Cross Border Centre of Excellence: Belfast

Based just outside Belfast, our Centre of Excellence is a historic collaboration designed to meet the growing need for training in contemporary pluralistic counselling and specialist sex and relationship therapy, within a local context. We bring together two pillars of professional excellence to provide a trusted foundation for our cross-border professional communities:

• The Contemporary Institute of Clinical Sexology (CICS): Contributing long-established clinical authority and world-class specialist training expertise in Pluralistic Counselling and Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy.
• A Safe Space to be Me: Renowned as a forefront provider for community mental health and wellbeing support, they are an established Northern Ireland training provider with nearly a decade of regional credibility as an NCPS Approved Provider.

A Partnership Grounded in Real-World Practice

This is more than a training initiative; it is a strategic collaboration that ensures your learning is as relevant as it is rigorous. By merging CICS’s clinical depth with A Safe Space to be Me’s regional reputation, this programme offers a level of credibility and trust that is unmatched.

We invite you to join a community of practitioners who are not only gaining a qualification but are actively shaping the future of counselling and psychosexual and relationship therapy across both jurisdictions.

Strategically Located for Accessibility

Our Centre of Excellence offers an accessible and financially viable option for practitioners across Northern Ireland (N.I.) and the Republic of Ireland (R.O.I.).

We recognise that traveling for specialist training can be a significant undertaking. By establishing our hub just outside Belfast, we provide a high-quality alternative to training in England:

• Lower Travel and Accommodation Costs: Significantly reduced expenses for students traveling from both North and South.
• Reduced Cost of Living: A more affordable environment for your study weekends compared to major metropolitan hubs in the Republic and in England.
• Excellent Transport Links: Easily accessible routes that ensure practitioners from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland can access specialist training without the financial and logistical burdens typically associated with cross-border study.