Counselling Body Responds To Government White Paper

“Because their practice is well established and widespread in the delivery of services, and what they do carries significant risk to patients and the public if poorly done”, the Government has announced that it is “planning to introduce statutory regulation for psychotherapists and counsellors and other psychological therapists”.

BACP, the largest counselling and psychotherapy body in the United Kingdom and Europe welcomes this statement having campaigned for regulation in this field for well over 10 years. BACP is delighted that the whole field of the talking therapies is to be regulated so that ‘struck off’ therapists from one branch may not be able to turn up in a ‘legitimate’ role in another.

While regulation is no panacea, BACP believes the public do find it unacceptable that counselling, psychotherapy and psychology should be practised beyond a framework of legally verified competence.

In the absence of formal legislation, BACP’s Ethical Framework, Accreditation, and Professional Conduct Procedures have been used as benchmarks for good practice for therapy in Britain.  These guidelines – mandatory for existing BACP members – have also been widely copied abroad.  But at present BACP remains powerless to regulate beyond its own membership.  

BACP will continue to work closely with the Health Professions Council and other allied professional bodies to ensure that the best possible regulation is achieved in this once-only opportunity.  

BACP endorses this further recognition of the profession of counselling and psychotherapy and agrees that more consultation within the profession is needed (page 85 of the document) to ensure the process of statutory regulation raises standards by supporting best practice from existing self-regulatory codes.    

BACP views the protection of the public as its first and foremost priority and supports any Government moves to safeguard this.