Question 1

What level is the diploma?

Accepted Answer

The diploma is assessed at Level 7 and is designed to provide advanced, postgraduate-level learning appropriate for qualified occupational therapists, or those who hold a recognised occupational therapy qualification.

Question 2

Is the diploma accredited?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy: REMIND Therapy® is accredited by the International Society of Psychotherapy and Counselling (ISPC).

Question 3

Can I join the ISPC whilst I am studying?

Accepted Answer

Students are offered free student membership of the ISPC during their studies should they wish to join its wider community of counsellors and psychotherapists.

Question 4

Do I need to be a qualified occupational therapist?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Applicants must hold a recognised occupational therapy qualification that enables them to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).Occupational therapists returning to practice through the HCPC return-to-practice route may also be eligible, as are those who are currently not registered.

Question 5

Can occupational therapists outside the UK apply?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Occupational therapists practising outside the UK may apply, but they remain responsible for ensuring that their practice complies with the professional, regulatory, insurance and legal requirements applicable within the country, state or jurisdiction in which they practise.

Question 6

Do I need professional indemnity insurance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All students must have appropriate professional indemnity insurance covering their practice. This may be provided through professional membership or through a separate appropriate insurance provider.

Question 7

How long does the diploma take?

Accepted Answer

The diploma is an intensive six-month programme.Courses will typically run from January to June or September to February.

Question 8

How many learning hours are involved?

Accepted Answer

The complete programme comprises approximately 400–450 learning hours, incorporating:150 hours of focused live teaching;80 hours of weekly focused task learning;approximately 70–100 hours of case-study preparation; and100 hours of workplace practice.Students should therefore expect the diploma to require a substantial commitment alongside the scheduled teaching.

Question 9

How is the course taught?

Accepted Answer

The diploma uses a blended-learning approach.The majority of teaching takes place live online via Zoom, normally on a Wednesday or Thursday evening from 5.00 pm–9.00 pm UK time. Monthly Saturday tutorials are also included.Students additionally attend an intensive in-person skills-based weekend in Taunton, Somerset.

Question 10

Is the Taunton weekend compulsory?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Attendance at the in-person Saturday and Sunday skills-based weekend in Taunton is a compulsory requirement of the course.Meals and refreshments are provided during the day time teaching weekend. Students are responsible for their own travel, accommodation and associated costs.

Question 11

Do I have to attend all the online teaching?

Accepted Answer

Students are expected to attend the live teaching programme, with a minimum attendance requirement of 80%.Any missed teaching must be studied independently, and students remain responsible for completing the associated learning activities.Attendance at the in-person skills weekend is compulsory in order to pass the course.

Question 12

Do I need to be working clinically while completing the diploma?

Accepted Answer

You need to have access to an appropriate practice setting in which you can complete 100 hours of supervised practice experience and apply the principles of integrative psychotherapy and REMIND Therapy®.Practice may take place within statutory, voluntary or independent settings and may be undertaken alongside either full-time or part-time employment.  As occupational therapists work across both physical and mental health settings you will need to ensure that whatever the setting you are based in you can apply your course learning. This is the responsibility of individual students and we are unable to offer support finding an appropriate practice placement if you need one.

Question 13

Do I have to find my own placement?

Accepted Answer

If you can appropriately embed the required practice within your existing professional role, you do not need a separate placement.If your current employment or practice does not provide suitable opportunities, you are responsible for arranging an appropriate practice placement in which you can complete the required supervised practice hours.

Question 14

How many practice hours do I need?

Accepted Answer

You must complete 100 hours of supervised practice during the diploma.These hours are intended to provide opportunities to develop competence in applying REMIND Therapy® and integrative psychotherapeutic principles within real-life professional practice.

Question 15

Can the 100 hours count towards HCPC return-to-practice requirements?

Accepted Answer

For occupational therapists returning to the HCPC register, 100 hours equates to approximately 14.29 days (approximately 14 days and 2 hours; based on the current criteria of 7 hours per day).Students using their practice for HCPC return-to-practice purposes remain responsible for ensuring that they meet the HCPC's current requirements.

