What is Matrix College of Counselling & Psychotherapy?

Matrix College of Counselling & Psychotherapy is a specialist counselling training college based in East Anglia, England, serving Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and the wider region. Its main offering is a three-year BSc (Hons) in Integrative Counselling, validated and awarded by Middlesex University. If you are looking for a UK-based, university-validated route into counselling or psychotherapy — particularly one with weekend or weekday teaching options — this page explains what the college provides, how the course is quality-assured, and what to do next.

What the college offers

The college describes itself as dedicated to training counsellors to a high standard, with a curriculum built around four emphases:

• Heightening knowledge
• Developing practical skills
• Self-reflective practice
• Ethical and safe standards

Students are expected to gain practical experience in local counselling agencies as part of their training. The college positions itself as aiming to be the best counselling training provider in East Anglia, and notes that its students are "widely known to be mature, skillful and ethical."

The course: BSc (Hons) Integrative Counselling

The programme is developed, delivered and assessed by Matrix, while the degree is awarded and quality-assured by Middlesex University. This split matters: you enrol with a specialist college, but your qualification carries a university award.

How quality is assured

Two external bodies oversee the course:

Academic standards — Middlesex University monitors academic quality and appoints an external examiner to confirm the programme meets required academic standards and is equivalent to other university training.

Professional standards — The college states its professional standards are overseen by the UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy), and that it adheres to the UKCP's Standards for Education and Training for Psychotherapeutic Counsellors.

Matrix is also a registered provider of Higher Education, meaning it has demonstrated to the Office for Students (the regulator of English Higher Education) that it:

• Provides a well-designed course delivering a high-quality academic experience
• Supports students from admission through to completion
• Ensures student outcomes are valued by employers or enable further study
• Awards a qualification that holds value over time, in line with recognised standards
• Pays regard to guidance on complying with consumer protection law
• Has a published student protection plan covering the risks of course or provider closure and how students' interests would be protected

Key dates and how to apply

• Applications for September 2027 open in January 2027.
• Autumn Taster Sessions: Saturday 31 October, 10 am – 1 pm, and Tuesday 24 November, 6 – 9 pm.

To book a taster session or register for course details, email Nikkita at [email protected].

Who this suits

This route is likely to fit you if you want a university-awarded honours degree delivered by a specialist counselling college, you are based in or can travel to East Anglia, and you need flexibility between weekend and weekday teaching. Because the college emphasises self-reflective practice and placement experience in local agencies, it also suits people preparing for practice rather than purely academic study.

If you need a course outside East Anglia, a qualification at a different academic level, or a programme not tied to UKCP standards, this specific offering may not match your requirements.

Next step

Email [email protected] to register for course details or book a place at an autumn taster session. Attending a taster is the most direct way to confirm teaching style, location logistics and whether the September 2027 intake timing works for you.