Family and Couple Therapy (Systemic Psychotherapy)

We offer training in Systemic Family and Couple Psychotherapy (also known as Family Therapy). 

Years One and Two are accredited by the Association of Family Therapy (AFT) and are available as stand-alone courses.  Successful completion allows students to apply for Masters Level training and registration as a Systemic Psychotherapist (Family Therapist).

​Year One: Foundation

The Foundation course is available as an evening programme. The courses are held at Prudence Skynner Family & Couple Therapy Clinic at Springfield University Hospital in Tooting, South West London.  The course offers an opportunity to explore family systems and life-cycle transitions, to develop skills of engaging with and interviewing families, and to understand how therapeutic changes happen. Several therapeutic models are presented, including solution-focused and narrative approaches. The course enables participants to think about their place in the system in a reflexive way, and can be taken as a stand-alone course or as the first step towards the MSc.

• Foundation course flyer 2020
•  Application form for foundation course 2020

Year Two: Intermediate

The Intermediate course is run at the Prudence Skynner Family and Couple Therapy Clinic at Springfield. The course emphasises the use of systemic theory and practice in clinician’s day-to-day work with families and networks. The accrediting panel said the course was “excellent and provides high-quality teaching and context for learning. Participants gave very positive feedback on how they valued the course’s commitment to systemic work with families in the NHS, the flexibility and responsive of the teaching, and the diversity of teachers and students”.

Late applications are welcome for the Intermediate Course.  Contact Stefania Zanelli-Cook, Marcia Mills or Doreen Obinim on 0203 513 6195 for further information.

•  Application form for Intermediate Level Training Course 2019-20
•  Intermediate course flyer 2019-2020

Years Three and Four: MSc degree

Students who have completed years One and Two at the Prudence Skynner Family and Couple Therapy Clinic have the opportunity to apply for Masters in Systemic Family Psychotherapy at the Institute of Family Therapy, validated by University of Bedfordshire.  Live clinical supervision can be undertaken at the Prudence Skynner Family and Couple Clinic.

Clinical placements

Clinical Placements are also available at the Prudence Skynner Family and Couple Therapy Clinic.

More information

For further information on family therapy training in the Trust, please contact:

Dr. Jeanne Ziminski Acting Courses Director and Stefania Zanelli-Cook, Marcia Mills or Doreen Obinim: Course Administrators

Email: FamilytherapyCoursesInfo@swlstg.nhs.uk Tel: 020 3513 6195 

Dignity, respect and privacy

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

Ensuring dignity and respect for our patients means that we respect you as an individual and we respond to your needs with compassion and kindness, providing support wherever necessary, ensuring your needs are taken into consideration and that your privacy is respected.

Your records

You have the right to privacy and confidentiality and to expect us to keep your confidential information secure and safe. Find out more about your health records and how we use them.

Same sex accommodation

We believe that providing same-sex accommodation is an important part of protecting your right to privacy and ensuring that you are treated with dignity and respect.

For a trust to say that it has same-sex accommodation, it must provide sleeping areas and toilet and washing facilities that are for men or women only and these areas must be clearly labelled.

Toilet and washing facilities should be easy to get to, not a long way from your bed and you shouldn’t have to go through accommodation or toilet or washing facilities used by the opposite sex to get to your own.

All of our services comply with same-sex accommodation regulations. People tell us that being in same-sex accommodation makes a big difference to how comfortable and relaxed they feel while they are in hospital. Having to share accommodation with members of the opposite sex can threaten people’s privacy and dignity at a time when they may already be feeling vulnerable. Some people also have cultural or religious reasons for not wanting to share accommodation with members of the opposite sex.

NHS regulations mean that same-sex accommodation should be maintained at all times but in exceptional circumstances the need for fast effective treatment may be greater than the need to provide same-sex accommodation.

This might happen if you need urgent or highly specialised care. In this situation our staff would be expected to protect your privacy and dignity. We will keep you informed and move you into same-sex accommodation as quickly as possible.

If you are concerned or have any questions, talk to a staff member.

Accessible Information Standard

Since 1^st August 2016, all NHS organisations have been legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard (AIS).

The standard aims to make sure that people who have a disability, impairment or sensory loss are provided with information that they can easily read or understand and with support so they can communicate effectively with health and social care services.

In the spirit of the AIS, The Trust is committed towards meeting the information and communication support needs of disabled people, improving outcomes and experiences and providing safer and more personalised care and services.