Suffolk
Association for CounsellingThere are a number of national associations who operate a code of ethics or professional membership. The best-known are listed here.
1 British Association For Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
BACP is established:
i to promote and provide education and training for counsellors and/or psychotherapists working in either professional or voluntary settings, whether full or part time, with a view to raising the standards of counselling and/or psychotherapy for the benefit of the community and in particular for those who are the recipients of counselling and/or psychotherapy; and
ii to advance the education of the public in the part that counselling and/or psychotherapy can play generally and in particular to meet the needs of those members of society where development and participation in society is impaired by mental, physical or social handicap or disability.
Counsellors who have been accredited by BACP (see Accreditation of Counsellors) may register on the United Kingdom Register of Counsellors and describe themselves UKRC Reg. Ind. Counsellor.
The Association can be contacted at -
BACP House, 15 St John's Business Park, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 4HB
Tel: 0870 443 5252 Web: www.bacp.co.uk
2 United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
The UKCP's purpose is to promote the art and science of psychotherapy for the public benefit; to promote research and education in psychotherapy and disseminate the results of any such research; and to promote (or assist in the promotion, preservation and protection of public health by encouraging) high standards of training and practice in psychotherapy and the wider provision of psychotherapy to the public.
United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy
2nd Floor, Edward House, 2 Wakley Street, London EC1V 7LT
Tel: 020 7014 9955 Web: www.psychotherapy.org.uk
3 British Psychological Society (BPS)
BPS has three major aims:
¨ to encourage the development of psychology as a scientific discipline and an applied profession;
¨ to raise standards of training and practice in the application of psychology;
¨ to raise public awareness of psychology and increase the influence of psychological practice in society.
British Psychological Society
St Andrews House, 48 Princess Road East, Leicester LE1 7DR
Tel: 0116 254 9568. Web: www.bps.org.uk
4 Independent Practitioners Network (IPN)
The Independent Practitioners' Network (previously the Independent Therapists' Network) does not have a published national code of ethics. It is an alternative structure for validating and monitoring therapists, counsellors, facilitators, and others in the field. Founded in November 1994, its central concept is that membership is by peer group. The members of each peer group (of at least five practitioners) stand by each other’s work, and also by the work of at least two other member groups to which they are linked. In this way a web of self and mutual responsibility is woven, where loss of confidence in an individual or group will mean that links are withdrawn and their membership will lapse.
The contact for the Eastern Region is:
Grace Lindsay, c/o 14 Alpha Street, March, Cambridgeshire PE15 8LT
Tel: 07882 295699. Web: www.i-p-n.org
5 Other information
Counselling Training Courses
All counsellors in the Directory have completed a recognised training. Some may have completed many different types of training, others may have completed one training course. BACP has a list of current recognised courses, and has developed guidelines and criteria for in-depth courses (one year full-time, two or three years part-time).
There are many other training courses in the UK that offer a variety of models and skills training. Counsellors make a commitment to ongoing training and personal development. This is referred to in the Individual Counsellors Section as 'Ongoing'.
Accreditation of Counsellors
Several organisations have an accreditation scheme. Not all counsellors are accredited and, at present, there is no requirement to be accredited in order to practice. Professional standards are maintained through supervision, good quality training, carefully building experience and observing a code of ethics.
Supervision
The main purpose of supervision is to ensure that the counsellor is addressing the needs of the client. Supervision can be with individual supervisors or in groups and is a fundamental requirement of most codes of ethics. Material taken to a supervisor about a client is anonymous and confidential.