# The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society > We’re the professional home for talking therapists. Supporting counsellors & psychotherapists, our profession, and the public. # Where connection becomes change We’re the professional home for talking therapists. Supporting counsellors & psychotherapists, our profession, and the public. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com/search) [Become a member](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) [Want to become a counsellor or find a course?](https://www.search-ncps.com/search?category=FindaTrainingCourse) Find a professional counsellor Safe, qualified and confidential support Recognised Accredited Register Search for an Accredited counsellor ## Find a counsellor you can trust Our counsellors & psychotherapists meet high national standards for training, ethics and conduct. Every therapist listed on our 'Find a counsellor' directory is on our Accredited Register, recognised by the [Professional Standards Authority](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk). [Find a counsellor](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/search-the-directory) [What is the Accredited Register?](https://ncps.com/about-us/accredited-register-programme-regulation) Become a counsellor ## Start your journey with confidence By choosing a training course recognised by the NCPS, you can be assured that the course has been mapped to our Training Standards criteria and therefore meets the highest standards of professional training. Search our course directory to start your journey today. [Find a course](https://ncps.com/become-a-counsellor) Become a member ## Join a professional community that works for you Whether you’re just beginning your training or have been practising for years, we’ll guide you to the right membership category to match your experience and qualifications. Already a member of another recognised professional body? Let us know—we may be able to offer you an equivalent NCPS membership that reflects your current standing. [Explore Individual membership](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) ## Our members are the heart of the NCPS At the NCPS, we believe in the power of collaboration to strengthen, protect and promote the counselling & psychotherapy profession in the UK. We work in partnership with a wide range of organisations who share our values. ## What our members say ### Attracting new clients "Becoming an Accredited Member has enabled me to grow my business by attracting clients reassured by the Professional Standards Authority endorsement, while keeping me updated with legal and ethical guidelines and invaluable learning and training opportunities." Sarah Robins MNCPS (Acc.) ### Timely, supportive and collaborative "I have been a member of the NCPS for many years and seen it flourish. Even as it has grown, the ethos has remained the same. My communications have always been dealt with in a timely, supportive and collaborative manner; I would highly recommend NCPS." Remona Jenkins PNCPS (Acc.) ### I would recommend the NCPS to any counsellor “I would recommend the NCPS to any counsellor thinking of joining a professional body. It genuinely puts its members at the heart of its work, and I feel connected, respected and supported. It’s refreshing that NCPS staff are only an email or a call away. I’m delighted to be so well looked after." Deirdre Coughlan PNCPS (Acc.) ### Personalisation experience "I enjoy being a member of NCPS for the personalisation experience. If I have ever needed to call, my query is dealt with quickly and efficiently, with a personal approach. Every person I’ve had the pleasure of talking to has taken time and effort to ensure I’ve felt supported. It’s a wonderful organisation." Jayne Yeates PNCPS (Acc.) ### A member for over 10 years "As a member for over 10 years, I have always appreciated NCPS's common sense approach, their dedication to the interests of clients and therapists alike, and their efforts in protecting the rich and diverse nature of therapy." Richard Clarke MNCPS (Acc.) ### NCPS cares about its members "NCPS cares about its members. Always there for help and advice and a plethora of courses on offer for CPD. As a private practice therapist, I never feel alone.” Jill Abbott MNCPS (Acc.) ## Our Accredited Register Members of the public are encouraged to choose a practitioner who belongs to an Accredited Register. Our Accredited Register is recognised by the [Professional Standards Authority](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/accredited-registers) to ensure that the public are able to choose safe, ethical and competent professionals when looking for support. ## Our Voice Explore our latest news, blogs, policies, publications and more [### NHS launches new guidance on registration requirements for psychological professions NHS England has published new guidance setting out the registration requirements for the psychological professions working in NHS commissioned services in…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ncps-responds-nhs-launches-new-guidance-on-registration-requirements-for-psychological-professions) [### Major expansion of community mental health support across England This week the government made a very welcome announcement of £343 million for 159 new NHS mental health facilities across England: 100 community mental health…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ncps-responds-to-major-expansion-of-community-mental-health-support-across-england) [### NCPS Response: Conversion Practices Draft Bill The Society welcomes the Government’s commitment to introducing legislation to ban abusive conversion practices targeting LGBTQ+ people and supports measures…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ncps-response-conversion-practices-draft-bill) [### Important news: New rules on police requesting counselling notes come into force Victims to be given more privacy with new rules blocking police from requesting counselling notes during investigations unless in exceptional circumstances.](https://ncps.com/our-voice/important-news-new-rules-on-police-requesting-counselling-notes-come-into-force) [### Supporting an urgent review of NICE guidance on anxiety The Society supports the sector-wide campaign, led by the UK Council for Psychotherapy , calling for an urgent and comprehensive update to the National…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/supporting-an-urgent-review-of-nice-guidance-on-anxiety) [### NHS staff to train teachers, school nurses, and GPs to spot eating disorders Teachers, school nurses, and GPs will be offered NHS support to spot the early signs of eating disorders, so no child is left to ‘suffer in silence’.](https://ncps.com/our-voice/nhs-staff-to-train-teachers-school-nurses-and-gps-to-spot-eating-disorders) [### MHRA issues new guidance for people using mental health apps and technologies New online resources will help the public, parents, carers and health, social care and education professionals understand what safe, effective digital mental health technologies look like in practice.](https://ncps.com/our-voice/mhra-issues-new-guidance-for-people-using-mental-health-apps-and-technologies) [### Government unveils expanded support for adopted children Consultation launched on providing better, earlier, and more targeted help to adopted children and funding increased for adoption support fund](https://ncps.com/our-voice/government-unveils-expanded-support-for-adopted-children) [### NCPS engagement with Baroness Tyler leads to amendment to Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill The amendment follows detailed policy discussions, working closely with Barnardo’s, as part of our shared efforts to ensure children and young people can…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ncps-engagement-with-baroness-tyler-leads-to-amendment-to-childrens-wellbeing-schools-bill) [### Member Update: Stronger Security Checks for Adults Working with Children and Vulnerable People The Ministry of Justice has announced stronger security checks for adults working with children from January 2026, which include plans for more rigorous…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/member-update-stronger-security-checks-for-adults-working-with-children-and-vulnerable-people) [### NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan: Read the NCPS Submission For years now, since the introduction of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) model (now NHS Talking Therapies), national policy has leaned…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/nhs-10-year-workforce-plan-read-the-ncps-submission) [### AI in Therapy - September 2025 Update It’s been a while since our previous blog on the topic of AI, and I wanted to introduce some of the more up-to-date thinking around Artificial Intelligence…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ai-in-therapy-september-2025-update) [### AI in Counselling and Psychotherapy At the Society, we're acutely aware of AI's multifaceted role in talking therapy, but our collective understanding of its potential impact on the talking…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ai-in-counselling-and-psychotherapy) [### NCPS Response: Budget 2025 - What It Means for Counselling & Psychotherapy While there were many things in the Budget that will hopefully make a difference to the mental health of the nation, we were hoping for a stronger focus on…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ncps-response-budget-2025-what-it-means-for-counselling-psychotherapy) [### Press release: First blueprint to make AI mental health tools safe for users The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) has published the UK’s first relational safeguards for AI mental health tools, warning that, without…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/press-release-first-blueprint-to-make-ai-mental-health-tools-safe-for-users) [View all](https://ncps.com/our-voice) --- About Us # We are the professional home for counsellors & psychotherapists We are a not-for-profit professional society dedicated to supporting our members and the public through quality training, Accreditation and ethical practice. [Join Us](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) [Our Code of Ethics](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) Established in 1996, the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) has long been at the forefront of promoting high standards in counselling and psychotherapy across the UK. As one of the first organisations to gain Accredited Register status with the [Professional Standards Authority](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk), we ensure that our members are safe, competent and ethical practitioners. ## Our Accredited Register for Counsellors & Psychotherapists When you choose a counsellor from an Accredited Register, you have the assurance that the counsellor has met the high standards required to be listed on the Register. [Find out more](https://ncps.com/about-us/accredited-register-programme-regulation) ## Our Team At the NCPS, we're proud to be led by a team who are passionate about the Society's values and ethos. [Learn more](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-team) ## Our Community We’re proud of our shared commitment to professional excellence, compassion, connection, and the remarkable community that drives us forward. [Find out more](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community) ## Our history The NCPS has grown from from a small professional body into one of the most respected voices in counselling & psychotherapy in the UK. [Find out more](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-history) ## Governance We commit to providing good governance and leadership by understanding our role. [Learn more](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance) --- About us # Our Accredited Register for Counsellors & Psychotherapists When you choose a counsellor from an Accredited Register, you have the assurance that the counsellor has met the high standards required to be listed on the Register. ## Also in this section [### Code of Ethics Ethical considerations are more than polarised judgements of right and wrong. They involve exploring principles, morals and values behind a particular intent, intervention and action.](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) [### Our Society We are a not-for-profit professional Society dedicated to supporting through quality training, accreditation and ethical practice.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-society) [### Our Team At the NCPS, we're proud to be led by a team who are passionate about the Society's values and ethos.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-team) [### Our Community We’re proud of our shared commitment to professional excellence, compassion, connection, and the remarkable community that drives us forward.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community) [### Governance Our Commitment to providing good governance and leadership.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance) What is the Accredited Register? The [Professional Standards Authority (PSA)](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk) is an independent body accountable to the UK Parliament. It promotes public protection by overseeing health regulators and accrediting registers for unregulated professions such as counselling & psychotherapy. Members of the public are encouraged to choose a practitioner who belongs to a register which has been vetted and approved by the Authority. The Accredited Register programme was set up by the Department of Health to ensure that the public are able to choose safe, ethical and competent professionals for their health and social care needs. The NCPS Register is accredited by the PSA, meaning we meet all their standards for public protection, governance, training, complaints handling, and ethical practice. Our members commit to a Code of Ethics and meet required training levels, giving clients confidence that they are choosing a counsellor who meets rigorous professional standards. The Accredited Register Quality Mark is a recognised sign of good practice, awarded only to organisations that demonstrate strong public protection and high professional standards. Being accredited under the NCPS Accredited Register offers enhanced protection to anyone looking for counselling services which includes: - Members of the public seeking a Registered Counsellor - Qualified Counsellors seeking to become Registrants. Counsellors on our register, also known as **Registrants,** will be able to display the Accredited Register quality mark, as a sign that they belong to a register which meets the Authority's rigorous standards. - The NCPS believes that all Accredited Registers should be seen as equal. The programme is well-recognised: - [NHS Choices](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/counselling/) information list Accredited Registers to reflect what should be equality of choice for all clients and patients - [NHS Employers](https://www.nhsemployers.org/articles/professional-regulation) has added content encouraging the use and detailing the benefits of Accredited Registers - Health Education England has amended the information on the [NHS Health Careers](https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/psychological-therapies/roles/counsellor) website also to be in line with the aforementioned changes on [NHS Choices](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/talking-therapies-medicine-treatments/talking-therapies-and-counselling/counselling/) and [NHS employers](https://www.nhsemployers.org/) sites, and promote inclusive hiring practices - The Department for Education recommends Accredited Registers and mentions the NCPS specifically in its "Blue Print for Schools" document - The [GMC](https://www.gmc-uk.org/ethical-guidance/ethical-guidance-for-doctors/delegation-and-referral/delegation-and-referral) highlights Accredited Registers as relevant to delegation and referral. ## The Society's position on standards The Society's standards of entry to the Register are benchmarked against Ofqual levels, where a Level 4 Diploma is required for entry to the Register and further training is required for progression in membership, e.g. to obtain individual Accredited Professional Registrant status. By benchmarking against Ofqual Levels the Society is demonstrating our commitment to ensuring that **counselling training is independently verifiable as meeting national standards.** In addition, standards are benchmarked against the Society's Occupational Standards which draw from a variety of accepted sources. The Society fully supports the current Accredited Register programme as offering protection to the public, whilst balancing this with a right touch approach to regulation. It allows counselling and its associated practices to flourish, promotes competition between registers, protects diversity in, and access, to training and allows professional associations to be central to the process. Since 2012 the Society has made wide-ranging improvements across our standards, including in governance, accountability, education standards, complaints, and listening to clients, as well as in equality and diversity. These improvements have been as a direct result of our involvement in the Accredited Register programme. We have written a paper that outlines our position on regulation. This came about as part of the Professional Standards Authority's [Strategic Review of the Accredited Registers programme](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/docs/default-source/publications/consultation-response/our-consultation/2020-accredited-registers-consultation/authority-consultation-on-the-future-shape-of-the-accredited-registers-programme.pdf?sfvrsn=69067620_13) in 2020/2021, and has subsequently been developed further by the Society to clearly define our position in terms of regulation of the profession. You can read the paper here: [Counselling at the Crossroads](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Counselling-at-the-Crossroads-NCPS.pdf) You can read our full response to the Strategic Review here: [An Evidence-Informed and Member-Informed Response to the Professional Standards Authority’s Strategic Review of the Accredited Registers Programme](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCS-Response-PSA-Strategic-Review.pdf) ## Our Register The NCPS is responsible for ensuring that those individuals who wish to join the Society and have their details listed on the Accredited Register meet the high standards set for the Society by the Professional Standards Authority. All applications are assessed by the Society and, as well as providing evidence of educational qualifications, references and professional insurance, all registrants are required to be bound by the Society’s [Code of Ethics](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) and [Complaints Procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure). Full details of the criteria for membership are given in the '[Become a Member](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual)' section of the website. Successful applicants are given a membership certificate that is renewed annually and their details are published on the Society’s Accredited Register, found in the '[Find a Counsellor](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/search-the-directory)' section of the website. **Code of Ethics** All Registrants are bound by the Society’s [Code of Ethics](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) and [Complaints procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) throughout the period of their membership / remaining on the Accredited Register. **Professional Insurance** Society registrants must have current professional insurance. There are a variety of different insurance brokers who provide insurance for those in private/self-employed practice and this information is provided to all registrants by the Society. For those who are in employment or volunteer with an agency that organisation will provide insurance. Evidence of insurance will be required when a registrant first joins the Society and at the time of any audit of practice. **Supervision** Supervision is considered to be vital to the practice of counsellors and is a requirement for those who are on the Accredited Register. In the early years of practice it is one of the best ways in which a new counsellor can seek guidance in their work with clients. It is also the way in which a therapist can be seen, by a more experienced person working in the same field, to be growing and maturing. Supervision is a valuable "checking in" procedure, helping counsellors stay grounded and centred, maintain professional and personal boundaries, avoid "burnout" and thus provide safe, ethical and competent counselling for all clients. As a guideline for a counsellor in full time practice we recommend 1.5 hours of supervision every month – each person’s level of experience and also the client group they are working with will affect how much supervision is needed. If a counsellor has any concerns about any aspect of their work with a client then they should refer to their Supervisor for further advice. There should be a provision for emergency advice or consultation with the Supervisor over and above the agreed number of sessions. Registrants are required to keep a record of their supervision hours and evidence of this, verified by their supervisor, will be required at the time of any audit of practice. **Continuing Professional Development (CPD)** In order to remain on the Accredited Register it is important that registrants can demonstrate a continued commitment to safe and ethical practice and they are responsible for their continuing professional development as a practitioner. Registrants should complete a minimum of 30 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Counselling each year, whether or not they are seeing clients, to ensure that they keep up to date their theoretical and practical knowledge and skills relating to their work as a professional practitioner, including any new legislative requirements. The Society defines CPD ‘as a range of learning activities through which professional counsellors grow and develop throughout their careers to ensure that they retain their ability to practise safely, ethically and legally within their evolving scope of practice’. Registrants should keep a record of all CPD activities - detailing the number of hours, types of activities and the learning they have gained from each activity. This information and supporting evidence will be required at the time of any audit of practice. **Society Audits** The Society is required to verify that those who are on the Accredited Register comply with Standards to remain on the Register. To do this we carry out a random audit of registrants – this is one of the methods that the Society uses to ensure that our register complies with the standards set by the Professional Standards Association. As an ongoing process the NCPS will select a percentage of individual registrants (on a random basis) to participate in the Society’s audit process. Those selected will be sent a letter informing them that they have been chosen for audit along with the guidelines on the information that they will need to supply to the Society. Those who are chosen for audit are required to submit all the information required to the Society within a given time scale. **Breaks in Practice** The NCPS will recognise a 3 year period when an individual can take a break from practice. Within this period a registrant can suspend their membership and automatically rejoin the Society when they are ready to continue practice. Any period of non-practice that is longer than 3 years will require an individual to re-apply for membership of the Society. The Society is responsible for the Accredited Register and may have to amend and update those on the register for different reasons. These reasons may be: - A Registrant is given sanctions but allowed to remain on the register - A Registrant is suspended – the suspension is noted on the website, then removed if the suspension is lifted - A Registrant is removed from the register due to an upheld [complaints process](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) - A Registrant doesn’t comply with the audit - A Registrant is no longer practising (change of personal circumstances e.g. retirement). --- About us # The NCPS Code of Ethics Ethical considerations are more than polarised judgements of right and wrong. They involve exploring principles, morals and values behind a particular intent, intervention and action. The Code of Ethics sets out the fundamental principles that inform the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society’s (NCPS) approach to ethical issues. It also provides expectations of how practitioners will conduct themselves as members of the NCPS with these principles in mind. Ethics can sometimes be confused with law. Some ethics are beyond the remit of law and say more about our commitment as a Society to our clients and the community we serve. For example, it is not actually unlawful *per se* to embark on a consensual sexual relationship with a client, but it would contravene the NCPS Code of Ethics which states that a practitioner will not “cross the boundaries appropriate to the therapeutic relationship”. Where the Code refers to ‘clients, as well as former clients’, this would include, where relevant and applicable, parents and/or legal guardians. ## Explore our Code of Ethics The Code sets out the standards expected of all members of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, for the guidance of members (individual, supervisor, training provider or organisational). Members of the Society are expected to inform prospective and present clients, as well as former clients who contact a Member following ending counselling, both of the Code and how to access it online. Clients and former clients who believe that a Member of the Society has failed to provide the standards of service expected by the Society, having raised their concern with the Member (if appropriate) and received no satisfaction, may contact the Society for advice on making a formal complaint. Full details can be found [here](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure). Under our complaints procedure, we consider a practitioner’s fitness to practise. Outcomes could be fit to practise (no concerns raised), impaired fitness to practise (for example but not limited to, a lack of CPD and further training needed, or decline in personal health and wellbeing), fit to practise with sanctions (for example but not limited to, further supervision needed and/or report needed), and unfit to practise (serious and/or multiple breaches of the Code of Ethics). Please see the [complaints procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) for further details. As well as abiding by the Code of Ethics and following guidance from the Society, a practitioner must consider their own self-care and wellbeing in remaining fit to practise in accordance with the fifth fundamental principle: integrity and self responsibility. The ethical principles are set out here to inspire members towards best practice. Ethical decision making is dependent on context which then produces variables and grey areas for consideration. Therefore, there cannot be an obligation to choose one principle above another but rather a framework of principles in which to consider the context of the situation and practitioner involved. Since 1984 this framework has been developed worldwide and we particularly reference the work of Kitchener (1984) and Kitchener and Anderson (2011). Although these principles cannot be used to find a ‘right or wrong’ ethical decision they can be used to make a ‘best clinical judgement’ and a practitioner of the NCPS will need to demonstrate that they have considered these principles in their ethical practice and decision making, especially discussing them with their supervisor. The fundamental principles of this code are: **1. Working towards the good of clients and doing no harm (Beneficence and Non-maleficence)** Practitioners hold the welfare of clients central to their work and so commit to avoiding harm. **2. Being trustworthy and responsible (Fidelity)** Practitioners endeavour to establish trust with their clients and the community in which they work. Therefore, practitioners not only honour the trust placed in them by their clients and the community but also act in a respectful, professional and ethical manner when representing their profession. **3. Respect for the dignity and rights of the client (Autonomy)** Clients have the right to self determination and to be shown dignity and respect for making their own lawful decisions (where applicable, consideration of Gillick competence and reference to Fraser Guidelines may be required). **4. Justice** Practitioners are aware of their own judgements based on their own experiences and need to take precautions (supervision) to provide a service that is not restricted by their own prejudice and limitations of experience. This also means showing respect for diversity of persons, without prejudice to colour, race, belief, gender, sexuality, social context, and mental and physical abilities. **5. Integrity and self responsibility** Practitioners work to be as honest, truthful and accurate as possible. They are also responsible for looking after their own needs and health. So, a practitioner will only commit to a practice that they can offer being aware of their own expertise, training, health and wellbeing, and let the client know if anything changes. Registrant Members of the Society may offer their services to the General Public. Student members may offer services as part of a formally supervised placement arrangement as defined in the Society’s Training Standards. All Practitioners undertake to: 1\. Provide a service to clients solely in areas in which they are trained and competent to do so. 2\. Ensure that the premises where counselling takes place and all facilities offered to clients are suitable, appropriate for the service provided and respectful of the clients need for privacy. 3\. Discuss with clients realistic outcomes and limitations of the service offered. 4\. Inform clients of the confidentiality of the service offered, including any limitations on confidentiality required by law and for the purpose of supervision. 5\. Respect the autonomy of clients to choose whether or not to avail themselves, or continue to avail themselves of the service offered. 6\. Produce when asked evidence of current professional indemnity insurance. 7\. Have a current DBS certificate if working with minors and vulnerable adults, and to produce it when requested. Full details of how to do so are in the members' area of the website. 8\. Explain fully to clients in advance of any therapy/service: the fee levels, precise terms of payment and any charges which might be imposed for non-attendance or cancelled appointments. 9\. Agree clear and transparent contracts and/or terms and conditions, in writing where appropriate, which do not use unreasonable terms or restrict the statutory rights of clients. 10\. Ensure that any advertising and promotion of services complies with the Code of Advertising Practice, the CAP Code, ASA Good Practice guidance and Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations. 11\. Not offer clients a therapeutic relationship on the basis of misleading title use (see Appendix A) 12\. Inform prospective, present, and former clients if therapy is resumed, of the Society’s Code of Ethics and how to access it. 13\. Inform clients wishing to address perceived failures by the Member of any arrangements of independent mediation and also of their right to make a complaint under the Society’s Complaints Procedure. Registrant Members of the Society may offer their services to the General Public. Student members may offer services as part of a formally supervised placement arrangement as defined in the Society’s Training Standards. All Practitioners undertake to: 1\. Work in ways that promote client autonomy and wellbeing and that maintain respect and dignity for the client 2\. Demonstrate a fully-developed, professional awareness of diversity issues; and specifically not permit considerations of religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, politics or social standing to adversely influence client treatment. (See Appendix B) 3\. Refrain from using their position of trust and confidence to: a. Cross the boundaries appropriate to the therapeutic relationship. This includes, but not limited to: having sexual relationships with or behaving sexually towards clients, supervisees or trainees; maintaining the confidentiality of counselling as far as the law allows; or by exploiting them emotionally, financially or in any other way whatsoever. b. Touch the client in any way that may be open to misinterpretation, for example, but not limited to: a hand on the knee, or a supportive hug. N.B. Before using any touch as a component of counselling, an explanation should be given, and permission received. This can be verbal permission and should be written in case notes. 4\. Decline with explanation, inappropriate gifts, gratuities or favours from a client. Examples include, but are not limited to: financial gifts, event or discount vouchers, objects of substantial monetary value. The offering of any gift in therapy is an important event in the therapist-client relationship, and its implications should be discussed with the client and considered in supervision. 5\. Should any relationship (i.e., any enduring personal or professional connection other than the clinical relationship between client and therapist) occur or develop between either counsellor and client, or members of their respective immediate families, the therapist should consult their supervisor at the earliest opportunity. It is likely to be appropriate to cease accepting fees, work towards terminating the counselling relationship in an appropriate manner and arranging a carefully considered referral to another suitable therapist at the earliest opportunity. 6\. Be consistent with the welfare and expressed wishes of the client and never protract therapy unnecessarily and to terminate therapy at the earliest moment consistent with the welfare and expressed wishes of the client. 7\. Remain aware of their own limitations and wherever appropriate, be prepared to refer a client to another practitioner or medical adviser whomight be expected to offer suitable support. 8\. Ensure that wherever a client is seeking assistance for the relief of physical symptoms, that unless having already done so, the client is advised to consult a registered medical practitioner. Practitioners should not attempt to diagnose physical symptoms unless they have undergone relevant medical training in diagnostics. 9\. Accept that any client referred to them by a registered medical practitioner (or other relevant agency) remains the clinical responsibility of the medical practitioner (or agency). This may involve agreement on any responsibility to agree to keep that medical practitioner (or agency) suitably informed of the client’s progress; i.e., unless the client has given permission for the release of such information, feedback should take the form of general comments as to progress rather than the provision of specific details. Practitioners should also be prepared to share information previously agreed with the client necessary for the continuing support of clients by other healthcare professionals, where there is an overlap or handover of care. 10\. Take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the client and any person who may be accompanying them. 11\. Deliver counselling services in an appropriate way. (See Appendix C) All Practitioners undertake to: 1\. Ensure that all advertising, no matter in what form or medium it is placed, represents a truthful, honest and accurate picture of themselves, their skill base, qualifications and facilities and that any claims for the successful outcome of therapy (in whatever format) shall be based upon verifiable, fully-documented evidence. 2\. Ensure that all advertising shall comply with the British Code of Advertising Practice, in accord with the British Advertising Standards Authority and to make available all such literature to the Society on request. 3\. Display only valid qualifications and certificates issued in respect of relevant training courses and events, or certificates of registration, validation or accreditation as issued or awarded by relevant professional bodies. 4\. Refrain from advertising any pending accreditation, approval or membership grade until such accreditation or membership is actually granted. 5\. Ensure that an academic doctorate cannot be confused by clients with medical qualification unless the practitioner possesses such qualifications. 6\. Follow advertising guidance. All Practitioners undertake to: 1\. Maintain strict confidentiality within the client/counsellor relationship, always provided that such confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the therapist’s own safety or the safety of the client, the client’s family members or other members of the public, nor in contravention of any legal action (i.e., criminal, coroner or civil court cases where a court order is made demanding disclosure) or legal requirement (e.g., Children Acts). Further information can be found in the Society's Safeguarding Policy. 2\. Ensure that client notes and records be kept secure and confidential and that the use of computer records conforms with the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and guidance from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). If a member is keeping digital notes or data about anyone they may need to register with the ICO as the person responsible for doing so in the nature of business. Individuals should check whether they are required to register https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/register/self-assessment. N.B. Manual records should be locked away when not in use and those held on a computer should be password-protected. 3\. Client records (paper files, laptops) should be kept in a locked cabinet/briefcase within a secure property. If transporting client files outside of practise premises, this must be done in a locked container. Any client records that have to be left temporarily in a car should be in a secure, locked container and locked in the car boot. Electronic files should be kept secure behind password-enabled software, and that password should be changed regularly. 4\. Ensure that client records are appropriate, accurate, relevant, lawful and secure. Record keeping involves a range of potential complexities, ethical and legal issues, and supervisory support is important. Members’ policies, where session notes are concerned, must also reflect ethical and legal awareness. The possibility of clients or external parties requesting access to such notes must be considered. 5\. Obtain written permission from the client (or if appropriate, the client's parent/s or legal guardian/s) before either digitally or electronically recording client sessions, or discussing undisguised cases with any person other than a supervisor. A supervisor’s advice must be sought if suitably disguised references to actual clients are to be published in print or online, and where required should be with the client’s permission. With particular reference to the use of CCTV or similar equipment, all clients must be fully informed when such equipment is in operation and as above, written permission must be obtained prior to the commencement of any client session. 6\. Advise the client that anonymised cases may sometimes be used for the purposes of academic assessment, individual and peer supervision or the supervision and/or training of counsellors; and refrain from using such material should the client indicate a preference that it should not be used for these purposes. Regarding CPD, all Practitioners undertake to: 1\. Maintain or improve their level of skills and professional competence in an appropriate manner commensurate with their vocations. 2\. Maintain a varied Continuing Professional Development programme and completed to current Society requirements for registrant members. 3\. Ensure that their CPD enhances their professional practice and improves the service provided to clients. It is important to keep up to date with new developments relevant to practise. 4\. Complete CPD in accordance with current Society guidance per 12-month period, keeping theoretical and practical knowledge and skills up to date by learning more about their discipline and learning more about how to work as a professional practitioner, including any new legislative requirements. 5\. Complete CPD in a range of activities. Regarding supervision, all practitioners undertake to: 1\. Have formal one-to-one supervision in place and obtained from a properly-qualified and trained supervisor. Attendance should be commensurate with practise hours. 2\. Ensure that clients with presenting issues outside of a practitioner's scope of ability are discussed in supervision and where appropriate, referred to another practitioner. 3\. Ensure a written contract is provided from the supervisor. 4\. Maintain confidentiality of clients within the arrangement. 5\. Not engage in any dual relationship when seeking supervision. Examples of dual relationships can be found in the members' area of the website. 6\. Keep a record of supervision hours. Further Supervision guidance can be found in our Good Practice Guidance Documents in the Member Portal. All Practitioners undertake to: 1\. Obtain the written consent of an appropriate adult (i.e., parent, legal guardian or registered medical practitioner) with the exception of those who are Gillick competent, before conducting therapy with clients who are either under the age of majority or are classified as persons with special needs or vulnerabilities. It is recommended that members hold a current DBS certificate. Full details of how to obtain a DBS can be found in the members' area of the website. 2\. Ensure that methods of communication are monitored where a client is a child or young person. It is not sufficient to assume that a text message, email or other non-immediate form of communication has been understood or received in a timely manner. Where a client may be at risk, direct communication (face-to-face or by telephone contact) is required. 3\. Offer a proactive service which must include following up on any advice or recommendations given to seek further help e.g., medical intervention, and to inform the parents, legal guardian and/or General Practitioner, if the client is at risk of harm. 4\. Diligently follow any escalation process required for any contracted work. When in private practice, escalate any concern of risk of harm to the parents, legal guardian and/or General Practitioner, as appropriate. 5\. Obtain further knowledge and training specialised in working with children and young persons. 6\. Ensure supervision is obtained from a supervisor with experience of, and preferably specific training in working with children and young persons. 7\. It is advisable that note taking is practised and ensure note taking for clients, who are children and young people includes: dates of any significant events, dates of any escalation and referrals (including when taken to supervision), who referrals are made to, and follow up action taken. Expect these notes to be provided to the Society in the event of any complaint. Guidance can be obtained in the [Member Portal](https://www.member-ncps.com/). All Practitioners undertake to: 1\. Conduct themselves at all times in accord with their professional status and in such a way as neither undermines public confidence in the process or profession of counselling, nor brings it into disrepute, being aware of professional and personal boundaries. 2\. Members are required to cooperate with the Society’s complaints process for the time being in force; to provide the Society with evidence requested as part of a complaints process, and to attend and cooperate with complaints hearings when necessary. 3\. Never publicly criticise, malign or professionally obstruct another member of the profession, unless there is an issue of public protection and concern which should be addressed through a properly-constituted complaints procedure. 4\. Never diagnose or treat a person as mentally ill on the basis of that person's race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, or political, religious, ideological, moral or philosophical beliefs. 5\. Respect the status of all other medical/healthcare professionals and the boundaries of their professional remits. 6\. Ensure that they maintain the highest level of communication with clients (avoiding abbreviation and shorthand) whether by telephone; email; text or any other social media messaging service. See (Appendix C) For all practical purposes, where research directly involves clients or trainees, all clauses within the Code of Ethics are applicable. In addition, researchers should: 1\. Accept that all participation by research subjects is on a purely voluntary basis. No pressure of any type should be exerted in order to secure participation. Payment must not be an inducement if the research involves participants in taking risks beyond that taken in the normal course of the participant’s everyday life. 2\. Ensure that proper consent has been obtained prior to the commencement of any research project. This is especially so in the case of minors or persons with special needs. N.B. This does not apply where general research of a purely statistical nature is carried out. In longitudinal research, consent may need to be repeated at intervals. 3\. Make clear to the participant at the outset that initial consent does not negate their right to withdraw at any stage of the research. 4\. Maintain complete openness and honesty with regard to both the purpose and nature of the research being conducted. 5\. Consider any potential adverse consequences to participants as a result of any intended research project and be ready to signpost should support be required. 6\. Accept that if, during research, a participant exhibits or presents a condition they seem unaware of, then the researcher has a duty to inform the subject of that, and advise the participant if they believe their continued participation may jeopardise their future well-being. 7\. Provide, where relevant, for the ongoing care of participants with regard to any adverse effects that might arise as a consequence of and within a reasonable time period after, their involvement within any research project. 8\. Understand and act upon the principle that the privacy and psychological well-being of the individual subject is always more important than the research itself. All Practitioners and Practices (all members either individual, training provider or organisational) undertake to: 1\. Ensure that any training they offer meets commonly-accepted standards, with tutors appropriately qualified to teach the subject matter. Further guidance about course standards can be found [here](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/training-provider). 2\. Communicate clearly whether or not the training on offer is in itself sufficient to lead to professional registered status as a counsellor according to the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society Standards, as distinct from specialist further training or continuing professional development. 3\. Clearly and honestly communicate and explain any accreditation or approval given to their training courses to their students or potential students. 4\. Refrain from advertising any pending accreditation, approval or organisational membership until such accreditation or membership is actually granted. 5\. Deliver only a course which is entirely their own intellectual property (unless under specific written licence from the copyright holder), at all times refraining from plagiarism. 6\. Not participate directly or indirectly (e.g., as a course tutor, marker, promoter, manager, interviewer etc.) in any training which does not meet all the above Training Ethics criteria. 7\. Make students aware of the importance of the Accredited Register programme as the benchmark of safe and ethical practice in order to protect the public. Advice should be given to join an Accredited Register. The Society classes non-registrant members as those that are either a Member or Student. Non- registrants, and those who are not in practice through non-compliance with Society procedures or those taking a career break, should follow all guidance issued by the Society. Student members should only see clients as part of a formal placement arrangement. All Practitioners undertake to: 1\. Notify the Society, in writing, of any change in the name, contact address, telephone number or email address, of their practice at the earliest convenient moment and in any event within 14 days of the change taking place. 2\. Inform the Society, in writing, of any alteration in circumstance which would affect either their position or ability as Practitioners. 3\. Inform the Society, in writing, of: a. Any complaint of which they are aware made against them b. Any disciplinary action taken against them by any other professional body c. (i) any criminal offence for which they have been arrested, ensuring that the Society is updated as the progress of the case (ii) any criminal convictions 4\. Make available all relevant information requested as a result of investigation by any complaints process of which the Society is a signatory or in which it participates, without hindrance (whether implied or actual) or unreasonable delay and comply fully with all reasonable requests. As an Accredited Register holder, the Society may share the above information with other Accredited Register holders in the interest of public safety under the Standard 10e policy. The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society sometimes receives applications from therapists who utilise the titles "Dr."; "Reverend"; or "Professor". Legally, the title "Dr." may be used in the UK EITHER by the holder of a medical "doctorship", i.e., a licensed medical practitioner; OR by the holder of a doctorate – i.e., someone who has been awarded the highest category of academic postgraduate degree, e.g., a D.Phil, PhD, etc., whether from a UK institution or a foreign body. The title "Reverend" may be used by a Minister of Religion, ordained by the internal rules of their religious body, whether UK-based or foreign. The title "Professor" may be used by the holder of a Chair in any subject from a UK Chartered University, by someone awarded the title of Visiting Professor, or by an Emeritus Professor. And may also be a lesser title related to someone who teaches any subject in a foreign university or college, i.e., equivalent to "lecturer." However, it is not the job of the Society to enforce the law. The Society’s concern is how the use of any Special Title is related to ethical practice as a therapist. There are three fundamental ethical considerations: 1\. Medical Misdirection - The client is led to believe, whether by commission or omission, intended or inadvertent, that the therapist is a licensed medical practitioner in the UK, when they are not. This is highly unethical and potentially dangerous, as well as possibly illegal. The client risks accepting diagnosis and prognosis from the therapist as though it carried the weight of a medical practitioner. 2\. Misdirection by Relevance - The client is led to believe, whether by commission or omission, intended or inadvertent, that the therapist’s title is relevant to the practice of their therapy, when it is not. For example, although the therapist makes plain, that they are not a licensed medical practitioner, their doctorate is, in fact, in a subject totally unrelated to therapy. 3\. Misdirection by Quality - The client is led to believe, whether by commission or omission, intended or inadvertent, that the therapist’s title fulfils the requirements of widely-recognised common UK standards, when it does not. For example, the doctorate has been awarded as an honorary title, on the basis of life experience, or from a foreign institution whose standards are far short of those of a UK Chartered University. The Society cannot, and does not wish to, prevent therapists using Special Titles to which they are legally entitled in their general lives. However, if the therapist wishes to be a professional member of the Society, they must adhere to society guidance for using these titles in their role as a counsellor. This means in all aspects of their clinical practice – initial advertising, business cards, leaflets, websites, and during their consultations. **The Title "Dr."** MAY be used in a counsellor role if the counsellor: • Is a UK licensed medical practitioner. • Holds a doctorate in a subject directly relevant to therapy AND if the doctorate is from a UK Chartered University. • Holds a doctorate in a subject directly relevant to therapy from an academic institution DEEMED EQUIVALENT to that of a UK Chartered University by the Society. But MAY NOT be used in the role as a counsellor: • If the counsellor holds a doctorate in a subject not relevant to therapy i.e., a Dr of archaeology. • If the doctorate is from an institution with lower standards than a UK Chartered University. Life Experience, Non-Accredited by the State, Honorary, and Doctorates that utilise less than the equivalent of three years’ full-time study are included in this. • If the counsellor holds a non-medical doctorship. • If their advertising in any way implies, by omission or commission, that they are a licensed medical practitioner. **The Title "Reverend"** MAY be used in the role as a counsellor: • ONLY if the therapy is being given in a religious context, i.e., as a religious minister, or if thetherapist is advertising spiritual or religious counselling. • AND only if the title’s origin is fully explained when requested. **The Title "Professor"** MAY be used in the role as a counsellor: • ONLY if the title is held by the holder of a Chair from a Chartered UK University or is a visiting professor or an emeritus professor linked to a Chartered UK University, or foreign institution deemed equivalent by the Society AND • ONLY if the title is related to a subject directly relevant to therapy ### Advertising Guidance when using special titles **Short Adverts** (business cards, news & magazine articles, Yellow Pages etc) must EITHER contain the phrases "non-medical doctor" or "not a medical doctorate" OR contain an explanatory phrase such as "doctorate in psychology - non-medical." **Long Adverts** (pamphlets, leaflets, websites etc) must contain the phrases "non-medical doctor" or "not a medical doctorate" AND must contain an explanatory phrase or description of the title, e.g., "doctorate in psychodynamic psychology from the University of London" **Consultations**: Clients must be informed orally at all initial consultations that the therapist is not a medical doctor. Every effort must be made to ensure that the client is not confused about this issue. **Biographies**: If longer advertising contains a biography, provided that the heading "Biography" is used, then the following Special Titles may be listed, if fully explained: - Doctorates not related to therapy but from UK Chartered Universities or equivalent. - Professorships not related to therapy but from UK Chartered Universities or equivalent. However, these titles must not be used anywhere else in the advertising other than within the text of the biography. **The Title "Reverend"** must be fully explained in all longer advertising, including the denomination of the award. **The Title "Professor**" must be fully explained in all longer advertising, including the name of the awarding university. We take the view that the practice of conversion therapy has no place in the modern world. It is unethical and harmful and not supported by evidence. Conversion Therapy is the term for therapy that assumes certain sexual orientations or gender identities are inferior to others, and seeks to change or suppress them on that basis. Sexual orientations and gender identities are not mental health disorders, although exclusion, stigma and prejudice may precipitate mental health issues for any person subjected to these abuses. Anyone accessing therapeutic help should be able to do so without fear of judgement or the threat of being pressured to change a fundamental aspect of who they are. 1\. The Society respects sexual diversity as part of our approach to diversity, equalities and social responsibility. 2\. The Society does not consider homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexual and transgendered states, or asexuality to be pathologies, mental disorders or indicative of developmental arrest. These are not ‘symptoms’ to be treated by counsellors in the sense of attempting to change or remove them. Counsellors must at all times respect the best interests of their clients. 3\. Practitioners must recognise the limits of their practice, training and experience in issues of sexuality and if necessary, refer the client to an experienced therapist for specific help. 4\. If a practitioner’s personal, theoretical or religious beliefs mean that they are unable to work in a non-judgmental way with a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender client, or one who identifies as asexual, the client should be referred to another therapist. 5\. No member should offer counselling that seeks to change sexual orientation or influence gender identity (SOCE, reparative, conversion or reorientation therapy, or similar therapies by other names). 