1 ONLINE—LEVEL 5 DIPLOMA Integrating Attachment Based Psychotherapy into Clinical Practice Student Handbook September 2025—June 2026 2 Diploma—Integrating Attachment Based Psychotherapy into Clinical Practice TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction for Delegates Page 3 2. Qualification Structure Page 4 3. Portfolio Requirements for Assessment Page 6 4. Presenting your work Page 9 5. Appeals and Complaints Policy Page 11 6. Reading List Page 12 Candidate Learning Record - on OneNote Resources Please note that: This document can be downloaded from the resources along with candidate support materials and is intended to provide information that will enable you to maximise your learning on this course and to complete the qualification successfully. 3 1. Introduction for Delegates A warm welcome to Optima’s Attachment Diploma. We are delighted to be able to offer this course. Your tutor team will do their best to provide you with a consistent and enriching learning experience. To undertake this course you must be a qualified counsellor with a Level 4 Diploma in counselling or similar qualification. This course leads to a nationally regulated Level 5 qualification awarded by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) – the only nationally regulated awarding body to specialise in the field of counselling and supervision. This Level 5 Diploma aims to provide a theoretical understanding of Attachment Theory, designed to give candidates the knowledge, skills and competencies to work within an Attachment framework, assessing clients from an attachment perspective and gaining an in-depth understanding to attachment seeking behaviours, injuries and defences. Giving therapists a deeper empathic appreciation of their client's internal world, and how that influences the clients ability to create positive relationships. The course considers how relational depth is impeded by fear of safe emotional connection, and how to help clients become storied selves. We will explore human development, focusing on the role of attachment throughout life, with participants reflecting on their own experiences of attachment themes. Tip: Know your limits: You will continue to need clinical supervision as an independent practitioner and to work within your personal and professional competence. The structure and expectations of this Level 5 training maybe very different from those of your previous training. If in doubt please ask! Progression Onto a Level 7 qualification with the required number of supervised client hours. Tutors Jo Oxley BA (hons) BACP (Acc) jo.oxley@optimahealthservices.co.uk Jo is an experienced mental health professional and trainer. Jo has a thriving private practice where she specialises in postnatal depression and attachment psychotherapy as well as supervising other practitioners. Jo has been teaching for over 30 years, she aims to empower her students to grow and reach their full potential. Joanne Kay BA (Hons) MBACP joanne@optimahealthservices.co.uk Joanne is a psychodynamic counsellor and trainer who works primarily with adults, specialising in working with depression. Her academic interest in language and the way humans communicate and learn, has led to a special interest in attachment theory. Joanne has taught and trained since before becoming a counsellor, and with a lifelong love of learning she aims to provide a space that helps therapists of all modalities share and gain knowledge. Uruj Anjum Msc MBACP uruj@optimahealthservices.co.uk Uruj is an experienced genetic counsellor, attachment therapist, and educator. She runs Saiyna Therapy, an online private practice specializing in attachment psychotherapy for perinatal clients and individuals with genetic diagnoses. Uruj is dedicated to inspiring her students to expand their knowledge and grow both personally and professionally. 4 2. Qualification Structure This online Diploma covers 120 guided learning. The course will run from September 2025 to June/July 2026 term time only, on a Wednesday morning from 09:00 – 13:00. A minimum of 80% attendance is necessary to complete the course. This qualification is made up of seven learning outcomes and associated assessment criteria. This structure is based on the seven processes of the CPCAB's Model. Tip: Think of the assessment criteria as learning tasks which you must complete and then record so that your tutor can see you have achieved the task. As autonomous adult learner's to achieve the qualification, you MUST be assessed by your tutor as Proficient in all 7 learning outcomes. It is your responsibility to meet agreed deadlines and keep up with submissions of weekly learning reviews and a minimum of a biweekly journal in a timely manner. Not complying with the above could mean we are unable to sign off your portfolio. Excessive work handed in after the course deadlines may mean re-registration with the CPCAB for the following year and additional administration charges. CPCAB Model 1. Working ethically and safely (professional framework) 2. Working with the relationship (relationship factors) 3. Working with difference and diversity (observed client factors) 4. Working with a primary focus on the client (inferred client factors) 5. Working with self awareness (observed and inferred counsellor factors) 6. Working within a coherent framework of skills and theory (treatment factors) 7. Working reflectively (professional factors) 5 2. Qualification Structure “We can only take a client as far as we have taken ourselves as therapists” (Rogers, 1957) Get ready for an exciting and transformative journey! The