Question 16

Do I need a supervisor?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Supervision is compulsory throughout the diploma.Applicants must provide details of their supervisor, who must agree to supervise them during the course, including during their 100 hours of practice.The supervisor will be required to sign the student's supervision record at the end of the programme. The supervisor can either be your current practice supervisor, or an independent supervisor who provide the necessary 90 minutes required each month.

Question 17

How much supervision do I need?

Accepted Answer

The course specifies a minimum of 90 minutes of psychotherapy supervision per practice month.This should be regarded as a minimum rather than an automatic indication that sufficient supervision has been undertaken. Students are expected, as autonomous professionals, to recognise when the complexity or volume of their work requires additional supervision.

Question 18

Is supervision included in the course fee?

Accepted Answer

No. Students are responsible for arranging and funding their own supervision.

Question 19

Do I have to undertake personal therapy?

Accepted Answer

Personal therapy is recommended but is not a compulsory requirement of the diploma.As students are already qualified healthcare professionals, the course does not prescribe personal therapy as a mandatory component. However, approximately 10–20 sessions of personal counselling or psychotherapy are recommended.Personal therapy can provide valuable insight into the experience of being a therapy client and support the student's development of self-awareness, reflexivity and therapeutic use of self.

Question 20

Does the course contain emotionally challenging material?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Psychotherapy education necessarily explores complex aspects of human experience.Some teaching and case-study material may address trauma, neglect, abuse and childhood sexual abuse. Students are expected to monitor their own wellbeing and recognise potential personal responses, including triggering, vicarious trauma or reactivation of previous experiences.Students should make appropriate use of supervision and seek additional professional support or personal therapy where required.

Question 21

What psychotherapeutic approaches will I study?

Accepted Answer

The diploma introduces and integrates a broad range of psychotherapeutic perspectives and skills, including:core counselling and therapeutic communication skills;person-centred and humanistic psychotherapy;Gestalt approaches;Transactional Analysis (TA);existential approaches;Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT);Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT);Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT);Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT);Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT);trauma-informed approaches;somatic approaches and Polyvagal Theory; andspiritual, transpersonal and metaphysical perspectives.Students learn to consider how different theoretical perspectives can be integrated appropriately rather than approaching psychotherapy through a single therapeutic model.

Question 22

What makes REMIND Therapy® different?

Accepted Answer

REMIND Therapy® brings psychotherapeutic thinking together with the holistic and occupational perspective of occupational therapy.Alongside established psychotherapeutic theories and modalities, students explore the psychotherapeutic application of the REMIND components:Routine – Exercise – Mindfulness – Invest in Self – Invest in Others – Nature – Diet.These are explored in relation to areas including identity, habits, roles, sleep, motivation, relationships, attachment, self-worth, values, boundaries, self-compassion, meaningful occupation, sensory regulation, embodiment, physical activity, nourishment, social participation and wellbeing.The emphasis is not simply upon learning individual techniques, but upon developing the ability to think and practise integratively, psychotherapeutically and holistically.

Question 23

Will I learn practical counselling and psychotherapy skills?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Practical skills development is an important component of the diploma.Students explore active listening, attending, paraphrasing, summarising, reflection of feeling, open questioning, Socratic questioning, therapeutic silence, empathic responding, therapeutic use of self, transference and countertransference alongside modality-specific skills.The compulsory in-person weekend provides additional opportunities for intensive skills-based learning.

Question 24

How is the diploma assessed?

Accepted Answer

Assessment consists of:Case-study assessment – 80%Students complete either:two anonymised case studies of approximately 3,000 words each; orone in-depth case study of approximately 6,000 words.Reflective learning journal – 20%Students also complete a 2,000-word reflective learning journal based upon their learning, practice, supervision and professional development throughout the programme.In addition, students must successfully complete the required 100 hours of supervised practice.

Question 25

Can I use group work for my case study?

Accepted Answer

Yes, within certain limits.If completing two 3,000-word case studies, one may be based upon group practice. The other must concern an individual client, patient or service user.A group-only case study cannot be used for the single 6,000-word in-depth case-study option.