6\. Counselling should not be offered that seeks to eliminate or reduce same sex attraction in clients. Please contact the Society for further information if necessary. As a professional association for counsellors and psychotherapists the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society is committed to promoting and providing high standards in the practice of counselling. The Society expects all practitioners to conduct themselves at all times in accord with their professional status and standards. This is principally addressed in the Code of Ethics, but it is recognised that more and more practitioners are using various forms of electronic media including social networking sites; blogs; email, text messaging and SMS; online platforms etc. to communicate with friends, family, professional networks and clients. There is no doubt that this way of working has some huge benefits, not least access for those who are physically unable to travel or geographically not close enough to the therapist for face-to-face sessions. However, before providing counselling or advice/suggestions via any online platform/text messaging/email the practitioner should have considerations in place to deal with the following: • Crisis prevention planning and frequency of contact etc. along with practical matters such as charge structure within the original contract. • The danger that a client may believe he or she has 24-hour accessibility to the therapist. • The potential for a lack of time for reflection on either party before responding to each other. • Awareness of potential professional and personal overlap by the careful and restrained use of social media such as Twitter, Facebook etc. • When using Facebook or other social media platforms, personal accounts must be kept private from public viewing by making use of privacy levels according to the specific social media platform. Additional and separate user accounts for professional purposes and use, should be used. • When using any online platform, software, technology or app to offer client services, it is important only to use platforms which are secure in terms of GDPR, breaches of confidentiality, hacking and data storage. Members are required therefore to take all reasonable steps to ensure that client data and confidentiality are secured, and follow all guidance issued by the Information Commissioner's Office. Please note that the Society cannot prescribe, or proscribe, any particular platform due to the large number of platforms available and the constantly changing profile of those platforms. • There is no guarantee of delivery using electronic communications and it is advisable to gain confirmation of receipt Whilst offering or delivering counselling via any online/social media platform the practitioner must be aware of their duty to follow the Code of Ethics. Practitioners must also be aware that open online platforms and group chats such as forums, are not appropriate for discussing client work and do not replace the need to have formal supervision. Practitioners must be aware clients may still be able to identify themselves even though you may disguise names. A “potential” client refers to an individual who has made an initial approach to a counsellor with the intention of becoming a client. A “potential client” only becomes a client when an agreement has been reached between them and the counsellor to enter into a counselling relationship. For the avoidance of doubt, an initial consultation, interview or assessment offered by the counsellor to assist the counsellor in determining whether or not they wish to offer a counselling relationship, and to assist the potential client in making such a determination, occurs with a “potential client” and the client relationship does not begin at this point. Possible outcomes may include a decision by either party not to enter into a counselling relationship, and it should be made clear to potential clients that this is a possibility. Where payment is made for the initial assessment interview, it should be made clear that said payment is for the counsellor’s time and does not constitute a commitment to accept the potential client for therapy or to provide further support. A client relationship only begins from the point at which counsellor and client explicitly mutually agree to enter into such a relationship, whether or not this is via the medium of a written contract. All communications prior to this point, whether in writing or by phone/video chat etc, are not a client relationship. **Counsellors have the following ethical responsibilities towards a potential client:** - Clear communication with potential clients about, but not limited to: appointment times, availability, Terms and Conditions of working etc. - Timely communication with potential clients. - Clear, unambiguous and timely communication about a decision not to work with a client. - Signposting to other therapeutic opportunities, e.g. other psychological or medical professionals, if appropriate. - Confidentiality concerning a potential client’s identity and presenting issues, subject to relevant legal and safeguarding considerations. **Counsellors have the following rights concerning potential clients:** - The right to decide not to work with the client and to communicate this with the client. - The right to state that the reason for not wishing to work with the client is because the counsellor does not believe that they would be the right therapist for the potential client without additional explanation. - The right to cease communication with the potential client and the right to inform the potential client that they will not communicate further with them. - The right to protect their own personal safety, and to make decisions based upon a reasonable belief that their personal safety could be compromised by continued communication with a potential client. - The right not to engage with excessive self-disclosure or unreasonable expectations by a potential client, for example, where the potential client may have an expectation of therapeutic work occurring prior to a contracted counselling relationship being established. ## Got a question about our Code of Ethics? Get in touch with a member of our team who will be happy to guide you. [Get in touch](https://ncps.com/contact) --- Governance # Our commitment to providing good governance and leadership Learn more about the Society's governance, including our Council and Committees ## Governance The NCPS Council will provide good governance and leadership by understanding their role. The following principles set out both the responsibilities and the overall ethos of the Society’s Council. Members of the Council will understand their role and responsibilities collectively and individually in relation to: - Their legal duties - Their stewardship of assets - The provisions of the governing document - The external environment - The total structure of the Society - Setting and safeguarding the vision, values and reputation of the Society - Overseeing the work of the Society - Supporting members of the Society and the profession of Counselling - Recognising the Society’s role in public safety The Council will ensure that the Society delivers its stated purposes or aims by: - Ensuring Society purposes remain relevant and valid - Developing and agreeing a long term strategy - Agreeing operational plans and budgets - Monitoring progress and spending against plan and budget - Evaluating results, assessing outcomes and impact - Reviewing and/or amending the plan and budget as appropriate The Council will have a range of appropriate policies and procedures, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours to enable both individuals and the Council to work effectively. **These will include:** - Finding and recruiting new Council members to meet the Society’s changing needs in relation to skills, experience and diversity - Including Lay members on the Council - Providing suitable induction for new council members - Periodically reviewing their performance both as individuals and as a team **As the accountable body, the council will ensure that:** - The Society understands and complies with all legal and regulatory requirements that apply to it - The Society continues to have good internal financial and management controls - It regularly identifies and reviews the major risks to which the Society is exposed and has systems to manage those risks - Delegation to committees, staff and members (as applicable) works effectively and the use of delegated authority is properly supervised **The council will:** - safeguard and promote the Society’s reputation - act according to high ethical standards - identify, understand and manage conflicts of interest and loyalty - maintain independence of decision making The Council will lead the Society in being open and accountable, both internally and externally. **This will include:** - Open communications, informing people about the Society and its work - Appropriate consultation on significant changes to the Society’s services or policies - Listening and responding to the views of members, clients and the public, and others with an interest in the Society’s work and the profession of Counselling. - Handling complaints constructively, impartially and effectively - Considering the Society’s responsibilities to the wider community, e.g. its environmental impact Underlying each of the above principles is the additional principle of equality – that of ensuring equality, diversity and equality of treatment for all sections of the community. The Society also recognises the importance of public safety as a fundamental Principle. ## Society Council The Council acts as the central governing body for the Society and uses their overall view of activities to guide the present and future direction of the Society. The Society Council is also responsible for the following: - Strategy - Review of Risk - Professional Ethics - Review of Committee Decisions - Review of Complaint Decisions - Equality & Diversity Policy - **Chair:** Gerry Willmore - **Chair Emeritus:** Liz McElligott - **Chief Executive**: Jyles Robillard-Day - **Head of Training Services & Professional Standards and Registrar:** Kate Mahoney - **Head of Engagement and Development:** Faye Blackwell - **Head of Operations:** Camilla Hyland - **Head of Public Affairs and Advocacy:** Meg Moss - **Professional Conduct Officer:** Grace Simpson - **Communications Manager**: Beth Keeling - Ted Sangster - Tina Russell - Harriet Mortimer - Wilson Wong - Chief Executive - Head of Training Services & Professional Standards ## Society Committees The Professional Conduct Committee oversees the Society’s role in responding to all concerns and complaints made against members of the Society. They review all complaints and oversee and advise on how each case will be handled. As well as fulfilling the role of handling specific complaints they will also report to the Society Council about any related issues that may be of relevance to Society policies and procedures – thus ensuring that the NCPS has a constantly evolving approach to all issues relating to public safety. The Professional Conduct Committee will meet as required in response to concerns or complaints. - **Registrar:** Kate Mahoney - **Professional Conduct Officer:** Grace Simpson - **Ex officio:** Professional Conduct Officer - **Head of Operations:** Camilla Hyland The Professional Standards Committee will review and update the Society’s internal processes and procedures where professional standards are concerned and maintain an awareness of all external issues that may impact upon the profession of counselling and psychotherapy. They will review training provider applications and review any queries relating to individual membership applications as needed. They will advise on: - Policy and procedures of applications - Individual member’s audits - Training school audits - Government and regulation issues - Relations with other professional associations **Chair:** - Kate Mahoney, Head of Training Services & Professional Standards **Members:** - Lindsey Cooper - Gerry Willmore - Cemil Egeli - Kate Day - Benedict Eccles **Chair:** - Faye Blackwell **Members:** - Jyles Robillard-Day - Camilla Hyland - Meg Moss - Dr Phillip Rees The role of independent assessor is to review and report to the Chair and Chief Executive of the Society on matters of Society Audit and Governance. ## Also in this section [### Council meeting minutes Our council meeting minutes](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance/council-meeting-minutes) [### Independent assessor reports The documents on this page are reports by an Independent Assessor as to the running of the Society based upon a site visit to the Society offices.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance/independent-assessor-reports) [### Constitution](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance/constitution) --- # Constitution ## Constitution 1. The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society is a Learned Society whose purpose is (1) the advancement of the knowledge of counselling and allied professions, which we do through a number of activities such as conferences and newsletters; (2) the fostering of professional expertise through training, accreditation and continued professional development of our members and (3) public assurance by maintaining a voluntary register and by promoting ethical and competent practice from our members and providing a complaints procedure for clients. Membership is mainly restricted to practising, professional counsellors and those in training. The purpose of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society is to support, protect and promote the vocation of counselling and related talking therapies. The Society is to represent, promote and support these vocations in the United Kingdom for the benefit of its members. 2. The Society shall maintain good standards by the promotion of research and education in the field of counselling, by the publication of articles, case studies and other related materials, by the recognition of good practice and by the promulgation of information and advice to its members. It shall maintain good standards of training and CPD by setting and administering the accreditation of training courses and CPD. It shall set the context of standards using the litmus test of "safety, competency and ethics" and shall apply qualitative assessment to all procedures, recognising the subjectivity of counselling and the personal qualities of counsellors as key elements in the vocation. 3. The Society shall maintain good professional and practical standards by its accreditation of training schools and courses and by its registration of individual counsellors and by other measures deemed necessary by the Society. 4. The Society shall maintain good financial standards by the implementation of clear financial responsibilities for its members, e.g. professional insurance for individual members and training schools; by monitoring the legalities of refund policies of training schools, by giving impartial advice to its members as to the financial implications and responsibility of practice and by other measures deemed necessary by the Society. 5. The Society shall maintain good ethical standards and standards of public protection by the maintenance of a voluntary register overseen by the implementation of a Code of Ethics and Complaints Procedure binding on all members, whether organisational or individual and of whatever grade. As a professional membership organisation it shall be bound by an appropriate procedure and its membership functions and complaints functions shall be separated where appropriate in the interests of public protection. 1. The Society shall not be run for personal profit, all surplus monies to be re-invested in the running of the Society and for the benefit of its members. The Society shall be run as a Not For Profit Company Limited by Guarantee and its accounts shall be publicly available via Companies House. 2. The Directors of the Limited Company shall function as a board of trustees bearing responsibility for the enforcement, interpretation and updating of the Constitution. Directors shall be appointed in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Limited Company for the time being in force. 3. Constitutional Amendments can be made by a majority vote of the Society Council and will be added to the Constitution subject to the approval of the board of trustees. 4. Constitutional Amendments can be proposed by a voting member and must be seconded by eight supporting voting members before proceeding to a ballot. A 2/3 majority of the number of votes cast ratifies an Amendment. The Society Council may veto a proposed amendment where it is considered to be contrary to the general purpose of the Society, its aims and interests. 5. The method of elections, ballots, proposal and seconding are the responsibility of the Council who may modify some, by majority vote, provided they adhere to the commonly held principles that all voting members justly and fairly receive due notification of their rights to vote, propose, second, and amend the Constitution. 6. Members and Trainers have no rights or responsibilities beyond those specifically delineated in this Constitution. Acceptance of initial application for membership, designation of membership grade or training member level of membership, and continuation of membership are entirely at the discretion of the Society Council and any membership may be amended or revoked at any time at the discretion of the Society Council, or by the Chair giving good reason to the Council. 7. The Society Council may delegate these powers to the Society's Chief Executive and their officers. 1. The Chair shall be appointed by the Society Council (or Directors) and will chair the Society Council and have the casting vote. The Chair shall be appointed as a Company Director. 2. The Chair will appoint a Chief Executive to oversee the day to day running of the Society and to undertake other such functions as described below. 3. The Chief Executive shall act as the Society Registrar or may delegate this responsibility. 4. The Chief Executive shall appoint and oversee the administration of the Society register(s) and any other professional registers which the Society has agreed to oversee. The Chief Executive shall appoint a Public Protection Officer and Professional Standards Officer. The public facing titles of these officers may vary from their constitutional titles. 5. The Public Protection Officer shall be responsible for the execution of the Society client concern procedure at the time being in force. 6. It is the responsibility of the Chief Executive, reporting to the Chair, to ensure that all Society monies not spent on the running of the Society be disbursed for the furtherance of the Society's aims in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association, and that no distribution of profits can be made. 7. The Chair may appoint such employees or officers of the Society deemed necessary to further the Society's goals in relation to professional membership benefits of the Society. 8. The decisions of the Society Chair and Chief Executive shall be scrutinised in a manner determined by the Society's Independent Assessor who will make their reports available to Society Council. 9. Other Society officers may be created by the Chair and/or Chief Executive at their discretion in order to further the aims of the Society. 1. The Society Council shall consist of the Chair and 8 members and shall be responsible for the good management of the Society and the execution of the aims of Section I of this Constitution. The Council shall fall under Article 10.1 of the Articles of Association in that it uses the delegated powers of the board of trustees. 2. The Society Council may, subject to the approval of the board of trustees, appoint the Society Chair in a manner determined by itself. The Chair will chair meetings of the Council and have the casting vote. 3. The Council shall consist of the Chair, four professional members and four lay members. 4. The Ex Officio professional members of the Society Council shall be: The Registrar; The Membership Services Officer; the Professional Standards Officer and the Public Protection Officer. 5. Four suitable lay members shall also be appointed with due diligence. 6. The Society Council shall establish where possible the following committees: - A Professional Conduct Committee with three officers: A Lay Chair, a Lay Member and the Society Public Protection Officer (ex officio). - A Professional Standards Committee with the Chair as the Professional Standards Officer (ex officio) - A Membership Services Committee with the Chair as the Membership Services Officer (ex officio) - A Professional Development and Supervision Committee - A Governance & Audit Committee to be chaired by a lay member of the Council - Such other committees as are deemed necessary from time to time by the Council Committees shall be established by an election of the members other than those roles indicated above. In the case where insufficient members stand for election, the Society Council may appoint those members. 1. All Membership is dependent upon paid up dues set by the Society and any variance in amount or payment method will be duly notified to members by the Society. Membership is fully defined in the current Individual Membership Guidelines. Members are Ordinary Members as defined by Article 30.1 of the Articles of Association. Article II, 6 of the Constitution applies to all members. 2. All Members of all Grades are bound by The Society Constitution; The Society Code of Ethics, and The Complaints Procedure. 3. No award of Membership should be taken to imply that the Society is legally responsible for the practice of the practitioner to clients or to the public. 4. Members incur no rights beyond those outlined in the Membership Guidelines, as current. 5. A Voting Member is defined in the Society's Articles of Association. Only Voting Members may vote, propose constitutional changes, or stand or be co-opted to Society committees. Voting Members cannot hold membership in another relevant professional association. 6. Honorary Membership may be given by vote of the Society Council or by the Chair for services to the Society or the profession. Honorary Grades should not be considered Professional Members for the purposes of professional insurance, inclusion in the therapist's directory, or any other issue pertaining to professional practice. Honorary Grades should be clearly indicated as such where used. 7. Members may be suspended or excluded as appropriate where (a) their dues are not paid (b) they are in violation of the Code of Ethics and the Complaints Procedure is applied, including any such suspension or exclusion which the procedure allows, including interim suspension and exclusion for non-compliance with imposed sanctions (c) they act in a manner prejudicial to the Society (d) they fail to meet any terms and conditions of membership. 8. Members who wish to terminate their membership should do so in writing to the Society and must return their membership certificates at their own expense. Members are responsible for cancelling their membership subscriptions with their own banks and if a member terminating or intending to terminate their membership does not cancel their membership dues, they shall be deemed to remain a member in good standing until the period for which those dues fall expires. 9. All Certificates remain the property of the Society and must be returned at the member's expense upon termination of membership or on request. 1. Training School Organisational Membership shall be divided into Accredited and Quality Checked. A further category of Affiliated Organisational Membership (non training school) shall apply. All Membership is dependent upon paid up dues for which due reminder will be given by the Society Administrator. Article II, 11 of the Constitution applies to all Organisational Membership. 2. All Organisational Members are bound by The Society Constitution; The Society Code of Ethics and The Complaints Procedure. 3. No Level of Organisational Membership should be taken to imply that the Society is legally responsible for the practice of the organisation to clients or to the public. 4. Quality Checked and Accredited Status shall be defined by and dependent upon the Organisational Membership Guidelines document of the Society, as current. 5. Organisational Members may be suspended or dismissed as appropriate where (a) their dues are not paid (b) they are in violation of the Code of Ethics and the Complaints Procedure is applied to them (c) they deliberately act in a manner prejudicial to the Society (d) they are shown to be in gross violation of the standards of accreditation or quality checking, and having been served conditions on membership, have not complied with those conditions. 6. Only those Organisational Members current with the Society may advertise as such; no Organisational Member may advertise that any Level of Membership is "pending" unless by permission of the Society. 7. Organisational Members incur no voting rights as such; however, proprietors of organisational members who are Voting Members of the Society may vote in the normal manner. 8. The Society Chair or Society Council may terminate, at their discretion, any organisational membership without prejudice in accordance with Section II,6; however, said termination will allow any students of the organisation currently in training at the time of the termination to be assessed as if the organisational membership was still in force, unless evidence demonstrates that the course could not have met the appropriate standards. 1. Individual and Organisational Members are bound by the Code of Ethics and Independent Complaints Procedure, as current. 2. The Code of Ethics and Independent Complaints Procedure shall be made public. 3. The Society Public Protection Officer shall respond to all initial complaints. 4. The Code of Ethics and Complaints Procedure shall be amended from time to time as necessary by the Professional Standards Committee, as ratified by the Society Council. 5. The Professional Standards Committee shall be responsible for the format of the Code of Ethics and can propose changes to the Code to the Society Council. 6. The Society shall retain robust equality and diversity policies and shall proscribe any course of therapy or treatment which purports to undermine equality or diversity of race, gender, orientation, or disability. 7. Conflicts Of Interest. A Society Council Member in good standing who becomes appointed or elected to a Society Council position (or similar position of responsibility) of competitor organisation automatically honourably suspends their membership of the Society for the period of their office. This suspension is without prejudice to themselves. No current holder of such an office can stand for the Society Council or any Society committees, except at the discretion of the Chair. 8. The Society shall maintain good relations with other appropriate organisations and with government. If the Society affiliates or joins other organisations (for which a majority vote of the Society Council is required), it shall not cede any powers or roles without following the procedures for a Constitutional Change. 9. The Society Council may, at its sole discretion, prohibit applications from members belonging to organisations with which it does not wish to affiliate, and remove members who belong to said organisations, at any time. 1. The Society shall act to conform to relevant legislation. 2. The Society shall maintain a cooperation agreement with the Royal Society For the Promotion Of Health. 3. The Society shall maintain an Accredited Register with the Professional Standards Authority. ## Also in this section [### Governance Our Commitment to providing good governance and leadership.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance) [### Council meeting minutes Our council meeting minutes](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance/council-meeting-minutes) [### Independent assessor reports The documents on this page are reports by an Independent Assessor as to the running of the Society based upon a site visit to the Society offices.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance/independent-assessor-reports) --- # Council meeting minutes ## Society Policy on Redaction (Editing) our Public Minutes In our commitment to making our Society Council meeting minutes available to the public, we sometimes have to redact (i.e. “blank out”) some items. Where this is done, this will show up in the public version of our minutes as blocks of colour. Members of the public will therefore not be able to see the proportion of minutes which are kept private after our meetings. Our criteria for redacting our minutes are as follows: - If the need to retain confidentiality (e.g. of a client making a complaint, or of a registrant who is subject to a complaint which proves unfounded) outweighs the duty to disclose the information to the public. - If the information relates to the strategy, goals or projects of the Society and releasing this information would undermine the Society’s activities. [### Council Meeting Minutes April 2026 220 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Redacted-Minutes-from-Council-Meeting-April-2026.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes October 2025 339 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Redacted-Council-Meeting-15th-October-2025-Minutes.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes March 2025 338 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Council-Meeting-20th-March-2025-Minutes-redacted.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes October 2024 717 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Council-Meeting-October-2024.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes May 2024 204 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Council-Meeting-1st-May-2024-Minutes.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes November 2023 208 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Council-Meeting-30th-November-2023-Minutes.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes March 2023 211 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Council-Meeting-23rd-March-2023-Minutes-002.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes December 2021 203 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Council-8th-December-2021-Minutes.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes August 2021 237 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/4-August-2021-Council-Meeting-Minutes.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes April 2021 208 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Council-Meeting-Minutes-21-April-2021-Redacted-FINAL.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes December 2020 304 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Minutes-December-16th-2020_Redacted.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes October 2020 208 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Minutes-October-7th-2020-Final-2.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes August 2019 2 MB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Minutes-of-Societies-Council-Meeting-August-2019-2.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes March 2019 970 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/201903-Minutes-of-Societies-Council-Meeting-March-2019.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes November 2018 705 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/redacted_minutes_of_societies_council_meeting_november_2018-2.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes July 2018 661 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/council_minutes_july_2018_redacted_2-2.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes April 2018 683 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/website_minutes_april_2018-2.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes November 2017 679 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/minutes_of_societies_council_meeting_7_november_2017_redacted.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes November 2017 679 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/minutes_of_societies_council_meeting_7_november_2017_redacted-2.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes July 2017 569 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/minutes_of_societies_council_meeting_july_2017_redacted.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes March 2017 431 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/minutes_of_societies_council_meeting_march_2017_redacted.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes December 2016 419 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/minutes_of_societies_council_meeting_13_december_2016_webvs.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes August 2016 395 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/august_2016_meeting_minutes_redacted_web_vs.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes February 2016 534 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/societies_council_meeting_minutes_feb_2016_redacted_webvs.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes 2015 2 MB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/minutes_2015.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes 2014 587 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/minutes_2014.pdf) [### Council Meeting Minutes 2013 1 MB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/minutes_2013.pdf) ## Also in this section [### Governance Our Commitment to providing good governance and leadership.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance) [### Independent assessor reports The documents on this page are reports by an Independent Assessor as to the running of the Society based upon a site visit to the Society offices.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance/independent-assessor-reports) [### Constitution](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance/constitution) --- # Independent assessor reports ## Independent assessor reports The documents on this page are reports by an Independent Assessor as to the running of the Society based upon a site visit to the Society offices. [### Independent assessor report 2025 380 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Annual-Site-Visit-Report-2025.pdf) [### Independent assessor report 2024 78 KB | document Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/ANNUAL-SITE-VISIT-REPORT-2024-redacted.docx) [### Independent assessor report 2023 417 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/23-ANNUAL-SITE-VISIT-REPORT-2023-November-1.pdf) [### Independent assessor report 2022 359 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/21-ANNUAL-SITE-VISIT-REPORT-2022.pdf) [### Independent assessor report 2019 2 MB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/ANNUAL-SITE-VISIT-REPORT-2019.pdf) [### Independent assessor report 2018 169 KB | document Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/annual_site_visit_report_2018.docx) [### Independent assessor report 2017 328 KB | document Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/annual_site_report_autumn_2017.docx) ## Also in this section [### Governance Our Commitment to providing good governance and leadership.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance) [### Council meeting minutes Our council meeting minutes](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance/council-meeting-minutes) [### Constitution](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance/constitution) --- Our community # Our connected, compassionate, collaborative community We’re proud of our shared commitment to professional excellence, compassion, connection, and the remarkable community that drives us forward. From passionate Ambassadors and trusted Organisational Members, to our dedicated Regional Representatives across the UK, this is where connection, support and shared values come to life. Explore the different parts of our community below, and discover how each one contributes to a more ethical, inclusive, and impactful counselling profession. Ambassadors Experts and public figures who help to champion our profession and raise our profile. [Ambassadors](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community/ambassadors) Organisational Members Our Organisational Members share our values and ethos and work within the wider field of wellbeing and mental health. [Our Organisational Members](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community/our-organisational-members) Recognised Counselling Services (RCS) Recognised Counselling Services (RCS) are organisations that provide direct counselling & psychotherapy services. [Our Recognised Counselling Services](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community/our-recognised-counselling-services) Regional Representatives Supporting our members across the UK by building community, answering questions, and representing local voices at national level. [Regional Representatives](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community/regional-representatives) Join our community ## Want to get involved? There are many ways to contribute to our growing community, whether by becoming an Ambassador, applying for Organisational Membership, or getting in touch with your Regional Representative. [Get in touch](https://ncps.com/contact) --- Our community # Working together to protect our profession Ambassadors are key individuals who help protect and protect our profession Our ambassadors share our belief in the positive impact of counselling & psychotherapy and are dedicated to helping us raise awareness of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society. They support our work by promoting our services and taking part in campaigns that champion positive mental health and wellbeing. We’re continuing to grow our ambassador community, and are delighted to introduce the ambassadors currently working with us. We invite you to learn more about them below. Sarah Champion **MP** Sarah is MP for Rotherham and has chaired the International Development Committee in Parliament since 2020, leading inquiries into topics such as international aid programming, women and girls’ rights and debt-relief. She also serves as Chair and co-Chair of 6 Parliamentary groups, including Global Sexual and Reproductive Health. Prior to this, Sarah was Shadow Minister for Preventing Abuse and Domestic Violence (2015–16) and Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities (2016–17). Born in Essex and raised in Northamptonshire, she was the first in her family to attend university, graduating in Psychology from Sheffield. She then gained post graduate qualifications in Psychodynamic Counselling from the University of Derby. She campaigns on child protection, ending violence against women and girls, victim support, equality, human rights, and mental health. Anjula Mutanda **Media and Cultural Diversity** Anjula is a psychological consultant, media Broadcaster, counselling practitioner and mental health campaigner with over 20 years experience in the public and private sector. She is currently a Commissioner - for the future of counselling and psychotherapy at the BACP. She served the full 2 terms as President for Relate (2021-2025) where she championed the role of counselling and promoted inclusion and diversity in the field. She has hosted multiple series of Bringing Up Britain for BBC Radio 4. She has presented programmes on major tv channels including :Sex Tape for Channel 4, Family Contract BBC1, and continues to provide her expert analysis on channel 5 series’ exploring familial dynamics within the Royal Family. Dominic Davies **Working with Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity** Dominic Davies is the founder and CEO of [Pink Therapy](https://pinktherapy.org/) the UK’s largest independent therapy organisation working with gender, sexual and relationship diverse clients and has been a pioneer in training therapists to work with these communities. He directs two online training programmes which have Advanced Specialist status with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. He was made a Fellow of BACP in 2007 and by the NCS in 2016. He works as a psychotherapist, clinical sexologist and supervisor online and in London and trains internationally. His vast experience is invaluable. Kate Day **Children and Young People Mental Health** Kate is an international trainer and CEO of KRD Training. She has delivered specialised professional training for Psychotherapists and Counsellors over 24 years and has extensive experience as a senior lecturer, supervisor, consultant, and examiner. With over 24 years’ therapeutic experience with children, adults, and families, Kate runs a busy practice as a clinical supervisor and therapist. She is a fellow of the NCPS (PSA REG), sits on their Professional Standards Committee, and received ‘The Elizabeth McElligott Award’ for her significant contribution to the profession. As a lobbyist and children’s ambassador, Kate campaigns for child and adult mental health, urging policymakers to prioritise children. She is a member of ‘The Cross-Party Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood’, contributes to parliamentary reports, serves as a Commissioner on ‘The Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy’ for the PCPB, is a founding member of Alliance4Children, and has developed programmes supporting vulnerable children, young people, and families across schools, communities, and charities. Jocelyn Anderson **Working with survivors of rape, sexual violence, abuse and/or harassment** Jocelyn has specialised in sexual violence and abuse since 2002 and has been CEO of West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre since 2004. A qualified counsellor and consultative supervisor, she has extensive experience supporting survivors, supervising professionals, and delivering specialist training. She has previously taught at several universities and colleges, has contributed to national policy and safeguarding guidance and leads Purple Leaf, an early intervention and preventative service for children and young people displaying problematic/harmful sexual behaviours. Sharon May **Agriculture and Rural Communities** Sharon has worked as a counsellor in private practice since 2016. Married to a fourth-generation farmer, she runs a successful multi-therapist counselling practice from the family farm. Alongside supporting individuals within her local community, Sharon is passionate about helping therapists navigate the unique opportunities and challenges that come with rural practice. Sharon has a particular interest in the wellbeing of those living and working in agriculture and in 2025 was awarded the prestigious Nuffield Farming Scholarship, enabling her to travel internationally interviewing researchers, rural support providers, and farmers in order to understand how to better support farming families in the UK with their mental health. Sharon is also a strong advocate for women in agriculture and currently serves on the advisory board for the Centre for Rural Policy Research study into the health and wellbeing of women in farming. In addition, she is committed to improving agriculture's awareness and support of neurodiversity within its industry. --- Our community # Our network of trusted organisations NCPS Organisational Members are trusted partners that share our ethos and work with us to improve mental health and wellbeing for all. You can access each member’s website from the A-Z directory below. [Find out more about becoming an Organisational Member](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/organisations) Action for Family Carers Action for Family Carers is a registered Essex-based charity supporting unpaid family carers, including young carers, for over 30 years. They provide a dedicated counselling service for adult carers, offering up to six free sessions for those in West or North-East Essex. Their services include adult and young carer support, family programmes, club nights, trips, day care, activity groups, and counselling. They also collaborate with employers, GPs, and schools to improve support for carers. A Carers Trust Network Partner and Centre of Excellence, the charity holds NCVO’s Level 2 Trusted Charity Mark and is deeply embedded in local communities. [Learn more](https://affc.org.uk/) Affordable Talk CIC Affordable Talk Ltd, established in 2012 and reformed as a Community Interest Company in 2020, is a community-based counselling and wellbeing service in Cardiff Bay. They provide counselling, CBT, and psychotherapy, aiming to make mental health support accessible to all. Understanding that attending therapy can feel daunting due to stigma or uncertainty, Affordable Talk offers a safe, supportive environment for self-exploration, personal development, and learning coping strategies. Sessions are available online or in person in Cardiff Bay and Swansea, delivered by trainee, newly qualified, or fully qualified therapists, with fees ranging from £15 to £35 per session. [Learn more](https://www.affordable-talk.co.uk) The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) The Association of Jewish Refugees (AJR) provides social, welfare, and educational support to Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees who came to Britain from Nazi-occupied Europe. Founded in 1941, the AJR serves members and their families, offering home visits, financial support, befriending, memory care, and social activities through a nationwide network of regional groups. Volunteers play a key role in enhancing members’ lives. The AJR also champions Holocaust education and remembrance through partnerships, archives, and interactive resources, promoting understanding, combating antisemitism, and honouring the experiences and contributions of refugees and survivors. [Learn more](https://www.ajr.org.uk/) AtaLoss AtaLoss, established in 2016, is a UK bereavement charity ensuring no one is left without support following a death. Their mission is to change the culture of bereavement, providing timely, holistic support to help individuals navigate grief and life changes for healthier outcomes. They address the first three tiers of the adult bereavement care pyramid: raising awareness of bereavement, providing a central signposting and information service, and training community support networks. By improving access to help, enhancing awareness, and fostering community resilience, AtaLoss highlights bereavement as a public health issue while relieving pressure on specialist services. [Learn more](https://www.ataloss.org/) Athletic Minds Foundation Athletic Minds Foundation is a mental wellness charity offering free counselling and support to the community. Committed to challenging the stigma around mental health, Athletic Minds Foundation promotes wellbeing for mind, body, and soul. Their holistic approach integrates physical, emotional, and mental health, helping individuals improve their own mental wellness while supporting others. Through accessible services and community engagement, Athletic Minds Foundation empowers people to develop resilience, manage stress, and build healthier lifestyles. The charity focuses on creating a supportive environment where mental health is prioritised, understood, and nurtured, encouraging positive change for individuals and the wider community. [Learn more](https://athleticminds.co.uk/) Aylesbury Therapy Aylesbury Therapy is a private therapy centre offering a wide range of in-person therapeutic services to the local community. Their team of 20 fully qualified, insured therapists from various modalities run private practices on-site, using secure, fully serviced therapy rooms. The centre supports networking and cross-promotion through a therapeutic community and provides access to qualified clinical supervisors for individual or group supervision. Aylesbury Therapy is launching a low-cost service to assist trainee therapists with placement hours and to make therapy accessible to those unable to afford private sessions. Their ethos is to provide professional, safe, and inclusive support for clients and therapists. [Learn more](https://www.aylesburytherapy.co.uk/) BAC-IN BAC-IN provides specialist addiction recovery and rehabilitation services for individuals, families, and caregivers from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities. Their culturally sensitive, peer-led approach addresses alcohol and substance use, gambling, mental health, and wellbeing challenges, creating a safe, inclusive environment for recovery. Services include 1-to-1 support, family support, group activities, women’s recovery groups, creative therapies, specialist counselling, peer mentoring, advocacy, prison inreach, and practical assistance with housing, employment, and training. BAC-IN also delivers cultural competence training, consultancy, and clinical supervision to organisations across the UK. Their mission is to bridge gaps in access to effective treatment, fostering hope, healing, and equity. [Learn more](https://www.bac-in.org/) Ballynafeigh Community Development Association Ballynafeigh Community Development Association (BCDA), established in 1974, is a long-standing community development organisation based in South Belfast. For over 40 years, it has operated as a multi-purpose resource centre and a catalyst for social action, addressing disadvantage and promoting community development. BCDA focuses on improving the quality of life for vulnerable individuals and groups by identifying local needs, creating targeted programmes, and delivering initiatives that tackle social, economic, and educational challenges. Their work empowers communities, strengthens networks, and promotes inclusion, ensuring that residents have access to resources, support, and opportunities to enhance wellbeing and personal development. [Learn more](https://bcda.net/) Beechwood Cancer Care Centre Beechwood Cancer Care, a Stockport-based charity founded in 1990, provides free psychological and emotional wellbeing support to people affected by cancer or other life-limiting illnesses, including COPD, heart disease, and neurological conditions like Parkinson’s and Motor Neurone Disease. The charity focuses on helping individuals cope with the shock of diagnosis, the effects of treatment, and grief following the loss of a loved one, offering tailored services to meet each person’s needs. [Learn more](https://beechwoodcancercare.org.uk/) The Ben Raemers Foundation The Ben Raemers Foundation supports people with mental health challenges, particularly within the UK skateboarding community. It provides educational resources, training for volunteers and organisations, and raises public awareness to improve understanding, early intervention, and support for those at risk of mental health issues. [Learn more](https://thebenraemersfoundation.com/) Bereavement Counselling Service The Bereavement Counselling Service (BCS) is a charity providing specialist counselling for individuals experiencing complicated grief and traumatic loss. Based in Plymouth, UK, BCS therapists have specialist knowledge and training, and all work under regular professional supervision. The service is partially funded by the local Clinical Commissioning Group, covering Plymouth and parts of Devon, with additional support through fundraising allowing some clients to access counselling free of charge. BCS aims to provide safe, professional, and compassionate support, helping clients navigate grief, process trauma, and rebuild emotional wellbeing, ensuring that bereaved individuals receive expert guidance during difficult times. [Learn more](http://www.bcsplymouth.co.uk/) Beyond Beyond is a youth mental health charity dedicated to improving the wellbeing of young people across the UK. They raise funds to support under-resourced schools and organisations, providing grants that make a tangible difference to mental health services. Beyond shares knowledge and best practice while campaigning to create change before issues reach crisis point. Central to the charity is a passionate youth board, acting as idea-generators, campaign drivers, and future changemakers. Through advocacy, funding, and awareness initiatives, Beyond empowers young people, fosters resilience, and works to transform attitudes toward mental health, ensuring accessible, timely support across communities. [Learn more](https://wearebeyond.org.uk/) Bright World Guardianships Established in 2000, Bright World is one of the UK’s leading guardianship organisations, placing thousands of students in boarding schools nationwide. Operating from Sussex with over 30 local coordinators, Bright World is fully AEGIS Gold Standard accredited and won the Guardianship Provider award at the StudyTravel Secondary Awards in 2021 and 2022. Their mission is to safeguard students’ welfare while providing high-quality, professional support. Bright World undertakes rigorous staff checks, maintains a clear child protection strategy, and partners with TravelSafe. They carefully select host families to ensure students are safe, happy, and comfortable, prioritising wellbeing and educational success at every stage. [Learn more](https://www.brightworldguardianships.com/en/) British Association for Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Supervision BAPPS is an organisation for psychodynamic and psychoanalytic supervisors, promoting education, training, and the highest ethical standards in supervision. It provides a forum for supervisors to meet, reflect, and contribute to the development of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic supervision as a creative and integral resource for both practice and the wider profession. Membership is open to suitably qualified therapists and analytical psychologists and offers benefits including access to conferences, workshops, a resources bank, listing in the Register of Members, networking opportunities, subscription to the Psychodynamic Practice Journal, and continuing professional development. BAPPS supports excellence, learning, and professional collaboration in supervision. [Learn more](https://www.supervision.org.uk/?) Bromley Counselling and Bereavement Service Bromley Counselling and Bereavement Services provides one-to-one counselling, couple counselling, group work, Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP), and clinical supervision. They specialise in supporting clients with depression, anxiety, stress, relationship difficulties, addictions, bereavement, and loss. Their team of trained counsellors work in a safe, caring, and confidential environment, addressing whatever issues clients choose to bring. The service is committed to accessibility, offering low-cost counselling for those in need. By combining professional expertise with a compassionate approach, Bromley Counselling and Bereavement Services aims to support emotional wellbeing, help clients navigate life challenges, and provide guidance for personal growth and recovery. [Learn more](https://www.bcandbs.co.uk/) Care Choices Ltd Care Management Matters (CMM) is a leading business management journal for owners, operators, and chief executives of adult social care services, including care homes, homecare agencies, retirement communities, and community-based services. CMM aims to inform and support sector leaders, helping them provide high-quality care while following best practice and current guidance. Its portfolio includes the CMM Insight events, a website with daily news, blogs, feature content, and a directory of services. The Wellbeing Area supports registered managers’ mental health, recognising the pressures of their role. All resources are freely available to care providers across the UK. [Learn more](https://caremanagementmatters.co.uk/) Centre Peace CentrePeace is a drop-in community support centre in Paignton, Devon, offering a wide range of services to support people from all backgrounds. Facilities include a community café serving affordable vegetarian meals, a charity shop, computer access, and various workshops that encourage peer support and social connection. CentrePeace also provides a free, confidential counselling service of up to twelve face-to-face sessions for adults over 18 following assessment. In addition to practical support and signposting, the centre fosters a welcoming, inclusive environment where individuals can access crisis support, develop skills, and benefit from activities that promote wellbeing and community engagement. [Learn more](https://centrepeace.org.uk/) Child Bereavement UK Child Bereavement UK supports families when a child grieves or dies, helping children and young people up to 25, parents, and wider family members cope with loss. They provide professional training for those in health and social care, education, and voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping staff to deliver sensitive, effective support. The charity’s vision is for all families to access the care they need to rebuild their lives following child bereavement. Its mission is to reduce inequalities in the availability, accessibility, and quality of bereavement support across the UK while building community capacity to manage the impact of loss. [Learn more](https://www.childbereavementuk.org/) Chrysalis Workplace Chrysalis Workplace is an employee support, training, and therapy platform providing training and support that invests in staff wellbeing, increases retention, and improves morale. They offer a range of expert-led courses and access to Chrysalis Talking Therapy, a counselling service provider recognised by the NCPS. They believe that happy and supported employees perform better, are more motivated, and help grow businesses. Their experience in training, therapy, and staff support, backed by trusted partners, has contributed to their rapid growth and enabled them to deliver tangible benefits to organisations across the UK. [Learn more](https://www.chrysalisworkplace.com/) Circles South East Circles South East provides free counselling services through a trained cohort of volunteer counsellors. They accept referrals for survivors of sexual abuse, perpetrators whose unresolved trauma is linked to offending behaviour, and non-offending partners, family members, or others affected by sexual harm. The service is designed to offer professional, confidential support to help individuals understand and work through the impact of abuse, address underlying trauma, and improve emotional wellbeing. By providing accessible, no-cost counselling, Circles South East aims to promote healing, reduce harm, and support clients and their families in navigating complex emotional and relational challenges. [Learn more](https://circlessoutheast.org.uk/) City and East London Bereavement Service (CELBS) CELBS is a specialist bereavement counselling service serving residents of Tower Hamlets, the City, and surrounding boroughs. Founded in 1984 by Dr Colin Murray Parkes OBE, the charity provides professional counselling for adults, including support for couples who have lost a child, pre-bereavement counselling for terminal diagnoses, and early-stage grief support. Services are delivered by qualified or trainee volunteer counsellors, supplemented by paid counsellors to meet demand. CELBS is BACP-accredited and maintains high professional standards through training, CPD, and supervision. Funded entirely through grants, donations, and sliding-scale fees, CELBS ensures accessible support, including free sessions where needed. [Learn more](https://www.celbs.org.uk/) Contacts Counselling and Therapy Ltd Contacts began in 2007 as a school-based project in The Meadows, Nottingham, providing counselling to children through trainee placements. Since then, the service has offered placements, supervision, and training for around 200 trainee counsellors, delivering over 30,000 sessions across primary, secondary, and special schools. Today, Contacts provides 16 counselling days per week across nine schools, delivering approximately 3,000 sessions annually with qualified and experienced therapists. In 2019, the Reflective Practice service was introduced for senior school staff, including headteachers, SENDCOs, DSLs, and support staff, helping 36 staff from 32 schools in 2022/23 engage in professional reflection and development. [Learn more](https://www.ccatnottingham.co.uk/) Counselling Directory Counselling Directory is an online platform connecting people with mental health support. It helps users find qualified private counsellors locally or online, providing a comprehensive search tool to match individuals with appropriate services. The platform also offers informative content on mental health, therapy types, and self-help strategies, empowering users to make informed choices about their wellbeing. Part of the Happiful network of directories, Counselling Directory is committed to promoting a healthier, happier, and more sustainable society. By combining accessible information with professional connections, it supports individuals in taking proactive steps to improve mental health and emotional resilience. [Learn more](https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/) Counselling Tutor Counselling Tutor is a leading digital platform providing on-demand learning and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) resources for counsellors and counselling students. Their Certificate in Online and Telephone Counselling equips practitioners with the knowledge and skills to deliver services safely and effectively via online and telephone sessions. The On-Demand CPD Library offers hundreds of hours of certified lectures, training, and resources, supporting counsellors to maintain and grow professional practice. Additionally, the Counselling Study Resource provides online guidance and assignment support for students of counselling and psychotherapy. Accessible 24/7, Counselling Tutor has helped over 40,000 learners achieve their educational and professional goals. [Learn more](https://counsellingtutor.com/) The Counselling and Therapy Hub CIC The Counselling and Therapy Hub offers neurodiversity-affirming therapy for ADHD, autism, and anxiety, combining counselling, coaching, and solution-focused strategies. Serving clients in Sheffield and online across England, the Hub provides tailored support from neurodivergent counsellors. It also delivers consultancy and training to help organisations create inclusive, ND-friendly workplaces. [Learn more](http://www.the-cath.org.uk/) Crane Quality Counselling Crane Quality Counselling provides professional, confidential support for individuals of all ages across Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and south Cheshire, addressing mental health challenges such as anxiety, stress, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Since 2016, their BACP-accredited counsellors have offered personalised guidance to help clients manage emotions, improve relationships, and regain control of wellbeing. Services are available in person, online, or by telephone, with appointments often within seven days. Crane Quality Counselling combines flexible therapy options with expert care, creating a compassionate space where individuals can explore issues safely, build resilience, and work towards improved mental health and emotional balance. [Learn more](https://www.cranecounselling.co.uk/) Creative Counsellors Community Founded in 2017, this not-for-profit community organisation empowers counsellors and therapists worldwide to integrate creativity into their core therapeutic practice. Recognising that many clients benefit from innovative, personalised approaches, they provide training, membership, retreats, events, skills-shares, book clubs, and an annual gathering. The organisation fosters connection, collaboration, and learning, helping counsellors overcome isolation and enhance client work alongside traditional modalities such as person-centred, psychodynamic, or CBT. With a community of over 11,000 members, they welcome both trainee and qualified practitioners, supporting the development of fresh, client-focused approaches that place individual interests, passions, and goals at the heart of the therapeutic relationship. [Learn more](https://creativecounsellors.org/) Cruse Bereavement Support Cruse Bereavement Support has been helping grieving people for over 60 years, ensuring everyone receives support when they need it. Their team of 4,000 trained volunteers offers guidance through a website, national helpline, live chat, Zoom, group sessions, telephone, or one-to-one in-person support. Cruse also campaigns to raise awareness of bereavement, improve laws, and encourage compassionate treatment of those in grief. By educating, equipping, and empowering society, they aim to create a world where grief is understood, respected, and supported. Their mission is to give all bereaved people a voice and access to the care they need. [Learn more](http://www.cruse.org.uk/) Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland Cruse Bereavement Care Scotland is a registered charity providing support to people of all ages, including children and young people, following a bereavement. Services include