Training bursaries for under-represented ethnicities and heritages
It is well known that people from Black, Asian, dual heritage and minority ethnic communities are under-represented in the mental health professions. This is upheld by extensive evidence, researched by the Health & Social Care Information Centre. Their study showed that Black, Asian and minority ethnic individuals make up only 9.6 per cent of qualified clinical psychologists in England and Wales, in contrast to 13 per cent of the population (Office of National Statistics, 2018).
https://thepsychologist.bps.org.uk/volume-33/january-2020/bame-representation-and-psychology
In light of the lack of ethnic diversity in the mental health and therapy profession, IATE are offering a training bursary, known as the Diversity Scholarship, which is open for applications now. We are taking applications from people who identify as coming from Black, Asian, dual heritage and minority ethnic groups. We wish to actively support their training with us to bring more psychotherapists and counsellors into the mental health professions from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds to address the imbalance in power, privilege and identity.
Who is the Diversity Scholarship open to?
The Diversity Scholarship is open to people who identify as coming from one of the ethnic groups listed below. While we are open to other People of Colour, we are primarily focussing on people who identify as coming from one of these heritages:
African or Caribbean Heritage
African for those born in the continent,
Caribbean for those born on the islands
South Asian Heritage
Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
East Asian Heritage
China, Japan, North & South Korea, Taiwan
Third generation
Black British, Asian British
Mixed Heritage
People of mixed white & African heritage, people of mixed white South Asian heritage,
People of East Asian & Caribbean heritage
What’s being offered?
A bursary of £8,000 to be used over two years.
Half of the bursary contribution will be used for the Diploma in Therapeutic Arts or the Diploma in Child Counselling Year 1 course. The remaining half of the bursary can then be used for continued training into a second year: either the Diploma in Child Counselling Year 2 or either of our MA programmes. Please note that successful bursary applicants are expected to pay the remaining course fees.
Please note, bursary allocation is for tuition fees only, as detailed above. This award does not cover the cost of personal therapy and university registration (if applicable).
Who is eligible to apply for a training bursary?
In order to apply for the Diversity Scholarship, you will need to meet all of the following criteria:
- You have a Black, Asian, dual heritage or minority ethnic background
- You have applied for and already been offered a place on either the Diploma in Therapeutic Arts, or Year one of the Diploma in Child Counselling
- You have not previously undertaken a course in Psychotherapy, Counselling or any other clinical therapeutic training
How do I apply?
In order to apply for the training bursary you will need to go through the standard application process first to one of the courses and receive an offer of a place. There is no need to accept your offer until you have received the outcome of your bursary application.
