About Us

Purpose

The Suffolk Association for Counselling was founded in 1990 with the following aims:

- To facilitate the exchange of information and ideas.
- To facilitate mutual support for members.
- To promote good professional practice.
- To provide a network of counsellors and psychotherapists.
- To organise events, conferences, meetings or training.
- To raise public awareness of counselling.

SAC is a non-profit-making voluntary organisation.  Membership is open to individuals with an interest in counselling and the aims of the association.  The Constitution is available to download.

SAC is not a professional organisation and members are not permitted to use their membership in advertising or directories to enhance their professional status.

Directory
We publish a Directory each March, which gives information about counsellors, counselling agencies and counselling supervisors. The Directory gives practical advice on how to find the right counsellor and includes a section on the meaning of abbreviations and terms and phrases used by counsellors to describe the type of counselling they offer.

Newsletter
We publish a quarterly members Newsletter, which contains information about training events, correspondence, articles and reports from members.

Ethics Forum
We organise a regular Members’ Forum where ethical and best practice issues are discussed.

Training and Events
We financially support relevant training, lectures and workshops for members and occasionally organise counselling training and events.

Annual General Meeting
We produce an  Annual Report and organise an AGM in June/July each year where the serving Committee is accountable to members and where members are able to elect the committee for the following year.

Directory criterion
We are not a regulatory body and do not issue a Code of Practice. Counsellors who offer their services in the SAC Directory are required to provide evidence of membership of a professional organisation with a Code of Practice and a Complaints Procedure. We can give further details of a counsellor’s professional organisation on request.

Prevention of abuse
The Prevention of Professional Abuse Network (POPAN) offers a confidential Support Line for clients. Ring 0845 4500 300 (calls charged at local rate), or go to http://www.popan.org.uk.

Complaints
Complaints about any SAC services should be directed in the first instance to the Chairman or Secretary of SAC.