counselling, listening, and helpline support, all delivered by a professionally trained volunteer workforce. Support is available from the day of a death and continues for many years afterwards, regardless of the cause of death or the relationship to the deceased. The charity also offers high-quality training to a wide range of organisations, including health and social care, emergency services, businesses, and voluntary groups, equipping them to respond sensitively to bereaved individuals. [Learn more](http://www.crusescotland.org.uk/) The Crysalys Foundation The Crysalys Foundation works to relieve disadvantage and improve the effectiveness of charities. It delivers innovative projects directly to beneficiaries while acting as a research, collaboration, and infrastructure platform. Focused on preventing, reducing, and addressing childhood trauma, the Foundation partners with others to transform the experiences of disadvantaged children, aiming to ensure every child has a happy and fulfilling youth. [Learn more](https://www.crysalys.org/) Emotional Wellbeing Group Ltd EWG is a not-for-profit organisation based in Wigan town centre, providing free and low-cost support to the local community and surrounding areas. Their services include counselling via live chat, webcam, email, and face-to-face sessions. The weekly live chat drop-in and peer support groups are completely free, while other services operate on a minimum-donation basis. EWG aims to make mental health support accessible to all, offering a safe, confidential environment where individuals can explore their concerns, receive guidance, and build resilience. Their approach combines professional counselling with peer support to address a wide range of emotional and wellbeing needs. [Learn more](https://ewgcounselling.co.uk/) Essential Space CIC Essential Space is a community interest company providing accessible counselling and mentoring for children, young people, and adults. Services are offered face-to-face or online, and within schools and organisations. They provide affordable, pay-what-you-can counselling, clinical supervision, creative mentoring including Lego Therapy, LGBTQIA+ mentoring through Identity Space, and therapeutic workshops and training. All services focus on mental health, emotional wellbeing, and inclusivity. Essential Space aims to help individuals and families navigate life’s challenges, build resilience, and access professional support in a safe, confidential environment. Their holistic approach empowers clients to explore issues, develop coping strategies, and improve overall wellbeing. [Learn more](https://www.essentialspace.co.uk/) Evolve and Grow CIC Evolve and Grow CIC is a community-focused organisation dedicated to improving wellbeing, personal development, and emotional resilience. It exists to create accessible, compassionate support for individuals and communities who may otherwise struggle to access help. One of its key projects is Evolving Minds, an affordable, culturally sensitive counselling service offering remote one-to-one support for people feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or uncertain. Through Evolving Minds, Evolve and Grow CIC brings its values to life by creating safe, non-judgemental spaces where people feel heard, supported, and empowered to move forward. [Learn more](https://evolving-minds.org.uk) Family Works Familyworks provides counselling in community, school, and health service settings across Northern Ireland, using modalities including person-centred therapy, integrative counselling, CBT, play, and art therapy. With over 100 counsellors, the service operates in contracted and free programmes for the Education Authority, Health Service, and local government. Experienced clinical managers, a clinical auditor, and a skilled operations team oversee service delivery. Familyworks focuses on client-centred support, helping children, adolescents, and adults navigate anxiety, low mood, trauma, bereavement, family change, and other mental health challenges. The aim is to empower clients to develop personal resources, overcome difficulties, and reach their full potential. [Learn more](https://familyworksni.com/) First Light South West Ltd First Light is a charity supporting adults and children affected by domestic abuse and sexual violence in Cornwall, Devon, and Wiltshire. Formed in 2017 through the merger of Twelves Company and Skoodyha, First Light operates independently of statutory agencies, including the Police. The charity’s mission is to build safer lives free from abuse, educating and preventing through early intervention, training, and campaigning; protecting and supporting those affected; and helping individuals cope and recover by building resilience and wellbeing. Guided by values of trust, integrity, respect, collaboration, and progressiveness, First Light also amplifies the voices of those who suffer in silence to create positive change. [Learn more](https://www.firstlight.org.uk/) The Flying Fish Company The Flying Fish Company® provides workplace grief awareness training, webinars and resources designed to strengthen confidence, compassion and understanding around grief in professional settings. Founded by Helen McMenamin, the organisation draws on both lived experience and professional insight to encourage psychologically safer workplace cultures. Areas of focus include bereavement, suicide postvention, supportive leadership and the wider impact of grief within teams and organisations. Training is delivered across corporate, public sector, education and community settings throughout the UK. [Learn more](https://theflyingfishcompany.co.uk/) Fresh Minds Education Fresh Minds Education is a Northern Ireland-based charity promoting mental health, emotional wellbeing, and suicide prevention through creative and educational initiatives. Their Connections programme offers vital suicide prevention training and resources, equipping individuals and organisations to support those in crisis. Projects include the Glimmer Project, which helps bereaved children, and Lost Voices, a youth-led mental health podcast. Through craft workshops, digital platforms, and resilience-building programmes, they empower children, families, and professionals. By collaborating with schools, youth groups, and community organisations, Fresh Minds Education creates safe spaces for healing, connection, and hope, helping communities across Northern Ireland to address mental health challenges. [Learn more](https://freshmindseducation.com/) The Good Grief Project The Good Grief Project was founded by bereaved parents Jane Harris and Jimmy Edmonds after the tragic death of their son Josh. Their mission is to support families grieving the untimely loss of a loved one, particularly a child, and to foster open conversations about death and bereavement. Using creative expression through film, photography, and writing, they help people process grief. A central part of their work is the Active Grief Programme, offering weekend retreats that provide bereaved parents and siblings with safe, supportive, and creative ways to express and navigate their grief. [Learn more](https://thegoodgriefproject.co.uk/) Guernsey Bereavement Service Guernsey Bereavement Service is a voluntary, confidential service supporting adults across the Bailiwick of Guernsey who are experiencing any type of loss. Whether through bereavement, relationship breakdown, the loss of a pet, career, role, or other life changes, loss can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate alone. The service offers compassionate guidance and emotional support to help individuals process grief and find ways to cope. By providing a safe and understanding environment, Guernsey Bereavement Service supports people on their journey through loss, enabling them to gradually rebuild and find hope, resilience, and wellbeing in the aftermath of grief. [Learn more](http://www.guernseybereavementservice.com/) Have Your Tomorrows HURT is an addiction charity supporting individuals and families affected by substance misuse in Northern Ireland. Established in 2001 to address a lack of local support, HURT provides a range of services including counselling, complementary therapies, and a listening ear. Accredited by O.C.N. and T.Q.U.K., the charity delivers approved programmes in substance misuse, mental health, and personal development. HURT also offers bespoke educational programmes for schools, Train the Trainer sessions for community and youth groups, and corporate training. All counselling staff are qualified and registered with professional accreditation bodies, ensuring safe and effective support for clients and families. [Learn more](https://www.hurtni.org/) Hawk and Heath Hawk and Heath promote Forest Bathing, an evidence-based practice shown to improve mental and physical health, including reducing stress and anxiety, enhancing sleep, and supporting conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. Their method empowers individuals to take their own Forest Bathing journey, building resilience and supporting long-term wellbeing. Through their app, Hawk and Heath share knowledge via short, accessible educational videos covering a variety of topics, with new content added weekly. Combining scientific understanding with practical guidance, they aim to make Forest Bathing easy to learn and practise, enabling people to experience the restorative benefits of nature wherever they are [Learn more](https://hawkandheath.co.uk) Health Assured Ltd Health Assured provides comprehensive Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) designed to support the mental health and wellbeing of employees across various sectors. Trusted by over 88,000 organisations and 13.5 million people, they offer 24/7 confidential support via phone, video, and online platforms. Their services include counselling, wellbeing tools, and proactive mental resilience resources, aiming to reduce absenteeism, anxiety, and depression while boosting productivity and engagement. Health Assured combines expert intervention with intuitive learning tools, ensuring early support and ongoing employee wellbeing, delivering measurable outcomes and significant returns on organisational investment. [Learn more](https://www.healthassured.org/) Helplines Partnership Helplines Partnership is the UK and international membership body for organisations providing information, support, or advice via phone, email, text, or online. With around 350 members, from large national charities to smaller local or specialist organisations, they focus on improving non-face-to-face services that enhance wellbeing. Committed to advancing health, particularly mental health, Helplines Partnership supports members in delivering high-quality, sustainable services. Their vision is to lead a diverse and inclusive helplines sector, while their mission is to promote excellence, encourage innovation, and strengthen collaboration and standards across member organisations, improving support for service users. You can find approved support on the Helplines Partnership Helpline Hub below. [Learn more](https://www.helplines.org/) Hope Therapy and Counselling Services Hope Therapy & Counselling Services provides high-quality mental health and wellbeing support for adults, working with individuals, couples, and groups. They focus on creating a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment, placing the client at the centre of care. Their multi-disciplinary team addresses a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, bereavement, anger management, relationships, and self-esteem. Embracing diversity in all its forms, Hope Therapy & Counselling Services is committed to supporting every client with compassion and professionalism, helping them navigate challenges and improve their mental health and overall wellbeing. [Learn more](https://www.hopefulminds.co.uk/) The Hunchman Trust The Hunchman Trust, founded in 2023 in memory of “Hunch,” focuses on supporting young people grieving the loss of a loved one, particularly due to suicide. Inspired by the founders’ own experience of loss, the charity aims to ensure that no one faces grief alone. As a grant-giving organisation, it raises funds through events, often involving physical challenges to promote mental wellbeing. The Trust collaborates with other charities to develop wide-reaching support initiatives, providing practical, emotional, and community-based assistance to help young people navigate grief and build resilience. [Learn more](https://www.hunchmantrust.co.uk/) Make A Melody Ltd Make a Melody Ltd. is a music therapy company using the power of music to support emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being. Their client-led, psychoanalytically informed, and developmental approach tailors musical interventions to individual needs, helping people of all ages explore emotions, foster self-discovery, and achieve meaningful therapeutic outcomes. They work in a variety of settings, including schools, hospitals, hospices, day centres, clinics, and through personalised home visits, bringing accessible and creative mental health support directly to the community. [Learn more](https://www.makeamelody.co.uk/) Make More Make More is a Midlands-based organisation founded in 2023 to support underrepresented members of the community. Their mission is to bridge inequality by providing access to technology, digital skills, mental and physical wellbeing support, educational opportunities, and STEM resources. Focused on empowering individuals from low-income, low-socioeconomic, and BAME backgrounds, Make More collaborates with like-minded organisations to address community challenges. They prioritise people in everything they do, delivering practical solutions and opportunities that enable individuals to develop, thrive, and overcome barriers that might otherwise limit their personal, educational, or professional growth. [Learn more](https://www.make-more.org/) Mates in Mind Mates in Mind is a UK charity dedicated to improving mental health and wellbeing in the construction industry. Led by industry professionals in partnership with the Health in Construction Leadership Group and the British Safety Council, it focuses on raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting positive mental health. The organisation provides guidance and support to employers, helping them understand and access mental health resources for their workforce. Through its framework, Mates in Mind fosters a culture of care within the construction sector, ensuring that employees have the knowledge and tools to maintain their wellbeing and seek help when needed. [Learn more](https://www.matesinmind.org/) The Maypole Project The Maypole Project, founded in 2003 by Sally Flatteau Taylor, supports families of children (pre-birth to 18) with life-limiting, complex, or progressive conditions, including bereavement following a child’s death. The charity offers one-to-one counselling, therapy, couples and family sessions, and child-focused interventions using play, art, music, and drama. Their services are inclusive, confidential, flexible, and long-term, allowing families to return whenever support is needed. A small team of trained staff and associates deliver therapeutic care and experiential learning. The Maypole Project also runs activities for children and respite opportunities for parents, reaching families across the UK. [Learn more](https://www.themaypoleproject.co.uk/) Men Walking and Talking Men Walking and Talking is a Community Interest Company that uses guided mental health walks to create safe spaces for men to support each other and challenge the stigma around men’s mental health. Founded in 2021 by Dan Reid, the initiative has grown from a single attendee on its first walk to running 15 walks across regions including Birmingham, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Shropshire, Somerset, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire. The organisation focuses on fostering connection, conversation, and wellbeing, empowering men to share experiences and access peer support in a welcoming, informal environment. [Learn more](https://www.menwalkingandtalking.co.uk/) Mental Health Matters Wales Mental Health Matters (MHM) Wales works to improve the environmental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of communities across Wales. The organisation provides counselling and a range of mental health services tailored to the needs, wishes, and rights of those seeking support. MHM Wales promotes a holistic approach to mental health, empowering individuals, raising awareness, and supporting best practice in services. Guided by values of respect, dignity, equality, empowerment, and non-judgemental support, MHM Wales ensures people are listened to, fully involved in their care, and encouraged to make informed choices about their mental and emotional wellbeing. [Learn more](http://www.mhmwales.org.uk/) Mentell Mentell is a charity dedicated to supporting men (18+) by providing safe, confidential spaces to talk without advice or judgement. They run weekly peer-to-peer support groups, both online and in person, and deliver award-winning initiatives to raise awareness of men’s mental health. Mentell addresses critical issues such as male suicide, loneliness, and social isolation, recognizing the societal pressures that discourage men from expressing emotions. Their mission is to break this cycle by fostering connection, open conversation, and active listening, helping men feel heard, supported, and less isolated in their mental health journey. [Learn more](https://www.mentell.org.uk/) National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) NAPAC (the National Association for People Abused in Childhood) is a UK charity supporting adult survivors of childhood abuse. They provide a free national support line, email support, and specialist resources to empower survivors in their recovery. NAPAC also delivers trauma-informed training for professionals and organisations, helping them respond safely and effectively to disclosures of abuse. Guided by compassion, empowerment, and respect, their work aims to break the silence around childhood abuse, promote healing, and advocate for trauma-informed practices across all sectors to create safer, more supportive environments for survivors. [Learn more](https://napac.org.uk/) Nexus NI Nexus is Northern Ireland’s leading organisation supporting individuals affected by sexual abuse and abusive relationships. They provide counselling for anyone aged eight and above who has experienced sexual abuse, and offer vital assistance for those facing domestic abuse through their 24/7 Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline. Nexus also delivers Early Intervention and Prevention training across Northern Ireland, helping communities understand and respond to these issues. Their RESET programme offers free aftercare services to individuals aged 16 and older following counselling support. The organisation is committed to creating positive change and supporting long-term recovery for those impacted. [Learn more](https://nexusni.org/) No Duff UK CIC No Duff UK is a mental health charity supporting individuals in the Military, Emergency Services, NHS, HMP Service, and Animal Rescue Services who are facing stress-related mental health challenges, substance abuse, or suicidal thoughts. Founded from personal experience with PTSD and mental health struggles, the organisation is committed to breaking stigma, offering practical and emotional support, and reminding people they are not alone. No Duff UK also provides aid to war-affected individuals and stands with the Ukrainian people, delivering support both in the UK and Ukraine. Their mission is to extend a helping hand and promote mental wellness. [Learn more](https://www.no-duff.com/) North East Counselling Services North East Counselling Services, established in 2006, provides high-quality counselling for carers, children and young people aged 4+, and adults, including individuals and couples. Services are offered in person, via Zoom, or by telephone, enabling access across the UK. The organisation works with around 50 counsellors, including trainees, supporting their professional development and career growth. Their mission is to deliver accessible, compassionate, and effective counselling to meet the diverse needs of the community while nurturing the next generation of counselling professionals. [Learn more](https://necounselling.org.uk/) NW Counselling Hub CIC NW Counselling Hub, founded in 2017, provides accessible mental health and wellbeing support for children, young people, adults, couples, and families. Services are offered both remotely and face-to-face, ensuring support is available regardless of location. The organisation focuses on removing barriers to counselling and addressing gaps in local mental health provisions, acting as a central support hub for people from all backgrounds. NWCH is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality care and fostering wellbeing across communities while making mental health support as accessible as possible. [Learn more](https://nwcounsellinghub.co.uk/) Olive Branch Counselling Olive Branch Counselling is a professional therapy service dedicated to providing a safe, secure, and confidential environment for individuals seeking support. Their mission is to offer personalised counselling that promotes mental well-being, whatever the circumstances. Guided by person-centric values and ethical practice, Olive Branch’s counsellors continually develop their skills to ensure high-quality care. The organisation aims to raise mental health awareness and expand access to its services, helping more people achieve positive, lasting change through compassionate and tailored therapeutic support. [Learn more](https://olivebranch.charity/) The OLLIE Foundation The OLLIE Foundation, established in 2016 by three Hertfordshire parents who each lost a son to suicide, is a charity dedicated to preventing suicide, particularly among young people. “OLLIE” stands for One Life Lost Is Enough. The charity delivers wellbeing, prevention, and intervention workshops, talks, training, and panel events for students, parents, professionals, and community groups. Their approach combines academic research, clinical expertise, and lived experience to reduce stigma, enhance suicide awareness, and promote effective early intervention. OLLIE also offers bespoke training programmes tailored to educational, business, and community settings to support mental wellbeing and suicide prevention. [Learn more](https://theolliefoundation.org/) One in Four One in Four is a charity supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. They provide specialist long-term counselling, advocacy, and tailored support designed to foster safety, empowerment, and healing. Their trauma-informed approach helps survivors rebuild their lives with dignity while reducing isolation and promoting wellbeing. In addition to therapeutic services, One in Four delivers professional training, advocacy support, and resources to raise awareness and improve responses to abuse. Committed to inclusivity and confidentiality, the charity works with individuals and professionals to create a safer, more understanding community for survivors. [Learn more](https://www.oneinfour.org.uk/) Overgate Hospice Overgate Hospice provides a free, confidential counselling service for patients, their families, friends, and carers. The service supports those affected by life-limiting illnesses, offering a safe space to express emotions, make sense of feelings, and address difficult conversations. Counsellors help individuals navigate uncertainties and provide encouragement, promoting a sense of control and emotional well-being during challenging times. [Learn more](https://www.overgatehospice.org.uk/) Pain Concern Pain Concern is a charity supporting people living with chronic pain, their families, carers, and healthcare professionals. It aims to improve lives by connecting the pain community, offering guidance, resources, and a network of support for everyone affected by pain. [Learn more](https://painconcern.org.uk/) Papyrus PAPYRUS is the UK’s national charity dedicated to preventing young suicide and promoting positive mental health and emotional wellbeing. Founded in 1997 by bereaved parents, PAPYRUS offers HOPELINE247, a free, confidential 24/7 call, text, and email service for young people and those concerned about them. The charity works across the UK, engaging communities through resources, training, and awareness campaigns, while lobbying for policy change. PAPYRUS focuses on five pillars: Support, Equip, Influence, Sustain, and Enable, aiming to save lives, empower communities, and ensure young people receive timely help and guidance. [Learn more](https://www.papyrus-uk.org/) Paranimo Paranimo is a mental health technology startup focused on simplifying access to private therapy in the UK. Their platform uses innovative matching technology to connect people with therapists suited to their specific mental health needs. Through the secure “Virtual Therapy Room,” Paranimo delivers online talking therapy, removing geographical barriers and increasing accessibility. The platform also supports the employment and availability of private mental health therapists nationwide. By combining a smart matching system with a user-friendly digital environment, Paranimo aims to make finding and receiving the right mental health support straightforward, effective, and accessible for everyone. [Learn more](https://www.paranimo.co.uk/) Phoenix Heroes COC Phoenix Heroes is a non-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) founded in 2018, supporting veterans and their families with mental health, employment, and community engagement. Specialising in issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), they adopt a holistic approach addressing personal, family, social, physical, and mental well-being. Operating nationwide, Phoenix Heroes delivers peer support, life skills, sporting activities, and networking opportunities, building strong veteran communities across the UK. The organisation is volunteer-led, family-focused, and inclusive, collaborating with other veteran support services to provide life-changing assistance, while promoting recovery, resilience, and community connection. [Learn more](https://www.phoenixheroes.co.uk/) Pink Therapy Pink Therapy is the UK's largest independent therapy organisation working with gender, sexual and relationship diversity (GSRD) clients. They aim to promote high quality therapy via their Directory of Pink Therapists with therapists of all genders and sexualise across the UK and deliver training for therapists who wish to work more effectively with GSRD clients, including courses which have been awarded Advanced Specialist Status by the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society. [Learn more](https://www.pinktherapy.com/) Professional Help Professional Help Limited provides white-label counselling services, specialising in bereavement support and guidance through significant life or workplace changes, including redundancy and organisational transitions. They deliver Employee Support Programmes, training, and consultancy to reduce workplace stress, enhance performance, and build resilience in individuals and teams. In 2017, Professional Help launched GriefChat, the world’s first live online bereavement counselling chat service, pioneering accessible, real-time support for those experiencing grief. Their services combine professional expertise with innovative solutions to support emotional wellbeing across both personal and professional contexts. [Learn more](https://www.professionalhelp.org.uk/) Psychology Today Psychology Today is the world’s largest online destination for mental health and behavioral science. Dedicated exclusively to human behavior, it provides expert-authored resources, articles, and insights under its motto, “Here to Help.” PsychologyToday.com serves as the leading portal for psychotherapy, offering free access to hundreds of thousands of mental health professionals worldwide. With decades of experience and global reach, it continues to satisfy human curiosity about behavior, emotions, and the mind, providing reliable information and support to those seeking to understand themselves and improve their mental wellbeing. [Learn more](https://www.psychologytoday.com/) Recentre Limited Recentre Limited supports people, organisations, and communities to recover and thrive after trauma. They offer support groups and recovery programmes to promote healing and connection, alongside training and education to help organisations become more inclusive and unlock the potential of those impacted by trauma. Their services also include Trauma Recovery and Executive Coaching, delivered in both one-to-one and group settings, providing practical tools and guidance to foster resilience, personal growth, and wellbeing. [Learn more](https://recentre.uk/) Red Card Gambling Support Project CIC Red Card is a UK-based not-for-profit organisation focused on preventing gambling addiction through education, awareness, and early intervention. As a Gambling Commission approved delivery partner and CPD-accredited provider, Red Card delivers workshops and programmes nationwide, particularly targeting young people and marginalised communities. Their unique model uses lived experience facilitators who share personal stories alongside professional insights from therapists and counsellors, providing an authentic and impactful approach. Over the past three years, Red Card has reached more than 10,000 young people. Their mission is to reduce gambling-related harms, raise mental health awareness, and create lasting social change. [Learn more](https://www.redcardgambling.org/) Reducing the Risk of Domestic Abuse Reducing the Risk of Domestic Abuse, founded in 2007, is a charity dedicated to increasing the safety and wellbeing of adults and children at risk of domestic abuse. They provide tailored support for victim-survivors and those who assist them, including professionals, volunteers, and families. The charity promotes good practice, fosters multi-agency partnerships, and strengthens community capacity to protect vulnerable people. Guided by values of compassion, empowerment, and transparency, their Prevention and Provision teams work together to address domestic abuse effectively. [Learn more](https://reducingtherisk.org.uk) Remind Health Remind Health is a self-help app offering 24/7 mental health support for PTSD and trauma. It provides evidence-based tools, symptom and trigger tracking, personalised insights, and reliable resources to support recovery anytime, anywhere. Using its first-party dataset, Remind Health aims to personalise support and advance understanding of trauma-related mental health. The app is trusted by organisations including Merseyside Police, PTSD UK, HealthKey, Lambeth Links, Domestic Abuse Education, Suicide&Co, and R;pple. [Learn more](https://www.remindhealth.io/) R;pple Suicide Prevention R;pple is a suicide prevention charity and digital safety initiative providing immediate support for people encountering harmful online content related to self-harm, suicide, substance misuse, gambling, eating disorders, and financial difficulties. The charity promotes a safer internet, combats stigma around mental health, and ensures hope and support are accessible. Its free R;pple Browser Extension is available to individuals, families, schools, and charities. R;pple Online Safety, a tech arm of the charity, uses AI and machine learning to classify harmful content and supports wider adoption of the tool through partnerships, advancing online safety globally. [Learn more](https://www.ripplesuicideprevention.com/) Rochdale Women’s Welfare Association Rochdale Women’s Welfare (RWWA) is a woman-led organisation dedicated to empowering Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) women and their children. The charity provides holistic support to those experiencing or at risk of domestic violence, promoting safety, equality, and empowerment. RWWA works to tackle inequalities, eliminate violence against women and girls, and help women, young people, and children reach their full potential in a culturally appropriate and supportive environment. [Learn more](https://www.rwwa.org.uk/) Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI) is a national charity supporting the farming community across England and Wales. Since 1860, RABI has provided confidential guidance, financial support, and practical care to farmers of all ages, whether currently working in agriculture or retired due to ill-health, accident, or age. Support is tailored to individual needs and covers critical moments, independent living, skills development, and mental wellbeing. RABI aims to alleviate pressures and challenges faced by farming people, helping them rebuild lives, remain active in their communities, enhance skills, and improve mental health. [Learn more](https://rabi.org.uk/) SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service SERICC Specialist Rape and Sexual Abuse Service provides specialist advocacy and counselling to anyone in South and West Essex who is experiencing, or who has experienced, any form of sexual violence and abuse at any time in their life. Starting as a grassroots voluntary organisation in the 1980s, SERICC is now a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Registered Charity Number 1186836) and is a partner in Synergy Essex, the Essex Rape Crisis Partnership. [Learn more](https://sericc.org.uk/) The Showmen's Mental Health Awareness Charity The Showmen's Mental Health Awareness Charity are a charity founded and run by people from the Showmen and Fairground community. Their aim is to break stigma around mental health in their community. This includes providing support, information, and funding for mental health services to all Showmen in the UK and Ireland, of all ages. [Learn more](https://www.showmensmentalhealth.com/) Space to Talk Space to Talk provides support for people experiencing everyday pressures, mental health concerns, or undergoing treatment, as well as those simply wanting social connection. They host walks and wellbeing activities, creating a safe, welcoming environment for anyone who may feel nervous or anxious about meeting others. [Learn more](https://www.space2talk.co.uk/) Spokz People CIC Spokz People CIC is a non-profit social enterprise supporting adults with disabilities, their families, and professionals working with disabled people. With lived experience of disability, the organisation offers an online Wellbeing Community & Programme and is launching a platform to help therapists provide affirming, informed support to disabled clients. [Learn more](https://spokzpeople.org.uk/) St Vincent's Centre The St Vincent de Paul Society (England & Wales) is part of an international Christian voluntary network addressing poverty by providing practical support to those in need. Founded in 1844, it welcomes people of all faiths and focuses on person-to-person contact. Its 10,000 members visit vulnerable and isolated individuals, offering friendship, care, and practical assistance, with the essence of its work rooted in spending time and building meaningful connections. [Learn more](https://svp.org.uk/stvincentsleeds) TACaccess TACaccess (Team Around the Client) makes finding the right therapist simple, safe, and affordable. They connect children, young people, and adults directly with NCPS-registered counsellors and therapists—quickly, securely, and without agency or subscription fees. With therapy available in over 21 languages, TACaccess brings together a trusted global community of accredited professionals ready to support people of all ages. Their innovative commissioning and payment system streamlines every step, providing commissioners with powerful MIS data for insight and accountability. Fast, transparent, and efficient - TACaccess is the smarter way to access therapy worldwide. [Learn more](https://www.tacaccess.com/) Therapy Partners, Rewrite Your Story Rewrite Your Story is a charity dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Their specialist team works across the therapy spectrum in partnership with schools, colleges, and other organisations, providing one-to-one and group counselling, as well as psychoeducational support for young people, families, and professionals. The charity excels in developing bespoke training for professionals, particularly in supporting young people with disordered eating. With a strong focus on early intervention and a whole-system approach, their work—developed alongside NHS colleagues—has achieved recovery rates well above the NHS baseline. [Learn more](https://www.rewriteyourstory.org.uk/) Trauma Recovery CIC Trauma Recovery CIC is a not-for-profit service specialising in sexual, domestic, and relational trauma and its long-term effects. Their multidisciplinary team provides a safe, confidential space for counselling and peer support therapy for individuals and their support networks. When cases require additional expertise, they act as advocates, connecting clients with other specialised services. Trauma Recovery CIC works collaboratively with organisations such as SARC, Beacon, Emerald Centre, OPCC, NHS England, and Recover, accepting referrals and, where appropriate, referring clients onward to ensure they receive the most suitable support. [Learn more](https://www.trcic.org/) Unmasked Mental Health Unmasked is a Halifax-based mental health charity founded by three friends with lived experience of mental ill health. Their mission is to remove stigma, encourage open conversations, and provide accessible support for individuals and employers. Services include a free peer-to-peer support app, volunteer-led peer support hubs, low-cost counselling, and Mental Health First Aid training. Unmasked creates safe, regulated spaces for people to connect, share experiences, and build friendships, helping those living with mental health challenges to feel understood, supported, and less isolated. Their work focuses on promoting confidence, wellbeing, and community connection. [Learn more](https://unmaskedmentalhealth.co.uk/) Wearside Women in Need (WWIN) WWiN is a community-based charity supporting women and children at risk of or experiencing domestic abuse. As a full member of the Women’s Aid Federation, they provide safe spaces, refuge accommodation, therapeutic services, and outreach support across Wearside and beyond. Highly trained IDVAs offer both short- and long-term assistance, helping women navigate complex situations and statutory systems. WWiN’s mission is to deliver accessible, effective services shaped by service users’ experiences, challenge inequality, campaign for social change, and work with communities to shift attitudes toward domestic abuse, promoting safety, wellbeing, and empowerment for families. [Learn more](https://www.wwin.org.uk/) WebHealer WebHealer provides website services for UK-based counsellors and psychotherapists. With 20 years of experience and over 10,000 websites created, they offer affordable, sustainable solutions while continually innovating to deliver the best tools and guidance for mental health professionals. [Learn more](https://www.webhealer.net/) WellBe Link CIC WellBe is a counselling service that focuses on understanding your experiences rather than labeling what’s “wrong”. Using a collaborative, holistic approach, they integrate biological, social, and psychological perspectives to address the root of challenges and enhance overall wellbeing. Their diverse team employs evidence-based methods to create tailored strategies that improve mental, physical, and relational health. WellBe provides more than talking therapy—it offers a transformative, personalised journey designed to remove barriers, unlock potential, and support sustainable wellbeing in a welcoming, supportive environment. [Learn more](https://www.wellbelink.co.uk/) Welldoing Welldoing.org is the UK’s leading therapist-matching service, connecting people with verified therapists, counsellors, and now coaches since 2014. With over 1,150 members, the platform offers a vast library of mental health, wellbeing, and self-development resources. Their mission is to improve access to mental wellbeing support, making it easier, more efficient, and more informed for everyone seeking help. [Learn more](https://welldoing.org/) West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre West Mercia Rape and Sexual Abuse (WMRSASC) is a specialist support service for survivors of rape, sexual violence, abuse, exploitation, and harassment across Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire. They provide helplines, counselling, advocacy, and group work for women, men, and children from age 5+, including support for non-abusing family members. Their preventative and training arm, Purple Leaf, delivers education for 11–25-year-olds, accredited professional training, and interventions addressing harmful sexual behaviours. Purple Leaf also offers clinical and consultative supervision for professionals and organisations supporting survivors, helping ensure safe, effective practice in working with affected clients and staff. [Learn more](https://wmrsasc.org.uk/) Wild Mind Well-Being CIC Wild Mind Well-Being CIC is a not-for-profit organisation offering therapeutic and educational support to young people aged 11–25 who struggle with mainstream education. Based on a 25-acre farm in Buckinghamshire, they provide alternative provision in Animal Care, Construction, Life Skills, and Land-Based Studies. Students engage in hands-on activities with over 70 rescue animals, outdoor learning, and nature-based experiences to build confidence, resilience, and social skills. With six qualified mentors on-site, Wild Mind creates a safe, nurturing environment where young people can grow emotionally, develop practical skills, and reach their full potential. [Learn more](https://www.wildmindwellbeing.co.uk/) Working Minds As a leading Mental Health and Wellbeing Provider in its field, Working Minds aims to continue growing its influence across the sector and to further highlight the value of Talking Therapies, delivering critical health services to those who need them. The organisation seeks partnerships that will help facilitate these mutual goals, and after conferring with the NCPS Senior Team, it is their firm belief that forming a close association with the Society will help both organisations achieve their shared and individual aims. [Learn more](https://www.workingminds.org.uk) Wrexham Glyndŵr University Wrexham Glyndŵr University, based in North Wales, is committed to widening access to higher education and supporting students to achieve their potential. Its mission is to inspire, educate, and enable social and economic success through academic and experiential programmes. The counselling subject area was rated first in the UK for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2019. The university offers a range of programmes, from introductory to degree-level courses, as well as specialist training in specific areas of counselling, providing students with opportunities for both professional and personal development. [Learn more](https://wrexham.ac.uk/) Yellow Scarf Support CIC Yellow Scarf Support CIC provides psychological support for individuals seeking English- or Polish-speaking specialists. They offer help for people experiencing substance use disorders and a range of mental health difficulties, delivering treatment in both English and Polish. [Learn more](https://osrodek.uk/en-gb/) ZunTold ZunTold, based in Manchester, is a publishing and therapy service led by experienced counsellors and therapy managers. With over 25 years’ experience, they deliver trauma-informed therapeutic support to children, young people, and adults through both digital and in-person services. [Learn more](https://www.zuntold.com) --- Our community # Our network of Recognised Counselling Services Our Recognised Counselling Services provide trusted counselling & psychotherapy services. All services undergo rigorous assessment to evidence their commitment to safe, ethical practice. [Find out more about becoming a Recognised Counselling Service](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/organisations) Anxious Minds Anxious Minds is a multi-award winning mental health charity, providing early intervention and long term support for people in emotional distress across the North East. They have Counselling Services for adults and children, Recovery Centres; Women only support services and support for Veteran Families. [Learn more](https://www.anxiousminds.co.uk) Arcus LGBT CIC Arcus LGBT CIC is a nationwide LGBT+ counselling service whose doors are open to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The organisation is dedicated to combating and reducing the challenges faced by LGBT+ individuals, while also striving to improve the mental health and emotional well-being of all clients. People who use the service can access counselling, wellbeing and mentoring, as well as LGBT+ Awareness Training. [Learn more](https://arcuslgbt.com/) Broadway Lodge Ltd Broadway Lodge is an abstinence-based addiction treatment centre for up to 40 adults, supporting recovery from alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, and gaming since 1974. We provide medically managed detox on-site with 24/7 nursing care, followed by a full therapeutic programme lasting up to 24 weeks. Our multidisciplinary team offers individual and group therapy, psychoeducation, creative and mindfulness workshops, holistic therapies, and 12-step guidance to help clients achieve long-term recovery. [Learn more](https://www.broadwaylodge.org.uk) Butterflies Therapy & Coaching CIC Butterflies Therapy & Coaching CIC is a trauma-informed, integrative service offering therapy, coaching, supervision, and training. At the heart of their work is a steady, consent-based approach that honours each person’s pace, autonomy, and lived experience. They support individuals and practitioners through meaningful growth and professional development with respect and relational care. Their services include therapeutic counselling, personal growth coaching, a 4-week Post-Therapy Coaching Programme, and clinical supervision for therapists and student counsellors, informed by the Seven-Eyed Model. As a CPCAB-approved centre, they will also be delivering Counselling Skills Level 2. Butterflies is grounded in ethical, relational practice. They are committed to creating a holding, reflective space where clients and practitioners can develop with confidence and compassion. Sessions are available both in person and remotely, with work based locally and extending further afield, including West Sussex. [Learn more](http://www.butterfliescacs.co.uk/) Butterfly Hospice Therapy Service Butterfly Hospice supports people in Boston and South East Lincolnshire living with life-limiting illness, as well as their loved ones before and after bereavement. Butterfly Therapy recognises that it can be difficult to share emotions with those closest at such times. Their counselling service is based in a dedicated Therapy Village set within four acres of gardens, offering compassionate 1-1 support, grief and carers’ groups, and a ‘Walk & Talk’ group that benefits from time in nature. [Learn more](http://www.butterflyhospice.org.uk/) Carr Gomm Counselling Service Carr Gomm is a leading Scottish social care and community development charity that strives to be a role model employer. Its in-house, online Counselling Service, established in 2023, provides free, person-centred, trauma-informed mental health support for staff in a safe and inclusive environment. Following its success, low-cost counselling will soon be offered to staff families (age 18+). Counselling is delivered by qualified and trainee practitioners, and the service is an approved placement provider with respected Scotland-based counselling training organisations. [Learn more](https://www.carrgomm.org/) Chrysalis Talking Therapies Chrysalis Talking Therapies is part of Chrysalis Courses, the UK’s largest counsellor training provider. They believe everyone should have access to high-quality therapy without barriers. Their online platform connects clients with highly trained, empathetic counsellors wherever they are and whenever they’re ready. Whether someone is seeking support for anxiety, bereavement, stress, addictions, phobias, or more, their therapists help make that first step easier. All therapists are Accredited Registrant members of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), ensuring counselling meets strict professional and ethical standards. Through secure, confidential video sessions, clients receive personalised one-to-one support from the comfort of home. Clients can choose a counsellor, book a convenient time, and connect from a private space using an internet-enabled device. Chrysalis Talking Therapies makes finding support simple, flexible, and centred around each client. [Learn more](https://chrysalistalkingtherapies.co.uk/) Clean Slate Clean Slate empowers adults and young people by building self-esteem and developing talking and coping skills. They support male and female victims of physical, sexual, emotional, mental, and financial abuse, regardless of age, culture, race, or sexuality. Their aim is to improve mental health and create positive pathways for the future. They are passionate about ensuring survivors are supported rather than silenced, recognising that mental health is everyone’s concern. Anyone can face challenges, and with the right help, recovery and resilience are possible. [Learn more](https://www.cleanslate.org.uk/) Edinburgh Centre for Psychodynamic Therapy Ltd The Edinburgh Centre for Psychodynamic Therapy (ECPT) is a private limited company in Edinburgh with a charitable aim of making existential psychodynamic therapy more accessible and affordable. Guided by values of equality and inclusivity, they challenge power and elitism within psychotherapy and provide a welcoming environment where individuals are recognised as experts of their own experience. ECPT was the first organisation in Scotland to specialise in combining existential and psychodynamic approaches. Their mission is to reduce barriers to mental health support and ensure therapy is available to all, offering opportunities for personal growth and meaningful healing. [Learn more](https://www.ecpt.org.uk/) Face To Face Counselling Service Face to Face is a small, independent, non-profit charity run entirely by volunteers who provide counselling to adults (18+) on low or no income. Counsellors either hold a diploma or are in training, with all trainees supported by a Face to Face mentor. All counsellors receive external clinical supervision. They use a person-centred approach, with some counsellors also working integratively. Their service supports residents across Greater Manchester who are registered with a GP in a local borough. Clients contribute £5–£20 per session on a sliding scale. They offer 1:1 counselling in person, by telephone, and online. [Learn more](https://www.facetofacecounselling.org.uk/) FamilyWorks Familyworks operates across Northern Ireland in community, school, and health service settings, providing person-centred therapy, integrative counselling, CBT, play, and art therapy. With over 100 counsellors, they deliver both contracted and free services for the Education Authority, Health Service, and local government. Their work is supported by experienced clinical managers, a clinical auditor, and an operations team. Familyworks is a trading entity of Northdown Enterprises Limited. They believe counselling should centre on clients, supporting them through personal challenges and helping them develop their own strengths to reach their potential. They work with children, adolescents, and adults on issues such as anxiety, low mood, bereavement, trauma, abuse, special needs, and family change. [Learn more](https://familyworksni.com/) Fairwinds Cornwall Ltd Fairwinds Cornwall is commissioned to provide tailored mental health and wellbeing support to fishermen and farmers across Cornwall. Their unique outreach approach includes flexible services such as walk and talk therapy, designed to meet people where they are. They offer psychological assessment, single-session therapy, psychodynamic counselling, time-limited counselling, coaching techniques focused on solutions and goals, and cognitive behavioural therapy. Fairwinds also works in partnership with other agencies to provide indirect supervision and consultation within the fishing and farming networks. Their commitment is to deliver responsive support that reflects the specific needs of these vital rural communities. [Learn more](https://fairwindscornwall.co.uk/) Health Assured Ltd Health Assured provide mental health and wellbeing services for organisations throughout the UK and Ireland, accessed primarily via a 24/7 helpline service operated by qualified counsellors and through their wellbeing app, Wisdom. This service includes structured counselling delivered online, via telephone or face to face across the UK, supported by an extensive affiliate network of experienced counsellors. [Learn more](https://www.healthassured.org/) Heart to Heart Bristol Heart to Heart is a team of counsellors passionate about offering low-cost support to individuals in the community. They recognise that life can be challenging, and accessing help is not always straightforward. Their service provides a safe, confidential space for clients to explore issues and concerns, aiming to build a trusting relationship that supports the therapeutic process. Sessions are available in person, by telephone, or via Skype, and are delivered by both qualified and student counsellors. Heart to Heart strives to make counselling accessible, stress-free, and responsive to the needs of those seeking support. [Learn more](https://hearttoheartbristol.co.uk/) HT Counselling Services Ltd HT Counselling Services provides professional support to individuals, children, young people, and businesses across Worcestershire and the wider West Midlands. Their services include counselling, holistic therapies, hypnotherapy, and additional wellbeing support. Their counsellors offer a non-judgmental, supportive environment, tailoring their approach to each client’s needs to help manage emotions, make positive changes, and improve wellbeing. With over 50 years of combined experience, they deliver in-person sessions from Aston Fields, Bromsgrove, and nationwide online sessions to the same high standard. They also offer an Affordable Counselling Service for adults (18+), available both in-person and online, facilitated by trainee and qualified counsellors. [Learn more](https://www.htcounselling.co.uk/) Inspired Neighbours CIC Inspired Neighbourhoods, a community interest company, works to strengthen professional connections and better serve their community. They employ mental health support workers who assist clients on their journey to recovery. They run a Culture Adapted Behavioural Activation project, delivering targeted psychotherapy as part of research in partnership with Leeds University. They also provide practical support, including benefits and employment advice, and offer tailored assistance for people with autism. Their counselling service includes three counsellors: two specialise in trauma recovery, while one supports clients experiencing loss. Together, they provide daily, person-centred support designed to meet diverse community needs. [Learn more](https://inspiredneighbourhoods.co.uk/) Lenadoon Community Counselling Service This service provides confidential, compassionate, and professional counselling to adults and young people aged 16 and over across the Belfast area. Their support is free and delivered in a safe, confidential space where every individual is listened to and treated with respect. The counselling team is highly qualified and brings specialist expertise in areas such as CBT, addiction, trauma, life coaching, and more. Self-referrals are welcome. [Learn more](https://www.facebook.com/Lenadooncounsellingservices/) Mersey Counselling and Therapy Centre MCTC, founded in 2011, provides professional counselling and psychotherapy to anyone in need, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, psychiatric diagnosis, class, or ability to pay. They do not apply societal or medical labels, treating each person as a unique and valuable individual. The centre has a team of 16 part-time therapists, all fully qualified and either accredited or working towards professional accreditation. MCTC also offers a fully equipped art room and a library of around 3,000 titles covering counselling, psychotherapy, psychology, and philosophy, supporting both clients and therapists in their personal and professional development. [Learn more](https://www.mctcwirral.org.uk/) New Dawn Therapies CIC New Dawn Counselling Service, a Community Interest Company based in Weston-super-Mare, provides professional, affordable counselling to individuals and couples, both in-person and online. Their team of over 30 qualified and trainee counsellors supports clients with a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, bereavement, and relationship difficulties. As members of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), they are committed to upholding high professional standards. Their mission is to empower clients to overcome personal challenges, develop coping strategies, and improve overall well-being, ensuring accessible, compassionate support that meets the diverse needs of their community. [Learn more](http://www.newdawncic.co.uk/) Nour Nour is a charity dedicated to supporting adult survivors of abuse from minoritised communities in the UK. Through trauma-informed, culturally attuned services, Nour aims to relieve the needs and protect the physical and mental health of those who have suffered domestic violence, sexual violence, and/or childhood abuse. In a world where survivors of abuse and trauma often face immense challenges, Nour stands as a beacon of hope and support. With over 12 years of experience, Nour has been a steadfast presence in supporting survivors across London and the UK. [Learn more](https://nour.org.uk/) Pathfinder Therapy CIC Pathfinder Therapy CIC is a not-for-profit counselling and psychotherapy service providing trauma-informed support to adults, with particular expertise in military veterans, disability, trauma, anxiety, depression and life transitions. They are committed to improving access to ethical, inclusive and affordable mental health support through counselling, psychotherapy, education and community engagement. Their services are delivered by appropriately qualified practitioners operating within robust safeguarding, governance and clinical supervision frameworks. Pathfinder Therapy CIC promotes resilience, wellbeing and recovery through person-centred, trauma-informed and evidence-informed practice. [Learn more](https://pathfindertherapy.org.uk/) Pro-Counselling Limited Pro-Counselling provides counselling and broader mental health support to organisations across the private and public sectors, including higher education institutions and the NHS. They offer 24/7 telephone counselling, online sessions by appointment, and face-to-face counselling across the UK, ensuring flexible access for staff and students. Pro-Counselling is part of the Pros-Consulte Group, a mental health provider founded in 2011 that supports the wellbeing of over five million employees and students across 500 organisations in Europe. Their services aim to improve mental health, provide timely support, and promote overall wellbeing within professional and academic environments. [Learn more](https://www.pro-counselling.co.uk/) Restoration Therapy Restoration Therapy is a dedicated mental health service provider offering high-quality counselling and psychotherapy. Their skilled team, with all therapists holding or working toward Masters qualifications, specialises in supporting individuals through personal growth and mental wellness journeys. They are committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment for exploring identities and addressing mental health challenges. [Learn more](https://www.restorationtherapy.co.uk/) Retail Trust For nearly 200 years, the Retail Trust has supported and protected retail workers, aiming to transform lives by equipping colleagues with tools for a healthier, happier, and more hopeful future. Their services include a confidential online platform with personalised resources such as articles, quizzes, videos, and guidance on mental health, wellbeing, career, and lifestyle. They also provide counselling and brief therapy from NCPS- and BACP-qualified counsellors, a 24-hour wellbeing helpline, legal and financial advice from specialists, and financial assistance. Together, these services help retail colleagues manage challenges, improve wellbeing, and build resilience in both work and life. [Learn more](http://www.retailtrust.org.uk/) Ripples Wellbeing Ltd At Ripples Wellbeing, they view self-care as encompassing the whole person—physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual—through reflection on past experiences, motivations, and the impact they wish to have. They support individuals, groups, and businesses to make positive changes for themselves and those around them. By providing the right environment and guidance, they help people discover potential, develop skills, and grow personally and professionally. Committed to making a positive difference, they aim to create lasting impact, with benefits that extend beyond the individual and ripple outward to the wider community