OPTION 1 - THE HOMA FOUR YEAR PSYCHOTHERAPY TRAINING PROGRAMME

If you already know that you want to train and practise as a humanistic psychotherapist, you can apply to join the Homa Training Programme which is a four year course.

There are a total of 16 places in total for each January intake.

OPTION 2 - THE FOUNDATION YEAR ONLY

If you're not sure that you want to train as a psychotherapist you can apply to join the Foundation Year only. This one year course is an opportunity to find out more about yourself and what it might mean for you to be a psychotherapist. If, on completion of the Foundation Year, you decide that you would like to become a psychotherapist, you can then apply to join the full Training Programme and continue into Years 2 to 4.

The Homa Training Programme blends personal and professional development with the option to train as a humanistic psychotherapist. This means that it is equally suitable for people who know they want to work as psychotherapists from the start as it is for those who are interested for their own personal and/or professional growth.

The Foundation Year is for you if you are looking to develop your interpersonal relationship and communication skills for use in your professional setting, whatever your type of work. The Foundation Year can lead to increased confidence, capacity to self regulate, to form and hold boundaries and to express yourself clearly and effectively.

We know that in order to complete the training you may need to juggle finances and your personal and professional life to make it work. Many trainees will continue in their primary employment, will manage parenting alongside training and may have family and other commitments to manage. Training part-time can work very well, and it is important to consider all the demands that the training will make on your time.

Tuition Hours

The majority of the training takes place on one weekday and one weekend day (usually Friday & Saturday) from 9.30am to 4.30pm, over three terms per year.

There is a residential module in Years 1 and 2. Over the course of the four years there are some longer weekend modules and some modules spread over a number of consecutive weeks.

Foundation Year - 38 days (228 tuition hours)

Year 2 - 38 days (228 tuition hours)

Year 3 - 27 days (162 tuition hours)

Year 4 - 21 days (126 tuition hours)

Meetings with your Training Advisor

You will need to allow time for meetings with your Training Advisor , approximately one hour per term with more time in your final year and for accreditation.

Individual Therapy

You will need to be in individual therapy for the duration of the training. You will be required to undertake 40 sessions per year with a Homa approved psychotherapist.

Working with Clients

From Year 3 you will need to allow time for a voluntary placement. This will usually mean approximately three or four client hours a week.

Professional Supervision

From Year 3, when you are undertaking a voluntary placement, you will need to allow approximately three to four hours per month for Individual and/or Group Supervision.

HOMA FOUNDATION YEAR - 2026

Training days run from 9.30am to 4.30pm

5 Day NON-Residential:

Tuesday 6 January to Saturday 10 January

Then Fridays and Saturdays

Term 1:

23 & 24 January

6 & 7 February

20 & 21 February

6 & 7 March

20 & 21 March

Term 2:

24 & 25 April

8 & 9 May

15 & 16 May

5 & 6 June

19 & 20 June

Term 3:

4 & 5 September

18 & 19 September

9 & 10 October

28, 29, 30, 31 October + 1 November (Residential)

13 & 14 November

Please note that any specific dates or days are subject to change.

Year 2 in 2025 - 38 days

Term 1

January 10, 11, 17, 18, 31

February 1, 21, 22,

March 7, 8, 21 (Ecotherapy), 22 (Ecotherapy)

Term 2

May 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 30 (Ecotherapy), 31 (Ecotherapy)

June 13, 14, 27, 28

July: 4 July (until 9.30pm)

Term 3

September 5, 6, 19, 20

October 3, (Ecotherapy) 4 (Ecotherapy)

November 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 28, 29

Year 3 - 27 days

Term 1

January 24, 25, 26

February 28

March 1, 2

April 4, 5, 6

Term 2

May 9, 10, 11

June 20, 21, 22

July 18, 19, 20

Term 3

September 26, 27, 28

October 31 (Ecotherapy)

November 1 (Ecotherapy), 2, 28, 29, 30

Year 4 - 21 days

Term 1

February 7, 8, 9

March 14, 15, 16

Term 2

June - 1, 2, 3

July - 11, 12, 13

Term 3

September - 12, 13, 14

October - 17, 18, 19

November - 22 & 23 Graduation Interviews tak place during this month

December - 5, 6, 7

At Homa you can choose to submit your reflective journals, assignments and coursework in different formats, unless specified in the brief. You do not have to use the same format for all your work, you are free to experiment with different media.

