final grade.
Total Percentage Achievable: 100%. The minimum attendance requirement and mandatory skills and Moodle engagement requirements must also be met.
Regular attendance, sustained Moodle engagement and timely assessment submissions support successful progression through the course. If you fall behind or have any concerns about your progress, contact the Registry early for support.
Live Online Attendance & Self-Directed Learning
Students are required to attend 30 hours of live online lecturer-led Zoom sessions. The normal attendance requirement is 80%, meaning students may normally miss only two classes except where approved extenuating circumstances apply. The wider independent-learning component includes extended reading, revision, applied reflection, skills practice, lecture notes, Moodle resources and supplementary academic materials.
Live Delivery
Zoom Delivery
All live online classes are delivered via ICPS College's secure enterprise Zoom platform, providing a stable, professional and confidential environment for lecturer-led teaching, discussion and skills practice. Students are expected to engage fully with live sessions, including breakout room discussions and applied skills practice, to gain the maximum benefit from the programme.
Given the personal and reflective nature of some of the material covered in this course, students are encouraged to attend live sessions from a private, confidential space and to take breaks or seek support where needed. Students experiencing technical difficulties should contact the College promptly so that alternative arrangements can be made where possible.
Learning Platform
Moodle LMS
Students are provided with access to the College's Moodle Learning Management System, where lecture notes, reading materials, module resources and assessment guidance are made available throughout the course. The Moodle LMS supports independent study and allows students to revisit key concepts, review recorded material where applicable, and prepare thoroughly for assessment.
Students are expected to engage regularly with the Moodle LMS as part of their self-directed learning hours. The platform is updated throughout the course to reflect the content covered in live sessions and to support consistent, structured academic progression.
Professional Accreditation & Important Information
Professional pathway and membership options may be available through the Irish Counselling, Psychotherapy & Allied Healthcare Professionals Association (ICPHAA) and recognised continuing-professional-development structures, subject to the current criteria of the relevant body. Students should confirm any specific pathway requirements with the lecturer, course leader or Registry Office.
By enrolling, students agree to comply with ICPS College policies, procedures and codes of conduct. Official course/cohort WhatsApp groups are College-moderated. Unofficial or unmoderated course/cohort groups should not be created for College-related communication without prior College knowledge and consent. These arrangements support student welfare, confidentiality, professional boundaries and protection from bullying, harassment, intimidation, exclusion and reputational harm.
College PoliciesContact Registry
The Institute for Counselling & Psychotherapy Studies. Live-online professional education in counselling, psychotherapy, psychology, mental health and allied practice.
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College
Contact
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Ireland☎01 963 6141
Canada☎+1 437 370 4443
International Ireland☎+353 1 963 6141
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Spain☎+34 877 270 074
© ICPS College — Institute for Counselling & Psychotherapy Studies
Advanced Professional Diploma
Advanced Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology
A live-online specialist programme in clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice.
At a Glance
Course Details
€645Course Fee
€322.50Deposit to Secure Place
30 hrsLive Zoom Teaching
30 hrsSelf-Directed Learning
Overview
Course Description
The Advanced Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology is a specialist live-online programme designed for counsellors, psychotherapists, healthcare and social-care practitioners, students and adult learners. It develops a structured and professionally bounded understanding of clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice. The programme combines conceptual teaching, clinical reflection, applied skills, case discussion and ethical decision-making so that learners can connect theory with real-world therapeutic and helping contexts.
Teaching begins by establishing the principal concepts and language used in clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice. Learners examine how biological, psychological, relational, social and cultural influences shape presentation and recovery. The course then moves progressively into assessment, formulation, communication and intervention, with careful attention to what falls within the learner’s role and when specialist referral, multidisciplinary consultation or medical input is required.
A psychodynamic strand runs throughout the programme. Freudian concepts such as unconscious conflict, defence, repetition, transference and countertransference are used to deepen formulation, while Lacanian ideas concerning language, desire, the symbolic order and the subject’s relationship to the Other are introduced where they illuminate the course theme. These perspectives are integrated alongside contemporary evidence-informed approaches rather than presented as stand-alone doctrine.