they engage with. [Learn more](https://www.rippleswellbeing.co.uk/) Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE) One of the leading domestic abuse recovery organisations in Devon and beyond, they began as a local branch of Women’s Aid in 1974 and have grown into a nationally focused charity. They aim to build a world free from the impact of trauma through therapy, training, research, and partnerships. Their team delivers therapeutic programmes and professional training, guided by people with lived experience of trauma. The voices of survivors shape their approach, ensuring support is reflective and effective. They work with families and partner organisations to create cohesive, lasting change in recovery and wellbeing. [Learn more](https://www.wearesafe.org.uk) Service Six Service Six, based in Northamptonshire, has spent over 40 years supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people, and their families. They help individuals overcome challenges such as low self-esteem, bullying, bereavement, depression, self-harm, and trauma through counselling, support, and thematic project activities. Their services are often life-changing, providing both immediate support and long-term guidance. Needs-led and bespoke, their programmes not only address current difficulties but also equip young people with the skills to manage future challenges. Guided by their motto, “Changing Lives, Creating Futures,” they aim to empower individuals and families to build healthier, more resilient lives. [Learn more](https://www.servicesix.co.uk/) Suicide&Co Suicide&Co supports individuals bereaved by suicide, offering up to 12 free counselling sessions to help them understand and navigate their grief, develop coping strategies, and explore their thoughts and feelings safely. All counsellors are fully qualified and trained in suicide bereavement. Sessions are provided via online video or telephone, ensuring flexible access for clients across the UK. Support is available to anyone aged 18 or over. Applications can be made by phone or through a form on their website. The service is dedicated to providing compassionate, professional support for those experiencing one of life’s most profound losses. [Learn more](https://www.suicideandco.org/) Talking Therapies Talking Therapies UK provides evidence-based, high-quality psychotherapy services for individuals experiencing a range of mental health difficulties. The organisation aims to make mental health support accessible to everyone, offering flexible online therapy without NHS waiting times. Founded by experienced psychotherapists, its team is registered with accredited professional bodies such as the NCPS and BACP. The therapists have worked in both NHS and private settings, treating simple to complex mental health conditions with evidence-based approaches. Talking Therapies UK was established to deliver compassionate, effective care and meet the growing need for accessible mental health support, particularly following COVID-19. [Learn more](https://talkingtherapies.co.uk/) The Eco Therapy Garden Community Interest Company Registered in 2018, this small Community Interest Company in Knowsley, Merseyside, provides a personalised programme of counselling and eco-therapy. They work closely with local communities and partner organisations to promote social prescribing, mental wellbeing, general health, and reduce social isolation. In collaboration with the local borough council, they are developing a community therapy forest garden on a previously disused plot, leased initially for five years with a view to longer-term use. Their services combine therapeutic support with nature-based activities, creating accessible, holistic opportunities for personal growth, wellbeing, and community connection for individuals of all ages and backgrounds. [Learn more](https://www.facebook.com/theecotherapygarden) The MegaCentre Raleigh The MegaCentre Rayleigh, an Essex-based Christian charity, exists to bring joy, hope, and life to the whole community. They believe every child and young person should have opportunities to grow, learn, and thrive, and every family should access the support needed for a full life. Their programmes include youth clubs, children’s groups, complementary education, family support, and 1-to-1 services, assisting over 500 individuals and families annually. As a social enterprise, they run recreational activities such as Megazone Laser Tag and Soft Play, while TheHub@TheMegacentre operates as a community resilience hub in partnership with local agencies. [Learn more](https://www.megacentrerayleigh.co.uk/) The Trauma Centre The Trauma Centre was founded in 2017 by two experienced trauma therapists and has since expanded to a suite of six therapy rooms, a training room, and an administrative office. Funded in part by the Office of the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner, they provide free weekly therapy to all trauma victims in the region, including children. Their services aim to support recovery, build resilience, and improve wellbeing for individuals affected by trauma. The organisation is actively fundraising to develop and expand its services and is in the process of applying for charity status as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). [Learn more](https://www.thesurvivors.space/) The Wellbeing Therapy Hut The Wellbeing Therapy Hut provides affordable and accessible therapy through online and face-to-face sessions for children aged five and over, young people, and adults. Individual counselling begins with an online assessment to match clients with a suitable counsellor. Sessions are available to UK-based clients, with rates starting from £18 per session. They also offer online couples and family counselling, though spaces are limited. Additional therapies include hypnotherapy and EMDR. Their approach ensures timely, flexible support, with sessions usually commencing within 2–4 weeks of assessment. The service is designed to meet diverse needs while remaining professional and accessible. [Learn more](https://www.thewellbeingtherapyhut.co.uk/) Thrive Counselling CIC Thrive Counselling CIC is a not-for-profit organisation providing low-cost counselling in North Wales (in person) and nationwide online. Based in Colwyn Bay, they offer counselling and psychotherapy, trauma treatment, supervision, and training for adults, couples, families, and children and young people. Their team of over 25 therapists includes specialists, qualified practitioners, and students or trainees, and the organisation provides counselling placements and professional training opportunities. Thrive Counselling CIC is led by Laura Ashcroft and Rachel Curtis, supported by trustees and a multidisciplinary team. Their mission is to deliver accessible, professional mental health support tailored to individual and family needs. [Learn more](https://www.thrivecounsellingcic.com/) uHub Therapy Centre uHub, founded in 2016 in North Down by two fully qualified counsellors, provides accessible mental health support through counselling, life coaching, CBT, play and art therapy, and multidisciplinary support groups. They work with children, young people, and adults, including those with autism, ADHD, or trauma and bereavement experiences. All counsellors are NCPS- or BACP-registered and follow professional ethical guidelines. uHub offers a safe, confidential, and non-judgemental environment, using an integrated psychodynamic and person-centred approach tailored to each client. Initial assessments allow collaborative planning to ensure therapy meets individual needs and maximises positive outcomes. [Learn more](https://www.uhub.org.uk/) Vanquish Therapies Vanquish Therapies is a respected counselling, coaching, and therapeutic practice offering tailored support to meet the personal and professional needs of clients. Their services include person-centred counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), humanistic counselling, solution-focused therapy, and life coaching. Core offerings include an Integrative Therapy, Counselling, and Coaching Service for organisations, families, couples, individuals, and groups; a Mid-Range Counselling Service providing accessible online therapy nationwide for individuals aged 16+ on a sliding scale; and a Low-Cost Counselling Service for adults 18+, delivered online by carefully selected trainee counsellors. All services aim to promote wellbeing, resilience, and personal growth. [Learn more](https://vanquishtherapies.co.uk/) Vita Health Group Vita Health Group, formed through the merger of RehabWorks, Workplace Wellness, and Crystal Palace Physio Group, is a UK leader in workplace musculoskeletal and mental health solutions. They focus on proactively supporting employees and employers to maintain a healthy, productive workforce. Using a biopsychosocial approach, they provide integrated end-to-end services, including prevention and treatment, addressing overall health and wellbeing while reducing absenteeism and presenteeism. Vita Health Group is fully accredited, award-winning, and adheres to robust clinical governance. Their flexible, cost-effective services are delivered via national networks, telephone support, and digital platforms, ensuring accessible care for all clients. [Learn more](https://www.vitahealthgroup.co.uk/) West Wellbeing Suicide Prevention Charity West Wellbeing is a mental health charity based in West Belfast, providing a safe and supportive space for individuals in need. They offer counselling for children, young people, and adults experiencing mental or emotional distress. Working collaboratively with statutory, community, and voluntary organisations, West Wellbeing delivers a holistic approach to support, including befriending, mentoring, and advocacy. Their services aim to improve wellbeing, build resilience, and strengthen families, ensuring that clients have access to the guidance and care they need. The charity is committed to making mental health support accessible, professional, and responsive to the diverse needs of the community. [Learn more](https://www.westwellbeing.co.uk/) Willows Counselling Service Willows Counselling & Training is a leading provider of counselling services and professional counsellor training in Swindon, Wiltshire, and across the UK. With over 32 years’ experience, they support adults facing mental health and wellbeing challenges, including abuse and complex trauma. Services are offered in person, online, or by phone, providing a confidential space for clients. Willows is also a respected training provider, delivering courses from Level 2 Certificate to Level 5 Diploma, plus Continuing Professional Development workshops led by national and international experts. Their mission is to empower individuals and develop skilled, professional counsellors. [Learn more](https://www.willowscounselling.org.uk/) Wye Dean Wellbeing CIC Wye Dean Wellbeing is a community interest company providing free and low-cost therapeutic counselling, supervision, and drug and alcohol support in person, online, or by telephone. Referrals come via GP surgeries, social prescribers, the public, employers, and insurance companies. They support trainee counsellors through voluntary placements with supervision and line management. Funded sessions are offered when available, with sliding-scale options for ongoing support. All counsellors and trainees are qualified, insured, DBS-checked, and adhere to professional ethical standards. Initial assessments guide clients to the most appropriate pathway. The organisation fosters collaboration, regular check-ins, and is exploring a healthcare steering group for strategic development. [Learn more](https://wyedeanwellbeing.co.uk/) Y Cwmni Siarad (YCS) Counselling Wales YCS provides counselling in Cardiff and online across Wales, ensuring professional mental health support is accessible to all, regardless of financial circumstances. Services include low-cost counselling (£25 per session for 12 sessions), in-person 1:1 sessions in Cardiff, and online therapy available Monday to Friday. Sessions are delivered by qualified counsellors and supervised trainees, maintaining high-quality care. YCS also offers private room rentals for therapists, alongside CPD and training opportunities, supporting both clients and professionals in the mental health sector. [Learn more](http://www.ycscounsellingwales.co.uk/) Your Emotional Support Service (YESS) Your Emotional Support Service (YESS) is a charity based in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, supporting people of all ages with specialist therapeutic interventions for emotional health and wellbeing. They offer a range of talking and creative therapies using a blended approach, delivered from their Uttoxeter base, schools, community settings, and remotely via online or telephone appointments. Operating for over 12 years, YESS has developed and continues to deliver projects funded by local authorities, the National Lottery, and schools. Their services aim to improve mental health, resilience, and coping skills, providing accessible, professional support tailored to the needs of individuals and communities. [Learn more](https://yess.uk/) --- Our community # Our Regional Representatives Supporting our members across the UK by building community, answering questions and representing local voices at national level. ## What is a Regional Representative? Relationships are central to what we all do, and fostering positive, productive connections with our members and their communities, is something we wish to continue to develop more at the NCPS. The Society recognises there are specific challenges experienced by practitioners and their clients at a regional level and is keen to better understand the realities of working in different local areas. Our aim, over time, is to create a network of regional representatives across the UK, to be our eyes and ears on the ground informing us of the political, social and professional landscape unique to their local area. This information will enable us to shape policies and focus our activity in the right places. Northern Ireland **Dr Claire Thompson** Claire is an HCPC-registered art psychotherapist, NCPS-accredited counsellor and NCPS Northern Ireland Regional Representative. With over ten years’ experience supporting children and adults through creative therapies, she also delivers training in adverse childhood experiences, intergenerational trauma and conflict-related trauma. Drawing on her understanding of Northern Ireland’s post-conflict landscape, Claire is passionate about listening to and representing members across Northern Ireland, and strengthening connections within the profession. Wales **Cherelle Mead** Cherelle is an integrative psychotherapist, supervisor, and NCPS Wales Representative. Grounded in inclusivity and trauma-informed care, she is passionate about advocacy shaped by lived experience. Cherelle is here to listen, represent, and uplift all voices—especially those marginalised—towards a more equitable, connected, and empowered future for our profession. Let’s shape it together. Scotland **Katalin Thomann** Katalin is an integrative counsellor, specialising in trauma, including early childhood trauma. Alongside private practice and mother–baby groups, she is committed to representing counsellors across Scotland, particularly those supporting marginalised communities. She hopes to strengthen the profession’s voice, advocate for inclusive practice, and help shape future mental health policy and standards across Scotland and the wider UK. --- About us # From humble beginnings to national recognition The NCPS has grown from a small professional body into one of the most respected voices in counselling & psychotherapy in the UK. ## Our story In 1995, a group of psychotherapists who were also practising hypnotherapy established the Hypnotherapy Research Society (HRS). The original intention of the HRS was to act as a space to create and build an evidence base for hypnotherapy practice so that hypnotherapy would be taken more seriously both in the psychotherapeutic community and for use within NHS settings. The founding President of HRS was the noted surgeon Clifford Stossel. At launch, HRS had approximately 150 members, and a Counselling and Psychotherapy Register was established within the Society as a professional home for counselling and psychotherapy practice. Shortly thereafter, in 1996 the HRS became the Hypnotherapy Society and moved from focusing on research to being a professional body. The register became the Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (CPS), with founding chair Dr Adrian Greaves. At this stage, both organisations were very small and functioned as unincorporated associations. At the time there were still hopes that hypnotherapy would be included within the wider counselling profession but a consensus view emerged that counselling and hypnotherapy were on different paths. Soon the CPS became far larger than its psychotherapy/hypnotherapy roots. The CPS was launched based on key values: - Counselling as a vocation, not just a profession - A membership body based upon listening to and supporting its members - Members to have full say on policies and direction of travel - One grade meaning that you’re qualified without the need for further hierarchy of membership In the early days, the CPS attracted counsellors impressed by its ethos and wishing to try a different approach to professional body affiliation. The CPS continued to grow slowly but steadily throughout the early 2000s. In 2006 it was decided to incorporate the organisation formally as a non-profit company, and members chose at that time to change its name to the Counselling Society (CS). At the time it was felt that counselling was the best "umbrella term" for the talking therapies with which our members were concerned. During this period as well, members increasingly wished to have their professional progression marked through a membership grade system which more closely aligned with those of other organisations. The original CPS idea of a single membership grade ended around this time. In 2010 there were huge shifts in the profession with the coalition government. Coming to power in May 2010, a few months later the Government announced it was to create the first “Accredited Voluntary Register” (AVR) programme under the auspices of the Professional Standards Authority. The Society fully supported this development and accordingly began to make wholescale changes in our governance and procedures, improving all areas of our structures and processes in order to become an AVR holder. In November 2010 it was decided to change our name to the National Counselling Society, in view of our growing membership and in anticipation of becoming an AVR holder in due course. (Subsequently, the AVR programme became known as the Accredited Register, or AR programme.) Chaired by Dr Chris Forester from 2011-2020, the Society was awarded Accredited Register status in 2013 and successfully retained it throughout this period, growing to become widely recognised throughout the profession, leading to strong and sustained growth in members. Chosen by many counsellors and psychotherapists as their only professional home, and by many others as an additional home, the Society became noticed for its core ethos continued from its early CPS days. Listening to members and offering them support has still been front and centre of the Society’s work as summed up in our phrase “Our members are our expertise” . Meanwhile, the NCS has been recognised by NHS IAPT (now NHS Talking Therapies), NHS Choices, and many well-known EAPs and employers; sponsored APPGs; and forged cross-party links within Parliament. By 2020 we also offered approval of one kind or another to 206 different courses and delivered 115 CPD courses in 2020 alone. In late 2020 we joined other Accredited Registers to seek to develop common standards for the profession, a decision over which our members had the final say. In 2021, Liz McElligott took over as Chair, and we worked on expanding our vision to offer support to a much larger variety of talking therapies. From coaching to Person-Centred Experiential Therapy; psychosexual approaches to emerging modalities, we will become the home for the widest possible range of talking therapies in the future, offering support to all, with several new registers launched in 2022 and 2023. In late 2021, the overwhelming majority of our members asked us by ballot to change our name to the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). In addition, we will be returning to focus on our original founding principle of counselling as a vocation, not just a profession. As the profession could be moving towards common standards or regulatory framework changes in the future, we want to create and renew a space for the heart of counselling and psychotherapy: honouring professional freedom, the client relationship, the personal journey, and the unique nature of what we do. A unique issue for 2022 was our members’ democratic say on adopting the SCoPEd framework, and the concomitant changes to our membership grades and standards that this entails. Since the adoption of the SCoPEd framework, the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB) formed, comprising the professional bodies involved in shaping the framework. As well as working to improve standards in the profession, the PCPB has the shared vision of ensuring that counselling and psychotherapy is better understood, valued and trusted by clients, patients, employers, commissioners and members of the public. In 2025, our Chair, Liz McElligott stood down whilst accepting the title of Chair Emeritus to demonstrate her long-standing positive effect and influence on the Society. At this point, Gerry Willmore took over as Chair, and continues to lead the Society in a way that is true to our values and ethos. We recognise that while counselling and psychotherapy encompass the very valuable work of mental health, they can never be reduced to mental health diagnosis and treatment alone. We will renew our foundational ethos to focus on our vocation, and to continue to offer a home for the widest possible range of approaches, modalities, individuals and organisations in the years ahead. ## Also in this section [### Code of Ethics Ethical considerations are more than polarised judgements of right and wrong. They involve exploring principles, morals and values behind a particular intent, intervention and action.](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) [### Our Society We are a not-for-profit professional Society dedicated to supporting through quality training, accreditation and ethical practice.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-society) [### Accredited Register Programme & Regulation When you choose a counsellor from an Accredited Register, you have the assurance that the counsellor has met the high standards required to be listed on the Register.](https://ncps.com/about-us/accredited-register-programme-regulation) [### Our Team At the NCPS, we're proud to be led by a team who are passionate about the Society's values and ethos.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-team) [### Our Community We’re proud of our shared commitment to professional excellence, compassion, connection, and the remarkable community that drives us forward.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community) [### Governance Our Commitment to providing good governance and leadership.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance) Become a member ## Join a professional community that works for you Whether you’re just beginning your training or have been practising for years, we’ll guide you to the right membership category to match your experience and qualifications. Already a member of another recognised professional body? Let us know—we may be able to offer you an equivalent NCPS membership that reflects your current standing. [Explore Individual membership](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) --- About us # We are the professional home for counsellors & psychotherapists We are a not-for-profit professional Society dedicated to supporting our members and the public through quality training, accreditation and ethical practice. [Join us](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) [Our Code of Ethics](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) Established in 1996, the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) has long been at the forefront of promoting high standards in counselling and psychotherapy across the UK. As one of the first organisations to gain Accredited Register status with the [Professional Standards Authority](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk), we ensure that our members are safe, competent and ethical practitioners. ## Our mission & values Our mission is to nurture and protect the vocation of counselling & psychotherapy, support and guide members, and provide a high level of public assurance to those seeking therapeutic services. ## Autonomy We advocate for choice and autonomy in therapy, ensuring clients and practitioners can shape support together that reflects their needs; keeping the power in the hands of those whom our work impacts most ## Diversity We embrace the richness of diverse approaches, backgrounds, and perspectives, recognising that mental health support is not one-size-fits-all, influenced by our backgrounds, cultures, experiences, desires, and needs ## Creativity We centre creative, flexible, and innovative ways of working that meet people where they are and adapt to what they need, when they need it, and where they need it ## Connection We put human connection, and our diverse and supportive community, at the heart of counselling & psychotherapy, knowing that safe, trusting relationships are where healing, growth, and change happen ## Our Ethos We want to take a little bit of time to talk about our ethos – the culture and character of the Society, and what that means for our members, the profession, and the public. Talking openly about things we hold dearest – diversity, creativity, autonomy, accessibility, and a commitment to mental health equality – helps define us and shapes the path we take as a community. This underpins every decision we make and policy we develop. By being open about who we are, we build a relationship with our members – our ethos flows through every interaction, event, and conversation. It’s in our actions, not just words, that you can see we try to live up to our standards. Accessibility is vital for diversity. The profession thrives on its practitioners, modalities, backgrounds, and perspectives. We support training, inclusion, fair work, and thoughtful regulation to ensure the profession is accessible and representative of humanity. We are member-led. Our members’ expertise guides us, and we honour professional freedom, the client relationship, and the unique nature of our work. Being member-led isn’t always easy, but we ensure all voices are heard, feedback is considered, and decisions are made thoughtfully. At the heart of NCPS is a passionate team committed to supporting the profession, promoting creativity and autonomy, and ensuring counsellors remain central in therapy. So, that’s who we are, and why. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Guiding professional conduct ## Our Code of Ethics Understand the principles guiding our members' professional conduct [Learn more](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) [### Our Team At the NCPS, we're proud to be led by a team who are passionate about the Society's values and ethos.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-team) [### Governance Our Commitment to providing good governance and leadership.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance) [### Our history The NCPS has grown from from a small professional body into one of the most respected voices in counselling & psychotherapy in the UK.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-history) [### Accredited Register Programme & Regulation When you choose a counsellor from an Accredited Register, you have the assurance that the counsellor has met the high standards required to be listed on the Register.](https://ncps.com/about-us/accredited-register-programme-regulation) [### Our Community We’re proud of our shared commitment to professional excellence, compassion, connection, and the remarkable community that drives us forward.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community) ## Our Community Discover the network of professionals we support and who support us. [Our Community](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community) ## Accredited Register programme & regulation Find out about our role in maintaining professional standards [Accredited Register Programme & Regulation](https://ncps.com/about-us/accredited-register-programme-regulation) --- Our team # Meet our dedicated team At the NCPS, we're proud to be led by a team who are passionate about the Society's values and ethos Whether we're supporting members, influencing policy or developing training standards, our people are united by a shared mission: to uphold the excellence in mental health support. With over 25 years of experience behind us, we have developed a friendly, knowledgeable and professional team who are passionate about what we do. ### What guides us We believe that high standards in therapy begin with high standards in leadership. That's why our team includes a mix of: - Experienced counsellors & psychotherapists - Experts in professional standards and ethics - Advocates for inclusivity and mental health policy - Administrative and operations staff committed to supporting our members ## How we work Together, we ensure that every part of the Society, from Accreditation to advocacy, reflects our values of integrity, transparency, inclusion and support. ## Collaboratively Our departments work closely to support all of our members ## Responsively Whether you're raising a concern, applying for membership or providing training our team is here to help. ## Accountably We operate under strong governance, with regular reviews and member feeback shaping what we do. Jyles Robillard-Day **CEO** Jyles has built his career growing organisations and developing people, with a strong and enduring commitment to wellbeing at the heart of his work. Over 20 years ago, he established his first workplace counselling scheme, driven by a belief that supporting mental health is fundamental to creating healthy, effective workplaces. As CEO, he brings a strategic mindset alongside a genuine belief in the value of compassionate, people-centred leadership. Outside of work, Jyles enjoys spending time with his family and experimenting in the kitchen. He values the way good food can bring people together, creating moments to pause, connect, and share. He is also an enthusiastic collector of vinyl, always on the lookout for his next great find. Camilla Hyland **Head of Operations** Camilla is an experienced manager of people and a qualified project manager. She was working in a global role in the travel industry, before the Covid pandemic prompted her to review where she wanted to spend her energies. Camilla joined the NCPS in 2021, as Head of Membership Services, and her role has grown alongside with the Society’s increased membership. Camilla now oversees a number of departments and has led several projects for the Society. Camilla is a Samaritan and a qualified foster carer. She is passionate about improving young people’s life chances. In her downtime she enjoys running, yoga, theatre and watching, or reading about, old movies. Meg Moss **Head of Public Affairs and Advocacy** Meg had her first experience of counselling training at the age of 22, and over 15 years later she is still passionate about counselling, and the life-changing impact that therapeutic relationships can have; she hopes to return to qualifying study one day and practice in the profession that means so much to her. In the meantime, with a long and winding career through various research-based, supportive, strategic, and executive roles, Meg is now leading our Public Affairs and Advocacy work. She also enjoys taking photographs of bugs and mushrooms, learning to play a variety of musical instruments, playing D&D with friends, and spending time with her husband, two daughters, friends, and family. Kate Mahoney **Head of Training Services & Professional Standards** I initially qualified as a psychologist in 1996. Having worked in a range of client-facing roles in both mental health and commercial settings my lifelong interest in counselling, shaped by my professional journey and personal experiences, led me to retrain as a counsellor. For the past nine years, I have served the Society as Head of Training Services and Professional Standards, as well as the Society’s Registrar. Alongside my organisational role, I run a successful private practice providing counselling to private clients, EAP services and BUPA referrals. I also enjoy working as a supervisor to both trainees and qualified practitioners. In my spare time, I enjoy being outdoors with my very cheeky sausage dog, keeping active at the gym and exploring new places in my camper. An avid reader, I especially love getting lost in a good psychological thriller!! Faye Blackwell **Head of Engagement & Development** Faye spent over 20 years working as a full-time counsellor, as well as a variety of supportive roles, both professionally and voluntary. Most notably in the world of HIV/AIDs, palliative care and bereavement, mentoring and advocacy— work that taught her the value of kindness, presence, and a well-timed cup of tea. She spent eight wonderful years living and working in Greece, soaking up plenty of sunshine and a new language along the way. Now happily settled in Somerset and a Mum of twins, she is the NCPS Head of Engagement and Development by day, a lover of live music and live comedy by night and will find any excuse possible to be outdoors. Beth Keeling **Communications Manager** Beth is the Communications Manager at the NCPS, where she focusses on how the NCPS communicates with members and the public. While her background is not in counselling or psychotherapy, she has developed a strong connection to the profession through her role. She is particularly passionate about making the profession more visible and better understood, having seen how timely access to support can have a lasting impact on people’s lives. She focuses on ensuring that NCPS communicates in a way that is open, accessible, and true to its values and ethos. Outside of work, Beth enjoys walking and exploring new places (especially on days with good weather). She also enjoys going to concerts and reading, and catching up with friends and family. ## Connect with us We are real people who care about helping and supporting you. [Get in touch](https://ncps.com/contact) ## Also in this section [### Code of Ethics Ethical considerations are more than polarised judgements of right and wrong. They involve exploring principles, morals and values behind a particular intent, intervention and action.](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) [### Our Society We are a not-for-profit professional Society dedicated to supporting through quality training, accreditation and ethical practice.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-society) [### Accredited Register Programme & Regulation When you choose a counsellor from an Accredited Register, you have the assurance that the counsellor has met the high standards required to be listed on the Register.](https://ncps.com/about-us/accredited-register-programme-regulation) [### Our Community We’re proud of our shared commitment to professional excellence, compassion, connection, and the remarkable community that drives us forward.](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community) [### Governance Our Commitment to providing good governance and leadership.](https://ncps.com/about-us/governance) --- Groups # AI Expert Reference Group A UK-wide collaborative group working to ensure artificial intelligence is used safely, ethically and responsibly within counselling & psychotherapy. ### About Our Collaboration with The AI Expert Reference Group The AI Expert Reference Group (AIERG) in Counselling & Psychotherapy is a collaborative body comprising counselling & psychotherapy-related organisations across the UK, established to address the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into mental health services. We are operating amidst rising concerns about the use of AI chatbots for, and the need to protect, the therapeutic relationship. Initiated by Kenneth Kelly and Rory Lees-Oakes (co-founders of Counselling Tutor), with the NCPS as a founding member, the group aims to ensure that AI adoption is ethical, responsible, and maintains human values in therapy. The core responsibilities of the Group include the development of guidelines for the safe, ethical, and effective use of AI in mental health; addressing issues around data privacy and AI limitations; and the creation of a shared AI Charter for the profession. Through its involvement in the AI Expert Reference Group, the NCPS supports practitioners in responding thoughtfully to the growing use of AI in counselling & psychotherapy. The Group’s work focuses on providing clear guidance, protecting client confidentiality, and safeguarding the therapeutic relationship. By working collaboratively across the profession, the Group aims to ensure that any use of AI in mental health remains ethical and firmly rooted in human care and professional judgement. [### Shared AI Charter for Counselling & Psychotherapy 68 KB | pdf A shared commitment to ethical, responsible and human-centred use of AI in counselling and psychotherapy. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Final-AI-coalition-commitment-1.pdf) --- Coalitions # Alliance 4 Children NCPS is proud to be a founding member of the Alliance 4 Children in advocating for better support for children, young people and their families across the UK. [Visit the Alliance 4 Children website](https://alliance4children.org) ### About Our Membership with Alliance 4 Children The NCPS is pleased to be a founding member of the Alliance 4 Children, a UK‑wide not‑for‑profit network dedicated to improving the health, wellbeing and life opportunities of children, young people and families. As part of this coalition, we stand alongside professionals from public health, education, research and the voluntary sector to help shape evidence‑based policy that puts children’s needs first. The Alliance 4 Children (A4C) is a dedicated network of academics, business leaders, teachers, public health professionals, charity representatives, politicians and other third sector individuals committed to driving evidence-based policy change for the betterment of child health and well-being across the UK. Their work focuses on: - Advocating for a dedicated government focus on children’s issues, including the establishment of a Cabinet‑level Minister or Department for Children, Young People & Families. - Developing robust, evidence‑based policy recommendations on key areas such as emotional health, early years support, food and nutrition, online safety and social justice. - Driving real change through specialist Working Groups that research and propose solutions to urgent challenges facing children and families. - Building a collective voice to influence national decision‑making and secure better long‑term outcomes for young people across the UK. As a supporting organisation, the NCPS contributes our expertise in mental health and therapeutic practice to Alliance 4 Children's collaborative efforts. We help inform discussions and share insights from counselling professionals, and support campaigns that seek to improve emotional wellbeing services and ensure protective environments for young people and their families. By working together with the Alliance 4 Children and its partners, we are helping to ensure that children’s needs are recognised in policy and practice not just today, but for future generations. --- Become a counsellor # Start your career in counselling & psychotherapy Training as a counsellor is a significant investment, so choosing the right course matters. With many options available, the NCPS Directory helps you navigate your choices with confidence. [Find a course](https://www.search-ncps.com/search?category=FindaTrainingCourse) ## Find NCPS Accredited courses Recognised training means trusted standards — giving you the qualifications you need to become a counsellor. ## Meet the standards for NCPS membership Courses we recognise have been independently assessed to ensure they are safe, ethical, and delivered to a high standard. ## Easy to use directory Use the NCPS Directory to explore recognised training providers and find the right course for you. ## Are you thinking of training as a counsellor? Choosing the right course can be confusing. A good course should balance theory and skills training, support both personal and professional development, and ideally be recognised by a professional body such as the NCPS. We have put together some helpful guidance that you can download below. [### Becoming a Counsellor/Psychotherapist 4 MB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Becoming-a-Counsellor-or-Psychotherapist-Brochure.pdf) ## Course types and qualifications We have various types of course recognition. In order to become a fully-qualified counsellor you will need to enrol on an Accredited course that has been through a full assessment and inspection and meets our Standards of Training. [Find a course](https://www.search-ncps.com/search?category=FindaTrainingCourse) ## Accredited Accredited Courses have been through a full assessment and inspection and meets our Standards of Training and Education. Graduates will have fulfilled the training requirements to join our Accredited Register. ## Accredited Plus Courses must meet our Standards of Training and Education that include SCoPEd Column A and B competencies. Successful graduates will be able to apply to join our Accredited Register. Accredited Plus courses are also a route to Accredited Professional Registrant membership once all other remaining criteria for this membership has been met. ## Advanced Professional Aimed at qualified counsellor & psychotherapists who wish to enhance their theoretical knowledge and clinical skills in order to evidence criteria required for Accredited Professional Registrant PNCPS (Acc). membership. ## Advanced Specialist Offers extensive support to qualified practitioners in developing a specialist area of work, for example, working with Children and Young People or Counselling Supervision. It does not in itself provide a route to our Register. ## Quality Checked A shorter or more specialised course which does not in itself provide a route to our Register but which offers valuable experience and may in some cases be used for Continuing Professional Development. [## Student membership with the NCPS Many courses will require students to join a professional body while they are training. We offer a reduced fee for student membership. Find out more](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) ## FAQs about training All the courses listed in this section have been awarded either Accredited, Advanced Specialist or Quality Checked recognition by the NCPS. The Society cannot recommend a specific training provider or course and we advise you to take time to research all courses to help you make a decision. We would advise you to contact the training provider you are interested in – they can advise on any grants or funding that may be available. There are many different approaches to counselling and as many routes to becoming a counsellor. This is reflected in the large variety of courses that are available. If you know what you want to do in the future, find out what qualifications you will ultimately need and then work back from there. For example what type of clients do you want to work with? Do you want to work full time or part time? Do you want to work in private practice or another forum? Counselling is not regulated in the UK and there are currently no plans for statutory regulation so there are no ‘regulated’ courses as such. Professional bodies like the NCPS recognise some courses as being safe, ethical and delivered competently, and as providing their graduates with enough training to join their Accredited Register of practitioners. Our register is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, providing an additional assurance of quality. **NCPS guidance on caseload for trainees on placement** The NCPS Register requires that students have, during their training, completed a minimum of 100 supervised clinical hours with clients within a relevant organisation/agency. It is important that training and placement providers provide guidance about the number of clients trainees should be seeing. There can be a tendency for trainees to try to gain their hours as quickly as possible, and this may be a risk to their own well-being as well as that of their clients. The fundamental principles of Beneficence and Self-Responsibility in the NCPS Code of Ethical Practice are relevant here. The caseload which a trainee is allocated will vary depending on the particular service, client group, course requirements, and level of training and experience of the trainee. As guidance, we recommend that at first students see a maximum of four clients per week, and up to six clients per week once they have at least 75 hours of clinical experience. At all times, the well-being of individual students and their clients must be considered. **Supervision for Students** Students/Counsellors-in-training must abide by the requirements of their training, placement provider(s), and their contract with their supervisor. We recommend a minimum of 1.5 hours per month, face to face (in the room), with a qualified supervisor who is suitably experienced to support the casework that they are carrying out, and with meetings happening fortnightly. A break from supervision may be taken if no clients are seen in a calendar month, subject to the agreement of the training provider, placement provider and supervisor. This should be documented for accreditation purposes. The Society nevertheless recommends that supervision continues regardless of whether or not members are seeing clients, particularly for students and those less experienced. It is likely to be valuable to discuss areas not related directly to client work for their development. A mix of 1-2-1 and group supervision, facilitated by an experienced supervisor, is acceptable. However, students do need to experience individual 1-2-1 supervision during their training. We recommend: 1. 1 hour of supervision for every 8 hours of client work 2. not less than an overall minimum of 1.5 hours per month 3. delivered not less than fortnightly In order to calculate individual participant supervision time if attending group supervision please note the following: 1. For groups of up to four, each participant can claim 50% of the time together. 2. For groups of five or more the time needs to be divided equally Peer supervision is **not** acceptable for students ## Not found the answer you were looking for? Get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to help guide you. [Get in touch](https://ncps.com/contact) ## Ready to start a career in counselling & psychotherapy? Begin you career in counselling and join thousands of other making a meaningful difference. [Find a course](https://www.search-ncps.com/search?category=FindaTrainingCourse) --- Join our community # Become a member of the NCPS At the heart of the NCPS are our members. We believe that what sets us apart from other membership bodies is the value we place on the knowledge and experience of our members. This is best summed up in our mantra, “Our members are our expertise”. [Apply now](https://ncps.com/contact) ## Find the right path for you [### Individual Join a professional home for counsellors and psychotherapists.](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) [### Training Provider Our primary role is the advancement of counselling & psychotherapy and a part of this role is the support and encouragement of all our training providers.](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/training-provider) [### Organisations & Recognised Counselling Services Join our professional Society as an organisation or counselling service and be part of our supportive community, playing a role in developing our profession and the mental health conversation more widely.](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/organisations) --- Individual membership # Join our professional home for counsellors & psychotherapists. At the heart of the NCPS are our members. We believe that what sets us apart from other membership bodies is the value we place on the knowledge and experience of our members. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com/) [Membership Categories & Criteria](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual/membership-categories-criteria) ## Also in this section [### Membership Categories & Criteria A unique and flexible approach to membership and accreditation.](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual/membership-categories-criteria) [### Equivalent Membership Categories Your membership with another Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register means it's even easier to join us.](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual/equivalent-membership-categories) [### Code of Ethics Ethical considerations are more than polarised judgements of right and wrong. They involve exploring principles, morals and values behind a particular intent, intervention and action.](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) ## Why become a member? Membership of the Society is a partnership. We're here to listen, support, and work hard on behalf of our members. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) Recognised ## Professional recognition and accreditation Our Accredited Register is recognised by the Professional Standards Authority as well as being recognised by thousands of organisations both large and small across the UK. Value ## Affordable membership costs We keep our membership costs as low as possible. There is no additional charge to change your membership category. Grow your practice ## Free ‘Find a therapist’ directory listing There is no extra charge to be listed on our directory, making it easier for potential clients to find you Member-led ## Have your voice heard Our members have a direct voice in shaping the Society's policies, and are consulted on all key decisions we make. Our members are our expertise, and we're proud to be a member-led organisation. Membership fees ## Find the right membership for you Whether you have just started on a course of studies or have been practising counselling for years — you will be guided to the appropriate membership category. Create an account in our [Member Portal](https://www.member-ncps.com) to start your application today. [### Registrant £154 Per year For individuals who have completed their studies and wish to join a PSA Accredited Register. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [### Student £Reduced Per year Reduced fee membership for those currently studying a counselling or psychotherapy course that would lead to Registration with the Society. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) Create an account in our [Member Portal](https://www.member-ncps.com) to start your application today. [Membership categories & criteria ## Unsure which membership is right for you? Discover our different membership categories and check your eligibility. Learn more](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual/membership-categories-criteria) ## Membership benefits designed with you in mind Our members are our expertise, and one of the fundamental principles upon which the Society was founded, and continues to this day, is that of being member-led. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) ### Exclusive member discounts and resources Discounts on insurance, services, online CPD, books and a wealth of resources including our magazine. ### Free and reduced CPD Exclusive CPD events run online at preferential rates as well as free online/self-paced CPD. ### Support when you need it Access ethical advice and professional guidance at every stage of your career. ### Student Supervision Reduced fees for student supervision or student personal counselling. ## What our members say ### NCPS cares about its members "NCPS cares about its members. Always there for help and advice and a plethora of courses on offer for CPD. As a private practice therapist, I never feel alone.” Jill Abbott MNCPS (Acc.) ### A member for over 10 years "As a member for over 10 years, I have always appreciated NCPS's common sense approach, their dedication to the interests of clients and therapists alike, and their efforts in protecting the rich and diverse nature of therapy." Richard Clarke MNCPS (Acc.) ### A personal approach "I enjoy being a member of NCPS for the personalisation experience. If I have ever needed to call, my query is dealt with quickly and efficiently, with a personal approach. Every person I’ve had the pleasure of talking to has taken time and effort to ensure I’ve felt supported. It’s a wonderful organisation." Jayne Yeates PNCPS (Acc.) ### I would recommend the NCPS to any Counsellor “I would recommend the NCPS to any counsellor thinking of joining a professional body. It genuinely puts its members at the heart of its work, and I feel connected, respected and supported. It’s refreshing that NCPS staff are only an email or telephone call away. I’m delighted to be so well looked after." Deirdre Coughlan PNCPS (Acc.) ### Timely, supportive, and collaborative "I have been a member of The NCPS for many years and seen it flourish over that time. Even as the organisation has grown, the ethos has remained the same. My communications have always been dealt with in a timely, supportive, and collaborative manner; I would highly recommend NCPS as an organisation and as a member." Remona Jenkins PNCPS (Acc.) ### Attracting new clients “Becoming an Accredited Member of the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society has enabled me to grow my business by attracting new clients who are reassured by The Professional Standards Authority endorsement. I know I will be kept updated with the latest legal and ethical guidelines and have access to invaluable learning materials and training opportunities.” Sarah Robins MNCPS (Acc.) ## The membership journey We recognise the experience and skills that each individual can bring to our profession, and you'll find that this is reflected in our application process. [Apply now](https://www.search-ncps.com) Step 1 ## Complete your application online You'll need to create an account in our Member Portal, from here you will be able to apply for the right membership category for you. Step 2 ## Your application is reviewed The team will review your application and come back to you if any further information is required but rest assured, we'll give you all the guidance we can to support you. Step 3 ## Enjoy the benefits of being an NCPS member Once we've confirmed your membership level, you can enjoy all the benefits of your membership. ## Ready to grow your practice and career? Join thousands of counsellors and psychotherapists making a difference. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) ## FAQs about individual membership Yes, we offer reduced rates of membership for those on a low income – if you are in receipt of benefits (including state pension), please select the relevant option when applying. Please note we will require proof of the benefit which you can supply on your signing-up journey. As a Registrant of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, you must have current professional insurance. Although you can choose to use any insurance company that offers appropriate cover the Society has negotiated preferential rates with [Howden](https://www.howdengroup.com/uk-en/psychological-therapists-professional-indemnity-insurance), Towergate and Balens for all of our members. The Society is not qualified to advise on legal matters. We suggest that any queries with regards to legal issues/legal representation are directed to your professional insurance provider or other suitably qualified professional. As a Registrant of the Society, you must demonstrate a commitment to supervised practice. Supervision should be appropriate to the number of client hours and type of practice, essential for the award and maintenance of professional membership. The Society holds a register of qualified and experienced Supervisors whose details are listed on our directory. Use the 'Supervisor' filter to refine your search. [Search our directory](https://www.search-ncps.com) If your membership application is unsuccessful, please follow our [Registration Application Review Policy.](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Registration-Application-Review-Policy-V1.pdf) ## Not found the answer you were looking for? Get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to help guide you. [Get in touch](https://ncps.com/contact) --- Equivalent Membership Categories # Are you currently on another Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register? Your membership with another Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register means it's even easier to join us. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) ## Also in this section [### Individual Join a professional home for counsellors and psychotherapists.](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) [### Membership Categories & Criteria A unique and flexible approach to membership and accreditation.](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual/membership-categories-criteria) [### Code of Ethics Ethical considerations are more than polarised judgements of right and wrong. They involve exploring principles, morals and values behind a particular intent, intervention and action.](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) ## Our equivalent membership categories Your membership with another [Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/accredited-registers/find-a-register/-in-category/categories/professions/counselling) means we can streamline your application. We recognise the hard work you've already done to get where you are, and we're not going to ask you to jump through the same hoops again to prove it. We know you've done that with another Accredited Register, so you just need to show us evidence of your membership with them. - ACC Registered Member - Can apply for Accredited Registrant with NCPS - ACC Accredited Counsellor - Can apply for Accredited Professional Registrant with NCPS [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) - BACP Registered - Can apply for Accredited Registrant with NCPS - BACP Accredited - Can apply for Accredited Professional Registrant with NCPS - BACP Senior Accredited - Can apply for Senior Accredited Registrant with NCPS [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) - BPC Registrant - Can apply for Accredited Registrant with NCPS [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) - UKCP Registration - Can apply for Accredited Professional Registrant with NCPS [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) The following Counselling-related Accredited Registers do not have a membership grade that offers an equivalent route to our Register: - Association of Child Psychotherapists - British Association of Play Therapists - Human Givens Institute - Play Therapy UK [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) ## Not seeing your current membership body? Get in touch with a member of out team who will be happy to guide you. [Get in touch](https://ncps.com/contact) ## Ready to apply through our equivalent membership category route? Join thousands of counsellors and psychotherapists making a difference. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) --- Membership categories & criteria # A unique and flexible approach to membership and accreditation Your journey as a counsellor or psychotherapist evolves over time — so should your membership. Explore our membership categories to find the one that’s right for you. