Liam McCarthy Scholarship

25.11.2011

We are delighted to announce as part of our 20 year celebrations, the introduction of the Liam McCarthy Scholarship, in honour of our Co-Founder. The winning applicant will receive Full Fees for our Middlesex University BSc(Hons) in Counselling & Psychotherapy.

Remarkably it was indeed back in 1991 that our pioneering co-founders Liam McCarthy, sadly no longer with us, and Josephine Murphy founded the Personal Counselling Institute (now PCI College). This was a time when mental health was not on the political, media or public agenda in Ireland. Their ground-breaking work helped begin the process of the counselling/psychotherapy profession being seen on an equal footing with other professions. 20 years on, we at PCI College continue with our founders pioneering work by embracing the continued raising of academic standards while still making training as accessible as possible and by continuing to set a high standard of personal development in training.

We believe that the introduction of this annual Scholarship is a fitting tribute to Liam. He was a man who believed passionately in personal development, and he knew that continuing, adult education could be a central element in that development for many people. One of his visions was to open up third level education to a wider pool of mature students, who might not have otherwise seen themselves as getting a degree. Liam was also known for maintaining high academic standards, and he set that standard by his own example. He also believed in providing students with a broad education in what is after all a very broad field. The degree he designed, and which Middlesex University validated, is therefore characterised by an integrative approach to counselling & psychotherapy training, introducing students to all the main schools, as well as to important topics such as Abnormal Psychology, Loss & Grief, Substance Addictions. Moreover, the Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy which is awarded after Year 3, fully meets the training requirements of the IACP.

If you would like to apply or nominate someone for this wonderful opportunity, please fill out the application form. This application form is to be supplemented by a 1000 word essay by the applicant entitled “Why Ireland needs Counsellors & Psychotherapists more than it ever did”. The nominator must also submit a 500 word treatise on why they think the candidate should be awarded the scholarship. A selection of applicants will be chosen to be interviewed by a panel of experts.

The deadline for applications is the 16th March.


Eoin Stephens


PCI College President

Terms & Conditions
•    Applicants must be over 23 and are to be nominated by someone within the helping profession.
•    Applicants can select a helping professional of their choice to nominate them. The nominator cannot be the applicant themselves or a family member.
•    The Scholarship is for people starting at Foundation Level or Year 1 of the BSc in Counselling & Psychotherapy. Upgrade Students are not entitled to enter.
•    Each application must be accompanied by 1000 word essay by the applicant entitled “Why Ireland needs Counsellors& Psychotherapists more than it ever did” 
•    The nominator must also submit a 500 word treatise on why they think the candidate should be awarded the scholarship
•    A selection of applicants will be chosen to be interviewed by a panel of experts.
•    Deadline for applications is 16th March 2012
•    The Scholarship covers Course fees only and does not cover costs associated with Additional Course Requirements listed on page 11 of the Prospectus. Fees for supervision and personal therapy are decided by negotiation between you and your Supervisor and Therapist. The average cost for supervision is approximately €60. Personal therapy may also average about €60 per session.