Practical application is central. Learners participate in structured skills practice, case formulation, reflective exercises and scenario work designed to strengthen professional judgement. The programme emphasises relational safety, informed consent, scope of competence, cultural humility, safeguarding awareness, appropriate boundaries and the use of supervision. Learners are encouraged to notice their own emotional responses, assumptions and countertransference so that self-awareness becomes part of safe practice.
The live-online format supports direct lecturer engagement and peer discussion while Moodle provides structured resources for independent learning, revision and assessment preparation. The wider learning hours are used for reading, reflective practice, skills rehearsal and engagement with supplementary academic material. The overall design therefore combines live teaching with disciplined self-directed study rather than treating online delivery as passive distance learning.
By completion, learners should be able to discuss clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice with greater conceptual clarity, formulate relevant presentations using an integrated framework, communicate safely and respectfully, and apply course-specific skills within appropriate professional boundaries. The qualification is intended to strengthen continuing professional development and reflective practice; it does not replace statutory, medical, diagnostic or specialist training where those functions are legally or professionally restricted.
Why Choose This Course
Course Highlights
- Comprehensive specialist training in clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice.
- Live-online lecturer-led delivery with real-time discussion and applied learning.
- Course-specific assessment, formulation and intervention skills.
- Integration of contemporary evidence-informed approaches with reflective practice.
- Freudian concepts including unconscious conflict, defence, repetition and transference.
- Lacanian perspectives on language, desire, the symbolic order and the Other where relevant.
- Strong emphasis on ethics, scope of competence, safeguarding and professional boundaries.
- Applied case discussion, scenario work and structured skills practice.
- Moodle-supported self-directed reading, revision and assessment preparation.
- Attention to attachment, development, trauma and relational processes where relevant.
- Focus on supervision, practitioner self-awareness and countertransference.
- Final integration of learning into safe, reflective and professionally appropriate practice.
What You Will Achieve
Learning Outcomes
- Explain key theories, language and professional concepts relevant to clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice.
- Analyse presentations using integrated biological, psychological, relational and social perspectives.
- Apply structured assessment and formulation principles within the limits of the learner’s role.
- Use clear, respectful and non-stigmatising professional communication.
- Recognise indicators requiring referral, safeguarding action, medical review or multidisciplinary input.
- Integrate appropriate evidence-informed interventions with relational and reflective practice.
- Use Freudian concepts to consider unconscious conflict, defence, repetition and transference.
- Use selected Lacanian concepts to deepen understanding of language, desire and subjectivity where appropriate.
- Reflect on countertransference, assumptions and the practitioner’s use of self.
- Maintain ethical boundaries, confidentiality, informed consent and scope of competence.
- Use supervision and reflective practice to support safe and sustainable professional work.
- Integrate course learning into an ethically bounded plan for continuing professional development.
Good to Know
Additional Information
This programme provides a broad professional foundation in clinical psychology, mental-health presentations, formulation and multidisciplinary practice. It should be applied within each learner’s existing role, competence, training background and ethical responsibilities. Where a presentation involves acute risk, safeguarding, complex medical questions, severe dissociation, statutory intervention or specialist assessment, learners are expected to follow appropriate referral and escalation pathways rather than practise beyond competence.
Live sessions are lecturer-led and may include demonstrations, reflective work, case discussion, skills rehearsal and breakout-room activities. Students are expected to participate actively and to maintain confidentiality when discussing practice material. Any case material brought to class should be sufficiently anonymised. The College may provide recordings of appropriate teaching segments for revision, while routine breakout rooms are not normally recorded.
Students are expected to engage consistently with Moodle, directed reading and assessment preparation. Professional learning in counselling and psychotherapy can evoke personal material; learners should use supervision, personal therapy or other appropriate supports where relevant. ICPS College also expects respectful communication, dignity, inclusivity, a non-judgemental attitude and adherence to College policies, procedures and codes of conduct throughout the programme.
