Applied Psychosocial and Psychotherapy Studies

Applied psychosocial and psychotherapy studies is a discipline at the intersection of psychology, sociology and therapeutic practice, concerned with how psychological and social factors interact in shaping human experience, and how therapeutic relationships can support people through difficulty and distress. It draws on psychodynamic, humanistic and systemic traditions in psychotherapy, alongside sociological and critical perspectives that situate individual experience within the social structures of class, gender, race and power. The result is a rich and demanding field of inquiry that takes both the personal and the political seriously.

At Goldsmiths, part-time study allows you to engage with these ideas alongside other professional or personal commitments, which is particularly appropriate in a field where many students come with existing experience in health, social care, education or community work. Goldsmiths is known for its critical and interdisciplinary approach to the social sciences and the humanities, and this programme reflects that commitment, asking you to think rigorously about the theoretical underpinnings of psychosocial and therapeutic practice and to examine the assumptions on which they rest. You will engage with clinical material, theoretical debates and personal and professional development alongside your academic studies.

Graduates go on to further training and practice in counselling and psychotherapy, to roles in mental health services, social work, community development, education and health promotion, and to research and academic careers. Many use the degree as a foundation for professional qualification in psychotherapy or counselling, which typically requires additional supervised clinical hours. Others apply the psychosocial perspective to roles in organisational development, policy, journalism or the arts.

The part-time mode at Goldsmiths makes this a genuinely accessible route into a field that combines intellectual seriousness with practical and human commitment.