We to not value written work above other media. There is no hierarchy.

The brief for all assignments and coursework remains the same, whatever medium you choose for your piece of work. You are expected to fulfil the brief and demonstrate your understanding and learning clearly, with the same level of detail and reflectiveness regardless of how you present your work.

Your work can be submitted in the following formats:

Types of media

• Written - prose, poetry, story

• Recorded - video or audio

• Recorded video or audio interview (recording yourself speaking to someone about the topic/question - they might be asking questions that you have determined or ones of their own)

• Diagrams, charts, mind maps - created by hand or electronically

• Art - any medium (song, storytelling, mark making, drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, photography…)

• Any other media

There is one, four-night residential module, in the Foundation Year.

The cost of tuition, accommodation, materials, meals and refreshments for the residential is included in your course fee. Your travel and any other costs are excluded.

The venue for the residential is outside London.

The Homa Fee Structure

Fees for entry in January 2026

Foundation Year - £7,500

Year 2 - £7,500

Year 3 - £6,500

Year 4 - £5,500

Total 124 training days = 744 hours

Each training year's fees are payable on acceptance of your place for that year.

It is possible to pay in instalments, by agreement.

We offer a substantial bursary of up to 75% of the fees. There are two full bursaries available for each year. Please see the information on bursaries in the next tab.

You can choose to join The Foundation Year for personal or professional development without being a trainee.

If you join as a trainee, you will need to allow for the following costs on top of the course fees:

Training Advisor Meetings - You will have a minimum of three, one hour meetings per year, one per term. You or your Training Advisor may request additional meetings if needed. The cost per meeting is £75.

Personal Psychotherapy - Forty sessions per year for the duration of your training. The cost of individual therapy varies.

Professional Supervision (From Year 3) - The exact number of supervision hours will depend on your client hours and costs vary. Most organisations offer supervision free of charge to their volunteer practitioners.

Graduation Interview - The Homa graduation interview takes place at the end of your training with two tutors. The fee for this interview is £250.

Annual Bursary Opportunities

At Homa, we are committed to making training accessible to those who wish to enter the profession but lack the means to fully fund their training.

Each year, we offer two full bursary places.

Our bursaries are designed to support applicants who have never had social or financial privileges. The criteria below provide a general framework to help applicants consider whether they could work, save, or borrow to cover the fees. We prioritise awarding bursaries to those who truly cannot cover the training fees through work, savings, or borrowing.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet at least one of the following:

• Have received free school meals

• Have a family that has received income support

• Hold full-time caring responsibilities

• Have been in care themselves

• Have attended a non-selective state school or college

Additional Factors Considered

• Historical discrimination experienced by your community

• Current and anticipated financial wealth and income (low or no income)

• Financial dependents and people relying on your income, including family and community members

Bursary Details

The bursary offers a reduction of up to 75% of the annual course fee. Please note that additional costs, such as Training Advisor meetings, personal therapy, and supervision, are not covered by the bursary. These can sometimes be accessed at reduced fees, but will be the responsibility of the trainee.

Application Process

1. Complete the Homa training application.

2. Attend an interview.

3. If you are offered a place, submit a bursary application.

4. Your bursary application will be reviewed by the Homa interview team.

5. You will be informed if you qualify for a bursary.

6. Qualified applicants will be invited to a bursary interview.

7. The bursary panel meets each October to review applications.

8. Successful applicants will be notified by mid-October.

If you have questions or would like to discuss the bursary before applying, please contact us. We’re happy to arrange a phone conversation

Please Note: This bursary is intended for trainees who genuinely have no access to funds from any source to cover training fees. We encourage you to carefully review the criteria to determine if you qualify before applying.

The training takes place in the heart of London, at the Homa Psychotherapy Practice which is both a working practice and a training centre.

The practice is based a short walk from Angel Underground Station and Kings Cross

26 Lloyd Baker Street, London, WC1X 9AW

Homa as an organisation takes responsibility to ensure that all its tutors and staff educate themselves about racism, sexism, and discrimination on the basis of ability, gender, sexual orientation, body size, class, economic status, age, religious belief, culture, nationality and address their privilege, biases and prejudice in all the forms in which they show up.

We actively want to encourage more diversity in the psychotherapy profession. We welcome applications from people of colour and anyone who does not identify as white and from people of diverse sexualities, genders and identities.

You are welcome whatever your learning style. You are welcome whatever your body size. You are welcome whatever your faith and cultural background. You are welcome whatever your relationship choices.

