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PgCert Systemic Practice and Family Therapy

Queen's University Belfast

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Queen's University Belfast

Course options

  • Qualification

    Postgraduate Certificate

  • Location

    Queen's Campus

  • Study mode

    Part time

  • Start date

    15-SEP-25

  • Duration

    1 Year

Course summary

Overview

The suite of multidisciplinary Systemic Practice and Family Therapy programmes are suitable for professionally qualified staff who wish to enhance their skills of working effectively with individuals, families, couples, other systems and relationship networks.

There are three levels of systemic practice and family therapy training: PG Certificate (AFT accredited Foundation - Year 1), PG Diploma (AFT accredited Intermediate- Year 2) and MSc Systemic Psychotherapy (AFT accredited Qualifying level training - Years 3 and 4).

This one-year Postgraduate Certificate is the entrance programme to all levels of systemic training and must be undertaken before applying for other programmes.

The Postgraduate Certificate seeks to help practitioners in different settings and roles understand the core concepts of contemporary systemic practice and utilise systemic skills and techniques to maximise the therapeutic benefit for individual service users or relationships groups in their everyday work.

Systemic practice and family therapy helps people in close relationships to better understand and support each other. It enables individuals and family members to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, understand each other’s experiences and views, appreciate each other’s needs, build on family strengths, and work together to make useful changes in their relationships and their lives.

Systemic family therapy has been found to be effective across the life course in helping children, young people, adults, couples and families struggling with a broad range of difficulties and circumstances.

Systemic practitioners, and family and systemic psychotherapists work in many health and social care contexts across child and adult settings, including child and family support services, looked after children’s services, older people’s services, physical health and disability, substance use, justice and mental health services.

Please note that this course is not eligible for a Tier 4 visa.

Systemic Practice And Family Therapy Highlights

The Postgraduate Certificate in Systemic Practice and Family Therapy provides knowledge and skills which are highly valued in both child and adult services across health, justice and social care.

Professional Accreditations

All levels of Systemic Practice and Family Therapy programmes at Queen's are accredited by the Association of Family Therapy and Systemic Practice UK (AFT), a member organisation of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), and recognised by the relevant professions’ continuing professional development frameworks. The PG Certificate programme is aligned with the specialist award of the Professional in Practice CPD framework for Social Work of the Northern Ireland Social Care Council.

Tuition fees

Students living in United States
(International fees)

£ 7,166per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

Queen's University Belfast

Queen's University Belfast

Queen's University Belfast

  • University League Table

    24th

  • Campus address

    Queen's Campus, University Road, Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom

VIEW PROFILE
Queen's is a member of the UK's Russell Group of research-intensive institutions.
Its historic campus with cutting-edge facilities is set in the heart of the affordable city of Belfast.
Queen's commits to preparing students for the future. It provides international students with dedicated careers support to help them fulfil their potential.

Subject rankings

  • Subject ranking

    Social Work

    1st out of 73 1

  • Entry standards

    / Max 181
    158 88%

    3rd

  • Graduate prospects

    / Max 100
    94.0 94%

    20th

    2

  • Student satisfaction

    / Max 4
    3.16 79%

    37th

    7

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