course, as approved by the CPCAB, has been designed to spark both personal and professional growth, and it all begins with thought-provoking questions at the start of each session. These questions are an essential part of the adventure, helping you to uncover new insights and push your boundaries. We know that sometimes these questions can stir up strong emotions, and that's okay! To ensure your safety throughout the course, we encourage you to review the questions ahead of the live sessions (See Resources for each week), so you feel prepared. If you find something particularly triggering, no worries—you have the option to private message your tutor and complete the exercise in a breakout room on your own, where you can reflect in a safe space without anyone knowing. Personal development is the heart of this course, and we challenge you to embrace the discomfort. Be curious about what comes up and why it feels challenging. This is where real growth happens! And don’t forget, you’re not alone—these experiences can be discussed further in your personal therapy. Let’s dive in together and make the most of this incredible opportunity. Tip: Remember, your tutors are here to support you every step of the way on this exciting journey! If you ever feel like your needs aren’t being fully met, don’t hesitate to reach out. You can privately address any concerns by requesting a one-on-one tutorial or simply sending an email to your tutor. We’re committed to helping you get the most out of this experience! 6 3. Portfolio Requirements for Assessment Art students keep a portfolio of their coursework which they use to show other people what they, as artists, have learnt. In a similar way you need to keep a portfolio of your coursework, which you can use to show your tutor what you have learnt. Keeping a portfolio of your coursework will not only provide your tutor with evidence of your learning, but also really help you with the learning process itself. You also need to keep your Candidate Learning Record (CLR), updated so your tutor can assess your progress and provide support. The CLR has brief notes beside each assessment criterion to help you understand what is being asked for and guidelines on how to record your learning, these are NOT criteria the criteria is the grey shadow. You must give two pieces of evidence for each criterion. In addition, the CLR (when complete) must include criteria gained from the following:- 1. Documents – templates are on OneNote Resources—Your portfolio must include • A weekly learning review these should reflect the learning from each weeks live session—please name your work like this i.e. Joe Bloggs LR 1—Theory • A weekly or bi-journal—Joe Bloggs J1 etc • 3 written assignments (3,000 words) • A client log this should reflect the clients you have seen during the course with a minimum of 20 one to one hours • A supervision log, showing a minimum of 1.5 hours per month of supervision. • A clinical supervision report if you have split your supervision between supervisors, both will need to complete the report, • A personal counselling record showing a minimum of 20 hours, 10 hours must be during the course. • Peer Feedback– from your case presentation. • Tutorial records 1. Please note that if it is appropriate you can reference the same section of your portfolio, or the same piece of work, a number of times. 2. This is an ongoing review of learning during the course (also called a “learning journal”). 3. Self-evaluation of learning, goals, progress, learning needs and completion of the learning tasks (criteria). 4. This can include hours undertaken prior to the start of the course but at least 10 hours must be undertaken during the course itself. 5. Your personal development may result from insights gained from the course, other personal development work, tutorial records or from personal counselling. 6. In the case of the audio or video recording, the tutor may choose to listen to (or watch) the recording, rather than observe you directly. Marking:- Tutors aim to get marking of Learning Reviews and Journals back to you within the week. Assignments take awhile to mark, please be patient. Resubmissions:- You will be offered the opportunity to resubmit your work, should you not meet the criteria on the first attempt. Please do not delete any comments left by your tutor and add your resubmission text in a new font colour. PLEASE NOTE: it is not possible to resubmit criteria in assignments once the assignment has been passed. 7 CPCAB recommends that you attach Criteria Assessment Sheet (CAS) (Appendix 2) to any work you upload for assessment. Your tutor can use the CAS to tell you which criteria you have met and to give you helpful feedback throughout the course. In this way you can gradually collect evidence as you go along and keep track of what evidence you still need to look out for. Tip: Meeting criteria is important, but the experience of learning about being an attachment based psychotherapist should be much richer than criteria. Try to keep a balance, write your reflections of your learning or personal experiences then try and match these to the criteria. Please Note: It is up to you as students which criteria you choose to claim. Your portfolio will include the following sections:- 1. Candidate Learning Record 2. Journals with consecutive page numbering 3. Learning Reviews 4. Attachment Loss and Bereavement Assignment 5. Case Study 6. Case Presentation 7. Therapists Attachment Story 8. Peer feedback – 9. Tutorial records 10. Self-Review—Ongoing training 11. Personal therapy— Evidence of 20 hours