A number of courses are offered each year. Applications are invited from any persons involved in working with children on an ongoing basis on the prescribed application form.

Diploma in Family Therapy (Programme A & B)
Aims:

This course is intended for counsellors who wish to improve their practical skills and learn a systemic approach for working with families.

Admission requirements:

1. The candidate should possess a degree or its equivalent in a relevant field such as psychiatry, psychology, social work, etc.
2. The candidate must have attended an introductory course in family therapy e.g. Certificate in Systemic Counselling or its equivalent.
3. The candidate must pass a two-hour written entrance examination on basic systemic theory.
4. The candidate must pass a practical assessment demonstrating clinical skills in the role-play of a first session with a family.
5. The candidate must have been on internal therapy teams as an observer for a minimum of 10 therapy sessions.

Course outline:

Programme A

The course starts with a weeklong workshop to give basic theoretical grounding in systems theory for the participants.It covers five academic terms coinciding with school terms over an eighteen-month period.Trainees attend the institute one afternoon each week for academic seminars and involved in several ongoing clinical cases which will be seen in the presence of a team under “live” supervision. A total of 150 hours of clinical practice must be completed during the training period, 45 of which must be as therapist.

Assessments:

Assessments of the taught course component will consist of:

1. Ongoing notes and presentations as required by the course.
2. Two papers of between 2000 and 5000 words for the second and fourth terms.
3. A two-hour written examination at the end of the course.
4. Completion of a dissertation.

Assessment of clinic work will consist of:

1. Continuous assessment monitored through termly meetings between the trainee’s supervision and the clinical tutor.
2. An oral examination, which will include an annotated case presentation of clinical work at the end of the course.

Programme B

This is intended for students who live far away from Harare or out of Zimbabwe.

The course starts with a two weeklong workshop to give theoretical grounding in systems theory for the participants. It covers five modules coinciding with school holidays over an eighteen-month period.Participants attend the institute two weeks every holiday for academic seminars and involved in several ongoing clinical cases which will be seen in the presence of a team under “live” supervision. A total of 150 hours of clinical practice must be completed during the training period, 45 of which must be as therapist.

Assessment:

Assessment of the taught component will consist of:

1. A case presentation comprising of a paper of between 3000 and 4000 words and an oral presentation for all terms.
2. Ongoing notes and presentations as required by the course.
3. A two-hour written examination at the end of the course.
4. Completion of a dissertation of 7000 to 9000 words to be handed in during the fourth term of the course.

Application and selection for the course:

Applicants must be full members of Connect. Selection is based on a letter of application, a curriculum vitae and two referees’ reports.

Supervision and Training Track

Aims:

To develop and train potential trainers and supervisors in systemic counselling.

Admission requirements

Trainees who have completed the Diploma in Family Therapy and 20 hours of peer supervision are eligible to register as trainee supervisors with Connect.

Course outline:

The course involves an academic programme of six terms over two years, attendance at weekly observation groups and monthly supervision meetings. A total of 34 hours clinical work is required for this course which includes “live” supervision, tape reviews and clinical consults.

Application and selection for this course:

Applicants must possess the Diploma in Family Therapy.Selection is based on letter of application, a curriculum vitae and referees’ reports. Interviews will be held where necessary.

Diploma in Advanced Training in Family Therapy

Awarded in association with Tavistock Clinic, London.

Aims:

This is a part-time two-year programme for experienced therapists who are currently engaged in family therapy. It provides an opportunity to improve the quality of their therapeutic work with families through live suspension of clinical practice and theoretical study of systems theory and related conceptual frameworks.

Admission requirements:

Applicants should possess a good honours degree from a recognised university. In addition, applicants should be qualified as one of the following:
(a) Psychiatrists at senior registrar or consultant level with child and adolescent experience.
(b) Social workers.
(c) Education or clinical psychologists.
(d) Child psychotherapists or other suitably qualified psychotherapists.
(e) Psychiatric nurses.

Applicants should have completed at least an introductory course in clinical and theoretical aspects of family therapy such as the Certificate in Family Therapy or equivalent.
Applicants must have at least two years experience working with families in a therapeutic setting.
Applicants should be working with families in a therapeutic setting during the time they are on the course.

Assessment:

1.Theoretical:
1. Submission of one paper per term of between 3000 to 4000 words each in the first year and continuous assessment during weekly academic sessions.
2. Completion of a dissertation of 8000 to 10 000 words to be handed in during the third term of the second year.

ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

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CONNECT Course Application Form