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) [Equivalent membership categories](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual/equivalent-membership-categories) ## Also in this section [### Individual Join a professional home for counsellors and psychotherapists.](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) [### Equivalent Membership Categories Your membership with another Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register means it's even easier to join us.](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual/equivalent-membership-categories) [### Code of Ethics Ethical considerations are more than polarised judgements of right and wrong. They involve exploring principles, morals and values behind a particular intent, intervention and action.](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) ## Membership categories A member of the Society may be a Registrant or a Non Registrant member. A Society Registrant is listed publicly on our website and is recorded as a Registrant on our Accredited Register. The Society allows Registrants to progress through different categories of membership depending upon qualifications and experience, but all Registrants have met the Society’s standards for practice. Registrant ## Accredited Registrant MNCPS (Acc.) A counsellor who has met the standards for registration. Registrant ## Accredited Professional Registrant PNCPS (Acc.) A counsellor or psychotherapist who has met the standards for registration, and demonstrated substantial post-training professional development. Registrant ## Senior Accredited Registrant SNCPS (Acc.) A counsellor who has met the standards for Accredited Professional Registrant membership, and has also gained significant further professional development. Non-Registrant ## Student A non-Registrant member who is on a training course to become a counsellor. ## Membership Criteria Our Accredited Registrant category MNCPS (Acc.) is aligned to the requirements of [SCoPEd Column A](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-Framework-January-2022-amended-2025_2025-04-15-123859-2.pdf). **Eligibility requirements** - An NCPS Accredited Course or - An Ofqual Level 4 minimum (or equivalent) diploma in core or basic one-to-one counselling or psychotherapy (in the room) that has been verified as mapped to column A competencies. - With an integral supervised placement of at least 100 hours within an organisation or agency setting. - The course must be over a minimum of 2 years part-time with a minimum of 300 Guided Learning Hours. - We do not accept online only and/or distance learning courses. or - An Ofqual Level 4 minimum (or equivalent) diploma in core or basic one-to-one counselling or psychotherapy (in the room) that has **NOT** been verified as mapped to column A competencies will require the following: **Column A Competencies Evidence (CACE)** From the 1st March 2026, due to the implementation of the SCoPEd framework, applicants for Accredited Registrant membership who have completed a qualification that has **not** been accredited or verified by a PCPB partner as mapping to Column A will be required to demonstrate that they have achieved the necessary Column A competencies through their training. **The Society will assess this using the ‘Column A Competencies Evidence’ (CACE) process**. **CACE** is a standardised assessment of the skills and knowledge required for entry to the Accredited Register and consists of a vignette-based assessment with 15 randomly selected questions designed to evaluate Column A competencies. **A vignette** is a short, realistic scenario that describes a hypothetical situation. It is used to assess how an individual applies their knowledge, skills and judgement in practice by responding to questions based on the scenario. **Completing CACE** Following assessment of your initial application you will be sent a vignette to respond to. We kindly ask that you complete the task and return it to us, as a word document, **within 8 weeks of receipt**. **Costs** There is no fee for your initial submission should your fully completed response be returned within the requested timeframe. Late returns will, however, incur a late administration fee of £20. **Referrals and Re-submissions** The CACE process offers a maximum of three submission opportunities within a six month time period. Each referral is supported by clear feedback to help applicants meet Accredited Register standards. If further attempts are needed, an additional submission can be made after six months. This timeframe will enable the applicant to take time to undertake further relevant training and development. **Please Note**: Second and subsequent submissions will carry a nominal processing and assessment fee of £40 per submission. For further information about training course content and criteria, please see our [Standards of Training](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Standards-of-Training-and-Education-to-support-applications-for-the-grade-of-Accredited-Registrant-2.pdf). Please note: Students who had to undertake training and/or placement hours purely online during the 2020/2021 academic year due to the Covid pandemic, can still apply for the Accredited Register as their applications will be assessed in line with accepted criteria during that time. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) Our Accredited Professional Registrant category PNCPS (Acc.), which is aligned to the requirements of [SCoPEd Column B](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-Framework-January-2022-amended-2025_2025-04-15-123859-2.pdf), builds on the requirements for our Accredited Registrant grade MNCPS (Acc.) which is aligned to SCoPEd Column A. **Eligibility requirements** **Applicants MUST:** - Maintained registration as an Accredited Registrant (MNCPS Acc.), or on another relevant PSA Accredited Register for Talking Therapy, for at least 1 year in good standing immediately preceding an application for this membership category. - Experienced at least 450 tutor contact hours during completed training, at least 70% of which must have been delivered in physical classroom and include summative assessment/s. Please note, distance learning training is not accepted. - Been in practice for at least 3 years from the date of the first supervised client session when applying. - Completed at least 450 hours of supervised clinical practice, at least 150 of which must have been accrued after gaining the core qualification. - Been supervised for at least 1.5 hours per month and have an ongoing contract for supervision in place for at least 1.5 hours per month. (This can be a mix of one-to-one, group and peer supervision. Peer supervision alone is not acceptable towards supervision hours). - Undertaken at least 30 hours of varied CPD in the 12 months preceding application for this grade. - A written Reflective piece and Case Study (to be submitted in Word format). Please follow the guidance carefully and submit your work clearly under the given headings - [A Supervisor's Report](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Supervisors-report-PNCPS-2.pdf). [View our full guidance here](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS_ACC_PROF_APPLICATION_GUIDANCE_UPDATED_OCTOBER_25.pdf) \*Before you attempt to submit your application, please read the guidance carefully. If you do not submit the specific information required as per this guidance your application may be delayed or returned for further clarification. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) Members holding the category of Accredited Professional Registrant PNCPS (Acc.) (SCoPEd Column B) can apply for the new Senior Accredited Registrant category SNCPS (Acc.) ([SCoPEd Column C](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-Framework-January-2022-amended-2025_2025-04-15-123859-2.pdf)). **Eligibility requirements** - A Level 7 or equivalent counselling or psychotherapy training. - 500 GLH hours of training in total. - Experience of 160 hours of personal therapy and/or personal development work relevant to practice. - Been in practice for at least 4 years from the date of the first supervised client session when applying. - Completed at least 500 hours of supervised clinical practice, at least 150 of which must have been accrued after gaining the core qualification. - A written Personal Statement evidencing the relevant competencies for this membership category (to be submitted in Word format). Please follow the guidance carefully and submit your work clearly under the given headings. - [A Supervisor's Report](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Supervisors-report-SNCPS.pdf). In addition to the above, it is expected that all the requirements relevant to the Accredited Professional Registrant PNCPS (Acc.) category, including supervision and CPD, will remain applicable to Senior Accredited Registrants SNCPS (Acc.) [View our full guidance here](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Revised-SNCPS-Acc.-application-guide-for-existing-SNCPS-Acc.-with-a-Level-7-qualification.pdf). \*Before you attempt to submit your application, please read the guidance carefully. If you do not submit the specific information required as per this guidance, your application may be delayed or returned for further clarification. **Transition mechanisms for current Senior Accredited Registrants (obtained prior to January 2024)** - Current Senior Registrants with a Level 7 Qualification - Please use the route above. Or - Current Senior Registrants without a Level 7 Qualification - Please use this [route](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Revised-SNCPS-Acc.-application-guide-for-existing-SNCPS-Acc.-who-do-not-have-a-Level-7-qualification.pdf). [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) Our non-Registrant Student category is for those on a training course to become a counsellor. **Eligibility requirements** - Demonstrate enrolment on any counselling training course which is compatible with the Society’s Code of Ethics. This does not have to be a course recognised by the Society. Student Members cannot advertise their membership and insofar as they are seeing clients may only do so as part of their ongoing studies under the supervisory arrangements specified by their trainer. They must agree to be bound by the Society’s[Code of Ethics](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Code-of-Ethics-Nov-23.pdf). To apply for Student membership [create an account](https://www.member-ncps.com) in our Member Portal and start your application today. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) To be listed as a Supervisor you must be on the NCPS Accredited Register. **Criteria** A supervisor qualification that has included: - At least 20 hours supervised supervision practice with at least two supervisees - A significant proportion of the training must be delivered live in the room / synchronous online teaching - Summative assessment required to gain the qualification (i.e. not a multiple choice questionnaire) You would also need to supply the following in support of your application: - Evidence of being in practice for two years or more - Evidence of completing at least 450 Supervised client hours. - Provide a copy of your insurance policy that includes cover for supervision *Please note - if you are already listed as a Supervisor with the BACP or UKCP we can offer you Supervisor status via the equivalent route.* Please note that when joining the Accredited Register, distance learning and/or online-only delivered courses are not accepted. ## Specialist membership categories A Specialist Registrant must also belong to our main Accredited Register Specialist Registrant ## Children & Young People's Therapist (CYPT) A qualified practitioner who has met the [standards](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Overview-Training-Standards-NCPS-2024-2.pdf) for our NCPS Accredited Register AND who has demonstrated the [Training Standards](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/CYP-Therapist-Register.pdf) and [competencies](https://online.fliphtml5.com/mffew/gepr/index.html#p=1) to work with Children and Young People. For information on how to apply for this register please log in to your Member Portal [here](http://www.member-ncps.com/). Specialist Registant ## Relationship Therapist (RT) A qualified practitioner who has met the [standards](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Overview-Training-Standards-NCPS-2024-2.pdf) for our NCPS Accredited Register AND who has demonstrated the [Training Standards and competencies](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/2024-NCPS-RT-Standards.pdf) to offer this type of therapy to adult clients. For information on how to apply for this Register please log in to your Member Portal [here](http://www.member-ncps.com/). Equivalent membership categories ## Are you currently on another Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register? Your membership with another [Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/accredited-registers/find-a-register/-in-category/categories/professions/counselling) means it's really even easier to join us. [Learn more](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual/equivalent-membership-categories) ## Helpful information It is important that your written work is a true and genuine reflection of your capabilities thus supporting fair assessment for your application. As such, we consider the use of AI in the creation of content for your membership application as a potential misuse of AI, GenAI or chatbot tools. However, we do recognise that some people may benefit from using AI to help with spelling and grammar. In order to support the validity of the assessment process, if you have used any sort of AI to support your written work, you must detail where and how you have used this. **Registrant members residing overseas** The Professional Standards Authority’s Accredited Register scheme applies to the UK only and has no jurisdiction in either British Crown Dependencies or British Overseas Territories. Overseas registered members (including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) are therefore not able to use the Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register logo. However, Registrant members are permitted to use the relevant NCPS Registrant logo which will be supplied by The Society in line with confirmation of the Registrant membership category offered. Any Registrant practising overseas must abide by the national laws and regulations/protocols with regard to the provision of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Please see information about our appeals process [here](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Council-meeting-minutes/Registration-Application-Review-Policy-V1-2.pdf). [Get in touch ## Not found what you are looking for? Get in touch with a member of our team who will be happy to guide you. Contact Us](https://ncps.com/contact) --- Organisational membership # Supportive collaboration with the NCPS Join our inclusive Society as an organisation or counselling service and be part of our supportive community, playing a role in developing our profession and the mental health conversation more widely. [Our Organisational Members](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community/our-organisational-members) [Our Recognised Counselling Services](https://ncps.com/about-us/our-community/our-recognised-counselling-services) ## Are you ready to strengthen the voice of mental health together? Join our network of UK-based organisations and counselling services working together for lasting impact. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) ## Why become a member? Membership of the Society is a partnership that comes with a range of benefits and opportunities. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) ## Access exclusive resources and support Benefit from NCPS’s dedicated support, resources and opportunities ## Collaborate with likeminded organisations Connect with a diverse network of organisations committed to best practice ## Enhance your organisation's credibility Align with the NCPS’s values and ethos, showcasing your commitment to ethical standards ## Influence policy and advocacy Use your voice to contribute to national conversations and policies affecting mental health services ## Amplify your impact on the profession Join a respected professional body to strengthen your role in shaping the future of mental health ## Promote fair and inclusive practice Demonstrate your organisation’s dedication to uphold standards and inclusivity ## Categories of Membership We welcome UK-based organisations comprising **two people or more**, which **do not** provide counselling services, but do share our values and ethos and work within the wider field of wellbeing and mental health. Being an Organisational Member does not confer a mark of accreditation or approval by the Society. Instead, it functions more as a partnership of reciprocal support and encouragement. The benefits of organisational membership are mutual support, sharing of communications where relevant, and the ability to work together on projects and keep each other informed. *\*Please note, if your Organisation offers counselling/psychotherapy services, please read the information below on how to apply to be a Recognised Counselling Service.* *\*\*This is not for individual practitioners in private practice.* **Fees** - Annual membership for charities, voluntary or not-for-profit organisations is £100 - Annual membership for commercial/profit-making organisations is £200 [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) A Recognised Counselling Service (RCS) is a UK-based organisation of **two people or more**, which provides direct counselling / psychotherapy services and has at least one Registrant on the Society's Accredited Register. Gaining this status is a mark of quality and recognition offered by the Society. The Society undertakes a rigorous checking process before recognising a service. This includes (but is not limited to) providing evidence of: - Public liability and professional indemnity insurance (held in the name of the service) - Contract of employment for therapists - EDI policy - GDPR policy - Complaints procedure, held by the service and which must include details of an Independent Complaints Reviewer - Safeguarding policy. This must clearly outline procedures that cover vulnerable adults and children, if applicable to the service - Client assessment process, to include evidence of triaging procedures - Student placement policy and contracts (if applicable) - Confirmation that DBS checks are in place for all staff working with vulnerable adults/CYP - Confirmation that all therapists are on a PSA Accredited Register - The service being in operation for a minimum of one year **CYP Services** Organisations offering therapeutic support to children and young people (CYP), will be asked to provide additional information. This will include a requirement for all practitioners to be listed on the NCPS CYPT Accredited Register. Information about criteria and how to apply, can be found [here](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/specialist-therapists-directories/children-and-young-peoples-therapists). **Overseas Services** Please note, we are unable to accept applications from services located, or operating, outside of the UK. **Fees** - Annual membership for organisations with up to 10 employees is £200 - Annual membership for organisations with 10 or more employees is £300 In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £150 will be applied for the first payment. Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable *\*This is not for individual practitioners in private practice.* [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) Organisational members who run, for example, a library of counselling or psychotherapy related resources for counsellors can get in touch with us to find out about our Trusted Resource recognition. Trusted Resource recognition cannot be applied to training courses, regular training events or any activities that would otherwise require training provider recognition. It can be applied to things like short one-off lectures, journal articles/reference libraries, guest speakers events etc. Resources must be high quality (evidenced by positive, legitimate customer reviews) and be produced by relevant qualified/experienced professionals. The organisation must have a robust privacy policy and relevant insurance (if applicable) in place. A random sampling of content will be verified by a Society Officer. To apply please contact us. [Get in touch](mailto:hello@ncps.com) ## Not sure which membership category is right for your organisation? Get in touch with our team who will be happy to guide you [Get in touch](mailto:organisations@ncps.com) Membership fees ## Find the right membership for your organisation We are delighted to work with many UK-based organisations and counselling services from diverse backgrounds, all bringing with them invaluable expertise and experience from different areas of mental health and wellbeing. [Create an account](https://www.member-ncps.com) to start your application today. Create an account in our [Member Portal](https://www.member-ncps.com) to start your application today. [### Not-for-profit Organisational £100 Per year Organisations such as charities, voluntary or not-for-profit comprising two people or more, who work within the wider field of wellbeing and mental health. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [### Commercial Organisation £200 Per year Commercial/profit-making organisations comprising two people or more, who work within the wider field of wellbeing and mental health. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [### Recognised Counselling Service (up to 10 employees) £200 Per year plus £150 assessment fee Organisation of two people or more, which provides direct counselling / psychotherapy services. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [### Recognised Counselling Service (more than 10 employees) £300 Per year plus £150 assessment fee Organisation of two people or more, which provides direct counselling / psychotherapy services. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [### Trusted Resource Various Per year Current Organisational Members who run, a library of counselling or psychotherapy related resources for counsellors. Get in touch](mailto:organisations@ncps.com) Create an account in our [Member Portal](https://www.member-ncps.com) to start your application today. ## Membership benefits designed with you in mind [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) ### Website listing Feature on the NCPS Organisation Member or Recognised Counselling Services page, increasing visibility. ### Display the NCPS logo Use our trusted NCPS logo across your marketing materials to promote your organisation and services. ### Policy engagement Have your say in shaping policies and practices within the mental health, counselling, and psychotherapy fields. ## The membership journey We recognise the experience each organisation can bring to our profession, and you'll find that this is reflected in our application process. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) Step 1 ## Complete your application online You'll need to create an account in our Member Portal, from here you will be able to apply for the right membership category for you. Step 2 ## Your application is reviewed The team will review your application and come back to you if any further information is required but rest assured, we'll give you all the guidance we can to support you. Step 3 ## Enjoy the benefits of membership with the NCPS Once we've confirmed your membership level, then you can advertise your membership, and enjoy all the benefits of your membership. --- Training provider membership # Join the professional community that’s raising training standards Our primary role is the advancement of counselling and psychotherapy. Part of this role is the support and encouragement of all our Training Providers. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) [Find out more](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/training-provider/course-categories-criteria) [Training provider ## Course recognition categories & criteria We have a duty to ensure that any training courses which offer a route to registration are fit for purpose and meet the requirements of our Training Standards. Find out more](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/training-provider/course-categories-criteria) ## Why become a member? Training Provider membership with the Society comes with a range of benefits and opportunities. ## Stand among trusted providers Gain recognition from one of the UK’s most respected membership bodies. ## Boost your course credibility Display the NCPS logo to show potential learners that your course meets our professional standards ## Help students progress professionally Enable graduates to apply for NCPS Accredited registration - a valuable step in their career ## Be part of a professional community Connect with likeminded providers and professionals who share a passion for high-quality education ## Shape the future of training Have a voice in the development and the future of our profession ## Align with ethical excellence Show your commitment to rigorous, ethical practice with a Society that puts client safety and practitioner development first Course recognition fees ## Find the right recognition for your courses We believe that achieving recognition of your courses is essential To ensure you are applying for the right type of course recognition, please get in touch with the Training Services department at . We look forward to hearing from you. Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable [### Accredited £450 Per year / per course plus £450 assessment fee Courses must meet our Standards of Training and Education. Successful graduates will be able to apply to join our Accredited Register. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [### Accredited Plus £550 Per year / per course plus £550 assessment fee Courses must meet our Standards of Training and Education that include SCoPEd Column A and B competencies. Successful graduates will be able to apply to join our Accredited Register. Accredited Plus courses are also a route to Accredited Professional Registrant membership once all other remaining criteria for this membership has been met. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [### Advanced Professional £250 Per year / per course plus £250 assessment fee Courses aimed at qualified counsellors & psychotherapists in order to advance their qualifications. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [### Advanced Specialist £250 Per year / per course plus £250 assessment fee Aimed at qualified counsellors & psychotherapists who wish to advance their learning and experience in particular fields of work. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [### Quality Checked from £100 Per year / per course plus one off assessment fee This type of course recognition can be considered for individual workshops, shorter foundation courses or CPD. Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable ## Training Provider Membership benefits designed with you in mind We recognise counselling as a distinct and meaningful vocation, ensuring our members feel valued and supported — and the same can be true for your students and graduates. [Start your application](https://www.member-ncps.com) ### Course recognition & listing Your course appears in our public directory, giving you greater visibility to prospective students ### Use of NCPS logo Use the trusted NCPS logo across you marketing and course materials, signalling credibility and quality assurance ### Dedicated provider support Access responsive support from a team that understands your training needs, with advice, guidance and regular updates ### Student membership pathways Your learners can join the NCPS as student members and access guidance, resources, and a clear pathway to Accredited Registrant Membership ## What our Training Provider members say about us ### Proud to be an NCPS Training Provider “I highly recommend the NCPS as a Training Provider. Their attention to detail, expertise and professional manner have been exemplary. We were so impressed we chose NCPS to manage and market our courses, and the organisation has been smooth, efficient, friendly and approachable. Special thanks to Kate and Jacqui for their hard work and support. I am proud to be an NCPS Training Provider with my CPD courses quality checked by them, and heartened by their genuine interest in us as trainers and in our vision for high quality CPD." Kate Day Director of KRD Training ### I couldn't recommend NCPS more highly “I recently moved to NCPS after being with another membership body my entire counselling and teaching career, and it was the best decision I have made. I couldn’t recommend NCPS more highly. I run a private counselling training centre and completed the quality checking process for our Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills. I couldn’t have asked for more from the staff, and the process was extremely quick. I hope to gain quality checked status for my L3 and accredited status for my L4. Highly recommended.” Kelly Porch Northamptonshire Centre for Counselling Studies (NCCS) ### Friendly, helpful, and organised “We have enjoyed a long collaboration with the NCPS, whose governance has been assessed by the Professional Standards. The relationship has always been professional, with everyone friendly, helpful and organised. We appreciate the NCPS taking a proactive role in the counselling profession. Our students and graduates give excellent feedback and feel supported with a high quality service.” Avy Joseph College of Cognitive Behavioural Therapies (CCBT) ### Highly professional At the NAOS Institute, together with the London Diploma in Psychosexual and Relationship Therapy, we were awarded accredited training status with NCPS several years ago, as the only NCPS accredited psychosexual and relationship training in the UK. We found the NCPS highly professional in its training standards, procedures, and policies, as well as approachable when we needed support. Highly recommended! Bernd Leygraf NAOS ### The team at the NCPS are amazing Liberty Talking Therapy joined the NCPS as a Training Provider in 2019 and it was the best thing we have done. The whole process from start to completion is well oiled and supportive. From confirmation of the receipt of the course to discussions on how to improve the material or ideas of what may also be included, the team at the NCPS are amazing and know their stuff. Their ethos of providing training that leads to high professional standards fits exactly with our own which makes the support exactly what we need. Catherine Drewer Training By Liberty Limited ## Your membership Journey We recognise the experience and skills that each individual can bring to our profession, and you’ll find that this is reflected in our application process. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com/) Step 1 ## Complete your application online You'll need to create an account in our Member Portal, from here you will be able to apply for right type of course recognition. Step 2 ## Your application is reviewed Once you've applied through the Member Portal and submitted all necessary documents, the team will review you application and come back to you if any further information is required but rest assured, we'll give you all the guidance we can to support you. Step 3 ## Enjoy the benefits of being an NCPS member Once we've approved your application, then you can advertise your membership, and enjoy all the benefits of your membership. ## Ready to set your courses apart from others? Join hundreds of counselling & psychotherapy training providers who benefit from NCPS membership and are making a significant difference to the profession. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) [Contact us ## Not found what you're looking for? Get in touch and a member of our standards team will be happy to help guide you. Get in touch](mailto:stanards@ncps.com) --- Course recognition categories & criteria # A unique and professional approach to course recognition We have a duty to ensure that any training courses which offer a route to registration are fit for purpose and meet the requirements of our Training Standards. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) ## Training recognition categories We believe that achieving recognition of your courses is essential, as it gives confirmation of your professional standing to both your peers and your students and gives your organisation a voice in the future of our profession. ## Accredited Course Recognition Courses that provide core practitioner training in counselling & psychotherapy, equipping graduates to work with adult clients who present with a range of commonly encountered issues. ## Accredited Plus Courses must meet our Standards of Training and Education that include SCoPEd Column A and B competencies. Successful graduates will be able to apply to join our Accredited Register. Accredited Plus courses are also a route to Accredited Professional Registrant membership once all other remaining criteria for this membership has been met. ## Advanced Professional Course Recognition Training courses aimed at qualified counsellors & psychotherapists who wish to enhance their theoretical knowledge and clinical skills. ## Advanced Specialist Course Recognition Course aimed at qualified counsellors & psychotherapists who wish to advance their learning and experience in particular fields of work. ## Quality Checked Course Recognition This type of course recognition can be considered for individual workshops, shorter foundation courses or CPD. ## Quality Checked Online or Distance Learning Course Recognition Courses that are synchronous online or via distance learning. This can be considered for individual workshops, shorter foundation courses or CPD. ## Course recognition requirements As holders of a Register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, we have a duty to ensure that those training courses which offer a route to registration are fit for purpose. We therefore keep our Training Standards for Accredited courses under review. Standards of entry to the Register are benchmarked against Ofqual levels or their equivalents. We accredit courses that meet our [Training Standards](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Standards-of-Training-and-Education-to-support-applications-for-the-grade-of-Accredited-Registrant-2_2025-10-14-105534_qpyb.pdf) and provide core practitioner training in counselling and/or psychotherapy, equipping graduates to work with adult clients who present with a range of commonly encountered issues. The NCPS values both qualitative and subjective aspects of counselling training, in addition to quantified tests based on appropriate standards. By considering both qualitative and quantitative aspects, the NCPS aims to ensure that the accredited courses provide a comprehensive and well-rounded education for future counsellors. This approach supports the development of ethical and proficient professionals in the field of counselling. The overall determination for accreditation shall be whether the course under review will graduate counsellors who are safe, competent and ethical to practise. - Safe - graduates can conduct counselling without causing harm to their clients - Competent - graduates have the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively support their clients - Ethical - graduates adhere to professional and ethical guidelines in their practice. Counsellors trained in these programmes meet the requirements to provide effective and ethical counselling services. Successful completion of an NCPS Accredited course is one of the routes to being accepted onto the Society's Register and becoming an Accredited Registrant Member. As course accreditation can provide a route onto the Society's Accredited Register, applicants should be aware that this is a robust process which can take some months to complete. **1.** If you wish to submit your course for assessment then we welcome you to contact us via to arrange an initial, informal discussion. This initial conversation will enable us to determine if the course would meet the Society’s training standards and therefore an application could be submitted. **2.** Following the informal discussion, training providers should follow instructions in the 'How to Apply for Course Recognition' section below. **3**. Assessment will commence following receipt of all documentation and full payment. If you are unable to submit your application electronically, please contact us for assistance at **4.** The Society will review the materials sent to support your application and if necessary, will revert to you with any issues that need clarification or further consideration. If, after the document and application review, the Society believes your course to be suitable for accreditation, a site visit will be arranged. At the site visit the Society will go through relevant questions related to our standards in more depth and will take the opportunity to meet with staff and students and observe teaching and experiential work. **5.** After the site visit our Professional Standards Committee will hold an Accreditation Panel meeting to decide on course accreditation. The committee may take the following action: - Accredit the course with no further requirements - Impose conditions before accreditation can be accepted - Accredit the course with Action Points (steps the course provider must take within a reasonable time) - Accredit the course with Learning Points (steps the course provider is advised to take). **6**. Following the panel's decision and the fulfilment of any conditions, your course will be accredited, and you will be formally notified. Accreditation is subject to the course meeting all criteria and is renewed yearly. The Society may make further site visits and take other reasonable measures to ensure that the standards of accreditation continue to be met. **Fees** - £450 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £450 will be applied for the first payment. *Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.* Accredited course recognition is subject to a re-accreditation assessment every 5 years. A nominal fee is applied to support the assessment work that is required for this. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) **Accredited Plus training recognition** is offered to courses that meet the relevant [Training Standards](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Standards-of-Training-and-Education-Required-for-NCPS-Accreditation-Plus-Course-Recognition.pdf) providing core practitioner training for counselling and/or psychotherapy and demonstrate teaching that supports the competencies for SCoPEd Column A and B. These courses equip graduates to work with adult clients presenting with a broad range of commonly-encountered issues. The NCPS values both qualitative and subjective aspects of counselling training, in addition to quantified tests based on appropriate standards. By considering both qualitative and quantitative aspects, the NCPS aims to ensure that the accredited courses provide a comprehensive and well-rounded education for future counsellors. This approach supports the development of ethical and proficient professionals in the field of counselling. The overall determination for accreditation shall be whether the course under review will graduate counsellors who are safe, competent and ethical to practise. - Safe - graduates can conduct counselling without causing harm to their clients - Competent - graduates have the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively support their clients - Ethical - graduates adhere to professional and ethical guidelines in their practice. Counsellors trained in these programmes meet the requirements to provide effective and ethical counselling services. Successful completion of an NCPS Accredited Plus course is one of the routes to being accepted onto the Society's Register and becoming an Accredited Registrant Member. Accredited Plus courses are also a route to Accredited Professional Registrant membership once all other remaining criteria for this membership have been met*.* As course accreditation can provide a route onto the Society's Accredited Register, applicants should be aware that this is a robust process which can take some months to complete. **1.** If you wish to submit your course for assessment then we welcome you to contact us via to arrange an initial, informal discussion. This initial conversation will enable us to determine if the course would meet the Society’s training standards and therefore an application could be submitted. **2.** Following the informal discussion, training providers should then follow instructions in the 'How to Apply for Course Recognition' section below. **3.** Assessment will commence following receipt of all documentation and full payment. If you are unable to submit your application electronically, please contact us for assistance at **4.** The Society will review the materials sent to support your application and if necessary, will revert to you with any issues that need clarification or further consideration. If, after the document and application review, the Society believes your course to be suitable for Accredited Plus training recognition, a site visit will be arranged. At the site visit the Society will go through relevant questions related to our standards in more depth and will take the opportunity to meet with staff and students and observe teaching and experiential work. **5.** After the site visit our Professional Standards Committee will hold an Accreditation Panel meeting to decide on course accreditation. The committee may take the following action: - Accredit the course with no further requirements - Impose conditions before accreditation can be accepted - Accredit the course with Action Points (steps the course provider must take within a reasonable time) - Accredit the course with Learning Points (steps the course provider is advised to take). **6.** Following the panel's decision and the fulfilment of any conditions, your course will be offered Accredited Plus recognition, and you will be formally notified. Accredited Plus course recognition is subject to the course meeting all criteria and is renewed yearly. The Society may make further site visits and take other reasonable measures to ensure that the standards of course recognition continue to be met. **Fees** - £550 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £550 will be applied for the first payment. *Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.* Accredited Plus course recognition is subject to a re-accreditation assessment every 5 years. A nominal fee is applied to support the assessment work that is required for this. [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) Advanced Professional training courses are aimed at qualified practitioners, registered as Accredited Registrants MNCPS (Acc.) or equivalent, who wish to enhance their theoretical knowledge and clinical skills in order to evidence criteria required for Accredited Professional Registrant PNCPS (Acc). membership. These post-qualifying courses must meet our [Training Standards](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Standards-of-Training-and-Education-required-for-NCPS-Advanced-Professional-Training-recognition.pdf) to enable trainees to evidence the competencies and guided learning/tutor contact hours required for this grade, which is mapped to SCoPEd column B. **Fees** - £250 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £250 will be applied for the first payment. *Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.* [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) Advanced Specialist training courses are aimed at qualified and registered practitioners who wish to advance their learning and experience in particular fields of work. The general criteria for this category recognition are listed below: - The course will offer extensive support to practitioners in developing a specialist area of work by providing a solid grounding in clinical skills and theoretical knowledge for the specialism. For example, a course that focuses on working with Children and Young People, Relationship Therapy or Counselling Supervision - It will normally contain at least 50 hours of live training in the room or a blend of such with synchronous online learning. Distance learning courses are not accepted - It will include formal (summative) assessments, which are acceptable to the NCPS. Examples of such can include, but are not limited to, essays, case studies, examinations, presentations, supervised client hours etc - It will normally need to have been completed by at least one cohort of students - The course will be delivered by qualified practitioners who have significant experience in the specialist field being taught - Providers must make it clear, in the publicity and on qualifications, that courses with Advanced Specialist recognition do not provide a route to the NCPS Accredited Register. Training Providers must demonstrate a commitment to the NCPS Code of Ethics to support course recognition. **Fees** - £250 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £250 will be applied. *Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.* [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) For those courses which do not fully meet the requirements to become an Accredited course, the Society offers the opportunity to have the course Quality Checked. This type of course recognition can be considered for individual workshops, shorter foundation courses or CPD. To apply for Quality Checked course recognition the course must have been completed by at least one cohort of students (\*participant feedback may be required as part of the application process). It must be made clear in all course materials and on course promotions (including any social media, website etc) that the completion of an NCPS Quality Checked course alone is **not** a route to the Accredited Register nor does it fully equip a participant/graduate to practise as a qualified counsellor. Training Providers must demonstrate a commitment to the NCPS Code of Ethics to support course recognition. **Fees** - Up to 1 Day: £100 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £100 will be applied - Between 1 Day and 50 hours: £150 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £150 will be applied - More than 50 hours: £250 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £250 will be applied - Distance learning: £150 annually per course. In addition, a one-off assessment fee of £150 will be applied. *Please note: assessment fees are non-refundable.* [Apply now](https://www.member-ncps.com) ## Recognised Qualification Scheme **CPCAB Qualifications Awarded NCPS Recognised Qualification Status** The Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) is proud to announce that key counselling qualifications have been officially awarded Recognised Qualification status by the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This is a major endorsement that underscores the quality, credibility and professional value of CPCAB's qualifications. This recognition applies to the CPCAB Level 2 Certificate in Counselling Skills (CSK-L2), Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Studies (CST-L3), and Level 3 Certificate in Applied Counselling Studies (CAST-L3), confirming these qualifications as industry-aligned and meeting professional training standards. Additionally, the CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (TC-L4) has achieved NCPS Recognised Professional Qualification status, signifying the highest standard of professional training and offering graduates a streamlined pathway to NCPS Accredited Registrant Membership. **A Commitment to Excellence in Counselling Training** This recognition is part of CPCAB and NCPS’s ongoing commitment to raising the standards of counselling education and ensuring that trainees receive qualifications that hold real value in the profession. By achieving this milestone, CPCAB qualifications continue to offer learners a trusted, high-quality training route into counselling practice. **Strengthening the Future of Counselling** This latest recognition reinforces the strong partnership between CPCAB and NCPS, reflecting their shared dedication to high-quality counselling training and the professionalisation of the sector. “We are proud to be working with NCPS to show the continued value and relevance of the CPCAB counselling training progression pathway. Alongside NCPS we are committed to ensuring that trainee counsellors receive the best possible training and professional opportunities,” added Kelly Budd, CPSO of CPCAB. “This recognition gives learners and training providers confidence in the quality of CPCAB qualifications and affirms the importance of live-taught relational training in equipping learners with the ability to work safely and effectively with clients.” **Kate Mahoney,** Head of Training Services and Professional Standards at NCPS added: “We are thrilled to launch this new recognition scheme with CPCAB. Working together strengthens our shared commitment to excellence in education and training to support high-quality counselling and psychotherapy training at all stages of students’ journey towards becoming qualified practitioners. We look forward to communicating with CPCAB centres to explain the benefits of NCPS accredited training recognition.” **About CPCAB** CPCAB is the leading awarding body in counselling and psychotherapy, setting rigorous standards for training providers and ensuring that learners are equipped with the essential skills required for professional practice. **About NCPS** The NCPS is a professional membership body that promotes high standards of counselling and psychotherapy, ensuring public protection and supporting practitioners to achieve and maintain high professional standards. ## Specialist training Children and Young People (CYP) specialist training courses are aimed at qualified and registered practitioners who wish to advance their learning and experience to work with CYP. Successful completion of this training can lead to an application for the Society’s CYPT Accredited register. Specific criterion for this category of training recognition can be found in the [CYPT training standards](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/CYP-Therapist-Register.pdf). The general criteria for this level of training recognition are listed below: 1. An Advanced Specialist course is intended for qualified and registered counsellors/psychotherapists. 2. The course will be recognised by the NCPS as suitable for established practitioners with a solid grounding in clinical skills and theoretical knowledge. 3. The course will offer extensive support to practitioners in developing specialist knowledge to work with CYP. 4. It will normally contain at least 50 hours of live training 'in the room' or via a blended approach with synchronous online learning. 5. It will contain a supervised placement of at least 50 hours working with CYP. 6. It will include formal assessments which are acceptable to the Society. Examples of such can include, but are not limited to: essays, case studies, examinations, presentations, supervised client hours etc. 7. For application, the course will normally need to have been completed by at least one cohort of students. Please also refer to the [CYP Competency Framework](https://online.fliphtml5.com/mffew/gepr/index.html#p=1)to support your application. **Fees** £250.00 annually per course. In addition, an assessment fee of £250 will be applicable per application. Please login or join us [here](http://www.member-ncps.com/)to apply for course recognition. All training providers must demonstrate a commitment to the NCPS Code of Ethics. ## Additional information ### Qualifications Tutors and course assessment staff are expected to have counselling qualifications at a level at least equal to, or higher than, the level of course being taught and assessed and should be able to demonstrate competency to deliver and/or assess all elements of the course. The same expectation applies to any specialisms taught. Tutors should obtain some form of teaching, coaching and/or mentoring qualification. ### Practical Experience Tutors on any counselling course are normally expected to have some practical experience in the field of counselling. Tutors on introduction courses or courses at, or equal to, Ofqual Level 2 and Level 3, who do not have experience in the field of counselling will need to evidence how they have familiarity of the practical application of the subject matter being taught. Tutors teaching on courses of Ofqual Level 4 and above (or courses that are equivalent to Ofqual Level 4 and above) are expected to have at least three years of professional counselling experience post qualification and be listed on a relevant [PSA Accredited Register](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/organisations-we-oversee/find-a-register?page=1). It is also desirable that tutors on such courses have previously obtained some form of teaching, coaching and/or mentoring experience before becoming tutors on such courses. Tutors on courses that focus on specialisms (i.e. Working with Children and Young People; Supervision etc.) are expected to have significant experience in the specialist field being taught. Where relevant, it is also expected for tutors to be listed on a relevant [PSA Accredited Register](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/organisations-we-oversee/find-a-register?page=1), and for CYP courses, at least one lead tutor to be listed on the NCPS CYP specialist register. The training provider needs to be able to demonstrate the suitability of every staff member employed to provide training and/or assessment services should the Society request this. ### Evidence Evidence of appropriate qualifications and practical experience would need to be included on staff CVs. [Get in touch ## Not found what you are looking for? Get in touch with a member of our team who will be happy to guide you. Contact Us](https://ncps.com/contact) --- Coalitions # Children & Young People's Mental Health Coalition The NCPS is proud to be a member, working alongside other organisations to improve mental health support for children and young people across the UK. [Visit the CYPMHC website](https://cypmhc.org.uk/) ### About Our Membership with the Children & Young People's Mental Health Coalition The NCPS actively supports the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, a UK-wide network of charities, professional bodies and support organisations dedicated to improving mental health and wellbeing for babies, children and young people. Through this partnership, we help amplify the voices of young people and families in national discussions about mental health policy and services. The **Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition** work with members, children and young people, and parents and carers to influence national policy and advocate for change in relation to babies, children, and young people’s mental health, in line with our strategic priorities. These priorities are: - **A mentally healthy generation** with a focus on reducing risk factors for poor mental health and ensuring all babies, children and young people have strong protective factors; and creating positive and supportive environments where good mental health is promoted. - **Ensuring early intervention for all** with a focus on ensuring there is always a choice of early intervention services in a range of different settings and that groups of babies, children and young people at risk of poor mental heath are prioritised in accessing early help. - **Strengthening specialist services** to deliver the very best mental health care for babies, children and young people. This should have a focus on funding and access, and making sure that if a child or young person has a mental health crisis they receive the very best care and support. The NCPS contributes its expertise in counselling a& psychotherapy to these efforts, helping the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition shape policy and best practice. Together, we work to ensure that all young people have access to the emotional support they need to thrive. --- Coalitions # Climate Minds Coalition The NCPS is proud to join leading UK mental health organisations in advocating for greater recognition and support for those experiencing climate‑related distress. [Visit the Climate Minds Coalition website](https://www.climatemindscoalition.com) ### About Our Membership with the Climate Minds Coalition The NCPS is proud to be a member of the Climate Minds Coalition, a UK-wide partnership of leading mental health organisations. Together we aim to highlight the vital role mental health professionals play in supporting individuals and communities affected by the climate crisis. The Coalition works to: - Enhance training and resources for mental health professionals addressing climate-related distress. - Promote efforts within the mental health sector and the wider community to protect the environment and mitigate climate change. - Support colleagues in feeling confident when responding to the emotional impacts of climate change. - Campaign for better access to psychological support for those affected. - Advise policymakers on the psychological implications of climate emergencies and advocate for responsive public health measures. As members the NCPS actively contributes to these initiatives, sharing insights from our practitioners and engaging in discussions to improve support for clients experiencing climate-related anxiety, grief, and stress. We believe that understanding and addressing the mental health impacts of climate change is essential for both personal wellbeing and a sustainable future. --- Coalitions # Coalition for Inclusion and Anti-Oppressive Practice The Coalition for Inclusion and Anti-Oppressive Practice brings together organisations with a shared mission to improve diversity within the counselling, psychotherapy and psychological therapy professions. ### Coalition joint statement Its current focus is promoting inclusive and anti-oppressive professional training as part of a greater vision to address further barriers to inclusive practice, particularly in relation to supporting racially and ethnically minoritised communities. In October 2023, the Coalition for Inclusion and Anti-Oppressive Practice launched a ground-breaking toolkit for psychological therapies training providers. The Race is Complicated toolkit aims to help the UK counselling and psychotherapy sectors better understand and address race and diversity. Following consultation with trainers and training providers in February 2021, the Coalition partners agreed to commission and deploy a toolkit to support the development of skills, knowledge and understanding for delivering inclusive counselling and psychotherapy training across a range of learning organisations. With an initial focus on race and ethnicity, the primary objective of the toolkit is to help the counselling and psychotherapy sectors better understand and address race and diversity. The toolkit provides support on three areas of course provision: the institution, the training programme, and the individual tutor. [### Race is complicated - A toolkit for psychological therapies training 952 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/race-is-complicated-a-toolkit-for-psychological-therapies-training.pdf) ## Guiding Principles for Anti-Oppressive Practice Relationships are at the heart of therapeutic work. Anti-Oppressive practice is a way of being in relationship with others. It asks us to pay attention to who has power, and how it’s used; to listen deeply to everyone, no matter who they are; to live with respect and integrity in the spaces we share with others. Anti- oppressive practice is a conscious and intentional approach to these relationships. It happens on many levels at once. It begins with the personal work of reflection and unlearning; grows through the relationships we build with others; and reaches into the systems and structures we help to create or challenge. Each level shapes the others: our self awareness influences how we connect, and our connections influence how we act in the wider world. Practising anti-oppressively means tending to all three, so that our inner work, our relationships, and our systems become more honest, equal, and humane. These guiding principles are invitations to reflect; encouragement to speak openly with others and listen openly in turn; and reminders to take accountability for ourselves and the systems we have a hand in shaping. They remind us that everything we do is about relationships, which are in turn shaped by the wider systems in which we live. **10 Principles of Anti-Oppressive Practice:** 1. Naming Structures 2. Examine Power 3. Centre Experience 4. Practise Reflexivity 5. Honour Emotional Truth 6. Recognise Degrees of Safety 7. Seek Equity 8. Encourage Belonging 9. Act with Integrity 10. Share Power, Leadership, and Labour Find out more below: [### Guiding Principles for Anti-Oppressive Practice 227 KB | pdf A set of commitments to be upheld by individuals working within therapeutic, training, and organisational contexts. These commitments interconnect and overlap at all times. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/CIAOP-Guiding-Principles.pdf) ### Coalition members - [Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC)](https://www.acc-uk.org/) - [Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)](https://childpsychotherapy.org.uk/) - [British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)](https://www.bacp.co.uk/) - [British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)](https://baat.org/) - [College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists](https://www.cosrt.org.uk/) - [Contemporary Institute of Clinical Sexology](https://www.theinstituteofsexology.org/) - [Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network (MCAPN)](https://www.mcapn.co.uk/) - [National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)](https://nationalcounsellingsociety.org/) - [Place2Be](https://www.place2be.org.uk/) - [Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility (PCSR)](https://www.pcsr.org.uk/) - [UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)](https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/) --- Coalitions & Partnerships # Working together to strengthen counselling & psychotherapy The NCPS works in partnership with a range of organisations, coalitions, and professional groups to help shape policy, uphold and develop standards, and support positive change across the counselling & psychotherapy profession, as well as more broadly within mental health. By contributing our expertise and working alongside others, we hope to create a better world for our members, the wider profession, and the people they support. We are active participants in all of these groups, and constantly try to uphold our values of connection, collaboration, and community-building. **Find out more about the partnerships and coalitions we are involved in below.