Completion of the Advanced Professional Diploma in Clinical Psychology does not in itself confer a protected professional title or authority to diagnose, prescribe, provide statutory assessment or undertake specialist interventions outside the learner’s existing competence. Students seeking clarification about accreditation, attendance, assessment, progression or professional scope should contact the Registry Office at registry@icps.ie.
Programme Structure
Advanced Course Curriculum — Ten Modules
- Develop a structured case history covering presenting concerns, development, relationships, physical health, medication, substance use, culture, strengths and previous support. Practise rapport, collaborative enquiry and the principal domains of the mental state examination (MSE).
- Explore Freud’s evenly suspended attention and the emergence of transference from first contact. Distinguish attentive listening from unstructured assessment, and consider how expectations, anxiety and defensive processes shape the initial encounter.
- Study Lacanian preliminary interviews, the difference between need, demand and desire, and the position assigned to the practitioner in a referral. Attend to repetitions, contradictions, pauses and changes in speech while avoiding speculative interpretation of isolated features.
- Applied learning: conduct a simulated interview, produce an observational MSE and separate reported experience, observed findings and tentative hypotheses. Review uncertainty, cultural meaning, risk escalation and assessment boundaries in supervision.
- Construct collaborative 5Ps, cognitive-behavioural and biopsychosocial formulations linking presenting, predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating and protective factors. Evaluate competing hypotheses and revise formulations as new information emerges.
- Examine Freudian overdetermination, unconscious conflict and Nachträglichkeit, or deferred action: later experiences may reorganise the meaning of earlier events. Consider how this complicates a simple linear account of causality without establishing the historical accuracy of a memory.
- Explore Lacan’s fundamental fantasy as a frame for the subject’s relation to desire and the Other, alongside objet petit a, identification and jouissance. Distinguish these theoretical constructions from conscious daydreams and from verified clinical findings.
- Applied learning: develop parallel formulations of one case, support each inference with available material and identify alternative explanations. Practise tentative language and consider why premature interpretation can undermine trust, obscure risk or impose the practitioner’s preferred theory.
- Review anxiety and depressive presentations, functional impairment and cognitive-behavioural maintenance cycles associated with Beck and Clark. Examine avoidance, safety behaviours, rumination and withdrawal alongside social adversity, physical health and appropriate referral.
- Compare Freud’s earlier account of anxiety with signal anxiety in Inhibitions, Symptoms and Anxiety (1926). Study Mourning and Melancholia (1917), including loss, ambivalence, identification and self-reproach, while distinguishing historical melancholia from contemporary diagnostic categories.
- Engage with Seminar X on anxiety’s relation to the object and the desire of the Other. Use Seminar VII to consider desire, guilt and ethical positioning; critically examine later Lacanian readings of depression without reducing depressive illness to a failure of desire or blaming the person.
- Applied learning: formulate an anxiety or depression vignette, distinguish supportive enquiry from interpretation, and integrate symptom monitoring, collaborative goals and risk assessment within professional competence.
- Compare Janet’s work on dissociation, Herman’s phase-oriented model and the window of tolerance as frameworks for understanding trauma responses. Examine safety, grounding, stabilisation, agency and the pacing of work in relation to contemporary trauma guidance.
- Study Beyond the Pleasure Principle (1920), including repetition compulsion, traumatic dreams and the protective-shield metaphor. Critically examine the seduction-theory debate, differentiating historical theory, psychical reality and evidence concerning actual abuse.
- Explore trauma as an encounter with the Real and the distinction between tuché and automaton in Seminar XI. Consider what resists symbolisation, how repetition may organise experience, and the limits of treating every repeated pattern as evidence of trauma.
- Applied learning: design a stabilisation-focused response to a fictional case and identify indications for specialist referral. Avoid suggestive questioning, recovered-memory techniques and pressure to disclose; connect case-study work to careful formulation rather than presumed hidden events.
