Duration
One year, part-time
Qualification
Certificate
Start Date
23 Sept 2026
Closing Date
21 Aug 2026
Foundation in Family & Systemic Practice
The Foundation in Family & Systemic Practice is delivered over one year, part-time. This programme provides an accessible entry point into systemic thinking and practice while forming the first stage of the full professional training pathway.
Successful completion enables participants to progress through the four-year training route in Systemic Psychotherapy, leading toward qualification as a Family and Systemic Psychotherapist accredited by the UK Council for Psychotherapy.
This foundation year also stands as a valuable training experience in its own right, offering a robust grounding in systemic principles and their application across professional contexts. We intend to seek approval from the Association for Family & Systemic Psychotherapy, subject to the successful delivery of the first year of the programme.
Course information
Start Date: 23 September 2026
Application Closing Date: 21 August 2026
Course length: 1 Year (14 evenings, Wednesday, twice a month 18:00-21:00, and three full days, Saturday, 10:00-16:00)
Fee: £1,950
Course Overview
The Foundation in Family & Systemic Practice (cert) is developed to meet the growing workforce need for practitioners who can think and work systemically with complexity, relationships, and context. The course is grounded in a systems approach, understanding difficulties as arising within relational, social, cultural, and organisational contexts rather than residing solely within individuals.
The programme addresses work with families, couples (with or without children), children, young people, and wider relational networks. It is particularly relevant for professionals in mental health, social care, safeguarding, education, youth services, and community settings, where collaborative, multi-person, and multi-agency work is central.
Participants are introduced to the core principles underpinning systemic practice and the main systemic approaches, developing competence in applying these ideas to assessment, formulation, and intervention. The curriculum supports practitioners to broaden their range of relational interventions across the professional contexts in which they already work.
Delivered through evening teaching and intensive skills workshops, the structure is designed for working professionals, allowing immediate integration of learning into practice settings. The Foundation year functions both as a substantial standalone training in systemic thinking and as the first stage of the four-year professional training pathway in Systemic Psychotherapy.
Entry Requirements
You do not need prior experience or formal training in systemic practice to apply.
Applicants should currently be engaged, through their professional role, in work that involves families, couples, children, or family networks.
Those planning to continue to the Qualifying Level should note that entry at that stage normally requires an existing recognised professional qualification. Applicants without this may be considered through an Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) route. Please refer to the Prior Professional Qualifications and APEL policy for full details of the Qualifying Level entry requirements.
Course Content
The programme is organised into two parallel strands - theory and skills - which run alongside one another throughout the year. Together, these strands develop participants’ knowledge, clinical reasoning, and applied competencies in:
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Theories underpinning systemic practice and models of systemic intervention
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Systemic approaches in child-focused and family-oriented work
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Observing and making sense of interactional patterns within families, couples, and professional systems
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Practical methods of systemic intervention and relational change
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Applying systemic perspectives across different practice contexts
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Ongoing personal and professional development of the practitioner
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Anti-oppressive and socially aware practice
An 80% minimum attendance is required.
Summative Assessment
Genogram Essay — 2,500 words (January) — 60%
Group Presentation: Case Study Reflexive Discussion (May) — 40%
Formative Assessment
Reflective Learning Portfolio — May submission (not graded)
How to Apply
Applications Open: 10 February 2026
Applications Close: 11:59 pm on 21 August 2026
Course places are limited to 15 students and early applications are encouraged. Please complete the application form by clicking the above link. There is no application fee.
The fee for the Foundation in Family & Systemic Practice is £1,950. This reduced fee reflects the first-year delivery of the programme as it moves toward formal professional accreditation. Participants will receive a course completion certificate, and the programme is intended to be approved by the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice following successful completion of this initial delivery and the approval process.
Payment by instalments is available for self-funding participants, with monthly or termly arrangements possible.
Once a place on the course is accepted, participants (or their employer/sponsor) are responsible for the full course fee. This remains the case if a participant withdraws or is unable to complete the programme.
Course Staff