** [### Climate Minds Coalition The Climate Minds Coalition brings together leading mental health organisations to enhance training, resources, and confidence in responding to the emotional impacts of climate change.](https://ncps.com/climate-minds-coalition) [### Alliance 4 Children Alliance 4 Children brings together professionals across health, education, research, and the voluntary sector to drive evidence-based policy that improves outcomes for children, young people, and families across the UK.](https://ncps.com/alliance-4-children) [### Children & Young People's Mental Health Coalition The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition works to influence national policy and improve mental health and wellbeing for babies, children, and young people.](https://ncps.com/children-young-peoples-mental-health-coalition) [### Coalition for Inclusion and Anti-Oppressive Practice The Coalition for Inclusion and Anti-Oppressive Practice supports efforts to improve diversity and promote inclusive, anti-oppressive practice.](https://ncps.com/coalition-for-inclusion-and-anti-oppressive-practice) [### AI Expert Reference Group The AI Expert Reference Group develops guidance and promotes ethical, responsible use of AI in counselling and psychotherapy, safeguarding client confidentiality and the therapeutic relationship.](https://ncps.com/ai-expert-reference-group) [### The Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies The Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies works to strengthen professional standards, build public trust, and promote a clear, consistent understanding of counselling and psychotherapy.](https://ncps.com/the-partnership-of-counselling-and-psychotherapy-bodies) --- # Complaints [### Complaints & concerns procedure If you have a concern, we’re here to listen and take action. At the NCPS, we’re committed to treating every person - and every complaint – with care, fairness and respect.](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) [### Professional Conduct Notices In this section, the Society gives details of the outcomes of any complaints made against members.](https://ncps.com/complaints/professional-conduct-notices) [### Concerns and Complaints about an Individual Member We care about the experiences of clients, both positive and not so positive and believe that this information can help us plan positive future guidance for all our members - and for clients.](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-and-complaints-about-an-individual-member) [### Concerns & complaints about our team Have a concern about a member of the NCPS team?](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-complaints-about-our-team) [### Complaints & concerns about an Organisational Member Have a concern about an Organisational Member?](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-and-complaints-about-an-organisational-member) [### Concerns & complaints about a Recognised Counselling Service Have a concern about a Recognised Counselling Service?](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-complaints-about-a-recognised-counselling-service) [### Concerns about a Training Provider Complaints Process Review Have a concern about a Training Provider? We care about your experience and are here to listen.](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-about-a-training-provider) --- Complaints # Your voice matters. If you have a concern, we’re here to listen and take action. At the NCPS, we’re committed to treating every person - and every complaint – with care, fairness and respect. ## Have a concern about an individual member? At NCPS, we are committed to promoting and upholding high standards in the practice of counselling and psychotherapy. Our complaints process is designed to be fair to all parties involved, and we aim to resolve complaints and concerns as swiftly as possible. We understand that making a complaint can be daunting and we are here to offer practical support as you navigate our process. If you have a concern or complaint about one of our individual members, we encourage you in the first instance to try and resolve the issue with the member directly. If a resolution cannot be reached, you can raise your concerns with us directly by filling out our complaint form linked further down this page. If your concerns relate to a welfare or fitness to practice issue, please use the same form or email us at . Once you have submitted your complaint, you should hear from us within **ten working days** to acknowledge receipt and confirm next steps. **Please see information further down this page if you have a concern about one of the following:** - Training Provider - Organisational Member - Recognised Counselling Service [Complaint Form](https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/GPmeFQ46sb) ## Our procedure for complaints & concerns about an individual member As a professional association, and holder of an Accredited Register for counsellors and psychotherapists, the NCPS is committed to promoting and providing high standards in the practice of counselling, psychotherapy and associated therapies. We understand that the people using the services of counsellors and psychotherapists, who are members of the NCPS, may have a range of different issues and a range of experiences of working with our members. We encourage constructive feedback about these experiences, and we invite people, especially including our members’ clients, to tell us about their experiences. We believe in listening to the voices of both clients and of therapists and in the sharing of these viewpoints and opinions. We believe that each group has much to learn, both from the positive experiences of therapy as well as from times when things have not worked out as planned or hoped. We are aware that the professional therapeutic relationship in some forms of counselling and therapy necessarily involves the exploration of difficulties and lapses within the relationship itself. We therefore seek to avoid an unnecessarily ‘legalistic’ approach to dealing with complaints. We are also aware that therapists can overstep therapeutic boundaries and breach our Code of Ethics, and this needs to be addressed proportionately, fairly, and transparently and in a way that protects the public. Ideally every effort should be made to resolve the issue with the member before raising a formal complaint, but only if the circumstances are appropriate and you feel comfortable in doing so. We are also aware of the stress caused by any party involved in a complaints process. In addition, processes which become formal can be time consuming and last many months due to the need to follow proper evidential procedures. Where possible, therefore, we will see whether an informal resolution of your complaint or concern is appropriate. This could include our informally discussing your concern or complaint with the member, or a referral to mediation. In addition, we employ in many complaints something called ‘Consensual Disposal’. This happens where one of our Panels looks at the evidence and offers the member the chance to admit they have breached our Code of Ethics and accept appropriate sanctions. It should be stressed that this is not a ‘plea bargain’. The member is only offered those sanctions which the Panel believes would have been imposed at a formal complaints hearing. Consensual Disposal is offered purely to allow both parties to reach an appropriate ending to the proceedings in the least stressful way possible. “Consensual Disposal” can include “Voluntary Removal” where a member is offered the chance to admit they have breached the Code of Ethics and be removed from their membership of the Society. Of course, there is still the possibility for certain complaints that a full, formal process is required and for this we use an Independent Complaints Panel. More details about that can be found below. You don’t have to understand our Code of Ethics or procedures to make a complaint or raise a concern. Our Professional Conduct Officers are here to listen to you and discuss with you what kind of steps are likely to happen. If appropriate, you will be given choices, such as trying an informal resolution or mediation. Let’s set out the steps in our process. Of course, your complaint may not follow all of these steps. **Your Role in Our Process** If you wish to raise a complaint or concern, your role in our process is primarily as a witness, who provides us with information that’s relevant to one of our member’s roles as a counsellor or psychotherapist. You’re not expected to know or understand our Code of Ethics, and you don’t have to try and ‘make a case’ by using any legal arguments. You just have to provide us with information in good faith and let us follow our process. If your complaint goes as far as a formal Panel hearing, you don’t have to take a role in ‘prosecuting’ your complaint – that’s the job of the Society. We will support you as much as possible, and as appropriate, throughout the process. **A. Contacting the Society** The quickest way to contact us is to email . If you would like to speak to us by phone, you can call the department on 01903 213 683. Please note this is likely to be an answerphone message and you will be encouraged to leave an email address, where, if necessary, we can contact you to arrange a call. You may also write to the Professional Conduct Department, National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society, 19 Grafton Road, Worthing, BN11 1QT. Our Professional Conduct Managers (PCMs) deal with all aspects of raising a complaint or concern. In the first instance, they are here to listen to what you have to say. It’s up to you whether you write to the Society, or phone. If you have any difficulties communicating or wish another person to act on your behalf or support you, that’s fine. You don’t have to fill in a particular form. Please note that anything you write to the Society could be disclosed to the member. Also, please note that if you disclose a significant safeguarding risk or risk to the public, we may have to act on this in a way that could reveal your identity. Please speak with a PCM if you have any concerns about protecting your anonymity. Kindly note we cannot offer a crisis service. **B. The PCM will perform a basic membership check** We can always consider complaints or concerns where the person you wish to complain about is a member of the Society. We may also be able to consider complaints if the person you’re wishing to complain about is no longer a member but was at the time your complaint covers. For this to happen, we have to decide that it would be in the public interest to pursue your complaint and that there was a reasonable chance of being able to gather evidence given that the person is no longer a member. If the person being complained about was not a member at the time of the behaviour being complained about, but they are a current member, the PCM will determine whether it would be reasonable and in the public interest to consider the complaint. An example of this might be serious professional misconduct, such as a sexual relationship with a client. However, if they were a member of another professional association at the time of the behaviour being complained about, you may be asked to contact the relevant organisation instead. We would not normally consider a complaint which relates to anything over three years old. However, in some cases the complaint will be investigated if the PCM determines that it is in the public interest to do so and there is a reasonable prospect of gathering evidence. If the person you’re complaining about isn’t a Registrant (a fully professional member of the Society), but another kind of member, for example, a student, we may follow a different process – for example, by referring your complaint to their training school. If the person complained about is not a current member, we may not be able to make a final decision about whether we can proceed with the complaint until it progresses to Step 2. You will be informed if this is the case. **C. The PCM will investigate the issue of other memberships** For example, where the person you wish to complain about is not a member, we may be able to direct you elsewhere. In addition, where the person is both a member of NCPS and another body, a decision will have to be made as to where is the best place to hear your complaint. For legal reasons, the Society cannot hear a complaint where you have lodged the same complaint elsewhere. As a general rule, if the member has been on another Accredited Register longer than the NCPS or has seniority in membership elsewhere, we may advise you as to the best way to proceed. **D. The PCM will record the basic details of your concern or complaint** Either by talking with you or in writing, the PCM will listen to your complaint and take down the basic facts. It’s a good idea if you’re able to provide us with essential details like name, dates, location, and the basic information about what you feel went wrong. At this stage you don’t have to write a detailed complaint, but you can do so if you wish. Here the PCM will also determine your ‘standing’ in relation to the complaint. Are you a client of the member, or a colleague, for example a supervisor, manager or work colleague, or a third party? They will also want to know if you’ve raised your complaint or concern elsewhere, for example with another Accredited Register, at work, or with a statutory authority. **E. The PCM will determine what you want to do and gain consent to communicate with the member** You’ll be asked if you want to proceed to the next step of the process, assuming that the basic membership check (Step 1 B) has been passed. If you do, the Professional Conduct Manager will tell you what further information they need to go on to the next step. You don’t have to make a decision straight away. The PCM will also ask for your consent to communicate with the member. This will include both speaking to the member about your complaint, and disclosing your written complaint to the member if appropriate. **Ending the Process at Step 1** A PCM may decide that your complaint can’t go forward, and your case will end at this stage. This may be because: - The case is about someone who has never been a member of the Society. - The case is not about a current member of the Society. - The case is about a current member, but refers to something that happened before they joined. - The case is over three years old. - There’s no case to answer as there’s no indication of a possible breach of the Code of Ethics. - You have complained to another professional body or should do so. - There’s no prospect of gathering sufficient evidence to proceed, or the evidence provided is insufficient or can’t be used. - You withhold consent to communicate with or disclose information to the member, and this would prejudice the case continuing. **Reviewing Ending at Step 1** If a PCM decides to end the process for one of the reasons above, the Society will always have their decision reviewed by a Senior Manager. This is to ensure that the PCM has reached a fair and impartial decision based upon the evidence that you’ve provided. When you are informed of the Society’s decision to end the process, you can be confident that a Senior Manager has read and signed off on this decision. As an additional check, our decisions to end the complaints process are reviewed annually by the Society’s Independent Assessor. This additional check helps ensure that we never end a complaints process incorrectly. You cannot request a review or appeal the Society’s decision to end the process at Step 1. If your case now proceeds, it will move to Step 2. In this step, the Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) will review your complaint or concern in more detail, to make sure that it can proceed further. This might take a little time. The PCM will apply a number of checks to determine whether the Society can go forward with your complaint. **Your Evidence and its Disclosure** The PCM at any time during this step may request from you a full, detailed, written, disclosable statement together with any evidence you wish to disclose before they can proceed with your complaint. If this is not provided, the PCM may end the complaints process. Your statement, together with evidence you provide, may be disclosed to the member you are complaining about at any stage during this process. You will be asked to provide your consent to disclose your statement and evidence to the member. If there is a significant public protection issue, your statement and evidence could be disclosed without your consent. If you have concerns about this, please talk to the PCM prior to providing us with your information. The member may also wish to disclose evidence about their client relationship which could include a detailed discussion of that relationship including the disclosure of client notes. You may be asked to consent to this and in the absence of your consent, it may be deemed that there is insufficient evidence for your case to proceed. If you are intending to provide information anonymously then please note that disclosing it could lead to your identification (for example, the member works out who has sent the information from its content or context). It could also mean that we can’t follow our complaints process and that, while we may use the information you provide to safeguard our Register, you will not be informed of any further steps we may wish to take. **A. Has a criminal offence been committed, or likely to have been committed?** If there is evidence of criminality, the Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) may advise you to contact the police. In certain circumstances, they will also do so themselves. As part of this process, the PCM may immediately apply a Suspension Order on the member to protect the public quickly. Their decision to suspend the member then must be ratified by a Senior Manager within two weeks for the suspension to continue. If at any stage of the complaints procedure, the Society becomes aware that criminal proceedings are likely or ongoing, our complaints procedure will be paused to await the outcome. If criminal proceedings result in a conviction, the member may be removed from our Register. Please note that notification of a Police report is unlikely, in isolation, to indicate that criminal proceedings are likely or ongoing. **Custodial Sentences** Where a member is given a custodial sentence, this means that they no longer meet the requirements for registration or membership, and both their registration and membership will be revoked. Disclosure of any custodial sentence being served to the Society is required by any member so convicted. On receipt of evidence that a member is serving a custodial sentence, the PCM shall immediately suspend the member and then shall provide this evidence to the Chair of the Assessment Panel who will authorise the permanent removal of registration and membership. A member serving a custodial sentence may not appeal this decision as they no longer meet the requirements for Society membership. **B. Should another process be followed first, or instead?** The Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) will determine if there are other processes that should be followed before the Society’s complaints procedures. This is because it might not be appropriate for the Society to get involved in a complaint before another process is complete. Examples of this include, but are not limited to: **i. A complaint has already been made to another Accredited Register or professional association.** It would not be appropriate to run two complaints processes at the same time. In the case where complaints are submitted simultaneously, the PCM may decide to allow another process to complete first, and to talk to the other organisation about how best to proceed. **Standard 2 (a)(5)** of the Professional Standards Authority’s Accredited Registers programme means that the Society is required to take into account the decisions of other registers. If your complaint is heard by another register, it is likely that we will follow the decision of the other register. **The law**, following a High Court decision, states that we cannot hear the same complaint if it has gone before another professional association as this would violate the legal rights of the member not to be ‘tried twice’ for the same issue. **ii. A complaint has been, or should be, made to a statutory authority**. If a complaint has already been made to such an authority, then the Society will await the outcome of that process. If it should be made to a statutory authority, the PCM will advise you accordingly. **iii. A complaint has been, or should be, made to an employer, agency, EAP, line manager, or similar.** If such a complaint has been made, then the Society will await the outcome of that process. If it should be, the PCM will advise you accordingly. **iv. The member is a student,** in which case the matter should be referred to their placement provider and/or training provider first. **v. The complaint is about a social media post or posts,** in which case the Society will use our Social Media Concern Process as follows: **Social Media Concern Process** The Society recognises that social media is a valuable tool for discussion and debate, and that disagreements on social media about a range of issues are common. It is also recognised that said disagreements can become contentious and problematical. The Society’s Code of Ethics sets out the standards expected of members but protects our members’ rights to free speech. The Society’s complaints process should not be used as a way of settling or progressing online disputes, and we do not have the resources to do so. Where the Society receives a complaint about a member's social media posts, we will advise the complainant to report the post to the social media platform and, if appropriate, the Police. If relevant, due consideration should also be given to disengagement from online debate with the member and/or blocking their online profiles. We will not consider complaints about the social media use of members unless they directly relate to client work or, in exceptional circumstances, where they appear likely to meet the high threshold of bringing the profession into disrepute. Where, at our sole discretion, the Society does decide to consider a complaint about a member's social media posts, the Society will follow the Complaints Procedure with the following additional steps: - At Step 1B, the Society will verify that the posts were made by a member of the Society and establish a timeframe. - At Step 2, when determining whether the complaint should proceed to Step 3, the Society will, in addition to the screening questions at Step 2: - consider whether the member was exercising their reasonable rights to free speech and whether the posts relate to the expression of a protected belief; - take into account whether the complainant has taken any action to remove the posts, for example by contacting the social media platform or, if appropriate, the relevant authorities including the Police; - consider whether the Society should share the posts with the member and invite them to discuss the matter with us, including to help us establish the context of the posts and to understand if the member wishes to remove the posts or otherwise take action to mitigate any issues arising from the posts, if appropriate; - consider whether the posts were made as part of the member’s private life or whether they were made in their professional capacity; - consider whether the complainant appears to have acted in a vexatious or antagonistic manner in their interactions with the member and whether there is evidence of the coordination of complaints. - At any stage of the process (including as an alternative to engaging the Complaints Procedure or to proceeding to Step 3 of the Complaints Procedure where this procedure has been engaged), the Society may issue an informal Letter of Advice to the member and cease further consideration of the complaint. **C. Is this within the scope of our Code of Ethics?** The Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) will make an initial determination on whether your complaint is within the scope of our Code of Ethics. It’s not their role to decide that there has been a breach or that this has been proved – that would be for our Panels to decide. The PCM will give due consideration as to whether your complaint would be the kind of thing which falls under our Code of Ethics. Our Code is primarily designed to deal with the member’s actions with a client. There are limited times when we could consider hearing a complaint not connected with client work, for example, something ‘likely to bring the profession into disrepute’. We do not, however, as a general rule, follow a complaints process unless there has been direct impact on a member’s actual client work, other than in specific circumstances. **‘Bringing the profession into disrepute’** is a high threshold. What we mean by this is, for example, just because a member was rude to you in their personal life does not mean that they would ‘bring the profession into disrepute’. It generally means that their actions, if known, would be considered to be so seriously inappropriate for a counsellor that it would undermine how the public views counselling as a profession. An example of this might be domestic abuse. Another example is things members may say or views they express on social media. Generally, these are outside of the scope of our Code of Ethics unless there is clear evidence of, for example, hate speech, libel or criminality. **D. Would this be an ‘excluded category’?** There are some issues which our complaints process does not handle because it is not equipped to do so, or because it would not be appropriate to do so. Examples of excluded categories include, but are not limited to: **i. Adjunctive Therapies.** This is where the complaint is about a member, but there was no element of counselling, psychotherapy or one of the therapies we register in your experience as a client. For example, if you went to see a member for aromatherapy treatment, we could not hear your complaint about the quality of that treatment. If, however, your client sessions involved both aromatherapy and counselling, we could. The only exception to this rule would be if the member’s aromatherapy work would ‘bring the profession into disrepute’. For example, if you saw them for pure aromatherapy work but they crossed significant professional boundaries. We would normally expect under such circumstances for your primary complaint to be to the professional association for the treatment you received. **ii. Private Life.** We do not normally hear complaints about a member when they are acting outside of their professional role. If, for example, you have a legal or custodial dispute with a member, we would refer you back to use the appropriate legal remedies. Private social media posts, as detailed in our Social Media Concern Policy above, which are separate from the member’s online profile as a counsellor are also normally excluded. Again, ‘bringing the profession into disrepute’ would be relevant here. **iii. Financial Disputes and Debts.** Whereas we may be able to act as an informal ‘go-between’ if you feel, for example, that you deserve a refund for poor services from one of our members, and are happy to discuss that with them, we are not able to hear complaints relating to financial matters, disputes or debts. Our complaints process can’t rule, for example, that you should get a refund. Our PCM can discuss other approaches you could take. **iv. Disputes Between Therapists**. Our process is not designed to deal with disputes between therapists; for example, an argument over how another therapist is running their practice. The exception to this is where, as another therapist, you have evidence of client harm. **v. Third Party Complaints.** We cannot hear complaints made by or on behalf of another professional body, as part of a professional dispute, or where complaints are made as part of wider litigation. Complaints about clients who do not agree with the complaint proceeding or who have no knowledge of the complaint may fall into this category on a case-by-case basis. **vi. On going Custody Disputes.** Complaints made about members working with minors in the context of an on going custody or access dispute will be referred back to the Court. **vii. Family Disputes Without a Legal Element.** We cannot hear complaints based upon family disputes over therapy provided to another family member; for example, where parents are in dispute over therapy provided to a minor in their care. **viii. No Client Impact.** We cannot hear complaints which have no direct impact on past, present or future clients, with the exception of ‘bringing the profession into disrepute’. **ix. Overseas Practice**. Overseas practice may be excluded at the discretion of the Society; for example, if a foreign professional body should hear the complaint in lieu of the Society. **x. Ending Therapy.** The member was exercising their right to end the therapeutic relationship in a professional manner. **xi. Advertising.** We deal with member advertising issues by approaching the member and, if advertising appears to be inaccurate or misleading, giving them a set time to change their advertising. If your complaint is about a member’s advertising, this is what we’ll do. We may also advise you to report the advert to the Advertising Standards Authority. If a member knowingly and repeatedly conducts false advertising then the Society could suspend their registration. **xii. Freedom of Speech.** Our Code of Ethics protects our members’ rights to free speech. **xiii. Vexatious.** A complaint is ‘vexatious’ when it is being done for inappropriate reasons; for example, by a complainant who submits multiple complaints against members they don’t know, or where there is evidence that the complaint is submitted as part of a wider picture of harassment, or when the complainant communicates in an unreasonable manner with the Society in line with our inappropriate communication policy. A complaint can also be deemed vexatious as part of a welfare concern for the complainant. **xiv. Safeguarding.** Where the Society has concerns about safeguarding the member, the complainant or our own team, we reserve the right to suspend or end the complaint or impose conditions on communication as part of the complaints process at our sole discretion. **xv. Breaching Confidentiality.** Where a complainant breaches the confidentiality of an on going complaint; for example, by commenting about the complaint on social media, the Society reserves the right to end the complaints process. **E. Is there a reasonable prospect of gathering evidence?** The Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) will make sure that there is a reasonable prospect of gathering the evidence they would need for your case to go ahead. This is because, for example, should your complaint go to an Assessment Panel they will want to see what evidence there is and whether this is sufficient for them to make a decision. A complaint can proceed just with a written statement, but the PCM will need to make sure the basic facts are sufficient should your complaint go ahead. **Section E, i. Evidence and Relationship Counselling (e.g. ‘couples counselling’)** The Society can hear a complaint about relationship, couple or group counselling from one of the clients involved. However, whereas we can accept a complaint from only one side of a couples counselling session, it may be determined that due to the non-response (or opposition) of another client, there is no prospect of gathering sufficient evidence to proceed with the complaint. This will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and the threshold for proceeding with a couples counselling complaint where only one client is participating will be based upon the public protection element of the complaint, together with the impact of the lack of evidence provided by the other party on the prospects for the complaint’s success. **F. Is this affected by anonymity?** If you wish to remain anonymous, the Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) will decide what to do. If your anonymity would prevent there being a reasonable prospect of the case proceeding then your complaint may not be able to proceed. For example, if a member can’t ask who the client was or be able to ask questions in a complaints hearing, it is unlikely that the hearing could uphold the complaint. We can still take anonymous concerns forward under a different route, which we call **Acting on Evidence (AOE).** This is where you are no longer the complainant because you wish to remain anonymous. However, this might risk disclosing information to the member that reveals your identity and the PCM will discuss the implications of this with you, especially any safeguarding concerns. If you choose to remain anonymous, we will not involve you in any further steps we take on the basis of your evidence. **G. Are there Equality Act implications?** If your complaint involves being discriminated against for a protected characteristic, such as race, gender, religion, age or ability, we will ensure you are supported. You may be advised to contact the Equality Advisory Support Service on 0800 800 0082 for further advice on the options available to you, and we will make sure that this aspect of your concern or complaint is dealt with properly. **H. Is this suitable for an informal resolution?** The last check which the Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) will apply is to determine whether your complaint would be appropriate for informal resolution. This would only be done with your consent and could involve an informal discussion between the PCM and the member, or an external mediation process. Informal resolution has to be agreed by both parties. For example, you may decide that you just want a refund and an apology. The member may agree to this and that will close the matter. The member, however, may not agree to this and will instead exercise their rights to a full complaints process. The PCM’s role is to decide whether informal resolution is appropriate. There are situations where you may wish to seek informal resolution but the PCM determines that the member’s behaviour is likely too serious (if agreed by a Panel) for this to be appropriate. You will be advised whether informal resolution is something you’d like to consider. **I. Should the member be suspended?** In cases where the Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) has received evidence of a very serious breach of our Code of Ethics, and forms the view that continued registration risks causing public harm, they may issue a Suspension Order to the member and remove them temporarily from the Society’s Register and suspend their membership. Issuing a suspension order is a precautionary measure and does not mean a member has been found guilty of any breach of the Code. The PCM will need their suspension order ratified by a Senior Manager within two weeks of their decision, in which case it will remain in place until the conclusion of the complaints process. (The PCM may issue a Suspension Order at any step of this process.) A suspension may also occur where a member has been practising as if they are a registrant (fully professional member) when they’re not – for example, where they hold student membership but are seeing private clients as if they’re a registrant. In addition, a member who contacts or refers to a complainant (whether directly or indirectly, for example on social media) without their prior consent, or breaks the confidentiality of the complaints process by commenting on a live complaint may be suspended at the discretion of the Society. A member who continues to practise while under suspension could face additional sanctions by the Society if it is deemed that their continued practice is a risk to the public. We will address this on a case-by-case basis. **J. Is further information required?** The Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) may, at their sole discretion, seek further information before determining whether the Society can go forward with your complaint. This may include seeking initial information and/or clarification from the member, which can include disclosure of some, or all of the evidence you have provided, if deemed necessary. (Without your consent to disclose this evidence your complaint may not be able to proceed.) After performing these screening steps, the PCM will contact you to explain their decision about if, and how, your complaint or concern can proceed. This concludes Step 2. **Ending the process at Step 2** A Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) may decide that your complaint can’t go forward, and your complaint may end at this stage. This may be because: - There’s no case to answer and there’s no identifiable potential breach of our Code of Ethics. - There is insufficient evidence to proceed (Step 2, Section E). - Your complaint is not within the scope of our Code of Ethics (Step 2, Section C). - Your complaint is in an excluded category (Step 2, Section D). - Anonymity means the complaint can’t proceed (Step 2, Section F). - Your case falls into a criminal category requiring us to pause the complaint (Step 2, Section A). - Your case should follow another process (Step 2, Section B). **Reviewing Step 2** If a Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) decides to end the process for one of the reasons above, the Society will always have their decision reviewed by a Senior Manager. This is to ensure that the PCM has reached a fair and impartial decision based upon the evidence that you’ve provided. When you are informed of the Society’s decision to end the process, you will can be assured the Senior Manager has read and signed off on this decision. As an additional check, our decisions to end the complaints process are reviewed annually by the Society’s Independent Assessor. This additional check helps ensure that we never end a complaints process incorrectly. You cannot request a review or appeal the Society’s decision to end the process at Step 2. If your case now proceeds, the Society will move to Step 3. **A.** If your complaint does now proceed, the Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) will contact the member and disclose the full details of your complaint. The member will be required to respond to your complaint in writing, even if you just want an informal resolution. This is because if the informal resolution isn’t successful, their response can be included in further steps. On receipt of the member's response, the PCM will give further consideration to whether the Society can go forward with the complaint and may consider the screening criteria at Step 2 when making this assessment. The complaint could be ended at this stage if, in the light of the information provided by the member, it becomes clear that the Step 2 screening criteria apply. **B.** The PCM will tell the member if you wish to attempt an informal resolution to your complaint (if appropriate) and talk to them about whether they wish to accept an informal resolution or whether they wish to use a formal process. (Both parties have to agree to an informal resolution). **C.** If both parties do not agree to an informal resolution (or one is not appropriate) then your complaint will proceed to Step 3, Section E, if it is a complaint about social media posts (or similar); or Step 3, Section F, for all other matters. **D. Informal Resolution:** How Informal Resolution Works - Your complaint is put to the member, who must respond in writing. The member will also be sent your request for informal resolution. - The member can choose to accept your offer of informal resolution, in which case this process will come to an end and your case has been finalised. - The member can, once and once only, make a counter proposal to your offer. If you accept their counter proposal, then this process will come to an end. If you do not accept their counter proposal, the Society will end informal resolution and your complaint will continue. - In more complex cases, at our discretion the Society may use appropriate informal mediation processes if both parties consent. - Neither party can revisit informal resolution if ended by the Society. - Informal resolution decisions are not subject to review and the Society’s decision is final. Example: You had 10 sessions with a member who cancelled with short notice and rearranged two appointments as they had car trouble, which caused you inconvenience. They also seemed distracted and uninterested in your issues as a client. You believe that the therapy you received was not good value for money and it cost £50 a session. You request an apology from your therapist and a full refund of £500 as informal resolution. The PCM agrees that your proposal would be suitable and puts this to the member. The member exercises their right to a once-only counter proposal. They agree to apologise to you for not providing a good enough service, but they feel that you did make several positive comments about the service you received. They believe that offering you a partial refund of £250 is appropriate. You then have to make a decision as to whether to accept this or continue with your complaint. **Refunds** The only way of determining whether a refund is appropriate (whether in part or in full) is via a complainant’s exercising their consumer rights in court. The Society cannot, whether as part of an informal resolution process or in any other way, suggest or determine an appropriate level of refund. **E. Pre-Panel Review:** At this stage, in the absence of informal resolution, the Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) will review the information they’ve received from you and the member to determine whether all, or part of the complaint can proceed to an Assessment Panel. They will now have both your complaint and the member’s response to take into consideration. The PCM will decide whether the evidence demonstrates that there may have been potential breaches of the Code of Ethics such that a Panel should consider the case. The PCM may examine issues such as, but not limited to: - Whether the complaint reflects an experience of counselling/psychotherapy which did not satisfy the client but was not ethically or professionally unsound (for example, because the practitioner was not ‘the right fit’ for the client or because there was a rupture in the therapeutic process which would not be reasonable to expect the member to be able to resolve). - Whether all or parts of the complaint are relevant matters for the Panel. - Whether all or parts of the complaint could clearly indicate a breach of the Code of Ethics if upheld. - Any other relevant issues which could affect the reliability or suitability of the case proceeding to an Assessment Panel. - Whether there was a minor and technical breach of the Code best handled by a Letter of Advice rather than a Panel hearing. - Whether previous sanctions or a previous Letter of Advice are still on the member’s file. - Whether the member was exercising, or attempting to exercise, their right to end the therapeutic relationship and did so to the best of their abilities given the context (for example, when the client did not want to end the relationship). **Letters of Advice** For minor potential breaches of the Code of Ethics, the PCM may write to the member advising them on how to improve their practice. If the member has previously received a Letter of Advice about a similar issue, then the PCM will refer the matter to an Assessment Panel. If the member accepts the Letter of Advice, the letter will be kept on record for two years and can be taken into account if further similar complaints are submitted, and the case will be closed. If they choose not to accept the Letter of Advice, then your case will be sent to an Assessment Panel. Where a previous Letter of Advice has been issued and is still on the member’s file, a further Letter of Advice will not be issued and the matter must be referred to the Assessment Panel. Where the member has previously received sanctions and these are still on the member’s file, the matter must be referred to the Assessment Panel. **Disclosure at Step 3** The member’s response is not disclosed to you at Step 3. If the Society decides that your complaint cannot proceed to an Assessment Panel, you will be sent a summary of the reason for this decision. **Reviewing Step 3** If a Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) decides to end the process for one of the reasons above, the Society will always have their decision reviewed by a Senior Manager. This is to ensure that the PCM has reached a fair and impartial decision based upon the evidence that you’ve provided. When you are informed of the Society’s decision to end the process, you can be assured the Senior Manager has read and signed off on this decision. As an additional check, our decisions to end the complaints process are reviewed annually by the Society’s Independent Assessor. This additional check helps ensure that we never end a complaints process incorrectly. You cannot request a review or appeal the Society’s decision to end the process at Step 3. If your case now proceeds, the Society will move to Step 4. **What is an Assessment Panel?** The Society’s Assessment Panel usually consists of three people. They weren’t previously aware of your complaint, and who have no connection with you or the member. The Chair of the Panel is normally a very experienced counsellor or psychotherapist, and there will usually be at least one ‘lay member’ of the Panel – someone who isn’t a practising professional therapist and so who can bring a different perspective. It’s the role of the Panel to examine what both you and the member have said about the case, and to examine any evidence either of you has submitted. They can then make a decision about whether the member has breached our Code of Ethics, and if so, offer a solution. The Assessment Panel process allows us to address concerns and complaints as quickly as possible, minimising the impact on both complainant and member. The Panel assesses the evidence ‘on the balance of probabilities’ and makes a decision. Neither you nor the member attend an Assessment Panel hearing which are usually conducted online. Unlike a more formal Independent Complaints Panel hearing, there is no ‘cross examination’ of each other’s evidence or live hearing where either side could, for example, bring legal representation. In using an Assessment Panel system, the Society hopes to be able to bring many complaints to a successful conclusion more quickly, and so prevent prolonged stress for both parties. The process works as follows: **A. The Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) may do a compliance check or audit of the member.** A compliance check is where the member is asked to send in details of their supervision, insurance and CPD (Continuing Professional Development) to assure the Society that their practice is being undertaken in line with our Terms & Conditions. An audit is a more complex process where we may examine the member’s qualifications and experience in more detail, as a way of providing valuable insight to our Panel. There is a threshold for whether the PCM will audit the member. This is whether an audit would assist a Panel in understanding any public assurance risk in the member’s practice, given the nature of your complaint. For example, if your complaint states that the member didn’t seem to understand your particular issues during therapy, an audit may help us decide whether the member was properly trained and supervised to deal with your particular concerns, or whether they should have referred you to another therapist. If the PCM does conduct an audit, this may delay the Assessment Panel process. **B. The PCM will send your complaint and the member’s response to the Panel, together with any supporting evidence.** The Panel will then consider both sides very carefully. You won’t see the member’s response to your complaint. This is because, if you wished to reply to that response, the member may wish to reply further and so the complaint could last an unreasonable amount of time with each party wanting to respond to the last thing which was written by the other side. (Should your complaint progress to a full formal hearing, both sides will have further opportunities to respond.) Where the member has previously received sanctions or a Letter of Advice, the PCM will disclose details of the breach to the Panel immediately after their decision, but this information shall not be available to the Panel before this decision. **C. The Panel may ask for further information or clarification, or may seek an expert opinion.** After reading your case file, the Panel may decide to ask either you, the member, or both, for more information before they can reach a decision. In addition, they may delay proceedings while asking for an expert report – for example, on whether the member had the expertise to treat your condition. **D. The Panel will then make its decision, which can be one of the following outcomes:** **i. Letter of Advice.** The Panel may decide that there were potential breaches of the Code of Ethics or concerns about a member’s practice, but these were of a minor nature and, as such, it would be appropriate to offer a Letter of Advice rather than sanctioning the member. In such circumstances, the member must accept the advice and that, if relevant, they breached the Code of Ethics. The Letter of Advice will not be published or shared but will remain on their file for up to two years. **ii. Complaint Upheld: Consensual Disposal.** The Assessment Panel often seeks to reach a decision by using something called Consensual Disposal. This is where a Panel finds that the member did breach our Code of Ethics, sets out what these breaches are, and applies sanctions. Sanctions are consequences for breaching our Code of Ethics and can range from removal or suspension from our register, to things like being instructed to do some retraining or undertake more supervision. The Panel asks the member to admit that they breached the Code, and accept the sanctions offered. (A full explanation of sanctions can be found in our [Indicative Sanctions Policy](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Indicative_Sanctions_Guidance-reviewed-140521.pdf).) The highest sanction an Assessment Panel can offer under Consensual Disposal is ‘Voluntary Removal’. This is where the Panel offers the member the chance to admit their breach of the Code of Ethics and be removed from membership of the Society. Voluntary Removal is reserved for the most serious breaches of the Code of Ethics. Consensual Disposal is not like a ‘plea bargain’ where, if you admit to something, you get a ‘lesser sentence’. The job of the Assessment Panel is to ask the question, ‘what would the outcome be if this went to a full Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) hearing and the ICP Panel found the member had breached the Code of Ethics in this way?’. They then offer what they believe to be the same outcome, but without the necessity of a full formal process. The member may reject the Panel’s offer of Consensual Disposal, in which case your case will be referred to a full ICP hearing. A Panel may uphold all, or only part, of your complaint in making an offer of Consensual Disposal. **iii. Complaint Not Upheld.** The Assessment Panel may decide, having looked at both sides, that the complaint should be declined. This is because they believe that the member did not breach the Code of Ethics. They will give their reasons for this. A Panel may not uphold all, or just part, of your complaint. **iv. Membership Terms Breached.** The Panel may find that the member was not meeting the terms of membership (for example, not being adequately supervised) and may impose appropriate sanctions. This can happen whether all or part of your complaint is upheld. **v. Referral to a full Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) Hearing.** The Assessment Panel may decide that they cannot reach a firm decision over your case, or that your case for other reasons requires a full ICP hearing, at their sole discretion. **Disclosure at Step 4** After the Assessment Panel has concluded their findings and the member has responded, you will be sent a summary of those findings. **Reviewing Step 4** If the Assessment Panel writes a Letter of Advice or gives an offer of Consensual Disposal which is accepted by the member; or finds that terms of membership have been breached; or refers the matter to a full Independent Complaints Panel hearing; there is no right to request a review of their decision which shall be final. If the Assessment Panel rejects your complaint entirely, you may request a review of this decision by a Case Review Manager, whose decision shall be final. If the Case Review Manager disagrees with the Assessment Panel decision, then a fresh Assessment Panel hearing will be convened to reassess your complaint. Its decision shall be final and not subject to further review. You must request a review within seven days of your receipt of notification of the Assessment Panel’s decision. **Concluding Step 4** In the absence of a review, Step 4 will conclude with either the complaints process ending, or referral to an Independent Complaints Panel. If a member, once offered Consensual Disposal, does not complete the agreed sanctions, and has not exercised their right of appeal, they will be removed from membership. **What is the ICP?** The Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) exists to hear complaints via a formal process, in cases where informal resolution or Consensual Disposal have not been successful – for example, if the member appeals the findings of the Assessment Panel. Full details of how the ICP works will be sent to you if your case progresses to an ICP. This is a headline summary of what to expect. The Panel normally consists of a ‘Lay Chair’ – i.e. someone who is not a counsellor or psychotherapist, but who usually has other expertise, for example, a legal background – and two other Panel members, usually experienced therapists. The Panel cannot have any previous connection with your case. The Panel can hold different types of hearing, as follows: - A Professional Practice Review (PPR). This is a hearing that you don’t attend, and is held where there is no prospect of the member being suspended or removed from membership. - A Professional Conduct Hearing (PCH). This is a formal, in-person hearing where you are entitled to attend and give evidence. It’s held where your case could lead to the member being suspended or removed from membership. - A Member Welfare Hearing (MWH). This is a hearing where there are concerns about the member’s ability to practise because of their mental or physical health. You don’t attend this kind of hearing. Your role in an ICP hearing is purely as a witness. The Society presents the case regarding the member’s conduct on your behalf and if you attend a hearing, you will be supported. **Disclosure at Step 5** If your complaint proceeds to an ICP, the member’s submission to the Society will be disclosed to you in full and you will be invited to respond. The member has a right to see any updated submission from you and to respond to that updated submission. An exception to this may be during a Member Welfare Hearing, where a member has become unwell and it would be inappropriate to discuss their medical situation with you. The ICP proceeds in the following way: **A. The Professional Conduct Manager (PCM) will review and prepare the evidence. You may view the member’s response to your complaint and reply to it. The member will see your reply.** The PCM will then create a case file for the ICP. The PCM will apply some rules of evidence; for example, they may withhold evidence from the Panel which breaches third party confidentiality, or which is repetitive. This work will involve laying out which sections of the Code of Ethics may have been breached. **B. The PCM will advise you what kind of hearing the ICP will hold.** Only if this is a Professional Conduct Hearing, where the member could risk suspension or removal from the register, will you be asked to attend. **C. The ICP reviews the case file.** This is usually done initially by the ICP Chair, who will check everything before discussing the case with the wider Panel. They may ask either you, the member, or both, for additional information, or ask either party to clarify anything you have submitted. The Chair will then inform the Professional Conduct Manager they are ready for the hearing. **D. The ICP holds its hearing.** **E. The ICP will make its decision, which can be one of the following outcomes:** **i. Complaint Upheld.** The Panel finds that the member has breached the Code of Ethics for either part of, or the whole of your complaint. If your complaint is upheld, the Panel will impose sanctions on the member which could range from removal from the register to ‘action points’ such as making different supervision arrangements. Where an Assessment Panel has previously made a ruling, the ICP may decide to uphold that decision in which case the original offer of Consensual Disposal will become mandatory sanctions. (For a full explanation of sanctions, please refer to our [Indicative Sanctions Policy](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Indicative_Sanctions_Guidance-reviewed-140521.pdf).) **ii. Complaint Not Upheld.** The Panel may not uphold all, or just part, of your complaint, in which case, no further action will be taken against the member in regard to aspects of your complaint which are not upheld. **iii. Membership Terms Breached.** The Panel may find that the member was not meeting the terms of membership (for example, not being adequately supervised) and may impose appropriate sanctions. This can happen whether all or part of your complaint is upheld. You will be informed of the outcome of the ICP hearing once it is known whether the member wishes to exercise their right of appeal. (This may not be possible in some cases of a Member Welfare Hearing.) **Appealing Step 5** If your case was dealt with by way of a full Professional Conduct Hearing, the Society has the right to appeal the ICP’s decision and will take your views into account when deciding whether to exercise its right to appeal. The PCM will ask for your views as to the outcome of the hearing after it has taken place. You may be asked to put your views about the outcome in writing. The Society can appeal on the following grounds: 1. **Sanctions Insufficient** The Society can appeal the sanctions that have been imposed to the member, if it feels they are inappropriate or insufficient. For example, the Panel may recommend the member the opportunity to do some retraining as a sanction, but the Society believes that the member should be removed from the register, and has taken into account your views on the matter. The member may appeal sanctions which they believe to be too harsh or unwarranted. **2. Complaint Not Upheld** The Society can appeal any part of your complaint which the ICP didn’t uphold. For example, the Panel found that the member didn’t do anything wrong, but the Society disagrees. The member can also appeal the Panel’s decision on sanctions and on any parts of the complaint that were upheld. **3. Terms and Conditions of Membership** The Society can appeal the Panel’s decision where the Panel rules that Terms and Conditions of Membership have not been breached, but the Society believes that they have. Your views will not be sought regarding an appeal on these grounds as the Terms and Conditions of Membership are a technical matter. **If there is no appeal** If neither the Society nor the member appeals, your case comes to a conclusion at Step 5. Any appeals are heard under Step 6. If a member does not complete sanctions imposed by the ICP, and has not exercised their right of appeal of said sanctions, they will be removed from membership. If the Society or the member appeals The Independent Complaints Panel’s (ICP) decision, then your case will go to appeal. If the member wishes to appeal a Professional Practice Hearing (where the case does not concern potential suspension or removal of membership) then the appeal shall be heard by an **Appeals Officer**. This is an appointed professional who has no previous connection with the case. If the member or Society wish to appeal a Professional Conduct Hearing (where the case does concern potential suspension or removal) then the appeal shall be heard by an Appeals Panel. The Panel is composed of an independent Chair and two suitable professionals with no previous connection with the case. **Disclosure at Step 6** You will be informed if an appeal is taking place but will not otherwise be involved. You will be informed of the outcome of the Appeal once it is concluded by way of a summary. The Society can only appeal an ICP decision where it believes it was too lenient, and the member can only appeal the decision where it believes it was too harsh. You will not normally be involved in this part of the process, unless the Appeals Officer or Appeals Panel feels that hearing from you further is important. If the Society or member wishes to appeal the ICP decision, then the following steps are taken: **A. An Intention to Appeal notice must be lodged .