- Review dimensional personality frameworks and Kernberg’s account of personality organisation, including identity integration, defences and reality testing. Distinguish personality organisation from categorical personality diagnoses and examine relational functioning in context.
- Study Freud’s Schreber case (1911) and Neurosis and Psychosis (1924), considering their conceptual contributions and historical limitations. Examine conflict, withdrawal, reconstruction of meaning and the ethical implications of interpreting published case material.
- Explore foreclosure of the Name-of-the-Father in Seminar III, triggering and stabilising arrangements. Introduce suppléance and later Lacanian developments associated with ordinary psychosis, explicitly distinguishing these traditions from formal diagnostic criteria.
- Applied learning: recognise features requiring urgent assessment, including marked deterioration or impaired reality testing, while considering medical, substance-related and cultural explanations. Develop a respectful multidisciplinary referral and discuss why theoretical structural hypotheses never replace specialist assessment or justify confrontational interpretation.
- Examine structured approaches to risk formulation and their limitations, including changing circumstances, protective factors, collaborative safety planning and clear documentation. Distinguish risk assessment from prediction and identify when immediate escalation or emergency intervention is necessary.
- Review Irish safeguarding, consent and information-sharing responsibilities through the Children First Act 2015, Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 as amended, GDPR and applicable mental-health legislation. Include the Mental Health Act 2001 and the transition to the Mental Health Act 2026, checking commencement and current duties at the time of teaching.
- Critically discuss Freud’s death drive and melancholic self-reproach as theoretical perspectives, not suicide-prediction tools. Compare Lacan’s acting out and passage à l’acte in Seminar X without assuming either concept determines intent or level of risk.
- Applied learning: work through a safeguarding and suicide-risk scenario, document decisions and escalation, and examine Seminar VII’s critique of the service of goods. Keep psychoanalytic ethics in dialogue with safeguarding duties, consent, competence and accountability.
- Compare common-factors research associated with Wampold, current condition-specific NICE guidance and evidence for psychodynamic therapies, including critical appraisal of Shedler’s review. Distinguish evidence for a treatment approach from evidence supporting a particular theoretical explanation.
- Study Freud’s Lines of Advance in Psycho-Analytic Therapy (1919), including the relationship between analysis and suggestion, and Analysis Terminable and Interminable (1937). Consider resistance, therapeutic limits, endings and the distinction between supportive and interpretive interventions.
- Examine The Direction of the Treatment, the desire of the analyst and Lacan’s critique of ego-adaptation models. Explore timing, the therapeutic frame and the difference between directing treatment and directing a person’s life.
- Applied learning: justify an intervention plan using formulation, preferences, evidence and competence. Compare clarification, supportive responses and tentative interpretation in supervised simulations; identify when referral, additional training or a different treatment approach is indicated.
- Develop clear referral and handover documents that distinguish observations, the person’s account, formulation and outstanding questions. Consider consent, minimum necessary disclosure, confidentiality limits, accessible language and responsibilities within multidisciplinary teams.
- Use Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego (1921) to examine identification, authority, idealisation and belonging within teams and institutions. Reflect on how professional loyalties and defensive processes can influence collaborative decision-making.
- Study the four discourses in Seminar XVII: master, university, hysteric and analyst. Explore their positions of authority, knowledge, divided subjectivity and object-cause as a lens on institutional relationships, rather than fixed personality types or labels for colleagues.
- Applied learning: present a case to a simulated MDT, produce a concise referral and analyse a disagreement across professional perspectives. Consider misunderstanding as a structural possibility while maintaining the practical duty to communicate clearly, check understanding and agree responsibility.
- Integrate assessment, formulation, risk awareness and intervention planning through reflective practice and preparation for the skills assessment. Examine practitioner wellbeing, boundaries, supervision, cultural reflexivity and the difference between self-care and institutional responsibility.
- Explore Freud’s discussion of the impossible professions and the role of personal analysis in psychoanalytic formation. Compare Freud’s approach to countertransference with Paula Heimann’s later contribution, treating practitioner responses as material for supervision rather than unquestionable knowledge about the client.