If you have any questions or would like to talk to us about our approach to social justice and equality, please contact us.

The Aims of This Policy

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Homa has developed this Admissions Policy in order to inform and support all applicants through the admission process.

• To ensure that Homa establishes and maintains clear policies and procedures for the admission of applicants to our Training Programme and Foundation Year that are fair, clear, explicit and accessible.

• To ensure that Homa admissions decisions are made by assessing applicants consistently and fairly.

• To ensure that no one receives less favourable treatment on grounds of any protected characteristic.

• To ensure that disabled trainees are enabled to access and participate in our programmes of study whenever possible and that applications from people with a range of physical and intellectual abilities are encouraged.

The Scope of This Policy

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This Admissions Policy outlines the processes and information relating to the admission of applicants to The Homa Training Programme and The Foundation Year.

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Roles and Responsibilities

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The Homa Admissions Team

The Homa Admissions Team is responsible for guiding applicants to The Training Programme and The Foundation Year through the admissions process.

This includes:

1. Providing applicants with information about accessing application forms.

2. Collating completed application forms.

3. Booking attendance at Introductory Workshop Workshop and interviews.

4. Answering queries with respect to Homa and the Training such as: admissions process and general programme details such as duration, content, and fees.

The Homa Admissions Team is responsible for administering the applicant registration process including inputting enrolment information and payments, checking and recording identification documents and processing references.

The authority to admit applicants to the Homa Training Programme or The Foundation Year is held by the Homa Admissions Team.

The Homa Admissions Team is made up of the Course Tutors and the Training Co-ordinator.

Applicants

• Applicants must ensure that they provide full, complete and accurate information to The Admissions Team, and do not omit any relevant information. They must provide additional information if this is asked for by the Admissions Team.

• Applicants must attend the Introductory Workshop Day and interviews.

• Applicants must respect the deadlines set for submitting applications and for responding to offers.

• Applicants who do not meet their responsibilities to the Homa Admissions Team may be denied admission or have their offers withdrawn.

Our Admissions Policy

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Homa considers applicants to The Training Programme or The Foundation Year, solely on the basis of their merit, ability and potential.

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There are 16 places on the The Foundation Year starting each year in January. Places for the Foundation Year only are limited.

All applications will be treated with confidentiality and recorded in accordance with our GDPR policy.

Homa welcomes applications from people with varying abilities, from black and brown people and from anyone who does not identify as white and from people diverse sexualities, genders and identities.

Homa aims to admit all applicants who meet (in their application and interview) a reasonable expectation of completing the training and achieving the outcomes required.

Homa aims to treat all applicants as individuals fairly; we make adjustments wherever possible to our admissions process as well as to our course delivery, aiming to meet the needs of all applicants.

Entry Requirements

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• The Homa Training Programme and the Foundation Year are open to people with or without any formal qualifications.

• Personal maturity and the ability to cope with the emotional, intellectual and time demands of the course.

• A commitment to undertake a minimum of 40 hours of personal therapy per year, throughout the duration of the Foundation Year and the Training Programme.

• The commitment and ability to complete 120 client hours through a suitable placement from Year 3.

• A commitment to undertake fortnightly supervision while seeing clients from Year 3.

• A commitment to attend every training day.

The Admissions Process

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• Applicants attend an Introductory Workshop lead by the The Homa Training Team.

• Applicants complete the Foundation Year application form.

• The application form is reviewed by the The Homa Admissions Team to assess entry requirements.

• Applicants are invited to attend an in person interview.

• Interviews are designed to create a reflective and supportive environment and will include a series of standardised questions as well as questions based on the individual application.

• Applicants will be informed in writing about the outcome of the interview.

• In some cases, applicants may be invited to a further individual interview with a member of the admissions team before a decision is made.

• Feedback about the interview will be offered to any unsuccessful applicants with the aim of supporting their successful application in the future.

• Successful applicants will be offered a place, subject to references.

• Once the applicant has received their offer, they accept in writing and pay the fees to secure their place.

1. Attend an Introductory Workshop

2. Complete the Homa Training Application form

3. Your application form is reviewed by the Homa Admissions Team.

4. You are invited to attend an interview.

5. You are informed in writing of the outcome of the interview and if you have been successful, you are offered a place.

6. You may be invited to a further individual interview with a member of the admissions team before a decision is made.

7. Once you receive your offer of a place, you accept your place in writing and pay the fees to secure your place.

The interview will be held by two Course Tutors and is an opportunity for us to find out more about you and your interest in psychotherapy and personal development. It is also a chance for you to find out more about Homa and our Training Programme.