** within seven days of receiving the Panel’s decision by either, or both, sides. **B. The Appeal should be received within 21 days .** of the ICP’s decision. The Society will set out why it believes the sanctions imposed by the ICP were too lenient, or why it believes your complaint should have been upheld if it wasn’t. The member will set out why they believe the sanctions were too harsh, or why they believe your complaint should not have been upheld. The Society or member can include further evidence if relevant, but if this should have been submitted earlier, it may not be taken into account by the Appeals process. **C. The Society’s appeals submission will be shared with the member and they may respond, and/or the member’s submission may be shared with the Society who may respond.** Each side will normally be given 14 days to do this. **D. An Appeals Officer or Appeals Panel will examine the Appeal.** They will carefully consider the decision of the ICP, and try to reach a decision within 28 days. They may ask either party or the PCM for additional information if required, and may also commission an independent expert report if necessary. The Panel will reach a paper decision and there is no need for a further hearing. **E. The Appeals Officer or Panel will make a decision.** The following outcomes are possible: **i. Appeal Upheld – Amended Outcome and/or amended Sanctions.** The Appeals Panel may uphold all or part of the appeal. For example, they may decide that the sanctions imposed by the ICP were too lenient or too harsh; or that the ICP did not make a correct decision when upholding (or declining) the complaint. It will then make a new, final ruling with a new outcome and new sanctions, if appropriate. **ii. Appeal not upheld.** The Appeals Panel may decide to not uphold all or part of an appeal. For example, they may decide that the ICP imposed the correct sanctions, or that that the ICP was correct when they did not find there was a breach of the Code of Ethics. **What happens after an Appeals Panel or Officer Decision?** The decision of the Appeals Panel or Officer is final and binding on both the Society and the member, and this concludes the complaints process for all parties. You will be informed of the Appeal Panel or Officer’s decision. In cases where the member does not complete sanctions required by the Appeals Panel, they will be removed from membership. ## Unsure where to start? If you're unsure which route applies to your situation, please contact our team directly and we'll help guide you through the process [Contact us](mailto:conduct@ncps.com) [### NCPS Complaint Process - Public 301 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Complaints-Process-Public-30.10.25-V2-PDF.pdf) [### NCPS Complaints Process - Member 249 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Complaints-Process-Member-30.10.25-V2-PDF.pdf) Contacting the Society ## How to submit your concern If you have any concerns or would like to make a complaint, the fastest way to contact our Conduct Department is to email us at . You may call us on 01903 213683 where you may leave a message and one of the members of the team will get back to you. We want to ensure that everyone is able to communicate with the Society and we will accept different methods that allow you to access the complaints procedure. For example, we can accept an audio file or braille versions of forms or you can nominate another person to communicate on your behalf. A Professional Conduct Manager will be pleased to discuss your options with you. [Get in touch](mailto:conduct@ncps.com) [Complaints & concerns procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) Concerns about a Training Provider Raise an issue regarding a Training Provider [Read more](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-about-a-training-provider) Complaints & concerns about an Organisational Member Let us know if you have experienced a concern involving one of our Organisational Members [Read more](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-and-complaints-about-an-organisational-member) Complaints & concerns about a Recognised Counselling Service Let us know if you have a concern regarding one of our Recognised Counselling Services [Read more](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-complaints-about-a-recognised-counselling-service) Complaints & concerns about our team If your complaints relates to a member of the NCPS team or decision we have made we are here to listen. [Read more](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-complaints-about-our-team) --- Concerns # Have a concern about one of our Accredited Training Providers? We care about your experience and are here to listen. **We review information you send us only when you’ve completed your training provider complaints process in full.** We are unable to hear a complaint about your Training Provider but, what we can do, after you have been through their complaints process, is check that they have followed their process correctly, as well as pass any concerns onto our Standards team to review when the Training Provider is being re-accredited. You can find out more detailed information regarding our process in the Training Provider Reviews Policy linked below ## Download our Training Provider Concerns Process [### Training Provider Concerns Process 556 KB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Training-Provider-Concerns-Process.pdf) Contacting the Society ## How to submit your concern If you have any concerns or would like to make a complaint, the fastest way to contact our Conduct Department is to email us at . You may call us on 01903 213683 where you may leave a message and one of the members of the team will get back to you. We want to ensure that everyone is able to communicate with the Society and we will accept different methods that allow you to access the complaints procedure. For example, we can accept an audio file or braille versions of forms or you can nominate another person to communicate on your behalf. A Professional Conduct Manager will be pleased to discuss your options with you. [Get in touch](mailto:conduct@ncps.com) [Complaints & concerns procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) --- Complaints # Have a concern about an individual member? We care about the experiences of clients, both positive and not so positive and believe that this information can help us plan positive future guidance for all our members - and for clients. ## Concerns and Complaints about an individual member As a professional association for counsellors and psychotherapists, the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society is committed to promoting and providing high standards in the practice of counselling. We understand that the people using the services of counsellors and psychotherapists who are members of the NCPS may have a range of different issues and a range of experiences of working with these members. We welcome all comments from people using the counselling or psychotherapy services provided by our members and see them as helpful to our continuing improvement of standards. We are interested in all experiences of clients, both positive and not so positive and believe that this information can help us plan positive future guidance for all our members - and for clients. We encourage feedback through informal conversations or by email, phone or letter. If you would like to contact us about something that it is not a complaint please do so [here](https://ncps.com/contact). Contacting the Society ## How to submit your concern If you have any concerns or would like to make a complaint, the fastest way to contact our Conduct Department is to email us at . You may call us on 01903 213683 where you may leave a message and one of the members of the team will get back to you. We want to ensure that everyone is able to communicate with the Society and we will accept different methods that allow you to access the complaints procedure. For example, we can accept an audio file or braille versions of forms or you can nominate another person to communicate on your behalf. A Professional Conduct Manager will be pleased to discuss your options with you. [Get in touch](mailto:conduct@ncps.com) [Complaints & concerns procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) --- Complaints # Have a concern about an Organisational Member? We care about your experience and are here to listen. The Society offers various types of membership for Organisations. Being an Organisational Member does not confer a mark of accreditation or approval by the Society. Instead, it functions more as a partnership of mutual support and encouragement. ### The Society’s policy on raising a complaint against a registered Organisational Member The Society’s policy in raising a complaint against an Organisational Member is that you should first raise your complaint *with the Organisational member directly* rather than with the Society. The Organisational member should have a written complaints procedure and they are obliged to provide you with a copy and follow its steps. This should include an appeals step, preferably to an independent or external appeals process. Unless your complaint is regarding a significant risk to the public, for example, client abuse, you should therefore follow all steps set out by the Organisational member, including any appeals process, before contacting the Society. If you fail to do so, you will be referred back to the Organisational member to complete their process. The Society is unable to advise or get involved in complaints until these steps have been completed. ### The Organisational member refuses to provide me with a copy of their process, is not following their process, or is unreasonably delaying their response If you can provide the Society with evidence (in writing) that the Organisational member is not following their process or is not responding to your complaint, the Society will send the Organisational member a Process Notification. This notification will inform the Organisational member that, unless they can provide evidence (in writing) that they are following their process within 28 days, the Society will hear your complaint. The test the Society will apply before taking this step is whether the Organisational members actions are “substantive.” For example, a delay in replying to your complaint would not be seen as a substantive issue, but if the Organisational member is stonewalling you and refusing to supply you with a response would be. ### Significant Risk to the Public If you can evidence significant risk to the public, then the Society may intervene before your complaints process is finished, or instead of you following the Organisational member’s process. There is a high threshold for this – for example, evidence of abuse. ### Kinds of Complaints we can and cannot hear We cannot get involved in complaints regarding issues such as value for money, refund requests, ability to find work and so forth. ### What we do We would expect to receive all documentation related to how you had followed the Organisational member’s complaints process, and the outcome of that process. We would then appoint a Case Officer for your case. They will write the Organisational member and ask them to respond with any relevant evidence. In complex cases a full meeting of the Professional Standards Committee may be called. If any member of the Committee also works with the Organisational member, then they will be excluded from the proceedings. Once the Case Officer has all relevant materials, they will make an informed decision as to whether the Organisational member has fallen short in safely and ethically offering the service they pertain to offer. The Society may respond with the following: **Condition:** That they make a substantial change to bring their service in line with ethical working within a certain timeframe. If this condition is not met, their ‘Organisational member’ recognition may be suspended. **Action Point:** They will be required to make a relevant change to their service offering by the time they renew their Organisational membership with the Society. **Learning Point:** They will be asked to consider making a minor change, for example, by clarifying something in their advertising, service provision details etc… ### Suspending or Removing Society membership The Society’s Professional Standards Committee will suspend or remove Society membership in cases where: 1\. The Organisational member blatantly refuses to follow any complaints procedures or fail to adhere to the Society Terms and Conditions/ Code of Ethical working 2\. A Condition is not fulfilled by the Organisational member within the required time frame, and/or 3\. An Action Point is not fulfilled by the Organisational member after a reminder to do so, and/or 4\. There is evidence of substantive and major breaches in terms of ethical working. There is a high threshold for this – for example, criminal activity. ### Appeals There is no right of appeal to Society decisions with regards to complaints about Organisational members. All decisions are subject to annual review by the Professional Standards Committee and by an Independent Assessor. The decision of the Case Officer or the Professional Standards Committee is final. Complaints, with all relevant evidence, should be sent to: Contacting the Society ## How to submit your concern If you have any concerns or would like to make a complaint, the fastest way to contact our Conduct Department is to email us at . You may call us on 01903 213683 where you may leave a message and one of the members of the team will get back to you. We want to ensure that everyone is able to communicate with the Society and we will accept different methods that allow you to access the complaints procedure. For example, we can accept an audio file or braille versions of forms or you can nominate another person to communicate on your behalf. A Professional Conduct Manager will be pleased to discuss your options with you. [Get in touch](mailto:conduct@ncps.com) [Complaints & concerns procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) --- Complaints # Have a concern about a Recognised Counselling Service? We care about your experience and are here to listen. ## The Society offers recognition for service providers. This involves a process whereby the Society conducts an assessment of the service provider against our standards. The assessment will involve components such as a full review of policies and procedures pertaining to the running of a safe and reputable therapeutic service. We aim to ensure standards and public safety is upheld, and that counsellors and students working for the service are treated fairly and respectfully. The purpose of this process is to be recognised by the Society and give confidence in the service for stakeholders, service users and commissioners. Periodically, the Society audits services by asking for further, up-to-date information and by checking a selection of materials. All service providers are assessed on a case-by-case basis completely impartially by the Society. ### Complaints Process The Society is not a place of appeal for complaints raised against service providers where you disagree with the outcome, and we do not hold complaints hearings concerning service providers as we would do concerning individual counsellors. Instead, our role is one of reviewing information you send us while you act as a witness, providing information which may be relevant to the service provider’s ability to meet our standards. You don’t have to understand our standards or procedures to send us information for review. The complaint should first be raised with the service rather than with the Society. The service provider will have a written complaints procedure, and they are obliged to provide you with a copy and follow its steps. This should include an appeals step. The Society is unable to review information until the complaints process has been fully completed with the service provider, including an independent appeal. ### The service provider hasn’t followed their process properly If evidence is provided that the service provider: - Has not followed their written process - Has not provided you with a copy of their written process - Has unreasonably delayed their process Then we may serve the provider with a “Process Notice” requiring them to follow their process properly and conclude the complaint within a reasonable time frame. We will, at our discretion, normally issue a process notice for any complaint lasting longer than six months if the evidence shows that this delay has been caused by the service provider. ### Evidence outside of our remit The following evidence is outside of our remit (subject to the exceptions set out at the end of this document): - Evidence related to claims about “value for money” - Evidence regarding refund requests or financial negotiations Examples of evidence related to the above are likely to be covered in your contract and are a matter for you and your provider. ### Evidence that may be within our remit We generally accept information for review where you provide us with evidence that a service provider is not meeting our standards, such as: - Evidence that the service has not met NCPS standards - Evidence that your counsellor was not properly qualified - Evidence that the service behaved demonstrably unreasonably, at our discretion - Evidence that specific standards have not been met - Other evidence, at our sole discretion on a case-by-case basis ### How we may review evidence We would expect to receive all documentation related to the complaint. Once we receive the evidence, it will be decided whether or not: - The service provider complaints process has been fully explored and completed - The evidence is within our remit - The evidence may indicate an issue that the service provider’s adherence to our professional standards An internal review will then be conducted by either: - Adding the evidence to our review process so that it forms a part of our review of the service provider, or - At our sole discretion commencing an immediate review. More information may be requested. At our sole discretion, evidence may be referred for review by our Professional Standards Committee. ### Possible outcomes of the review process The review process is designed to safeguard our Recognised Counselling Service scheme by ensuring that service providers comply with our standards. Possible outcomes of a review can include: - No further action by the Society - A Letter of Advice to the service provider, which could contain learning points (for example, asking the provider to consider some policy changes.) - A Condition to the service provider, where they are required to make a change before their next renewal and provide evidence of the change before their Recognised Counselling Service can continue - Suspension of Recognition – reserved for serious or multiple non-compliance with our standards, suspension is revoked once the service provider has provided evidence of compliance - Removal of Recognition – reserved for the most serious breaches of our standards, including non-compliance with conditions or with our review process If the Society does not suspend or remove Recognition, our review process will remain internal and full information will not be given as to the outcome of the process. ### Appeals The Society’s decision as to the outcome of the review process shall be final and there are no rights of appeal. ### Complaints by Third Parties Reviews of a service provider may be requested by providing us with evidence that is in our remit. We do not accept anonymous submissions, and evidence will be shared with the service provider who will be invited to respond. We will take into account any conflict of interest by a third party, for example, a complaint is submitted on behalf of a competitor. We will then follow our review process. We do not inform third parties of the outcome of that process. Thereafter, any concern and the service providers response will be reviewed and/or referred to the Professional Standards Committee. The decision is final. Requests for Review by a Third Party, with all relevant evidence, should be sent to . **Exceptions: Serious Cases** If evidence can be provided of: - A serious risk to the public - Criminal activity - Discrimination based on Protected Characteristics - Any other serious matter, at our sole discretion Then we may accept evidence and commence an immediate review. Contacting the Society ## How to submit your concern If you have any concerns or would like to make a complaint, the fastest way to contact our Conduct Department is to email us at . You may call us on 01903 213683 where you may leave a message and one of the members of the team will get back to you. We want to ensure that everyone is able to communicate with the Society and we will accept different methods that allow you to access the complaints procedure. For example, we can accept an audio file or braille versions of forms or you can nominate another person to communicate on your behalf. A Professional Conduct Manager will be pleased to discuss your options with you. [Get in touch](mailto:conduct@ncps.com) [Complaints & concerns procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) --- Complaints # Have a concern about a member of the NCPS team? We care about your experience and are here to listen. ### We see complaints as an important tool in continually improving our service Anyone who comes into contact with our service and is unhappy or dissatisfied can complain. When complaining about our team, we can only handle complaints that are specifically related to direct experience of the execution of their duties, that are made by individuals or organisations who have interacted with our staff while performing said duties. This policy also covers members of Council and committees. We do not accept complaints made about our team concerning issues related to their personal lives, nor do we accept complaints about our team made by competitor organisations or similar. To make a complaint, please either email or write to Team Complaints, NCPS, 19 Grafton Road, Worthing BN11 1QT Once you have made a complaint to the Society, we aim to send you an acknowledgement within five working days. We expect to respond to the majority of complaints within 28 working days of receiving the complaint. The time taken to respond will vary depending on the urgency and complexity of the complaint. If we are unable to respond within 28 working days because, for example, the matters you raise require more detailed work, we will let you know. Complaints are dealt with by the appropriate line manager of the member of our team complained about, in line with relevant employment law and HR best practice. Once the Society has considered your complaint and sent you a response, the decision is final. We may acknowledge any further correspondence from you but, unless it raises new issues that we consider significant, we will not send further replies. If you are subject to the Society’s Inappropriate Communications Policy, a complaint about our team will be handled internally and in accordance with employment law. You will receive an acknowledgement of your complaint but no further communication. Contacting the Society ## How to submit your concern If you have any concerns or would like to make a complaint, the fastest way to contact un is by emailing . You may also write to us at Team Complaints, NCPS, 19 Grafton Road, Worthing BN11 1QT We want to ensure that everyone is able to communicate with the Society and we will accept different methods that allow you to access the complaints procedure. For example, we can accept an audio file or braille versions of forms or you can nominate another person to communicate on your behalf. An officer of the Society will be pleased to discuss these and other ideas with you. [Contact us](mailto:teamcomplaints@ncps.com) --- Complaints # Professional Conduct Notices In this section the Society gives details of the outcomes of any complaints made against members. ### In this section, the Society gives details of the outcomes of any complaints made against members. - There is a summary of the complaint - The member's details - The outcome of the investigation - The details of sanctions imposed - Details of suspension of membership - Details of termination of membership. ## Removals In cases where there is clear evidence that a member has seriously breached our Code of Ethics, they will be removed from the Register. Any decision to remove a member from the Register must be ratified by our Assessment Panel Chair. In rare circumstances, an Assessment Panel can offer ‘Voluntary Removal’. This is where the Panel identify a serious breach of our Code of Ethics or a risk to public protection. The Panel will offer the member the chance to admit their unethical conduct and be removed. Below you will find a list of members whose membership has been removed: **NCS19-08306** We were notified by Cheshire Police in November 2025 that the Registrant **Mark Harrison** was involved in ongoing criminal proceedings. He subsequently pleaded guilty in February 2026 at Chester Magistrates Court to possessing extreme pornographic images. The Registrant had failed to inform the Society of the matter directly, thereby breaching the Terms and Conditions of NCPS membership, resulting in their removal from the Register. This decision was reviewed and ratified by our Assessment Panel Chair. **NCPS2031** It was brought to the attention of the Society in June 2026 that the Registrant **Michael McArdle** had been the subject of multiple criminal investigations. The Registrant failed to disclose previous criminal convictions to the Society at the point of application to joining the Register. The Registrant also failed to disclose an ongoing criminal investigation to the Professional Conduct department in line with ethical practice. The Professional Conduct department determined that the Registrant had, in failing to do so, breached the terms and conditions of NCPS membership and should therefore be removed from the Register. This decision was reviewed and ratified by the NCPS Assessment Panel Chair. ## Suspension Orders In cases where the Professional Conduct department are made aware of a serious breach of our Code of Ethics, or risk to public safety should registration continue, they may issue an interim suspension order on a member. This decision will need to be ratified by our Assessment Panel chair. In some cases, a suspension may be issued if the Conduct department are informed of a criminal investigation involving an NCPS Registrant. A suspension may also be issued as a sanction by an Assessment Panel as a result of a complaint investigation outcome. A suspension order will be issued with a timeframe such as six months, nine months, or longer. If the member is involved in a criminal investigation where they have entered a guilty plea, the suspension will remain in place until sentencing has concluded. Where a suspension order has been issued by an Assessment Panel, the suspension period will usually remain in place while a member completes their sanctions offered by the Panel in line with consensual disposal. Below you will find a list of members who are currently under a suspension order: **NCS24-01550** The Assessment Panel issued a suspension on the membership of Registrant Sinead Atkinson for a period of 3 months, ending on 1st September 2026 pending the Registrant’s completion of sanctions as a result of a conduct investigation. The full Assessment Panel findings can be found further down this page under ‘Professional Conduct notices 2026.’ **NCS24-03655** The Assessment Panel issued a suspension on the membership of Registrant Tanushree Kaur for a period of 9 months, ending on 01/04/2027 pending the Registrant’s completion of sanctions as a result of a conduct investigation. The full Assessment Panel findings can be found further down this page under ‘Professional Conduct notices 2026.’ **NCS15-01812** The Assessment Panel issued a suspension on the membership of Registrant Toby Messer for a period of six months, ending on 01/01/2027 pending the Registrant’s completion of sanctions as a result of a conduct investigation. The full Assessment Panel findings can be found further down this page under ‘Professional Conduct notices 2026’. ## Professional Conduct Notices 2026 NCS24-03655 **Date of Assessment Panel** 13/07/2026 **Outcome of Complaint** Nine-month suspension Conditions on Membership – Consensual Disposal **Outline of Complaint** The Society was contacted by the Registrant’s employer - a community healthcare provider - who informed us that the Registrant had been dismissed from their role following an internal investigation into safeguarding concerns and gross misconduct involving a young person. During a counselling session, a young person disclosed suicidal ideation and recent self-harm and an intention to act following the session. An internal investigation found that the Registrant did not escalate the risk appropriately during or immediately following the sessions; did not follow guidance provided by the clinical supervisor during the incident and did not share relevant information with the responsible adult at collection. This was not in line with the organisation’s agreed counselling framework and safeguarding expectations, given the level of risk involved. In their response to the Society, the Registrant acknowledged that it been a high-risk safeguarding matter but stated that their intention throughout had been to protect the young person’s welfare and ensure appropriate support was put in place following the session. However, the Registrant recognised that aspects of their response should have been managed differently and required a more structured risk-management approach. The Registrant stated that they had already begun implementing learning from the incident through increased use of supervision, greater reliance on structured risk-assessment frameworks and more detailed record keeping. **Discussion** The Panel noted that the Registrant was not on the Society’s Specialist Accredited Register for Children and Young People’s Therapists and had not listed any qualifications relating to children and young people. The Panel was surprised that the young person in question was never presented in clinical supervision despite their being a history of self-harm. Based on the Registrant’s response to the complaint, the Panel had serious doubt about the about the Registrant’s insight into the seriousness of the incident involving the young person and the concomitant harm that could have ensued by their lack of engagement with the employer’s safeguarding protocols and the direct instruction of the supervisor. **Panel Findings** The Panel found that there had been breaches of the NCPS Code of Ethical Practice in the following respects: **Fundamental Principles:** 1\. Working towards the good of clients and doing no harm (Beneficence and Nonmaleficence) Practitioners hold the welfare of clients central to their work and so commit to avoiding harm. 2\. Being trustworthy and responsible (Fidelity) Practitioners endeavour to establish trust with their clients and the community in which they work. Therefore, practitioners not only honour the trust placed in them by their clients and the community but also act in a respectful, professional and ethical manner when representing their profession. 5\. Integrity and self-responsibility Practitioners work to be as honest, truthful and accurate as possible. They are also responsible for looking after their own needs and health. So, a practitioner will only commit to a practice that they can offer being aware of own expertise, training, health and wellbeing and let the client know if anything changes. **Under Offering a Service** 1\. Provide a service to clients solely in areas in which they are trained and competent to do so. 4\. Inform clients of the confidentiality of the service offered, including any limitations on confidentiality required by law and for the purpose of supervision. 10\. Take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the client and any person who may be accompanying them. **Under Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Supervision** 1\. Maintain or improve their level of skills and professional competence in an appropriate manner commensurate with their vocations. **Under Working with Minors and Those Classified as Persons with Special Needs or Vulnerabilities** 4\. Diligently follow any escalation process required for any contracted work. When in private practice, escalate any concern of risk of harm to the parents, legal guardian and/or General Practitioner as appropriate. 5\. Obtain further knowledge and training specialised in working with children and young persons. **SANCTIONS** The Panel concluded that, on balance, the breaches of the Code of Ethics warranted a period of suspension of **nine months** to begin 01 August 2026. They agreed that in the interests of public protection, continued registration should also be subject to conditions. **Consensual Disposal** The Panel offered the Registrant Consensual Disposal subject to meeting the following conditions: 1\) admitting the breaches of the Code of Ethics as set out above and 2\) To undertake training in these areas before the period of suspension comes to an end: - Level 3 Safeguarding Children and Young People - Suicide Risk Assessment and Safety Planning - Offering confidentiality to Children and Young people and information sharing - Clinical note taking - Managing self-harm and assessing risk 3\) At the end of the period of suspension attend a viva with two members of the NCPS Professional Standards Committee to share their learning from this complaint and the changes they have made to their practice especially in relation to: safety planning, managing risk and the sharing of information regarding the welfare of CYP and safeguarding procedures. In this viva they will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of the NCPS CYP Competency Framework. 4\) The Panel reserves the right to reconvene to consider further sanctions if the viva is not completed satisfactorily. The Panel *strongly recommended* the Registrant undertake a substantive training course in Counselling Children and Young People preferably at L5 or above and that would meet the requirements for joining the NCPS specialist register for counselling children and young people. **NCS16-03234** **Date of Assessment Panel 06/07/2026** **Outcome of Complaint** Conditions on Membership **Outline of Complaint** We were contacted by a former client of the Registrant who had been engaging in couples therapy with the Registrant for 18 months. The Complainant stated that they were in an abusive relationship during this time period and that the Registrant had failed to respond appropriately to concerns raised during sessions, therefore inadequately safeguarding them. The Complainant stated that, to their understanding, the Registrant should have conducted domestic abuse assessments and ended the sessions with referrals on to specialist support. The Registrant provided a reflective response along with their supporting evidence including a written guide which they had produced to support those working with couples. The Registrant stated that in their initial training in couples work the possibility of intimate partner violence (IPV) was absent and that they underestimated the risk posed by the Complainant’s then partner. The Registrant also provided a detailed explanation of the work they do with all clients to manage escalated behaviours outside of the therapy session. The Panel felt it was not clear that the Complainant understood that this is what the Registrant was doing and clearly in their communications found these interventions to be ineffective. **Discussion** The evidence bundle included emails between the Registrant and Complainant. The Panel reviewed these emails and determined that the Registrant had not responded adequately to concerns about verbal and physical abuse and coercive control when they first emerged and noted that there had been no one-to-one sessions in which a proper risk assessment could have been carried out with both parties. The Panel agreed with the Complainant’s assertion that the couples therapy should have ended once the violent incidents emerged and become known to the Registrant. The Panel also acknowledged the Complainant’s view that the Registrant had too much faith in their model of practice and was prioritising working towards repair of the relationship rather than taking a more direct approach to manage risk. The Panel noted that the Registrant did subsequently intervene, taking advice from a specialist service for domestic abuse but this came far too late in the therapeutic relationship. The Panel was unable to determine from the evidence provided that appropriate supervisory guidance had been sought when disclosures were first made by the Complainant relating to domestic abuse or physical violence but noted that the Supervisor’s Report contained evidence that the Registrant maintained regular supervision and was regarded by their Supervisor as reflective, ethical and open to challenge. The Panel recognised that the Registrant had clearly undertaken a considerable amount of work reflecting on the substance of the complaint and had followed up several avenues of research and professional discussions with other colleagues. **Panel Findings** The Panel found that a breach of the Code of Ethics had occurred. The Panel referred specifically to the following sections of the Code of Ethics: **Under Fundamental Principles** 1\. Working towards the good of clients and doing no harm (Beneficence and Non-maleficence). Practitioners hold the welfare of clients central to their work and so commit to avoiding harm. 2\. Being trustworthy and responsible (Fidelity). Practitioners endeavour to establish trust with their clients and the community in which they work. 4\. Justice. Practitioners are aware of their own judgements based on their own experiences and need to take precautions (supervision) to provide a service that is not restricted by their own prejudice and limitations of experience. **Under Offering a Service** All Practitioners undertake to: 1\. Provide a service to clients solely in areas in which they are trained and competent to do so. **Under Delivering a Service** 6\. Be consistent with the welfare and expressed wishes of the client and never protract therapy unnecessarily and to terminate therapy at the earliest moment consistent with the welfare and expressed wishes of the client. 7\. Remain aware of their own limitations and wherever appropriate, be prepared to refer a client to another practitioner or medical adviser who might be expected to offer suitable support. 10\. Take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the client and any person who may be accompanying them. **Under Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Supervision** 2\. Ensure that clients with presenting issues outside of a practitioner's scope of ability are discussed in supervision and where appropriate, referred to another practitioner. **SANCTIONS** The Panel concluded that on balance the breaches of the Code of Ethics did not warrant suspension or removal from the Register. They agreed that in the interests of public protection, continued registration they should be subject to conditions. **Consensual Disposal** The Panel offers the Registrant Consensual Disposal subject to meeting the following conditions: 1\) admitting the breaches of the Code of Ethics as set out above and 2\) undertaking at least 2 full days of CPD to cover the following areas: interpersonal violence/domestic abuse that focuses on the some of the following areas: risk assessment, spotting signs of abusive relationships; coercive control and controlling behaviour; and, safeguarding strategies relevant to couples’ work. The Registrant should investigate suitable courses on offer and after selecting them submit the proposed course(s) to the Professional Conduct Manager for approval by the Panel *before* the courses. These courses must be completed before 01 December 2026. 3\) submitting a template risk assessment document, to be used in future counselling sessions where appropriate, to the Professional Conduct Manager for Panel approval. This must be submitted by 1 December 2026 at the latest. The Panel recommends that the Registrant compile a list of suitable agencies/resources locally for signposting clients onto should specialised support be required so that this is ‘at hand’ going forward. The Panel further recommends that this list should be updated annually. The Panel noted that the Registrant has submitted CPD logs that largely consisted of group meetings supervision and personal therapy. Whilst it is acknowledged that these activities may contribute to the Registrant’s practice, supervision and personal development (groups and therapy) do not fall under the purview of CPD. Registrants are required to: *2. Maintain a varied Continuing Professional Development programme and completed to current Society requirements for registrant members.* *3. Ensure that their CPD enhances their professional practice and improves the service provided to clients. It is important to keep up to date with new developments relevant to practise.* *4. Complete CPD in accordance with current Society guidance per 12-month period, keeping theoretical and practical knowledge and skills up to date by learning more about their discipline and learning more about how to work as a professional practitioner, including any new legislative requirements.* *5. Complete CPD in a range of activities.* **NCS15-01812** **Date of Assessment Panel: 01/06/2026** **Outcome of Complaint** Sanctions on Membership – Consensual disposal **Outline of Complaint** We were contacted by a former client of the Registrant regarding an alleged boundary breach during the therapeutic relationship. The Complainant alleged that the Registrant had disclosed romantic feelings for them while the therapeutic relationship was ongoing. They stated that the Registrant acknowledged that this was a boundary breach and a risk to their professional practice at the time of the disclosure. The complaint alleges that communication continued outside of the therapy sessions and shifted from a client-counsellor relationship to a personal one, and that all contact was conducted online. Contact continued for a month after the disclosure and the Complainant alleges that they were not referred to a different therapy practitioner once the sessions ended in line with professional guidance. The Registrant provided a swift response and did not dispute the allegations put forward by the Complainant and recognised that their conduct had not aligned with the expectations of the NCPS. The Registrant acknowledged that the therapeutic relationship had resulted in the development of personal feelings and that expressing them was inappropriate. The Registrant stated that upon reflection they now have a better understanding of countertransference and the utilisation of supervision to manage these feelings safely. The Registrant stated that they had reflected upon the concerns raised within the complaint and have been stepping away from practice as well as engaging in personal therapy. **Discussion** The Panel noted the admission that the Registrant did not dispute the allegations made by the Complainant, although the allegations would have been difficult to deny given the amount of evidence in the form of screenshots of online communication between the Registrant and the Complainant. The Panel accepted that there was no intent on the part of the Registrant to cause harm but noted the clear statements from the Complainant about how the crossing of boundaries had affected them. The Panel were concerned about the Registrant’s supervision arrangements and that the Registrant appeared to have a dual relationship with their supervisor which identified a potential conflict of interest. The Panel also felt that it was not clear whether the Registrant’s client work during the period of their transition to other employment was adequately supervised. In the opinion of the Panel the Registrant had also failed to discuss work with the Complainant in supervision and had failed to create safe boundaries during the latter part of the therapeutic relationship with the Complainant. **Findings** After careful consideration, the Panel found that on balance, that breaches of the Code of Ethical Practice had occurred and therefore the complaint was upheld. The Panel referred specifically to the following sections of the Code of Ethical Practice: **Under Fundamental Principles:** 1\. Working towards the good of clients and doing no harm (Beneficence and Non- maleficence) Practitioners hold the welfare of clients central to their work and so commit to avoiding harm. 2\. Being trustworthy and responsible (Fidelity) Practitioners endeavour to establish trust with their clients and the community in which they work. Therefore, practitioners not only honour the trust placed in them by their clients and the community but also act in a respectful, professional and ethical manner when representing their profession. **Under Delivering a Service** 3\. Refrain from using their position of trust and confidence to: a. Cross the boundaries appropriate to the therapeutic relationship. This includes but not limited to: having sexual relationships with or behaving sexually towards clients, supervisees or trainees; maintaining the confidentiality of counselling as far as the law allows; or by exploiting them emotionally, financially or in any other way whatsoever. 5\. Should any relationship (i.e., any enduring personal or professional connection other than the clinical relationship between client and therapist) occur or develop between either counsellor and client, or members of their respective immediate families, the therapist should consult their supervisor at the earliest opportunity. It is likely to be appropriate to cease accepting fees, work towards terminating the counselling relationship in an appropriate manner and arranging a carefully considered referral to another suitable therapist at the earliest opportunity. **Under General Conduct** 1\. Conduct themselves at all times in accord with their professional status and in such a way as neither undermines public confidence in the process or profession of counselling, nor brings it into disrepute, being aware of professional and personal boundaries. **SANCTIONS** The Panel concluded that on balance the breaches of the Code warranted suspension from the Register for a period of **three months** to commence 1st July 2026. They also agreed that in the interests of public protection, continued registration after the period of suspension should be subject to conditions. **Consensual Disposal** The Panel offers the Registrant Consensual Disposal subject to: 1\) admitting the breaches of the Code of Ethics as set out above; and 2\) **no later than 14 days** after the receipt of the Panel’s findings confirming to the Conduct Department that either all client work has now ceased \[and providing the date of the last session\] or any work with long term clients as stated in the Registrant’s submission is being supervised in line with the Terms & Conditions of membership of the Society; 3\) in the event of any ongoing client work the Panel requires confirmation of existing supervisory arrangements by the Supervisor. 4\) producing a satisfactory written reflective statement as a result of undertaking personal therapy, of no fewer than 3,000 words, in which he accounts for and clarifies the mistakes in this case as notified to him and the learnings he has taken from this experience. This report should include a discussion of the harm that could have resulted from the Registrant’s actions, and his understanding of the importance of the clauses and sections of the Code of Ethical Practice that he acknowledges having breached. This Report is to be submitted no earlier than four months and no later than six months from the date of accepting the Consensual Disposal. The Panel reserves the right to require the Registrant to participate in a viva following receipt of this written report. **Addendum to the Panel Report 26.06.26** Following correspondence between the Conduct department and the Registrant once the outcome of the Assessment Panel was shared, the Panel highlighted several contradictory and conflicting statements about the Registrant’s practice and supervision arrangements. On the balance of probabilities, the Panel came to a view that it was highly likely that the Registrant was practicing without formal supervision arrangements between July 2025 and June 2026. The Panel were also of the view that the Registrant had not been clear in his communications about his current practice and supervision arrangements. In addition, the Panel noted that the Registrant had failed to address the possibility of a dual relationship existing between himself and his supervisor as identified in the report. After careful consideration, the Panel found that on balance, that further breaches of the Code of Ethics, in addition to those identified above, had occurred. The Panel referred specifically to the following sections of the Code of Ethics: **Under Fundamental Principles:** 5\. Integrity and self-responsibility Practitioners work to be as honest, truthful and accurate as possible. They are also responsible for looking after their own needs and health. So, a practitioner will only commit to a practice that they can offer being aware of their own expertise, training, health and wellbeing, and let the client know if anything changes. **Under Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Supervision** 1\. Have formal one-to-one supervision in place and obtained from a properly qualified and trained supervisor. Attendance should be commensurate with practise hours. 5\. Not engage in any dual relationship when seeking supervision. Examples of dual relationships can be found in the members' area of the website. **ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS** The Panel concluded that on balance these additional breaches of the Code warranted a further period of suspension from the Register for a period of **three months** to run consecutively from the original sanction and to commence 1st July 2026 i.e. **six months in total.** They also agreed that in the interests of public protection, continued registration after the period of suspension should be subject to additional conditions. 1\. that all client work must be concluded and long-term clients referred, if necessary, by 1st July 2026 as previously advised by the Conduct Department. No client work should take place during the period of suspension and until the Registrant is advised by the Conduct Department that the sanctions have been satisfactorily completed. 2\. Towards the end of the period of suspension the Registrant is expected to contract with a new independent supervisor for a minimum of 1.5 hours per month for at least **six months** after the period of suspension had ended. The Registrant is recommended to maintain this level of supervisory input thereafter. **NCS24-01550** **Date of Assessment Panel – 29/05/2026** **Outcome of Complaint** Conditions on Membership - Consensual disposal Three month suspension **Outline of Complaint** The Society received a complaint from the clinical lead of the counselling service where the Registrant worked, regarding a third-party complaint on behalf of one of the Registrant’s clients. The clinical lead was also the Registrant’s supervisor. The complaint alleged that the Registrant re-traumatised a vulnerable client by sending them repeated texts and voicemails on a specific date, where they appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The Complainant stated that the Registrant’s employer felt that the Registrant had caused the client further harm and was currently not fit to practise. In their response to the Society, the Registrant alleged that the evidence they had put forward to their employer had not been fully investigated; that there were conflicts of interest among members of the team and that the individual investigating the complaint had a personal grievance with them. In the reflective statement in response to the incident itself the Registrant expressed remorse and mentioned other contributing factors which led to the incident in question. **Discussion** The Panel noted that it appeared there was no written complaint or interview notes presented to the disciplinary hearing from the client, or any other party involved that would have been pertinent to both their process and the Panel’s consideration of this complaint. The Supervisor’s role in the disciplinary hearing seemed to extend beyond that of witness and confirmed to the Panel that this person acted not just in a dual role with the Registrant but in a multiple relationship capacity i.e. supervisor, safeguarding lead, employer representative, witness and ultimately the complainant. Whilst the Panel accepted that these concerns were legitimate and warranted consideration, it found no direct evidence that the client had suffered harm or retraumatisation as a result of the Registrant's actions. The absence of any direct client evidence or subsequent investigation into the client's experience represented a significant evidential gap in circumstances where allegations of harm and retraumatisation were being advanced. The Panel considered, on the balance of probabilities, that the Registrant's concerns about the client's safety had been influenced by comments and information provided by members of the organisation and another individual supporting the client. There was no evidence that the Registrant was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the voicemails, the tone of which could equally have been due to the Registrant’s distress at not being able to confirm that the client was safe. However, it was clear from all the evidence that the Registrant had failed to observe appropriate professional boundaries, to use any escalation protocols to seek to protect clients at serious risk of harm. There were details in the documents that gave the Panel serious cause for concern about the Registrant’s fitness to practise at this time. **Findings** After careful consideration, the Panel found that on balance, that breaches of the Code of Ethical Practice had occurred and therefore the complaint was upheld. The Panel referred specifically to the following sections of the Code of Ethical Practice: **Under Fundamental Principles:** **1. Working towards the good of clients and doing no harm (Beneficence and Nonmaleficence)** Practitioners hold the welfare of clients central to their work and so commit to avoiding harm. **2. Being trustworthy and responsible (Fidelity)** Practitioners endeavour to establish trust with their clients and the community in which they work. Therefore, practitioners not only honour the trust placed in them by their clients and the community but also act in a respectful, professional and ethical manner when representing their profession. **3. Respect for the dignity and rights of the client (Autonomy)** Clients have the right to self-determination and to be shown dignity and respect for making their own lawful decisions (where applicable, consideration of Gillick competence and reference to Fraser Guidelines may be required). **4. Justice** Practitioners are aware of their own judgements based on their own experiences and need to take precautions (supervision) to provide a service that is not restricted by their own prejudice and limitations of experience. This also means showing respect for diversity of persons, without prejudice to colour, race, belief, gender, sexuality, social context, and mental and physical abilities **5. Integrity and self-responsibility** Practitioners work to be as honest, truthful and accurate as possible. They are also responsible for looking after their own needs and health. So, a practitioner will only commit to a practice that they can offer being aware of their own expertise, training, health and wellbeing, and let the client know if anything changes. **Under Delivering a Service:** 1\. Work in ways that promote client autonomy and wellbeing and that maintain respect and dignity for the client 3\. Refrain from using their position of trust and confidence to: a. Cross the boundaries appropriate to the therapeutic relationship. 7\. Remain aware of their own limitations and wherever appropriate, be prepared to refer a client to another practitioner or medical adviser who might be expected to offer suitable support. 10\. Take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the client and any person who may be accompanying them. **Sanctions** The Panel concluded that on balance the breaches of the Code warranted suspension from the Register for a period of **three months** to commence 1st June 2026. They also agreed that in the interests of public protection, continued registration after the period of suspension should be subject to conditions. **Consensual Disposal** The Panel offers the Registrant Consensual Disposal subject to: 1\) admitting the breaches of the Code of Ethics as set out above; and 2\) undertaking supervision with an independent and suitably qualified and experienced Supervisor who will be willing to provide a Fitness to Practise Statement towards the end of the period of suspension but no later than 14 days after the period of suspension had ended. The specific questions that the panel wish to see addressed in this Statement are attached as Appendix 1. On receipt of this Statement the Panel will decide whether this will warrant applying another interim suspension order whilst the Panel is reconvened to determine next steps. **NCS15-02024** **Date of Assessment Panel 16/02/2026** **Outcome of Complaint** Conditions on Membership **Outline of Complaint** We received a complaint via a third party from a former client of the registrant who had attended one joint counselling session with their former partner. The complaint alleged that the member had breached their confidentiality by providing a supporting letter for their then partner in relation to Children Act proceedings, which was then presented to the court. The letter confirmed the complainant’s attendance during the singular session and contained observations and professional opinions in relation to the complainant’s behaviour. The registrant acknowledged the allegations and stated that they had assumed the request for the letter was personal use. The registrant also acknowledged the alleged confidentiality beach and stated that in future they would first consult with their supervisor before providing a supportive letter. **Discussion** The panel considered all evidence provided, which included a copy of the letter in question along with a supportive letter from the former partner of the complainant who had requested the letter. The panel noted that the Registrant had stated that they had informed the client about confidentiality, however there was no detail provided. The panel also acknowledged that the Registrant did not obtain the consent of both parties before disclosing either their attendance at counselling or the content of the sessions. The panel felt that the registrant demonstrated a lack of understanding of a fundamental principle of counselling: that a client’s attendance itself is confidential. In addition, the Panel noted that the supportive letter requested by the complainant’s former partner requested an unbiased account of the registrant’s observations. The Panel determined that the registrant’s letter contained an overfocus on the complainant and did not meet this brief. **Panel Findings** After careful consideration, the Panel found that on balance, that breaches of the Code of Ethical Practice had occurred and therefore the complaint was upheld. The Panel referred specifically to the following sections of the Code of Ethical Practice: 1\. Working towards the good of clients and doing no harm (Beneficence and Non maleficence) Practitioners hold the welfare of clients central to their work and so commit to avoiding harm. **Under Fundamental principles** 2\. Being trustworthy and responsible (Fidelity) Practitioners endeavour to establish trust with their clients and the community in which they work. Therefore, practitioners not only honour the trust placed in them by their clients and the community but also act in a respectful, professional and ethical manner when representing their profession. **Under Offering a Service** 4\. Inform clients of the confidentiality of the service offered, including any limitations on confidentiality required by law and for the purpose of supervision. **Under Confidentiality, Maintenance of Records and Recording of Sessions** 1\. Maintain strict confidentiality within the client/counsellor relationship, always provided that such confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the therapist’s own safety or the safety of the client, the client’s family members or other members of the public, nor in contravention of any legal action (i.e., criminal, coroner or civil court cases where a court 3 order is made demanding disclosure) or legal requirement (e.g., Children Acts). Further information can be found in the Society's Safeguarding Policy. 