Psychology and Counselling

Psychology and counselling is a combination that brings together the scientific study of mind and behaviour with the practice-oriented discipline of helping people understand and work through their psychological difficulties. Psychology equips you with the theoretical and empirical frameworks for understanding human experience, from cognitive and biological processes to social influences on behaviour. Counselling develops your ability to listen carefully, to build a therapeutic relationship, and to apply psychological understanding in one-to-one and group settings with people experiencing distress, difficulty, or a need for personal growth.

At the University of Salford, this three-year full-time BSc is one of four distinct undergraduate psychology programmes designed to suit different interests and career paths within the field. The degree includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you the chance to develop practical counselling and psychological skills in supervised professional settings and to gain international experience that broadens your understanding of how psychological and therapeutic practice varies across cultural contexts. You will study core areas of psychological science alongside the theory and practice of counselling, developing the skills in active listening, empathic communication, and therapeutic relationship building that characterise effective counselling work.

Graduates of psychology and counselling programmes are well prepared for careers in mental health and wellbeing settings. Many go on to further training as counsellors, psychotherapists, or counselling psychologists, with the undergraduate degree providing a strong foundation for postgraduate clinical training. Others work in educational settings as learning support practitioners or student counsellors, in NHS psychological services, in employee assistance programmes, in third-sector mental health organisations, and in social care.

The research and communication skills developed by the psychology component transfer well to roles in human resources, social research, and public health. The BPS-accredited psychology content provides Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership, required for professional psychological practice.