Year 2 Post-Graduate Diploma in Systemic Family Therapy –Intermediate level
Oxford Systemic Therapy Training 
Year 2 Post-Graduate Diploma in Systemic Theory and Practice
Intermediate level (AFSP accredited)
Course Aims
Strengthens knowledge and skills in the theory and practice of different models of systemic therapy.
There is a strong focus on the development of practice and reflexivity. Students will be applying skills in their work with families, couples, individuals, within teams and other networks and are encouraged to reflect on their development
Encourages anti-discriminatory practice and critical thinking considering power, inequality and marginalisation.
Course start date: 19th October 2026– 21st June 2027. 11 days of teaching 9.30-5pm Tuesdays monthly (2 consecutive days at the beginning of the course; 2 days in December).
Where: The majority of teaching is envisaged to take place at Oxfordhealth Education Centre, Floor 4, Unipart House, Garsington Rd, Oxford OX4 6LX but some may be at Oxford Brookes locations
Who can apply?
The course is open to staff from the following professional backgrounds:
- Health and social care
- Education
- Registered Counsellors
In addition:
- Students are required to have completed a Foundation Course in Systemic Therapy or equivalent (with evidence of Accreditation of Prior Learning of systemic teaching and CPD)
- Students are required to evidence a minimum of 60 hours of systemic practice and 10 hours of supervision with a Systemic / Family Psychotherapist. This needs to be arranged by you and can take place within your work setting. We can support you with how to consider arranging a placement if one is needed, but we are unable to provide this for you.
How do I apply?
Please register your interest at Systemictherapyadmissions-oxicptr@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk , you will be emailed details regarding our forthcoming open events. Applications are made through the Oxford Brookes University Application Portal
https://moodle.brookes.ac.uk/local/obu_application/login.php
When applying through the portal, please navigate to the Funding Criteria section and select the funded option "OXFORD HEALTH (STP ONLY)" rather than the self-funding option (even if you are being funded by your organization/ department or are a self-funding applicant)
A separate funding form will be sent to you from us (the systemic team) following on from your application approval.
Fees: £3000
Will I be a systemic therapist if I pass the course?
No. The intermediate course is year 2 of 4 years of systemic therapy training. It can be a stand-alone course or upon completion, you are able to apply to AFT for membership as a Systemic Practitioner. You would also be eligible to apply for a qualifying Family Therapy training. Students require a core professional background in health and social care to be able to apply to the Masters qualifying Years 3 and 4. We do not currently offer this within OSTT.
https://www.aft.org.uk/page/Accreditedtrainingcourses
What our alumni say about the course
Feedback from PG Dip Mental Health Nurse Student 2023 cohort.
‘This course is unique from any I have completed before, the days studying systemic family practice were always challenging but never NOT rewarding. The teaching cohort felt very inclusive, we were supported by the lecturers to take risks and practice the skills together which although scary at the time, it was the absolute best way to learn. We created a safe space together where no topic was taboo, and all areas of systems could be discussed without judgement. This training enriched my ability to understand my patients with eating disorders through a channel of questions supported by systemic practice. I can confidently say I have advanced as a mental health nurse with systemic skills that allow my thinking to be deeper, richer, and broader, considering the nuances of a patient’s system with a newfound curiosity.
Feedback from a PGDip CBT Practitioner and Team Manager Student.
I found completing the systemic training last year at Oxford Brookes to be highly engaging, at times challenging, but overall extremely relevant to my clinical work. The quality and compassion of the teaching were consistently very high, and I particularly valued the balance between taught content to ensure the relevant evidence-based underpinnings were addressed alongside the experiential, reflexive, and interactive learning within each session. This structure supported not only a strong understanding of systemic theory but also meaningful reflection on my own positioning, assumptions, and ways of working with the families and young people in my NHS role and the couples in my private work.
The training afforded me the space for ongoing reflection on how I engage with families, hold multiple perspectives, and attend to relational patterns and context. This initially was the case within my work but inevitably spilled over into my personal life, and I have been able to notice an increase connection with the staff I manage staff and my own family. Since completing the course, I have continued to actively use systemic principles and techniques in my clinical work, particularly in formulation, reflective questioning, and maintaining a relational lens, both in my individual therapy and also within MDT meetings and management meetings. I have noticed that this has increased my confidence, flexibility, and intentionality as a practitioner, and has supported a more thoughtful and collaborative approach to my work. Overall, the training has had a sustained and meaningful impact on both my practice and professional development, and I am forever grateful to have been able to complete it.
