Academically Accredited NCFE Level 5 Qualification

Qualifies you as a Wilderness Psychotherapist, equipped to work outdoors or indoors, delivering talking and creative therapies.

COST: £2649 (includes VAT)

N.B. applicants must have already completed the Level 3: Level 3 – The Advanced Certificate | eqe outdoors

LOCATION: Lyme Park, Disley, Peak District (SK12 2NR)

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ACCREDITED NCFE LEVEL 5 COURSE CONTENT

The Diploma in Wilderness Psychotherapy is an exciting new and unique Integrative Course. It is based on an Holistic model of Health (encompassing the Physical, Cognitive, Emotional and Spiritual aspects of ourselves) and draws on a range of established theoretical models, integrating these with Wilderness Living Skills and a wide range of therapeutic practices.

The Course is cyclical. This means training weeks correspond with the cycle of the seasons, starting and ending in Spring. Built into the Course is the cycle of the Native American 4 Shields. In this model Spring is the place of Wisdom, Endings and Beginnings, so we start and end here. The Course also follows Transactional Analysis’ Cyclical Developmental model, taking the Learners on a journey through the stages of life.

The Course uses a variety of outdoor environments – woodland, moorland, waterways – utilising base camps and also travelling through outdoor spaces.  The Course teaches Learners to engage with the elements, with the four seasons in all their variety, with different times of day and night and the ephemeral transition times between.

The foundation of the Course is Person Centred with Transactional Analysis also featuring throughout.

The Course also integrates elements of:

  • Internal Family Systems
  • Environmental Arts Therapy
  • Neurosequential Model for Developmental Trauma
  • Polyvagal Theory
  • Resource Based Approaches – Solutions Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Positive Psychotherapy
  • Wilderness Vision Quest and Rites of Passage

By the end of Course you will be equipped to work as a talking and creative therapist both indoors and out.

VALIDATION AND CREDIBILITY

The Course is accredited by the NCFE as a Level 5 Diploma (Customised Qualification).

NCFE CACHE is the UK’s leading specialist Awarding Organisation for the Care, Healthcare and Education sectors, for adults and children, and is the UK’s 3rd largest Awarding Body

eQe is an NCFE Approved Training Centre: Approved Centre number: 9000398

The Course is also written as compatible with the SCoPEd Framework. This is the shared standards framework for therapy and counselling qualifications, developed by the six top UK Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accredited Professional Bodies.

Our Wilderness Psychotherapy students are eligible to apply for Student Membership of the NCPS ( National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society). Details are available on joining the Level 5 Course.

The Course is compliant for working in the highest therapeutic working category – ZONE 3 for Integrated Outdoor Therapy – in the Institute of Outdoor Learning (IOL) Statement of Good Practice for Outdoor Mental Health Interventions

eQe is the UK’s leading training specialist in Wilderness Therapy and Interventions

COURSE STRUCTURE

The Course involves 220 Live training hours delivered as one week of training per season.  Each week has a mixture of days of live online training and face to face outdoor days.

  • Week 1: Spring – 2 days online, 3 days face to face, outdoors
  • Week 2: Summer – 2 days online, 3 days face to face, outdoors plus an overnighter
  • Week 3: Autumn – 2 days online, 3 days face to face, outdoors
  • Week 4: Winter – 2 days online, 3 days face to face, outdoors
  • Week 5: Spring – 1 day online, 4 days face to face, outdoors – includes a Mini Wilderness Vision Quest

In addition, there are 18 hours of Zoom tutorials between training weeks delivered as 2-hour long evening sessions each month that does not have a training week.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Placement: You will be required to complete a placement and deliver 100 hours of 1 to 1 therapy with adults. 51% of these will have to be delivered indoors, 49% will be delivered Outdoors. The Course equips you to work as a talking therapist both indoors and out.

2. Supervision: You will be required to access Supervision once your placement starts.

3. Personal Therapy: The Course has a high level of experiential, personal therapeutic work within it that Learners must engage in fully. Therefore, there is not a blanket requirement for all Learners to have personal therapy. However, eQe will require Learners to be prepared to undertake personal therapy, and evidence this, if it becomes apparent that this is necessary for them to become competent practitioners.

ASSESSMENT

The Course uses a range of assessment methods:

• Essays

• Case study

• Group research and presentations

• Group planning and leading of sessions during training

• Ongoing assessment of practice during training

• Placement case file

• Placement report

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants must have completed and passed their Level 3 Certificate in Advanced Wilderness Therapeutic Approaches before they can start the Diploma.

The Certificate is Part 1 of the Diploma, providing the first 80 hours of Live training and building the foundation of Knowledge, Understanding and Skills in both Therapeutic Concepts and Approaches, and Wilderness Living Skills. Please note that as this Course is unique in its combination of approaches, and also due to the level of integrated outdoor skills required to access insurance, it is not possible for Learners to come onto the Course at the second stage without having completed the Level 3 Certificate, regardless of their prior training and experience.

Applicants must also:

  • Complete an application form
  • Attend an on-line interview
  • Provide 2 references

Please note that as there are limited places, passing the Level 3 Certificate does NOT guarantee you a place on the Level 5.

To book your place on the Level 3 Certificate follow this link: https://www.eqeoutdoors.com/book-your-training/

COSTS

Level 5 Course Fee = £2649 (includes VAT)

N.B. this cost is the Level 5 only and does not include the required Level 3.

Additional costs to the Learner:

  • Insurance
  • Student Membership of a PSA recognised Counselling/Psychotherapy Professional Body
  • A First Aid Qualification
  • Outdoor kit
  • Supervision
  • Books
  • Accommodation of choice for face-to-face training
  • Travel
  • If required – personal therapy


LOCATION

Unless otherwise specified, all face-to-face training is held at our dedicated forest training site at Lyme Park, Disley, Peak District (SK12 2NR) and utilises the wide range of environments within this locality.

All live online training sessions take place via Zoom.

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