Question 26

Do I need permission to write about a client or patient?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Case-study material must be fully anonymised, and appropriate permission must be obtained for the use of practice material.Students are taught to consider consent, confidentiality, anonymisation and the ethical presentation of client material as part of their Level 7 assessment preparation.

Question 27

What is the pass mark?

Accepted Answer

The overall pass mark for the diploma is 50%.Students must also satisfactorily complete the course requirements, including supervised practice and compulsory elements of the teaching programme.

Question 28

What academic standard is expected?

Accepted Answer

Students are expected to work at Level 7 and demonstrate more than descriptive knowledge of therapeutic approaches.Assessment requires students to demonstrate skills including critical thinking, assessment and formulation, selection and justification of therapeutic approaches, integration of theory, research and practice, reflexivity, ethical reasoning, evaluation of outcomes and appropriate academic referencing.

Question 29

Will I need to use Harvard referencing?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Students are expected to use Harvard referencing within their assessed academic work.Teaching and guidance on case-study preparation, academic presentation and referencing are incorporated into the course.

Question 30

What will I be able to do after completing the diploma?

Accepted Answer

The programme is designed to enable occupational therapists to develop advanced integrative psychotherapeutic knowledge and skills and to apply the REMIND Therapy® approach with clients, patients and service users.These skills may be embedded within appropriate occupational therapy roles in hospitals, clinics, community services and other statutory settings, or used within appropriately insured and supervised independent  psychotherapy / counselling practice.Graduates remain responsible for practising within their individual competence, professional scope, insurance arrangements and any relevant regulatory or professional requirements.

Question 31

Does completing the diploma automatically change my HCPC registration?

Accepted Answer

No. The diploma is a post-qualifying professional programme and does not alter the protected professional title under which an occupational therapist is registered with the HCPC.Students and graduates remain responsible for representing their qualifications and professional status accurately.

Question 32

Can I add letters after my name once I have passed the diploma?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can use the letters : DipIPRT - this stands for the Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy: REMIND Therapy

Question 33

How much does the diploma cost?

Accepted Answer

The standard course fee is £2,300.A non-refundable £400 deposit is required to secure a place, with the remaining £1,900 normally payable before the course begins.In exceptional circumstances, a payment arrangement may be available. Where the remaining fee is spread over five monthly payments of £450 following the £400 deposit, the total course cost is £2,650.All fees must be paid in full before the diploma can be awarded.You are responsible for funding the diploma as an individual applicant. This includes securing necessary funding from your employer (if available). We cannot liase on your behalf for any funding opportunties as this is your responsiblity.

Question 34

What is not included in the course fee?

Accepted Answer

Students should budget separately for:clinical/practice supervision;personal therapy, if undertaken;additional one-to-one tuition;books and additional learning resources;travel to the compulsory Taunton weekend;overnight accommodation; andother personal expenses associated with attending the face-to-face component.

Question 35

Is additional individual tuition available?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Additional one-to-one tuition, advice or support outside the scheduled teaching programme may be arranged at an additional cost of £85 per hour. Students are responsible for payment of this if it is requested.

Question 36

Who is this diploma particularly suited to?

Accepted Answer

The diploma may be particularly relevant to occupational therapists who want to:develop greater confidence in counselling and psychotherapy skills;integrate established psychotherapy modalities within occupational therapy;develop a specialist psychotherapeutic occupational therapy role;practice independently as psychotherapists;work more holistically with psychological distress;enhance their therapeutic use of self;integrate occupation, identity, relationships, lifestyle and psychological processes;develop their existing statutory or independent practice; orundertake advanced professional development in REMIND Therapy®.

Question 37

What is expected of me as a student?

Accepted Answer

This is an intensive professional practitioner programme. Students are expected to take responsibility for their own learning, attendance, professional conduct, supervision, practice opportunities, emotional wellbeing and academic development.The course is intended to develop reflective, ethical and autonomous practitioners who can recognise both their competence and the limits of that competence.

Question 38

How do I know whether the diploma is right for me?

