Level 7 Diploma in Psychosexual & Relationship Therapy
Course Length:
Across 2 Years
Course Price:
£2,400 per year
(+£285 CPCAB Reg Fee)
Course Timings:
2 days per month (See full details below)
Course Location:
Basingstoke
Start/End Date:
Oct 2026 to July 2028
Awarding Body:
CPCAB
Specialist Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy Training for Qualified Counsellors
Sexual difficulties and relationship problems are among the most common issues affecting adults in the UK, yet they remain some of the least discussed (and most under-served) areas in mental health.
Research consistently shows that sexual difficulties affect a substantial proportion of the population, but stigma, embarrassment, and a shortage of qualified specialists mean many people struggle in silence without access to effective support.
This creates significant demand for therapists trained to work confidently and competently with psychosexual and relationship presentations.
The CPCAB Level 7 Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy is a postgraduate-level qualification that equips practising counsellors and psychotherapists with the specialist knowledge, clinical skills, and professional competencies to work with individuals and couples experiencing sexual and relationship difficulties.
On completion, graduates are eligible for Registered Membership of the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT), meeting full requirements for membership – the recognised professional standard for psychosexual and relationship therapists in the UK.
Who is this course for?
This diploma is designed for qualified, practising counsellors and psychotherapists who want to develop advanced specialist competence.
You may be considering this course if:
- You encounter sexual and relationship issues in your existing practice and want formal, accredited training to work with these presentations safely, ethically, and effectively rather than referring clients on
- You want to specialise and differentiate your practice. Psychosexual and relationship therapy is one of the most in-demand yet under-resourced specialisms, with relatively few qualified practitioners compared to the level of need
- You’re interested in couples and partnered therapy and want to develop the distinct clinical skills required for conjoint work alongside individual psychosexual therapy
- You want to work toward COSRT membership and need a recognised postgraduate qualification that meets the full requirements for registration
- You want to expand your income and client base specialist psychosexual and relationship therapists can command higher session fees and access referral streams unavailable to generalist practitioners, including from GPs, sexual health services, and other therapists
This course is for experienced practitioners. You will need to hold a core counselling or psychotherapy qualification (such as a CPCAB Level 4 Diploma or equivalent), be a full member of a PSA-registered professional body, and have completed a minimum of 40 hours of personal therapy.
What will I learn?
This two-year diploma develops your knowledge and clinical skills across both psychosexual therapy and relationship (couples/partnered) therapy, delivered as an integrated specialism. Unlike many training programmes that address psychosexual therapy or relationship therapy in isolation, this course recognises that sexual and relational difficulties nearly always overlap in clinical practice, and trains you to work across both.
The course is integrative in approach, drawing on multiple evidence-based frameworks so that you can adapt your practice to different clients and presentations rather than relying on a single model.
Psychosexual therapy:
Working with a range of psychosexual presentations using a biopsychosocial approach. Understanding sexual difficulties within their psychological, physiological, relational, and cultural context. You will develop competence in psychosexual assessment, formulation, and intervention across common presentations including desire discrepancies, arousal difficulties, pain-related sexual difficulties, orgasmic difficulties, sexual anxiety, and the impact of trauma on sexuality.
Relationship and couples therapy:
Developing the specialist skills required for conjoint (couples/partnered) therapy, including key theories and approaches from Gottman, Schnarch, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), psychodynamic, and systemic frameworks. You will learn to assess and work with relationship dynamics, communication difficulties, conflict patterns, intimacy issues, and the complex interplay between sexual and relational concerns.
Gender, sexuality, and relationship diversity (GSRD):
Building competence in working affirmatively and inclusively with clients across the full spectrum of gender identities, sexual orientations, and relationship structures — reflecting COSRT’s professional practice standards.
Ethical and professional practice:
Understanding the specific ethical, legal, and boundary considerations that arise in psychosexual and relationship work, where the therapeutic material is inherently intimate and requires particular care.
How is the course structured?
The diploma runs over two academic years on a part-time basis, designed so that you can maintain your existing client work and practice throughout your training.
Teaching schedule: Two Wednesdays per month, 9:30am to 4:45pm, held in person at our training centre in Basingstoke town centre.
Year 1 dates (October 2026 – July 2027):
The course dates, held in person in Basingstoke, are as follows:
- Wednesday 7th October 2026
- Wednesday 21st October 2026
- Wednesday 4th November 2026
- Wednesday 18th November 2026
- Wednesday 2nd December 2026
- Wednesday 16th December 2026
- Wednesday 6th January 2027
- Wednesday 20th January 2027
- Wednesday 3rd February 2027
- Wednesday 17th February 2027
- Wednesday 3rd March 2027
- Wednesday 17th March 2027
- Wednesday 7th April 2027
- Wednesday 21st April 2027
- Wednesday 5th May 2027
- Wednesday 19th May 2027
- Wednesday 2nd June 2027
- Wednesday 16th June 2027
- Wednesday 7th July 2027
- Wednesday 21st July 2027
Please note that the above dates relate to Year 1 of the course, dates for Year 2 will be published nearer the time however will follow a similar pattern and continue to be held on Wednesdays
Clinical practice: You will facilitate a minimum of 150 hours of relationship and psychosexual therapy with clients (in private practice or an agency role), with at least 30 of those hours as partnered/couples work. This supervised clinical experience is a core part of your development as a specialist practitioner.