Personal Therapy 12. Client logs - Evidence of 20 hours of client work 13. Supervision log - 1 ½ hours monthly 1:1 or equivalent in group 14. Supervisor’s report Journals Your journals are an opportunity to reflect on your experiences, feelings, defenses, the work you are doing in personal therapy, the work you are doing in supervision and your client work. We want to hear you, hear your struggles, hear you victories, hear your lightbulb moments. Journals can be as long or as short as you want them to be. We would ask for a minimum of 18 journals throughout the course. Please be aware that all the work you include in your portfolio is assessable material, so it may be seen not just by your tutor but also by all those involved in your training centre’s internal assessment process or any associated appeal or complaint. Such people will include the internal moderator and verifier as part of internal quality assurance (IQA). 8 You can claim criteria on any written piece of work and the CPCAB recommends that you attach Criteria Assessment Sheet (CAS) (See Resources) to any work you upload for assessment. The CAS sheet should form the first page in your document with the text underneath. Your tutor can use the CAS to tell you which criteria you have met and to give you helpful feedback throughout the course. In this way you can gradually collect evidence as Tip: Learning Reviews A Learning Review is primarily there to evidence your learning from the session and as an aid memoir for you. For example, if the CPCAB choose your portfolio they have the lesson plan and the slides, and they would want to see adequate learning in the review to satisfy themselves that you have sufficiently evidenced your learning. We would expect at least an A4 page of reflections for a LR. We suggest you write your LR then go and consider if you could claim a criteria or two. We suggest that you keep a copy of all your written work on your own device and upload a copy to your OneNote portfolio. Just in case then there is always a back up! Naming your Documents:- Every document should start with your name then the piece of work for example:- For a Journal Jo Bloggs Journal 1—or Jo Bloggs J1 For a Learning Review Every learning review should reflect the week that it pertains to, for example:- Jo Bloggs LR Theory Jo Bloggs LR Theory and Bonding 9 We recommend the use of Microsoft Word to produce your written work, this has the added benefit of in-built referencing. If you are using a MAC we suggest also getting Word for MAC. Please note ALL Assignment documents will include: • Assignment Title Page as below:- Optima Level 5 Diploma Integrating Attachment Based Psychotherapy into Clinical Practice Accredited by: CPCAB Student ID: THIS IS YOUR CPCAB number Cohort: Example 2022-2023 Course Code: AP-L5 2022-2023 Assignment Title: e.g. Attachment and Loss Assignment Word Count: • Font is DM Sans 12 point, Justified (ctrl J) quotations should be in italics • Single spacing • Header giving your name, course code (e.g. Joe Bloggs, AP-L5 2022-2023) • Footer showing page numbers that run consecutively throughout • Section Headings • Word Count you may work on a basis of +/- 10% of the word count given. If you exceed this your work will not be marked. • Use Harvard System for all your quotes and referencing, you will find a guide to referencing using Word on OneNote and the Harvard Referencing Guide. 4. Presenting your work In order to make sure that assessment is fair to all candidates, we offer some suggestions of support system you can put in place. You can ensure that your own learning and assessment needs are being met by discussing any difficulties with your tutor, please be aware there is no SEN support available through the centre this is the responsibility of the learner to ensure any necessary provisions are in place. Optima recognise and comply with both the spirit and the word of equal opportunities legislation. Previous Acts were amalgamated into the Equality Act 2010 . 10 CPCAB Candidate malpractice policy and procedures Examples of candidate malpractice can include: • Introducing unauthorised material in their portfolio or passing off work by someone else as if it was their own (plagiarism) this includes the use of AI such as ChatGBT • Altering assessment documents or certificates, falsifying evidence or documentation; • Copying from another candidate or allowing their work to be copied, e.g. posting work on social networking sites. • Any act that could convey an unfair advantage over others in the same situation Plagiarism It is vital that all assignments, learning reviews and journals are all the candidates own work. Any forms of plagiarism will not be tolerated. Tutors have a vital role in confirming the authenticity of submitted work and check submissions for authenticity. Candidates are not permitted to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate content and put this forward for assessment as their own work. To do so is candidate malpractice. Detection of plagiarism or the use of AI in submitted work may result in candidates being asked to leave the course. 4. Presenting your work As a centre we take malpractice seriously and tutors will check work through AI checkers. Please do not use AI or copy other peoples work then any actions will not be necessary. 