The Diploma course takes place over three years (including the Foundation Year), with twenty days of training in each year*. It provides a balance of theory, skills training, personal development and practical experience and is designed to integrate all these elements to provide a firm basis for development as a counsellor.(*Note: if you choose to take the University-validated Postgraduate Clinical Diploma course, the normal duration of the course will be four years, including the Foundation Year, rather than three - please see below).

Taking TA as its core model, the Diploma course builds understanding of the interpersonal interactions, intrapsychic processes, personality structure, feeling, thinking and behaviour of the person as an integrated whole. It provides a means to understand people in depth, both as individuals and also in the family system or other social matrix where they spend their lives. The first year of the course (Foundation Year) concentrates on building a thorough knowledge of TA while developing essential counselling skills. In subsequent years this basis is broadened, extended and integrated with further enhancement of skills as you move towards full professional competence. As the course proceeds, TA is integrated with other significant humanistic models.

Eligibility for entry to the Diploma course

To be eligible for entry to the TA Diploma course in the Foundation Year, you must:

(a) complete an intake interview with one of the trainers, to the mutual satisfaction of trainer and trainee;
(b) take out membership in the ITA (which confers similar membership in EATA) and pay the necessary ITA membership subscription.

To be eligible for entry to subsequent years of the Diploma course, you must in addition:

(c) have completed the official "TA 101" course or passed the "TA 101" open-book examination; and
(d) have completed at least 120 hours of recognised advanced TA training (or, exceptionally, of other advanced training of an equivalent type and standard - please consult with The Berne Institute for advice on equivalence).
(Note: conditions (c) and (d) are fulfilled by successful completion of The Berne Institute's Foundation Year course).

These conditions are necessary but do not confer an automatic right to enter the programme.

No previous academic qualification is required for entry to the Diploma course*. However, we would advise you that the training is demanding in terms of both intellectual activity and skills development. Success in the course requires a high degree of motivation and an openness to self-exploration and personal change. You therefore need to have the intellectual and personal resources to deal successfully with such demands. This will be assessed at the intake interview in each individual case. (*Note: if you wish to take the validated Postgraduate Clinical Diploma, you must have a first degree or degree-equivalent qualification on entry to the course).

Personal development for trainees

The Diploma training includes some personal development work. However, you are expected to undertake additional personal development during the course and opportunities will be provided for this.

Certification

The examination for The Berne Institute's Diploma in Transactional Analysis Counselling is normally taken at the end of three years' study (including the Foundation Year). The Diploma will be awarded on assessment of written work (two case studies of 2000-3000 words) and an oral examination of your taped work with clients. To be eligible for the final examination, you will need to have completed at least 360 hours of advanced TA training and have provided at least 200 hours of TA counselling to clients.

Postgraduate Clinical Diploma in Transactional Analysis Counselling

Our Diploma course has been validated by Middlesex University for the award of their Postgraduate Clinical Diploma in Transactional Analysis Counselling. The training and final examinations for this Diploma are identical to those for The Berne Institute's in-house Diploma. However, students wishing to take the Postgraduate Diploma will be registered with Middlesex University as well as with The Berne Institute; they also have to submit a number of written assignments for formal marking during the course. (Please note: because of the extra element of assessment required, the University-validated PGC Diploma course will normally occupy four years of part-time study - including the Foundation Year - instead of the three years required for The Berne Institute's in-house Diploma).

Trainees wishing to gain accreditation by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) must go on to undertake the external accreditation procedure set forth by the BACP itself. Contact hours accrued on The Berne Institute's Diploma course (including the Foundation Year) can be counted toward the number of hours' training required by BACP. Berne Institute trainers will be glad to assist trainees in preparing materials for the BACP accreditation process.

Further information

For details of fees, course arrangements and directions on how to apply, please return to the Overview page.