Supervision: A minimum of 1.5 hours per month of clinical supervision, aligned with your professional body requirements.
Personal therapy: A minimum of 20 hours of personal therapy during the course, supporting your personal development and self-awareness in this intimate area of practice.
Assessment: Students are assessed through a reflective case study and a literature review research project, methods designed to integrate your theoretical learning with your developing clinical practice.
What does this qualification lead to?
Graduating with the CPCAB Level 7 Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy opens up specialist career pathways that are not accessible to generalist practitioners:
COSRT Registered Membership. On completion, you are eligible for Registered Membership of the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists, the professional standard for psychosexual and relationship therapists in the UK. This provides professional credibility, public accountability, and access to the COSRT professional community.
Specialist private practice. Psychosexual and relationship therapy is a premium specialism. Qualified practitioners typically command session fees of £70–100+ per hour, reflecting the advanced nature of the training and the specialist nature of the work. The combination of individual psychosexual therapy and couples work significantly broadens your potential client base.
Specialist referrals. GPs, sexual health clinics, and other therapists regularly seek to refer clients with psychosexual and relationship difficulties to qualified specialists. COSRT registration makes you findable and referable through the professional directory.
NHS and organisational roles. Specialist psychosexual and relationship therapists work within NHS sexual health services, psychotherapy departments, and specialist relationship services — typically at Band 7–8 level, where advanced qualifications are required.
Complementary specialisations. Mindspace also offers the CPCAB Level 7 Diploma in Attachment-Based Psychotherapy, which complements psychosexual and relationship training for practitioners wanting to develop comprehensive advanced expertise. Other specialist qualifications available include the Level 6 Diploma in Trauma Focused Therapy and the Level 6 Certificate in Counselling Supervision.
Entry Requirements
To apply for this course, you must:
- Hold a core counselling or psychotherapy qualification — such as the CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling or an equivalent recognised qualification
- Be a full member of a PSA-registered professional body (e.g. BACP, NCPS, UKCP)
- Have completed a minimum of 40 hours of personal therapy during or after your qualifying training
- Be currently practising as a counsellor or psychotherapist
Both Mindspace alumni who have progressed through our training pathway and external applicants trained elsewhere are welcome to apply. If you are unsure whether your existing qualifications meet the entry requirements, please contact us to discuss your background before applying.
Course Fees
As a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, Mindspace Foundation keeps course fees as accessible as possible. The fees for this course are:
- Course fee: £2,400 per year (£4,800 total over 2 years)
- CPCAB registration fee: £285 (one-off, payable at enrolment)
In addition, students should budget for the cost of personal therapy (minimum 20 hours during the course) and clinical supervision, which are funded by the student directly.
Why train with Mindspace?
CPCAB-accredited qualification. Your diploma is awarded by an external national awarding body, not a provider-own certificate. This provides independent validation and recognition of the qualification standard.
Integrated psychosexual and relationship training. This course trains you in both psychosexual therapy and relationship (couples) therapy as a combined specialism, reflecting how these issues present together in clinical practice. Many providers focus on one or the other; this diploma equips you for both.
Integrative, multi-model approach. Rather than training in a single therapeutic model, you develop competence across Gottman, EFT, Schnarch, psychodynamic, and systemic approaches, giving you flexibility to adapt your practice to different clients and presentations.
COSRT membership eligible. The course meets full requirements for COSRT Registered Membership on completion, providing a direct pathway to professional recognition in this specialism.
Accessible location and schedule. Basingstoke is centrally located for practitioners across Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Wiltshire, and surrounding areas, without the cost and commute time of London-based training. The two-Wednesdays-per-month schedule is designed to fit around your existing practice commitments.
Not-for-profit values. As a Community Interest Company, funds generated from training are reinvested into our counselling services and mission to reduce barriers to mental health support. Your training fees directly support this work.
Complete training pathway. Mindspace is one of very few providers offering the full journey from Level 2 through to Level 7 specialist qualifications, meaning your learning is supported within a consistent, progressive training environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to already be working with psychosexual or relationship issues to apply?
Is this course COSRT accredited?
How does this compare to other psychosexual training programmes?
Can I continue seeing my existing clients during the course?
Where do I get my 150 clinical hours?
What is the difference between this course and the Level 7 Diploma in Attachment-Based Psychotherapy?
What qualifications do I need to apply?
How much does the course cost in total?
Apply for the October 2026 Intake
The next intake of the CPCAB Level 7 Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy begins in October 2026. Places are limited.
If you are a qualified counsellor or psychotherapist ready to develop specialist expertise in psychosexual and relationship therapy, we encourage you to apply early.
Questions before you apply? Contact us. We are happy to discuss whether this course is the right fit for your experience and professional goals.
Apply
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