11 5. Appeals and Complaints Policy Complaints or appeals:- • Stage 1: please raise concerns informally with the person concerned as we can often resolve any issues at this stage. • Stage 2: Address your concerns in writing within 21 days of the event with the centre manger who will respond to your complaint/appeal within 21 days. • Stage 3: if you are still not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint/appeal you can request a review by outlining your concern and clearly stating what you would like to happen to resolve the issue. This should be addressed to David Holden at daveh@optimahealthservices.co.uk within 21 days of receipt their decision will be final. • Stage 4: Only once you have completed the above 3 stages and if you are still unhappy with the response you can request CPCAB to review the handling of the complaint/appeal. Written complaints or appeals, or about any aspects of your learning experience on the course, these should be addressed to the CPCAB. 6. Additional Qualification Requirements In addition to meeting the assessment criteria and learning outcomes, you need to meet the following additional course requirements: Client work You are required to complete 20 hours minimum of one-to-one, formally contracted counselling as an independent practitioner; by independent CPCAB means that the counsellor must exercise autonomy in their role as counsellor. Examples of an independent counsellor include but are not limited to; a counsellor in an agency/organisation, a private practitioner working for an external organisation (e.g. Prison Service), a counsellor working for an Employee Assistance Programme, or a counsellor in private practice. As an independent practitioner you would usually be expected to carry responsibility for client assessment. Either face to face or online work is acceptable. Group training supervision Occasionally we may undertake a group supervision as part of your course. You will be invited to present your work, receive supervisory support and challenge from tutors and peers, and learn from and challenge other candidates in the group. The emphasis here is on examining professional and therapeutic issues relating to your work as an independent practitioner. Personal therapy You need to have completed a minimum of 20 hours of personal therapy with a therapist who has a good understanding of attachment theory, by the end of the course. Beyond this you are expected to take responsibility for ensuring that you undertake sufficient therapy to meet your individual personal and professional needs as well as any professional body requirements. You need to keep a record of your personal therapy dates and your therapist will need to sign these off for your portfolio. 12 Counselling supervision In addition, you are required to have clinical supervision for all your client work. A minimum of 1.5 hours per month of Clinical supervision is required. Supervisors should be comptetent in Attachment based psychotherapy and hold a diploma in clinical supervision and have at least two years of supervision practice. The BACP formula for counting time gained through group supervision is that if a candidate is in a group of four or less, half the time of the session can be claimed. So, if there are four people in a session of 1½ hours, then each person can claim 45 minutes each. If there are five or more in a session, then divide the length of the session by the number or people present - i.e. five people in a 2½ hour session could claim ½ an hour each. Personal tutorials You will be offered tutorials throughout your course to support your learning, develop your practice and help you identify learning goals. Your tutors will also take the opportunity of tutorials to raise any concerns likely to affect the outcome of your internal assessment. You need to keep a record of your tutorials in your portfolio. You can request a tutorial at any mutually convenient time. 7. Reading list Initial suggested reading list, we will add to this as the course develops:- Bowlby, J (1966) Maternal Care and Mental Health Cassidy, J & Shaver, P.R. (2018) Handbook of Attachment: Theroy,Research, and Clinical Applications Holmes, J (2014) John Bowlby and Attachment Theroy (Makers of Modern Psychotherapy) Wallin, D.J. (2007) Attachment in Psychotherapy 13 Appendix 1: Professional conduct policy for the use of WhatsApp group Instruction: See the Resources Section of OneNote This policy sets out clear expectations and boundaries for appropriate behaviour Purpose: The WhatsApp group serves as a professional communication platform to facilitate support, collaboration, information sharing, and discussions related to your learning, or any topic regarding Attachment. Guidelines: 1. Respectful Communication:  Use courteous and professional language at all times.  Avoid offensive, discriminatory, or disrespectful remarks towards others including tutors and peers.  Refrain from engaging in personal attacks or harassment on others, tutors or peers. 2. Relevant Content:  Share content that is related to the group's purpose.  Avoid posting unrelated or promotional material 3, Privacy and Confidentiality:  Respect the privacy of group members.  Do not share confidential or sensitive information without permission 4. Use of Multimedia:  Exercise discretion when sharing images, videos, or links.  Ensure that multimedia content is appropriate for a professional setting. 5. Group responsibility:  The group has a shared responsibility to adhere to the BACP guidelines for professional conduct.  A shared responsibility to adhere to the above policy. 6. Consequences of Violations: Violations of this policy may result in removal from the group and further disciplinary action as deemed appropriate. Note: By participating in this WhatsApp group, you agree to abide by the above policy and professionally conduct yourself.