September 2020

London Diploma In Psychosexual And Relationship Therapy

Routes to Qualification as a
Psychosexual & Relationship Therapist

The following is intended as a helpful guide and reflects the best of our knowledge, at the time of publication. Each training organisation & regulatory body has its own selection criteria. We advise you to confirm all information directly with courses and professional organisations (last updated: September 2018).

In order to become an accredited psychosexual therapist you are required to undertake a course of study which satisfies the requirements of one or more professional bodies responsible for that accreditation.

Successful completion of the LDPRT is all the formal study required to become a psychosexual therapist, though additional experience in supervised practice will be required before you can seek your professional accreditation. For those without prior learning, more specialist or more advanced work requires additional study, typically of one year, in order to meet the more exacting accreditation requirements.

The LDPRT satisfies the curricular requirements of CORST. LDPRT endorses the NAOS Advanced Diploma in Couples Course which offers a one year additional curriculum to those who wish to gain accreditation by other bodies such as UKCP and BACP to those who not already have sufficient prior learning.

Graphic showing routes to qualification as a psychosexual and relationship therapist

Links are given at right/below (depending on your browser) for the organisations and courses referenced.

The above chart illustrates the steps towards becoming a COSRT accredited Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist via the LDPRT.

Application for COSRT accreditation, requires at least one year to have passed since completing the Diploma, and you will also need to have completed at least 320 hours of supervised practice (200 hours whilst in training and a further 120 hours after award of the Diploma).
Please note that the post diploma requirement is likely to increase, due to changing requirements of the external body.

It is also possible to register with UKCP as a Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist or Couples Counsellor/Psychotherapist. In detail, this means that upon successful completion of the LDPRT and the Advanced Diploma in Couples Therapy with NAOS, and having fulfilled the written and clinical hours, according to COSRT guidelines, this may be one of several routes to UKCP registration.

Some graduates will utilise the accumulated credits from LDPRT to add on a dissertation and work towards an MA from Middlesex University or other universities, using a CAT/APEL schemes.

UKCP registration must be applied for via one of the UKCP colleges or member organisations within UKCP such as the CSRP which represents COSRT.

Once you are working as a member of any of these professional counselling, psychotherapy or PRT bodies, you will also be expected to undertake continuing professional development and supervision at the required ratio.

Please note that the information provided here is correct, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of publication (September 2018). Each training organisation and regulatory body has its own criteria for selection. This is intended as a helpful guide. However, we advise you to check the websites of courses and professional organisations, as you should be mindful that lead bodies regularly adjust and change their requirements. The profession continually strives to adjust and manage its regulations in order to offer clients the best service.