Accepted Answer

The diploma is likely to be most appropriate if you are already a qualified occupational therapist and want to develop substantial psychotherapeutic knowledge and skills while retaining the distinctive holistic and occupational perspective of your existing profession.Prospective applicants should consider whether they can realistically commit to the live teaching, independent study, compulsory skills weekend, assessment requirements, supervision and 100 hours of practice before applying.

Question 39

I hold a recognised degree in Occupational Therapy but I am not currently registered with the HCPC. Can I still apply?

Accepted Answer

Potentially, yes. Applicants who hold an appropriate recognised qualification in Occupational Therapy but who are not currently registered with the HCPC may be considered for admission on an individual basis.For example, you may have qualified as an occupational therapist but then subsequently moved into another area of therapeutic practice and now work professionally as a counsellor or therapist, rather than practising under the protected title of Occupational Therapist.Applicants in this position will need to demonstrate that they hold an appropriate Occupational Therapy qualification and that they have a suitable current therapeutic practice setting in which the learning from the diploma can be safely and appropriately applied. For example, within your existing counselling or therapy practice.You will also need to demonstrate that you:have appropriate professional indemnity insurance for your current therapeutic practice;have appropriate professional supervision in place for the duration of the diploma;are able to complete the required 100 hours of supervised practice;practise within the scope of your current professional competence, qualifications and insurance; andmeet the other academic and professional requirements for admission to the course.Where you are not currently HCPC registered, undertaking or completing the Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy: REMIND Therapy® does not confer HCPC registration or entitle you to use the HCPC-protected title “Occupational Therapist.”Admission in these circumstances is considered individually by the Course Lead. Applicants may be asked to provide evidence of their Occupational Therapy qualification, current counselling or therapeutic practice, professional membership where applicable, insurance and supervision arrangements before a place is offered.If you are intending to return to HCPC-registered Occupational Therapy practice, you remain responsible for meeting the HCPC's current return-to-practice requirements separately.

Question 40

I have an Occupational Therapy background and want to work independently as a psychotherapist. Is this course suitable for me?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy: REMIND Therapy® has been specifically developed for people with an Occupational Therapy background who wish to develop advanced psychotherapeutic knowledge and skills, including those who are interested in developing independent psychotherapy practice.The course provides advanced teaching in integrative psychotherapy and draws upon a range of established psychotherapeutic approaches, including psychodynamic, humanistic and person-centred approaches, CBT, DBT, ACT, Solution-Focused Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, trauma-informed and somatic approaches, alongside spiritual and transpersonal perspectives.These approaches are integrated with the distinctive holistic and occupational perspective of REMIND Therapy®.If your intention is to move towards independent psychotherapy practice, the diploma provides an opportunity to develop your psychotherapy skills through 100 hours of supervised practice, advanced theoretical study, skills development, case-study assessment, reflective practice and ongoing psychotherapy supervision.However, completion of the diploma does not remove your individual responsibility to practise within your competence and to ensure that your professional arrangements are appropriate for independent practice. This includes having suitable professional indemnity insurance, appropriate ongoing clinical supervision, robust safeguarding and record-keeping procedures, and working within the ethical and professional framework applicable to your practice.If you remain HCPC registered as an Occupational Therapist, you must continue to meet the requirements associated with your HCPC registration and accurately represent your professional qualifications and registration status.If you hold an Occupational Therapy qualification but are not currently HCPC registered, you must not represent yourself as an HCPC-registered Occupational Therapist or use the HCPC-protected title “Occupational Therapist.” Your eligibility for the diploma and proposed practice arrangements will be considered individually by the Course Lead.The diploma is therefore particularly relevant to practitioners who wish to bring together their previous Occupational Therapy education and experience with advanced integrative psychotherapeutic training and develop a holistic approach to independent therapeutic practice.

Question 41

Could I use this diploma as Accreditation or Recognition of Prior Learning (APL/RPL) towards a future university course?