Our aim is to create the opportunity for you to tell us about yourself and to engage in a dialogue which will help you and us decide if Homa is a good fit for you.

We ask this because we want you to know that it doesn't matter! We welcome applications from young people in their twenties as well as from elders. Whatever your age, you will bring your unique experience and perspective.

As a participant in the Homa Training Programme or The Foundation Year, you are expected to attend every training day (100% attendance).

We will only accept absence for medical or extraordinary reasons and in those cases you will be asked to catch up on what you have missed with a colleague or possibly with a Course Tutor. There may be a fee for the catch up session with a Tutor. If you miss a day or more for any reason other than illness, you may be asked to leave the course.

When you become a Homa trainee, you will be assigned a Training Advisor. You will meet with your Training Advisor once a term. Their role is to guide and support you with the training process; giving you feedback on your assignments and other work and ensuring that you complete all the steps required for certification.

These meetings are compulsory and all take place in person (not online) at the place of work of the Training Advisor (in London).

Your Training Advisor can also mentor you through the accreditation application process (should you choose to apply for accreditation by the BACP) once you have successfully completed the Traininng Programme, have been awarded the Homa Diploma in Psychotherapy & Counselling and completed the 450 supervised client hours.

As a participant in the Foundation Year and/or The Homa Training Programme you will be expected to engage in your own individual psychotherapy throughout the training. You will need to have forty one-to-one sessions each year with an approved BACP or UKCP-accredited psychotherapist. These do not have to be full hour sessions, they can be 50 minutes. At least 70% of the sessions will need to be in person (not online).

Your Personal Tutor can assist you in finding a therapist who works in a way which is compatible with the Homa approach.

If you start with the Foundation Year and are not yet enrolled as a trainee, personal therapy is also a requirement.

In Year 3 you will begin a voluntary placement.

As part of the Homa certification process you will need to complete 120 supervised voluntary client hours. If you have not completed the 120 hours by the end of Year 4, you can continue to meet with your Training Advisor until you have completed the hours.

You will not be required to attend further training days.

Placement hours guidelines:

• The placement must be carried out with genuine clients, rather than peers from your course, for example in an appropriate setting with appropriate clients. You may not work with children or young people, couples or groups or those with complex mental health needs. Counselling services are an ideal setting as they are likely to assess whether clients are suitable for your level of competence.

• You must work with adults only and in an environment suitable for remote delivery if the sessions are online.

• You should not be required to undertake placement hours through private practice or with client groups that have not been pre-assessed as suitable - such as children and young people or those with complex mental health needs.

• The placement must be assessed (or marked) as an integral part of your training

• The placement must be delivered mostly face to face. The remaining hours can be delivered online or via a combination of online and phone.

• Your placement must be supervised. You will need a ratio of one hour's supervision to eight hours of counselling in the same mode of delivery as your placement hours.

• We also recommend you see your supervisor fortnightly.

Throughout the Foundation Year and in order to complete the Homa Psychotherapy Training Programme and be awarded the diploma, you will keep a Reflextive Learning Journal and will complete regular assignments. These are reflections of your personal and professional learning of the work you are doing in the group and in your practice. While these will take the form of written work for most trainees, we are open to the Reflextive Learning Journal and assignments being submitted as oral recordings or as a recorded interview with the Personal Tutor if a trainee has difficulties with written work.

The Reflextive Learning Journal and assignments are not expected to be presented as formal, academic essays. You will be asked to reference or annotate your work but not in accordance with university style written papers.

There will also be other assignments throughout the training which will be presented through a mixture of written, audio, visual and other creative media.

In the Fourth Year, trainees produce a biographical assignment which draws together all their work in one Life Story.

There are no exams or recorded client sessions to complete the Homa Training Programme and be awarded the diploma.

The termly meetings with your Training Advisor and self, peer and Course Tutor feedback and termly assignments serve as a continual assessment of your learning and development and are two way conversations. Your Personal Tutor will provide feedback on your assignments and will track that you are completing all the tasks required to obtain the diploma.

At the end of the four years you will be invited to a graduation interview. This will take place with a Course Tutor and an external moderator. The aim of this interview is to review and acknowledge your learning and development over the course of the training, both personally and professionally, and is based on your Life Story.