- Critically examine Lacan’s proposition that the analyst authorises himself, questions of formation versus training, and theoretical accounts of the end of analysis. Distinguish this proposition from professional credentialing, legal authority and exemption from ethical accountability.
- Applied learning: present an integrated case formulation, reflect on the six case studies across Modules 5–10 and identify a continuing-development plan. Completion of this CPD diploma does not by itself confer qualification or registration as a clinical psychologist or psychoanalyst.
Assessment Breakdown
Assessment & Course Completion
Your overall course mark is calculated from four assessment components, totalling 100%.
- Class Attendance — 10%: A minimum of 80% attendance at live online classes is required. Attendance is recorded automatically through Zoom and reconciled by the Registry.
- Skills Assessment — 30% (Mandatory): A demonstrated skills assessment is observed by the lecturer. A minimum passing grade of 80% in the skills assessment is required to receive the course award. Learners who do not achieve 80% at their first attempt will be offered a resubmission opportunity.
- Moodle Activity & Lecture Viewing — 20% (Mandatory): Engagement is evidenced through Moodle activity logs, including lecture recordings viewed in full, resources accessed, module tasks completed and consistent weekly participation. Passive enrolment without activity will not meet this requirement.
- Case Studies — Modules 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10 — 40%: Six case-study submissions are completed across Modules 5–10, applying course concepts to practice. The six submissions collectively account for 40% of the overall course mark and are assessed against the published marking rubric on Moodle. This is the largest single component of the final grade.
Total Percentage Achievable: 100%. The minimum attendance requirement and mandatory skills and Moodle engagement requirements must also be met.
Regular attendance, sustained Moodle engagement and timely assessment submissions support successful progression through the course. If you fall behind or have any concerns about your progress, contact the Registry early for support.
Live Online Attendance & Self-Directed Learning
Students are required to attend 30 hours of live online lecturer-led Zoom sessions. The normal attendance requirement is 80%, meaning students may normally miss only two classes except where approved extenuating circumstances apply. The wider independent-learning component includes extended reading, revision, applied reflection, skills practice, lecture notes, Moodle resources and supplementary academic materials.
Live Delivery
Zoom Delivery
All live online classes are delivered via ICPS College's secure enterprise Zoom platform, providing a stable, professional and confidential environment for lecturer-led teaching, discussion and skills practice. Students are expected to engage fully with live sessions, including breakout room discussions and applied skills practice, to gain the maximum benefit from the programme.
Given the personal and reflective nature of some of the material covered in this course, students are encouraged to attend live sessions from a private, confidential space and to take breaks or seek support where needed. Students experiencing technical difficulties should contact the College promptly so that alternative arrangements can be made where possible.
Learning Platform
Moodle LMS
Students are provided with access to the College's Moodle Learning Management System, where lecture notes, reading materials, module resources and assessment guidance are made available throughout the course. The Moodle LMS supports independent study and allows students to revisit key concepts, review recorded material where applicable, and prepare thoroughly for assessment.
Students are expected to engage regularly with the Moodle LMS as part of their self-directed learning hours. The platform is updated throughout the course to reflect the content covered in live sessions and to support consistent, structured academic progression.
Professional Accreditation & Important Information
Professional pathway and membership options may be available through the Irish Counselling, Psychotherapy & Allied Healthcare Professionals Association (ICPHAA) and recognised continuing-professional-development structures, subject to the current criteria of the relevant body. Students should confirm any specific pathway requirements with the lecturer, course leader or Registry Office.
By enrolling, students agree to comply with ICPS College policies, procedures and codes of conduct. Official course/cohort WhatsApp groups are College-moderated. Unofficial or unmoderated course/cohort groups should not be created for College-related communication without prior College knowledge and consent. These arrangements support student welfare, confidentiality, professional boundaries and protection from bullying, harassment, intimidation, exclusion and reputational harm.
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