Accepted Answer

Potentially, yes, but this would be entirely at the discretion of the university or higher education institution to which you subsequently apply.The Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy: REMIND Therapy® is an assessed Level 7 practitioner programme involving approximately 400–450 learning hours, including live teaching, directed learning, academic assessment, reflective learning and 100 hours of supervised practice.If you later apply for a university postgraduate programme, such as a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or Master's degree, you may be able to ask the receiving university whether your previous learning can be considered through its Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) or Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) procedures.Universities have their own regulations concerning RPL/APL. Recognition is therefore not automatic and cannot be guaranteed by REMIND Therapy® Ltd or the International Society of Psychotherapy and Counselling (ISPC). The receiving university will decide whether previous learning is sufficiently comparable in academic level, learning outcomes, content, assessment and volume of learning to warrant recognition or academic credit within its own programme.Students who successfully complete the diploma will have evidence of their learning and assessment which may assist them if they subsequently make an RPL/APL application. This may include evidence of the course curriculum and learning outcomes, Level 7 assessment, learning hours, supervised practice, case-study assessment and reflective learning undertaken as part of the programme.The diploma's assessment includes either two 3,000-word case studies or one 6,000-word in-depth case study, together with a 2,000-word reflective learning journal and completion of 100 hours of supervised practice.Students considering a future university course are advised to retain their diploma certificate, course handbook, module/course information, learning outcomes, assessment information, marked academic work and evidence of supervised practice, as a university may request this documentation when considering an RPL/APL application.Applicants who already know that they intend to progress to a particular university programme should contact that university before enrolling or before making assumptions about future credit and ask whether learning from the Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy: REMIND Therapy® could potentially be considered under its RPL/APL procedures.Completion of the diploma does not guarantee university credit, entry to a particular degree programme or exemption from any part of a future university qualification. Any such recognition is determined solely by the receiving higher education institution.

Question 42

Can I join any psychotherapy and counselling organisations once I have passed?

Accepted Answer

Yes. This diploma is accredited by the International Society of Psychotherapy and Counselling (ISPC) This means it has met rigorous professional standards in counselling and psychotherapy. You can join the International Society of Psychotherapy and Counselling as a student member. This is free of charge and included in your course fees. Once you have passed the diploma, you are eligible to apply to join the ISPC as a fully accredited professional member.

Question 43

Is the Diploma compatible with professional bodies such as BACP or NCPS?

Accepted Answer

The Diploma in Integrative Psychotherapy: REMIND Therapy® is an advanced post-qualifying practitioner programme for people with an Occupational Therapy background. It incorporates substantial psychotherapeutic education, skills development, supervised practice, reflective practice and Level 7 assessment.The diploma is accredited by the International Society of Psychotherapy and Counselling (ISPC). It is not currently a BACP- or NCPS-accredited practitioner training course, and completion of the diploma does not automatically confer membership, registration or accreditation with BACP, NCPS or another professional body.The training does, however, cover a broad range of established counselling and psychotherapy theories, modalities, competencies and professional skills that are relevant to contemporary counselling and psychotherapy practice. Students undertake integrative psychotherapy training alongside 100 hours of supervised practice, ongoing supervision, case-study assessment and reflective learning.Students who are already members of BACP, NCPS or another counselling or psychotherapy professional body may also find the diploma relevant to their continuing professional development and development of advanced integrative psychotherapy practice.If you hope to use the diploma as part of a future application for membership, registration, accreditation or progression with BACP, NCPS or another professional body, you should contact that organisation directly. Each professional body applies its own criteria and will determine whether your overall portfolio of qualifications, professional experience, supervised practice and psychotherapy/counselling training meets its requirements.This may be particularly relevant to applicants who already hold an Occupational Therapy degree together with previous counselling or psychotherapy qualifications or experience. Such applicants may have a different professional training portfolio from someone undertaking their initial training to become a counsellor or psychotherapist.REMIND Therapy® Ltd cannot guarantee acceptance of the diploma by another professional body, as membership, registration, accreditation and recognition decisions remain entirely with the receiving organisation and its requirements may change over time.Graduates are therefore encouraged to retain their diploma certificate, course handbook, learning outcomes, assessment information, evidence of learning hours, supervision records and evidence of 100 hours of supervised practice, as these may be useful when demonstrating previous professional learning to another organisation.

Common Questions About Our Therapy Training Diploma