There may be occasions when Tutors feel that a trainee is not ready to graduate. In these circumstances the additional work and steps needed will be outlined and agreed between the Course Tutors, the Training Advisor and the trainee .

What does this mean?

The BACP is the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, they provide

organisational membership for services, training providers and companies working in the counselling field. Organisational membership of the BACP demonstrates that an organisation is committed to providing safe, ethical and professional counselling and psychotherapy services and training.

Being a member of the BACP means that Homa agrees to observe and abide by the BACP

Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions

Our organisation adheres to the terms and conditions set out by the BACP in their:

Articles of Association

Standing Orders

Membership policies and protocols

You will need to allow time to learn outside the training days. Here is an overview of the expected workload, including the in person training at Homa:

FOUNDATION YEAR - TOTAL WORKLOAD: 434.5 hours

• In person, tutor lead training days 228 hours (38 days)

• Training Advisory Meetings 2.5 hours (3 x 50 mins)

• Personal Psychotherapy 40 hours (50 minute or 1 hour sessions)

• Assignments Assignment 1 - ****Spring holiday assignment ****- ****Equivalent to a 3000 word written piece - up to 36 hours Assignment 2 - Summer holiday assignment - Collaborative project with one or more trainees - up to 36 hours

• Reflective Journalling - ****throughout the year, to be submitted after each training weekend - 36 ****hours

• Independent Learning Activities - ****Watching, listening to and reading resources available on the Homa training portal - 36 hours

ADDITIONAL HOURS:

• Holiday Reading and Preparation - Between the Foundation Year and Year 2 - 10/20 hours

YEAR 2 - TOTAL WORKLOAD: 594.5

• In person, tutor lead training days 228 hours (38 days)

• Training Advisory Meetings 2.5 hours (3 x 50 mins)

• Personal Psychotherapy 40 hours (50 minute or 1 hour sessions

• Coursework - 5-10 hours per week in term time - total 205 hours

• Assignments:

• 
  

- Winter Holiday Assignment - Between the FY & Y2 - 15 hours

- Assignment 1 - Spring holiday assignment - Equivalent to 3000 word written piece up to 36 hours

- Assignment 2 - Summer holiday assignment - Equivalent to 3000 word written piece - up to 36 hours

- Assignment 3 - Eco therapy practice & project - 2 hours in year 2 (continues into Year 3)

ADDITIONAL HOURS:

• Holiday Reading/Watching - 20 hours.

• Art Exhibition preparation - up to 10 hours

YEAR 3 - TOTAL WORKLOAD: 463.5

• In person, tutor lead training days 162 hours (27 days)

• Training Advisory Meetings 2.5 hours (3 x 50 mins)

• Personal Psychotherapy 40 hours (50 minute or 1 hour sessions

Term 1

Assignment 1 - Equivalent to a 30 minute recoding or 3000 word written piece - up to 36 hours

Reading/Watching/Listening to additional resources available on the Homa Training Portal - 25 hours

Term 2

Assignment 2 - Equivalent to a 15 minute recoding or 1000 - 1500 word written piece - up to 36 hours

Assignment 3 - Photographic Assignment + 1000 words - up to 20 hours

Reading/Watching/Listening to additional resources available on the Homa Training Portal - 25 hours

Term 3

Assignment 4 - Equivalent to a 30 minute recoding or 3000 word written piece - up to 36 hours

Reading/Watching/Listening to additional resources available on the Homa Training Portal - 25 hours

Thought the Year

Ecotherapy assignment - 9 one hour ecotherapy practices outdoors + ecotherapy project - up to 36 hours

ADDITIONAL HOURS:

• Holiday Reading/Watching - 20 hours

YEAR 4 - TOTAL WORKLOAD: 507

• In person, tutor lead training days - 126 hours (21 days)

• Training Advisory Meetings 2 (2 x 50 mins)

• Portfolio Interview - 1.5hrs

• Graduation Interview - 1 hour

• Personal Psychotherapy 40 hours (50 minute or 1 hour sessions)

GRADUATION PORTFOLIO

Portfolio Group Meetings - 11 x 1.5 hour online meetings with peers (16.5)

Portfolio - Approx 8 hours per week. Total 320 hours

Please note that the reflective journalling and assignment hours are approximate. The hours we have counted here are minimum. We acknowledging that each one of us has a different pace and works in a different way. For some trainees completing the work may take longer than the hours we have counted here.