Who we are

Human Development Scotland (HDS) is a registered Scottish charity (SC043664). Our vision is for a mentally healthy and emotionally well Scotland.

Our mission is to relieve mental and emotional distress by increasing the availability of, and access to, high quality psychodynamic and psychoanalytic counselling and psychotherapy for all who need them.

One of the ways we do this, is by offering professional training and CPD. Our Child and Adolescent Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (CAP) programme, for example, is a practical and theoretical training course in psychoanalytical psychotherapy with children and young people. This course is the only one in Scotland which is approved by the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP).

Find out more about HDS by clicking the links below.

Why we exist Our team Our history

Latest

ISE - A crippled trust in a crooked heart

Our next online Intensive Study Event (ISE) will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 19 May. We will welcome our guest Gerry Byrne, Head of Attachment and Perinatal Services at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Clinical Lead for Child Psychotherapy. Gerry’s talk is entitled: ‘A crippled trust’ in ‘a crooked heart.’ Establishing epistemic trust in the hostile territory of the therapeutic encounter with the coerced patient.
“We have all been in the same storm, but we have not all been in the same boat.”

New results from a study by the Mental Health Foundation show that one year on, the COVID-19 crisis has had wide and deep emotional impacts on UK adults.
Closing dates for our professional training courses

If you are thinking of applying for our academic training courses, here are the closing dates for applications. HDS offers a range of professional and academic training courses. Our training is for people working in ‘people-facing’ professions. For example: health and social care services, teachers, third sector and private practice counselling.
Virtual Open Day 2021

Our virtual Open Day has now finished but you can still look at the Open Day resources here.

Facing a winter during a pandemic

It is expected that the recent lockdown measures in-place will take a heavier toll on people’s mental health. The Mental Health Foundation has outlined ten risks and ideas for protecting and supporting mental health this winter.
Award winners

HDS received the Volunteer Friendly Award in recognition of the volunteering opportunities we provide.
Human relations and counselling

The Human Relations and Counselling Programme consists of 3 parts to provide different levels of training and qualification. This includes a Dilpoma (PGDip) and Masters (MSc). The course is ideal for people who currently use elements of counselling in their day-to-day work and would like to take further steps towards enhancing their practice and deepening their professional capacity.
Accessibility
Looking after our mental health in uncertain times

Infectious disease outbreaks, like the current Coronavirus (COVID-19), can be scary and can affect our mental health. While it is important to stay informed, there are also many things we can do to support and manage our wellbeing during uncertain times. Here are some tips from members of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) which we hope will help you, your friends and your family to look after your mental health.
Therapeutic work with children and young people

MSc Psychoanalytic Observation and Reflective Practice: Therapeutic Work With Children and Young People. Application deadline is noon on Wednesday 30 June 2021. This modular course offers an in-depth understanding of infants’, children’s and adolescents’ emotional and personality development, the significance of primary relationships and their relevance to working with these age groups and their families.
Donate

Your donation will help relieve mental and emotional distress by increasing the availability of, and access to, high quality psychodynamic and psychoanalytic counselling and psychotherapy for all who need them.
Enrol for our postgraduate training

We offer postgraduate training courses for professionals working particularly in the NHS, social services, education, private practice and voluntary sector.
Moodle

Students can access our Moodle site to gain access to your course material or the HDS members' area.
Privacy Policy

We respect the privacy rights of individuals and are committed to handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable law. This notice sets out the personal data that we collect and process about you, the purposes of the processing and the rights that you have in connection with it.

Friends of HDS

Friends of HDS is our way of recognising groups of supporters who make a regular commitment to the work of HDS. Find out more about becoming a Friend of HDS. Read more

At a glance: courses, prospectus, fees & applications

At a glance look at the professional training on offer from HDS. Information and links to course information, including: entry requirements, fees, timings, applications and enquiries. Read more