Research Degrees

The Centre for Counselling Studies welcomes applications from suitably qualified counsellors, or from members of other professions who have a significant interest in counselling, to study full or part-time for an MA by Research, MPhil or a PhD. Candidates are expected to undertake advanced research on topics of their own choice and which are associated with the research interests of the staff of the Centre for Counselling Studies or the Centre for Applied Research in Education. Applicants can be accepted at any time of the year, and if successful are usually registered at the beginning of each semester.

Counsellors working within educational settings may wish to consider the Doctorate in Education programme as a possible course of study. Those undertaking advanced research in the person-centred approach may be able to undertake a placement at the University Counselling Service through negotiation with the Director.

If you would like further information please contact the Faculty of Social Sciences Admissions Office, Tel: 01603 592807, email: ssf.admissions@uea.ac.uk

Research Interests within the Centre

Work addiction;
Spiritual dimensions in counselling;
Effective process in client-centred therapy;
Loss of academic motivation;
Role of the person-centred facilitator;
Construction of counsellor identity;
Sexuality and the counselling relationship;
Empathy training and the school curriculum;
Individual process and self-concept change during training;
Definitions of the self, including Eastern perspectives on the self;
Focusing and working with experiential process;
The impact of social environment on process and identity;
Addiction in relation to individual processes and identity;
The emotions of self-assessment, such as shame;
Buddhist approaches to psychotherapy;
The philosophical work of Eugene Gendlin;
Moments of transformation.