5\. Obtain written permission from the client (or if appropriate, the client's parent/s or legal guardian/s) before either digitally or electronically recording client sessions or discussing undisguised cases with any person other than a supervisor. The Panel concluded that, based on the information provided to the panel, the actions of the Registrant were not serious enough to warrant suspension or removal from the Register. The Panel determined that in the interests of public protection, continued registration should be subject to conditions. **Consensual Disposal** The Panel offers the Registrant Consensual Disposal subject to: 1\) admitting the breaches of the Code of Ethics as set out above; and 2\) undertaking further supervision with an independent and suitably qualified or experienced Supervisor (for couple’s work). This supervision is to be used to discuss the learning from this complaint and formulate an action plan for future couple’s work. The supervision must be three 1.5-hour sessions over a period of 3 months. The Panel will require the new Supervisor to confirm dates of attendance ONLY. 3\) producing a satisfactory written report, of no fewer than 3,000 words, in which she accounts for and clarifies the mistakes in this case as notified to her and the learnings she has taken from this experience. This report should include a discussion of the harm that could have resulted from the Registrant’s actions as well as a clear account of the Registrant’s understanding of ethical decision making. The Registrant should make reference to the NCPS Good Practice Guidance for Ethical Decision Making in the report. This report should be accompanied by copies of certificates relevant CPD that the Registrant has undertaken as a result of this complaint. This report to be submitted no earlier than the end of the period of further supervision and no later than two months after the period of supervision. The panel reserves the right to require the Registrant to participate in a viva following receipt of this written report. **The member has cancelled their NCPS membership and therefore by default the sanctions above will remain unmet.** ## Professional Conduct Notices 2025 **NCS21-02706** **Date of Assessment Panel 10/11/25** **Outcome of Complaint** Six-month suspension Conditions on Membership **Outline of Complaint** The Society was contacted by the Safeguarding Lead of a counselling service that delivers counselling in schools. They informed NCPS that Ms Foster (the Registrant) had been dismissed from their role as a counsellor for the service for failing to report a safeguarding concern regarding a minor. The Safeguarding Lead reported that, during a session, a young person had made a disclosure to the Registrant which, although recorded in the Registrant’s counselling notes, had not been escalated as a safeguarding concern. The incident was subsequently reported to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and both they and the counselling service conducted formal investigations which found: • A failure to report a safeguarding matter in accordance with safeguarding protocols. • Subsequent editing of counselling notes, comprising the integrity of clinical records. **Discussion** The Panel reviewed both the complaint and the Registrant’s response and concluded that the incident had merited a safeguarding referral and that the Registrant had both failed to adhere to the agency’s safeguarding protocol and in her wider duty to protect vulnerable young people. In prioritising the maintenance of the therapeutic relationship, the Registrant had failed in her legal duty as a professional to make any decisions that reflect the principle that the welfare of the young person is paramount and that this takes precedence over all other factors. The Panel noted the evidence in the redacted counselling notes that showed that they had been edited during the disciplinary hearing at the counselling service and that the Registrant had claimed this was to add further detail. The Panel concluded that the Registrant’s notetaking was far below the standard of that which would be expected of a competent professional and that her reliance on others noticing a potential safeguarding concern amounted to placing a young person at the risk of harm. The Panel found that, on the balance of probabilities, the Registrant had committed several breaches of the NCPS code of Ethics. **Panel Findings** The Panel found that there had been breaches of the NCPS Code of Ethical Practice in the following respects. **Fundamental principles** 1\. Working towards the good of clients and doing no harm (Beneficence and Non- maleficence). Practitioners hold the welfare of clients central to their work and so commit to avoiding harm. 2\. Being trustworthy and responsible (Fidelity). Practitioners endeavour to establish trust with their clients and the community in which they work. Therefore, practitioners not only honour the trust placed in them by their clients and the community but also act in a respectful, professional and ethical manner when representing their profession. 5\. Integrity and self-responsibility. Practitioners work to be as honest, truthful and accurate as possible. They are also responsible for looking after their own needs and health. So, a practitioner will only commit to a practice that they can offer being aware of own expertise, training, health and wellbeing and let the client know if anything changes. **Offering a Service** 1\. Provide a service to clients solely in areas in which they are trained and competent to do so. 4\. Inform clients of the confidentiality of the service offered, including any limitations on confidentiality required by law and for the purpose of supervision. 10\. Take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the client and any person who may be accompanying them. **Confidentiality, Maintenance of Records and Recording of sessions** 1\. Maintain strict confidentiality within the client/counsellor relationship, always provided that such confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the therapist’s own safety or the safety of the client, the client’s family members or other members of the public, nor in contravention of any legal action (i.e., criminal, coroner or civil court cases where a court order is made demanding disclosure) or legal requirement (e.g., Children Acts). Further information can be found in the Society's Safeguarding Policy. 4\. Ensure that client records are appropriate, accurate, relevant, lawful and secure. Record keeping involves a range of potential complexities, ethical and legal issues, and supervisory support is important. Members’ policies where session notes are concerned must also reflect ethical and legal awareness. The possibility of clients or external parties requesting access to such notes must be considered. **Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Supervision** 1\. Maintain or improve their level of skills and professional competence in an appropriate manner commensurate with their vocations. Supervision: 2\. Ensure that clients with presenting issues outside of a practitioner's scope of ability, are discussed in supervision and where appropriate referred to another practitioner. **Working with Minors and Those Classified as Persons with Special Needs or Vulnerabilities** 4\. Diligently follow any escalation process required for any contracted work. When in private practice, escalate any concern of risk of harm to the parents, legal guardian and/or General Practitioner as appropriate. 5\. Obtain further knowledge and training specialised in working with children and young persons. 7\. It is advisable that note taking is practised and ensure note taking for clients, who are children and young people includes: dates of any significant events, dates of any escalation and referrals (including when taken to supervision), who referrals are made to, and follow up action taken. Expect these notes to be provided to the Society in the event of any complaint. **SANCTIONS** The Panel concluded that on balance the breaches of the Code warranted suspension from the Register for a period of **six months**. They also agreed that in the interests of public protection, continued registration after the period of suspension should be subject to conditions. **Consensual Disposal** The Panel offered the Registrant Consensual Disposal subject to: 1\) admitting the breaches of the Code as set out above and 2\) producing a satisfactory written Report, supported by her supervisor, of no fewer than 3,000 words, in which she accounts for and clarifies the mistakes in this case as notified to her and the learnings she has taken from both this experience. This report should include a discussion of the harm that could have resulted from the Registrant’s actions, and her understanding of the importance of the relevant sections of the NCPS CYP Competency Framework. The Panel reserves the right to require the Registrant to participate in a viva following receipt of this written report 3\) To undertake a Level 3 Safeguarding course specific to working with children and young people. The Registrant should investigate suitable courses on offer and after selecting one submit the proposed course to the Professional Conduct Manager for approval by the Panel *before* undertaking it. This course must be completed before the end of the period of suspension. **Sanctions Met 13/08/2026** ## Professional Conduct Notices 2024 **NCS20-00502** Assessment Panel Findings returned 06th August 2024 **Outline of Complaint** The complaint was raised by a former client of the Registrant following an abrupt end to the therapeutic relationship and the communication exchanges that followed. The complainant stated that the ending was particularly difficult for her to process due to the enmeshment of the Registrant within her friendship group. This was supported by a witness statement and evidence. In view of the serious nature of the allegations made by the complainant, the Society’s Professional Conduct Team sought an Interim Suspension Order and this was ratified by the Chair of the Assessment Panel on 05th February 2024. The Panel was satisfied that the Registrant was at the centre of a web of multiple and overlapping relationships. The evidence, provided by both the complainant and the Registrant indicated that it was unclear as to when she was acting as a friend or a therapist to multiple clients. The Panel were satisfied that the Registrant had conducted therapy with at least three clients who were part of a network of personal relationships in which she herself participated. This made it impossible to maintain the boundaries appropriate to a therapeutic relationship, for example where confidentiality was concerned. The Panel were not convinced by what the Registrant asserted about contracting and supervision. On the balance of probability, they were satisfied that there were very unlikely to have been any contracts with the Complainant and that the Registrant had failed to access adequate supervision. There found that there was no evidence to support supervision for her psychotherapy and counselling work with the Complainant and no evidence to support supervision for ending therapy with the Complainant or throughout the process of the complaint. **Findings** Overall, the Panel found that the Registrant showed, and continued to show, a fundamental and alarming lack of insight into the serious nature of the risks arising from her conduct. The Panel found that the Registrant’s conduct during her work with the Complainant and others and her apparent lack of insight or concern about its potential consequences, suggested that the Registrant poses a serious risk to the public and to the profession. The Panel found that the matters that the Registrant has admitted to, together with the Panel’s finding of the Registrant’s overall lack of insight into her own responsibility, constitute severe and multiple breaches of the following fundamental principles of the Code of Ethical Practice: 1\. *Working towards the good of clients and doing no harm (Beneficence).* *2. Being trustworthy and responsible (Fidelity)* *3. Respect for the dignity and rights of the client (Autonomy)* *4. Justice* *5. Integrity and self-responsibility* In addition, the Registrant did not uphold the following undertakings under Offering a Service: *1. Provide a service to clients solely in areas in which they are trained and competent to do so.* *2. Ensure that the premises where counselling takes place, and all facilities offered to clients are suitable, appropriate for the service provided and respectful of the clients need for privacy.* *9. Agree clear and transparent contracts and/or terms and conditions, in writing where appropriate, which do not use unreasonable terms or restrict the statutory rights of clients.* In addition, the Registrant did not uphold the following undertakings under Delivering a Service: *1. Work in ways that promote client autonomy and well-being and that maintain respect and dignity for the client* *3. Refrain from using their position of trust and confidence to:* *a. Cross the boundaries appropriate to the therapeutic relationship.* *5. Should any relationship (i.e. any enduring personal or professional connection other than the clinical relationship between client and therapist) occur or develop between either counsellor and client, or members of their respective immediate families, the therapist should consult their supervisor at the earliest opportunity. It is likely to be appropriate to cease accepting fees work towards terminating the counselling relationship in an appropriate manner and arranging a carefully considered referral to another suitable therapist at the earliest opportunity* *7. Remain aware of their own limitations and wherever appropriate, be prepared to refer a client to another practitioner or medical adviser who might be expected to offer suitable support.* In addition, the Registrant did not uphold the following undertakings under Confidentiality, Maintenance of Records and Recording of Sessions: 1. *Maintain strict confidentiality within the client/counsellor relationship, always provided that such confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the therapist’s own safety or the safety of the client, the client’s family members or other members of the public, nor in contravention of any legal action (i.e. criminal, coroner or civil court cases where a court order is made demanding disclosure) or legal requirement (Children Acts).* In addition, the Registrant did not uphold the following undertaking under General Conduct: *1. Conduct themselves at all times in accord with their professional status and in such a way as neither undermines public confidence in the process or profession of counselling, nor brings it into disrepute, being aware of professional and personal boundaries.* In addition, the Registrant did not uphold the following undertaking under Appendix C: Communications and Social Media *….before providing counselling or advice/suggestions via any online platform/text messaging/email the practitioner should have considerations in place to deal with the following:* *The danger that a client may believe he or she has 24-hour accessibility to the therapist.* **SANCTION** The Panel finds that the serious and substantive breaches of the Code of Ethical Practice are such that the Registrant should be removed from the Society’s Accredited Register. The Panel offers the Registrant Consensual Disposal in the form of an option of agreeing to Voluntary Removal from the Register. The Registrant did not appeal the Assessment Panel Findings. ## Professional Conduct Notices 2023 **NCS18-06895** Assessment Panel Findings 04th April 2023 **Outcome of Complaint** Voluntary Removal from Accredited Register on 12th April 2023 **Outline of Complaint** A formal complaint was raised against Mark Parker, a Registrant of the Society, ‘the Registrant’ on 09/11/2022. In view of the serious nature of the allegations made by the Complainant, the Society’s PCO sought an interim suspension order and this was ratified by the Assessment Panel Chair on 25/11/2022. The Complainant states that she was admitted to a private clinic for help with her mental health and increasing reliance on alcohol where she stayed for a period of 8 weeks. She then continued with day care twice a week for several months after this. Her main therapist was the Registrant, and he conducted all her 1:1 therapy sessions whilst she was an inpatient. In addition, the Registrant provided 1:1 sessions privately at his clinic. The Complainant states that she shared with the Registrant that she had developed a crush. Rather than deal with her feelings in a professional and ethical manner, the Registrant, “completely ran with it”. The evidence provided by the Complainant included extensive text messages between the Complainant and the Registrant evidencing all elements of the complaint. **Registrant’s response** The following allegations made by the Complainant are admitted by the Registrant in his written responses: - “Intimacy” took place between the Registrant and Complainant on a number of occasions. - The Registrant and Complainant spent “many hours” on the phone together outside sessions. - The Registrant did join the Complainant in drinking alcohol. - \*\*Redacted \*\* - The Registrant did express negative views about other therapists to the Complainant. **Findings** The Assessment Panel considered the evidence carefully, and members provided the Chair with detailed notes which they had prepared for the purpose of the Panel’s assessment discussions. The Panel agreed that the Registrant had engaged in extensive communication with the Complainant outside therapy sessions in which he expressed personal needs and desires inappropriate to the conduct of ethically sound therapy. He allowed the relationship to become intimate and potentially destructive for the Complainant’s mental health and wellbeing. They further agreed that the Registrant was clearly aware that his behaviour was breaching the usual therapeutic boundaries and that he nevertheless, with this awareness, wilfully persisted in this behaviour over a significant period of time. He had also indulged in criticising and maligning other members of the profession. The Panel were satisfied that there was clear and unchallenged evidence of serious and multiple breaches of the following aspects of the NCS Code of Ethical Practice. **Fundamental Principles:** 1\. Working towards the good of clients and doing no harm 2\. Being trustworthy and responsible. 5\. Integrity and self-responsibility **Delivering a Service** 1.Work in ways that promote client autonomy and well-being and that maintain respect and dignity for the client. 3\. Refrain from using their position of trust and confidence to a. cross the boundaries…. 10.Take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the client…. 11.Deliver counselling in an appropriate way. **General Conduct** 1.Conduct themselves at all times in accord with their professional status… 3.Never publicly criticise, malign or professionally obstruct another member of the profession. In the Panel’s view, the Registrant’s behaviour as evidenced and admitted is fundamentally incompatible with being a registered professional, his fitness to practise is severely impaired and there is a clear risk to public safety. **Sanction** The Panel agreed that the breaches of the Code of Ethics would be substantial enough to warrant removal from the Register should an Independent Complaints Panel make a finding that on the basis of the evidence, the Code was breached in this manner. Accordingly, the Panel believes that the appropriate offer to the Registrant is voluntary removal from the Register by way of Consensual Disposal. **Outcome** On 12th April 2023, Mark Parker, the Registrant, admitted the breaches of the National Counselling Society Code of Ethics as presented to him in the Assessment Panel Findings Report. The Registrant agreed to being removed from the Register by way of Consensual Disposal thus avoiding the emotional stress of a hearing for both parties whilst providing protection to the public. ## Professional Conduct Notices 2022 **Assessment Panel December 2022** Outcome: Removal From Membership In September and October 2021, the National Counselling Society received 3 formal complaints relating to Non-registrant Member, Jon-Pierre Dubois and the counselling he had provided. During the investigation period, it was noted that the non-registrant member was advertising his services on a public directory whilst declaring his membership of NCS- in contravention of the signed terms and conditions submitted by the member. During the course of enquiries into the complaints, the Professional Conduct Officer requested copies of Insurance and evidence of CPD which the non-registrant member did not provide. In addition, the non-registrant member declined to provide the name of a Supervisor. **Findings:** **Terms and Conditions of Membership** The Panel finds that the member is in breach of the following Terms and Conditions of Membership: • Failure to provide evidence of supervision as part of a complaints process • Failure to provide evidence of insurance as part of a complaints process audit • Failure to provide evidence of CPD as part of a complaints process audit • Utilising non-registrant membership of the Society in advertising with a public directory in contravention of the signed T&C submitted by the member • Practising counselling using an online only qualification deemed insufficient for safe, competent and ethical practice by the Society **Complaints** The three complaints received allude to multiple alleged breaches of the Code of Ethics, including but not limited to: • Breaches of confidentiality (Code of Ethical Practice: Confidentiality, Maintenance of Records and Recording of Sessions section) • Inappropriate and unboundaried therapy (Code of Ethical Practice: Delivering a Service section 3) • Failure to respect client autonomy (Code of Ethical Practice: Fundamental Principle 3) • Failure to act in respect of client welfare (Code of Ethical Practice: Fundamental Principle 1) The Assessment Panel found the evidence presented was extensive and detailed and included text messages in addition to allegations concerning what was said during sessions. The text messages demonstrate that it is likely the member was aware of the boundary and transference issues mentioned in the allegations. The Assessment Panel noted that the member’s refutation of the complaints rested primarily on a claim that the allegations are simply untrue. The Panel took the view that a full Independent Complaints Panel hearing would be necessary to deal appropriately with these complaints should consensual disposal not be accepted. The Panel took into account three main factors: • Non cooperation with complaints • Violation of T&C in advertising • The substantive nature of the client complaints The Panel’s decision was that membership should be terminated forthwith. **Consensual disposal** The member was offered admission of the above findings and voluntary removal from Society membership. Jon-Pierre Dubois did not respond to the findings and therefore is removed from the membership. ## Professional Conduct Notices from other counselling and psychotherapy bodies NCPS is one of several organisations belonging to the [Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies](https://www.pcpb.org.uk/) (PCPB), each of which is independently accredited under the Professional Standards Authority’s [Accredited Registers programme](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/organisations-we-oversee/our-work-accredited-registers). Each member organisation manages its own complaints and disciplinary processes and publishes outcomes which have resulted in a member being removed or sanctioned. If you are looking for conduct or disciplinary outcomes relating to a counsellor or psychotherapist registered with a different body, you might find it helpful to check directly with the relevant organisation. Links to the relevant pages for other PCPB members are provided below: - [Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions](https://www.acc-uk.org/check-acc-register/removals-suspensions-and-sanctions/) - [British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy](https://www.bacp.co.uk/about-us/protecting-the-public/professional-conduct/notices/) - [British Psychoanalytic Council](https://www.bpc.org.uk/regulation/complaints-decisions/) - [Human Givens Institute](https://www.hgi.org.uk/our-registers/raising-concerns/current-upheld-complaints/) - [UK Council for Psychotherapy](https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/ukcp-members/complaints/decisions-and-hearings/) [### Complaints: Publication Policy for Registrant Members Details of sanctions will appear as an annotation to a Registrant’s online register entry. Upon sanction completion, the Society will change the online…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/complaints-publication-policy-for-registrant-members) [### Complaints: Publication Policy for Non-Registrant Members Should a member be issued an Interim Suspension Order (ISO) during a complaint investigation the ISO the Non-Registrant member 's name and date of issue of ISO…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/publication-policy-for-non-registrant-members) [### Restoration to the Register A former registrant who has been removed from the Society's Register following the outcome of a disciplinary hearing may apply to rejoin the Register. Applications for re-joining should be made in writing to the Registrar who will in turn refer the matter to the Professional Standards Committee.](https://ncps.com/our-voice/restoration-to-the-register) --- # EDI Statement ### Our Commitment Counselling & psychotherapy only works when you feel valued, seen, and accepted. It follows, then, that our community as counsellors & psychotherapists, and the culture that we share, should reflect this. In order to live and work with integrity, our professional spaces should shape and be shaped by the ethos and ethics of the services that we provide. We are, therefore, developing a new strand to our work at the Society that will help us to build a community where all of our members, and those you support, feel a sense of belonging that is meaningful and consistent, and where people feel seen, valued, and able to be themselves. We hope that your interaction with the Society, and with our profession more broadly, will be steeped in compassion, respect, and the feeling of being heard, irrespective of your skin colour, ethnicity, religion, economic or class background, care experience in childhood, neurological makeup, age, who you love, or how you express your gender, sexuality, or your unique way of being in the world. We’re proud to proactively support disabled members, colleagues, and applicants through ongoing training for our team, continuous improvements to accessibility, and practical adjustments wherever possible. For example, we offer resources like ReciteMe, an online accessibility tool, and have provided application forms in audio and braille formats for many years. We always work closely with people to understand their specific needs and explore creative ways to support them effectively. We recognise that there are challenges that exist within counselling & psychotherapy, and as part of this work we will confront these issues openly and proactively, learn from them, and support our community in learning as well. Our ambition in this is to create an approach that enables us to review and adapt our ways of working so that we are truly accessible and supportive to everyone we serve. We hope that those who interact with the Society in whatever manner have a sense of community where everyone participates equally in shaping our collective space. This is what we’re hoping to achieve. ### Our Next Steps We can’t create the Society we want to create without first understanding what our members, and others who are impacted by our work, need from us. We’re gathering information and working with a range of experts to inform any changes and adaptions that might be helpful, and to help us consider how this work can become an integral, integrated part of the Society: an underpinning of everything we do. Progress doesn’t stop, however, just because we’re in the information gathering phase. We’re ensuring that our platforms, such as our conferences, and our magazine, reflect a broad and diverse range of voices and experiences. We keep membership costs low and flexible, and applications accessible, meaning there are no barriers to membership for qualified counsellors & psychotherapists. ### Our Future Our hope, our vision, for NCPS is, and has long been, to feel like a professional home, not only for members but also to anyone who might be looking to our profession, such as our clients or the broader mental health community. We also want this project to produce a welcoming hub of valuable resources that our community can use to support their own journeys in this space. We invite and encourage you to share your perspective on our work, and to help us shape it. If you’re part of our community, then this work affects you, so please know you’re welcome and encouraged to contribute to it. To do so, please email our project lead, Camilla Hyland (hello@ncps.com). Please bear with us as we thoughtfully and collaboratively develop our work in this area. Your insights and experiences are invaluable, and we look forward to sharing more with you soon. --- Together in Practice # NCPS Events Discover events that offer meaningful learning experiences and opportunities to connect with peers. Our NCPS events are for counselling & psychotherapy professionals, as well as anyone with an interest in the field, who want to keep learning, stay connected, and be inspired. Our events range from lunchtime learning sessions that fit around your working day, regional connections meet ups to share ideas with peers, and our annual conference with expert speakers and the latest discussion in the profession. Whatever your role or experience, there’s something here to support your professional development and connect you with others in the community. **Find out more below.** ## Upcoming Events Lunchtime Learning - September 16th 2026 Join our bite-sized lunchtime CPD sessions with expert speakers - **free for NCPS members (check your emails for the unique link and code in the invitation email)** or £20 for non NCPS members. **This Session: Supporting Survivors Through the Civil Legal Process** Gary Walker will outline the legal journey for survivors from first disclosure to resolution, explaining civil legal options and the role of specialist solicitors, while highlighting how counselling can support clients throughout and beyond the process. [Book now](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985057893596?aff=oddtdtcreator) Lunchtime Learning - October 7th 2026 Join our bite-sized lunchtime CPD sessions with expert speakers - **free for NCPS members (check your emails for the unique link and code in the invitation email)** or £20 for non NCPS members. **This Session: Using AI to Build Ethical Practice Documents** Kenneth Kelly will demonstrate how to use AI ethically to create professional practice documents such as contracts, privacy policies, and consent forms—tailored to your work, helping you build compliant, personalised materials with confidence. [Book now](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985049744221?aff=oddtdtcreator) Regional Connections - October 14th 2026 - Manchester Join the NCPS team in Manchester on **14th October 2026** for our North West England **member** event. Connect with your local community, meet the team, and hear from speakers on a range of relevant topics. This free member event counts as **four hours of CPD**. **This event is now fully booked.** Lunchtime Learning - 17th February 2027 Join our bite-sized lunchtime CPD sessions with expert speakers - **free for NCPS members (check your emails for the unique link and code in the invitation email)** or £20 for non NCPS members. This Session will be run by Helen McMenamin, The Flying Fish Company and is titled **Seeds of Compassion: The Small Things That Matter When Someone Is Grieving.** **Booking details TBC.** Regional Connections - 16th March 2027 - Exeter Join the NCPS team in Manchester on **16th March 2027** for our South West England **member** event. Connect with your local community, meet the team, and hear from speakers on a range of relevant topics. This free member event counts as **four hours of CPD**. **Please note: this event is for NCPS members only.** **Booking link TBC.** Regional Connections - 13th April 2027 - York Join the NCPS team in Manchester on **13th April 2027** for our North East England **member** event. Connect with your local community, meet the team, and hear from speakers on a range of relevant topics. This free member event counts as **four hours of CPD**. **Please note: this event is for NCPS members only.** **Booking link TBC.** Lunchtime Learning - 21st April 2027 Join our bite-sized lunchtime CPD sessions with expert speakers - **free for NCPS members (check your emails for the unique link and code in the invitation email)** or £20 for non NCPS members. **This Session: Beyond the Label: Working Therapeutically with People Who Perpetrate Sexual Harm** Diane Wills will offer a practical introduction to working therapeutically with people who have perpetrated sexual harm, drawing on empirical literature and her extensive experience, while exploring risk, responsibility, relationships and therapeutic change. **Booking details TBC.** Regional Connections - 18th May 2027 - Edinburgh Join the NCPS team in Manchester on **18th May 2027** for our Scotland **member** event. Connect with your local community, meet the team, and hear from speakers on a range of relevant topics. This free member event counts as **four hours of CPD**. **Please note: this event is for NCPS members only.** **Booking link TBC.** Lunchtime Learning - 16th June 2027 Join our bite-sized lunchtime CPD sessions with expert speakers - **free for NCPS members (check your emails for the unique link and code in the invitation email)** or £20 for non NCPS members. This Session will be run by Chloe Foster, and is titled Email Counselling: What is it, Who It Suits and Key Considerations. **Booking details TBC.** Lunchtime Learning - 15th September 2027 Join our bite-sized lunchtime CPD sessions with expert speakers - **free for NCPS members (check your emails for the unique link and code in the invitation email)** or £20 for non NCPS members. This Session will be run Balens, and is titled: Insurance Essentials for Counsellors and Psychotherapists: Protecting Yourself and Your Business. Join Balens for a webinar designed specifically for NCPS members. We’ll demystify the core insurance protections practitioners need, explain how cover applies in real-world scenarios, and share claims insights to help you reduce risk and respond confidently if something goes wrong. Using clear examples, we’ll outline what’s typically included in a practitioner policy and how different liabilities work together to safeguard your practice, your clients, and your reputation. This webinar includes a Q&A afterwards. Hosted by Annie Tabberner, Client Engagement Representative at Balens. **Booking details TBC.** Regional Connections - 19th October 2027 - Birmingham Join the NCPS team in Manchester on **19th October 2027** for our midlands **member** event. Connect with your local community, meet the team, and hear from speakers on a range of relevant topics. This free member event counts as **four hours of CPD**. **Please note: this event is for NCPS members only.** **Booking link TBC.** ## Past Events Lunchtime Learning - June 17th 2026 **This Session: Working With Mixed-Race Identity in Therapy** Counsellor and supervisor Cherelle Mead leads a reflective discussion on the experiences of mixed-race clients, exploring themes of identity, belonging, “in-betweenness,” and cultural navigation. The session offers a supportive space to build confidence in creating safe, affirming, and curious therapeutic conversations. **This event is now fully booked.** NCPS Annual Conference: Connections, Community & Conversations - 6th June 2026 Our annual conference brings members together to share knowledge, explore current themes in counselling & psychotherapy, and strengthen professional community. This year, we’re creating space for honest conversations about responsibility, power, and possibility in counselling & psychotherapy. The day features an inspiring, diverse group of speakers covering topics such as activism and ethics, suicide prevention technology, climate anxiety, and lived experience of the care and prison systems. Practical aspects of modern practice will also be explored, from AI in mental health to disclosure of counselling records in police investigations. **This event is now fully booked.** [View the programme](https://app.onlinevents.co.uk/programmes/connections-community-conversations-ncps-annual-conference-2026?page=1) Regional Connections - February 16th - Brighton Join the NCPS team for our South East England **member only** event in Brighton on Monday the 16th of February 2026. Meet the team, connect with your local community, and hear from speakers on a range of relevant topics. This event, free to members, can be used towards four hours of CPD. **Please note: this event is for NCPS members only.** **This event is now fully booked.** [Speaker Spotlight](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Regional-Connections-Brighton.pdf) Lunchtime Learning - April 15th 2026 **This Session: Adversity Activated Development (AAD)** Psychotherapist Meera Vohora introduces Adversity Activated Development, a framework by Professor Renos Papadopoulos that highlights resilience, growth, and meaning-making in the face of hardship. This session offers practical insights for supporting dignity, strength, and development when working with refugees and asylum seekers. **This event is now fully booked.** Regional Connections - March 11th - Belfast Join the NCPS team in Belfast on **11th March 2026** for our Northern Ireland **member event.** Connect with your local community, meet the team, and hear from speakers on a range of relevant topics. This free member event counts as **five hours of CPD**. **Please note: this event is for NCPS members only.** **This event is now fully booked.** [Speaker Spotlight](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Regional-Connections-Belfast-Speaker-Spotlight.pdf) Lunchtime Learning - February 18th 2026 Join our bite-sized lunchtime CPD sessions with expert speakers - **free for NCPS members (check your emails for the unique link and code in the invitation email)** or £20 for non NCPS members. **This Session: Pre-Trial Therapy Essentials** Erene Hadjiioannou will simplify the CPS pre-trial therapy guidelines, boosting your confidence with contracting, note-taking, and managing requests for client notes. **This event is now fully booked.** Regional Connections - May 21st - Cardiff Join the NCPS team in Cardiff on **21st May 2026** for our Wales member event. Connect with your local community, meet the team, and hear from speakers on a range of relevant topics. This free member event counts as **five hours of CPD**. **Please note: this event is for NCPS members only.** **This event is now fully booked.** [Speaker Spotlight](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Regional-Connections-Cardiff-Speaker-Spotlight.pdf) --- Find a counsellor # Find an Accredited counsellor you can trust If you have decided to reach out and talk about what is on your mind, it is important to choose a therapist from an Accredited Register. [Search for a counsellor](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/search-the-directory) Members of the public are encouraged to choose a practitioner who belongs to an Accredited Register. The Accredited Register programme was set up by the Department of Health and Social Care and administered by the Professional Standards Authority to ensure that the public are able to choose safe, ethical and competent professionals for their health and social care needs. ## Our Accredited Register Members of the public are encouraged to choose a practitioner who belongs to an Accredited Register. Our Accredited Register is recognised by the [Professional Standards Authority](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/accredited-registers)to ensure that the public are able to choose safe, ethical and competent professionals when looking for support. [Learn more](https://ncps.com/about-us/accredited-register-programme-regulation) ## Types of Registrants The Society allows Registrants to progress through different types of membership depending upon qualifications and experience, but all Registrants have met the Society’s standards for practice. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Accredited Registrant MNCPS (Acc.) A counsellor who has met the standards to belong to the Society's Accredited Register. ## Accredited Professional Registrant PNCPS (Acc.) A counsellor who has met the standard for registration and demonstrated substantial post-training professional development. ## Senior Accredited Registrant SNCPS (Acc.) A counsellor who has met the standards for Accredited Professional Registrant membership, and has also gained significant further professional development. ## FAQs about counselling & psychotherapy Here are some of the questions that you may have about how counselling & psychotherapy work. If you have specific questions, the best person to answer them is a counsellor from our [directory](https://www.search-ncps.com/). All our counsellors should treat you as an individual and will certainly be aware of and respect people’s differences, for example, those related to age, sex, sexuality, disability, race and so on. This will depend on you. Some types of counselling such as CBT or solution-focused therapy are often six to eight sessions. Whereas psychodynamic counselling will tend to be for a lot more sessions. This is something that you will discuss with your counsellor when you first meet and many counsellors will agree on a set number of sessions with you. This will then be reviewed once this number of sessions is nearing to completion An individual counselling session will usually take 50 to 60 minutes and your counsellor will make this clear to you at your first meeting. This is something that you will decide with your counsellor. People often see their counsellor once a week but this is flexible. For example, you may meet once a week at first and then decide together that you want to meet more or less frequently depending on how you feel. If you are seeing a private counsellor, this is something that they will discuss with you when you first contact them. You will usually pay for each session as you go. Depending on the area of the country you are in, prices may vary. Some private counsellors may offer discounts to those on a low income. Counselling can be paid for by the NHS. If you want to be referred to an NHS counsellor, you should speak to your own GP (there may be long waiting lists for this service). There are also a lot of charities that offer low-cost or free counselling. In this case, you can look in your local telephone directory – ask your GP or research on the internet. Your counsellor will explain such things as their policy on late or missed appointments. It is possible that you will feel quite worried about meeting your counsellor for the first time. But don’t, they will understand this and do their best to put you at ease. At the first session, your counsellor will tell you all about the practical information you need to know and of course, you will be able to tell them about your own goals for having the counselling. They will give you the guidelines about: - how many sessions you will have; - what type of therapy they use; - how much it will cost; - what happens if you miss a session; and - if you can contact them between sessions. You will also have the opportunity to ask them about things like their experience and most importantly, decide if you will feel comfortable working with them. For most people talking to a friend means talking to someone who knows us well – they will tend to either agree with everything we say or criticise us. They may have their own issues that influence what they will say and, even worse, may talk about the whole thing to someone else. On the other hand, when you see a counsellor everything you discuss will be in absolute confidence. Your counsellor has to keep to a code of ethics which means they will consider your safety and wellbeing at all times. Your counsellor will have both training and experience to make sure they are acting in your best interests. The relationship between counsellor and client is a very important part of counselling – often referred to as the ‘therapeutic relationship’. You do not have to keep going but rather than just disappear, tell your counsellor what you are feeling as that might be a really helpful thing for you to discuss. Perhaps they remind you of someone? If you talk about it you will be able to understand why you don’t like them. Or it may simply be that they are not the right counsellor for you –if you discuss it they may be able to refer you to someone you feel more comfortable with. If you are seeing a private counsellor, you can of course choose the person you want to see but it is likely that if you see a counsellor through the NHS or any other organisation, they will choose the counsellor for you. You may want to get a friend to go with you to the place you are meeting the counsellor and then ask them to meet you afterwards. Talk about this with the counsellor. It is better not to have another person you know in the room as that may get in the way of you talking honestly about your feelings. Anyone over the age of 18 can choose to see a counsellor. If you are under 18, you may need the permission of your parent or guardian and you should talk to your counsellor about this. If you are a parent or guardian wanting to arrange counselling for a child or young person, it is best to talk to the individual counsellor. There is certainly no upper age limit – the changes that we experience with ageing mean that counselling can often be very helpful. By using one of our members you have the security of knowing that we have checked their qualifications and experience, they have insurance, and they are governed by our code of ethics. As a membership body, we cannot recommend a specific counsellor but by choosing a NCPS member you can be assured that they are insured and they agree to abide by the Society’s Code of Ethics. The team of people who work at the Society provide advice and support to all of our members but they are not able to offer counselling services. If you want to speak to a counsellor please contact one of our members who are all qualified and experienced. You can also speak with your GP who can advise you. There are some different professional membership organisations in the UK. It is a good idea to check with any counsellor that they belong to a professional organisation. You can then check that organisation on the website and check that its members have professional insurance and abide by a code of ethics. Please contact the Society and we will check our membership files and be able to confirm this with you. There may be a simple explanation but if a counsellor is incorrectly claiming to be a member of the NCPS we will certainly address this. You can certainly ask your GP to see a counsellor. It may take some months before you can see an NHS counsellor. In urgent cases, your GP may be able to refer you to other mental health services. You may see a counsellor in all sorts of different settings. It may be in the offices of a charity, in a private consulting room or an NHS setting. Some private counsellors also work from home. The important thing is that you will meet in a quiet and private room where there will be no interruptions. Yes, it is important that you feel you can talk about things in complete confidence. Your counsellor will not talk about you with others – the only time your counsellor will break this confidentiality is if by not speaking to someone else it could cause significant harm to you, your counsellor or another person – for example, if your life is at risk. They will explain this when you first meet. Counsellors generally have a supervisor and they will likely talk to them about your case (without revealing your identity). This is to help the counsellor offer you the best possible service – a similar process to a doctor discussing your medical notes with a specialist. A counsellor will never offer to ‘cure’ you. A counsellor will help you understand your issues and provide a safe place where you can work through your feelings. Going through this process will help you to move forward. As you discuss your feelings and issues you may sometimes feel worse before you feel better – all sorts of emotions may surface that have been hidden. It is likely that when you first meet your counsellor they will ask you about any pre-existing medical conditions that you may have and also if you are taking any prescribed medication. They may ask you to check with your GP before you start counselling (unless of course, your GP has sent you for counselling). In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with your counsellor, you should discuss this with them (if you are comfortable doing this). We have an independent panel to which we refer any complaints to. Visit our [Complaints and Concerns](https://ncps.com/complaints) page for more details. People from all walks of life can seek counselling, regardless of their background. Counselling is there for anyone who is facing difficult times; experiencing issues and needing support or guidance; or needs to talk to an empathetic listener. If you are stressed, depressed, anxious or simply not feeling yourself emotionally, you may benefit from counselling. Counselling can help with a wide variety of issues and counsellors are trained to see you as a unique individual and acknowledge your specific needs. Anything said within the counselling relationship is confidential and counselling takes place in a relaxed non-judgemental atmosphere. ## Not found the answer you were looking for? Get in touch and a member of our team will be happy to help guide you. [Get in touch](https://ncps.com/contact) Please note that our Register is only for the practice of Counselling & Psychotherapy. Some Registrants listed may also offer other types of therapy, however we do not recognise or accredited these. Sometimes these are known as adjunctive therapies, and can include reiki, hypnotherapy, accupuncture, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, homeopathy, yoga etc. This is not an exhaustive list. They may belong to other Registers for this work - you can ask your therapist for more information. --- Find a counsellor # How can counselling help me? Counselling can help with all sorts of different issues. [Search for a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## What can counselling & psychotherapy help with? Counselling & psychotherapy are types of talking therapy that allow a person to talk about their feelings, needs and problems in a safe, structured, confidential setting. Counselling & psychotherapy can enhance the wellbeing of individuals diagnosed with medical conditions but should not take the place of medical treatment and advice. If you have been diagnosed with, or suspect you may have any condition normally considered appropriate for medical treatment, please speak to your doctor before starting therapy. Find out more about the issues therapy could help with below. Counselling will give you a safe space to talk about either a planned or a previous abortion in complete confidence. Your counsellor will not tell you what to do – they will give you the chance to talk through your thoughts and feelings. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Abuse means that you have experienced behaviour that is harmful to you. It may be in the past or in the present and can be physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Talking to a counsellor will help you to identify how this abuse is affecting you and help you feel positive about your life now and in the future. The confidential nature of counselling means you can safely talk about difficult events or relationships. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) If you are Addicted to certain behaviours or substances – it is likely that something that you originally did for enjoyment or to feel better now feels out of your control. It may affect all areas of your life in a negative way. Talking to a counsellor will be a first step towards identifying how to build coping skills to help you regain control of your life. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) There are many different changes in a young person’s life as they move from childhood to adulthood. From mood swings and frustration to all the pressures of social media – although adolescence is something everyone experiences – those experiences are different for everyone. You may not want to talk to your family or friends – and it can be very reassuring to talk to a counsellor to share your feelings. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) If you are an adopted child or adult you may have unresolved feelings about being adopted – you may want to talk about decisions you want to make to explore your past and plan for the future. If you are hoping to adopt a child – it can be helpful to have a third party you can talk to in confidence about any feelings or concerns that you have. There are certain legal restrictions regarding who can offer counselling in which adoption is a presenting issue, particularly where children are concerned. It is important to consult the guidance found [here](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adoption-support-agencies-introduction-to-registration/introduction-to-adoption-support-agencies). [Find a Counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Ageing is a natural transition that is likely to cause changes in a person’s life. People may find it difficult to adapt to their life once they retire from employment; some may face feelings of isolation and loneliness; changes in physical health and decreased mobility may also have an impact. Having someone to talk to and share feelings that you may not want to talk about with your partner or family can be very beneficial. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Many advances have been made in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and people can manage the condition, stay healthy and live longer lives. Counselling can be helpful if you want to talk in confidence with someone who can empathise with you and offer support. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) If you are aware that angry emotions and behaviours are having a negative effect on your life, and those around you, it can be helpful to talk about the causes, how you can identify them and how to manage situations where you experience excess anger. Some people ‘lash out’ verbally or physically and others suppress their anger and may not have the words to express their feelings. Talking to a therapist can help you realise that although anger is a normal emotion – if it is starting to negatively impact your life there are ways to help you ‘manage’ your anger. [find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Anxiety may occur in response to a particular situation, or may be a feeling, that seems to be there all the time. As well as feelings such as apprehension and worry – often experienced as ‘expecting the worst’ - you may also experience physical symptoms such as sleeplessness, ‘pounding’ heart, sweaty palms, and even panic attacks. Most people can relate to the anxiety experienced in an activity like ‘public speaking’ – but if anxiety seems to be there all the time it makes life feel very difficult. A therapist can help you identify the source of your anxiety and give you various skills to use to deal with anxiety as it occurs. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Whether it's in a work situation or in your personal life – some people find it difficult to express themselves and get their point of view across. There are all sorts of techniques and exercises that can help you learn how to be assertive and this will in turn increase your self-confidence and help to build your self esteem. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) The death of a loved one or the loss of anything that is significant in your life (a pet, a relationship, even a job) can result in a range of powerful and confusing feelings. You may feel lost and full of conflicting emotions – for example, anger, grief, or hopelessness. You may not want to talk with friends and family and there may be nobody to tell you what to expect and how to cope. Nobody can replace what you have lost but it can be very helpful to have a trained counsellor to talk to at such times. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Bullying can affect both children and adults and can make you feel alone and frightened. It may make you feel as if you are powerless and there is no solution. Social media can mean that the bullies can seem to follow you into the safety of your own home – it feels as if there is no escape. Therapy can allow you to talk about what is happening and get support in the current situation and skills to change the future. It is important that you speak to a trusted person who is experienced in dealing with bullying so you are not trying to cope alone while feeling vulnerable. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) A diagnosis of cancer will impact upon the patient and all those around them. Treatment can be arduous and a person is likely to feel afraid of just what the future holds. Physical changes such as hair and weight loss, weakness and debility can all impact a person’s emotional state. You may have lots of questions and are likely to want reassurance – in addition to advice from your medical practitioner, being able to speak with a knowledgeable and compassionate person such as a counsellor can be a great help throughout a difficult time. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) As a carer for a family member or a loved one, you may find yourself feeling unsupported and exhausted. You may feel angry and abandoned yourself at the same time as having to be strong and capable for the person you are caring for. Perhaps you are having to cope with issues about finances and benefits and perhaps have other dependents as well. By talking to a counsellor you can talk about you and your feelings and seek help in creating coping strategies to share the load. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Counselling can offer children and young people with social, emotional or behavioural concerns a safe space to help them move towards greater wellbeing. Counselling can also help children and young people to explore any issues arising at home, school, in their peer group and community. Any event or trauma that affects a family may also have an effect on a child and they may not understand or be able to express their feelings – a trained counsellor, preferably one on a specialist CYPT Accredited register, can work with them and offer support with a range of issues. You can find therapists that specialise in working with children and young people using the filters on [our directory](https://www.search-ncps.com) [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) We live in a multicultural society. Understanding how to negotiate cultural differences and customs can be easier with the support of a counsellor whose training has included issues of equality, diversity and inclusion. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Depression is an illness that can affect anybody, at any stage in their life. Some people become depressed as a reaction to a specific life event and others find that for no apparent reason a ‘low mood’ becomes something more pervasive. It is important to talk to your GP if you are feeling depressed and they can help you decide the best course of action. They may recommend a course of counselling – cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can also be helpful by giving you techniques to challenge your negative thought patterns. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) ‘Disability’ can mean different things to different people. Having the opportunity to talk with a counsellor about any difficult feelings that arise from any type of disability, can be a way of working through any unresolved issues. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) The breakdown and end of a relationship can be difficult and painful for all concerned. By the nature of the circumstances, the person you might normally turn to for support and help is not available. Talking to a counsellor either individually or as a couple can be helpful. To help with difficulties within your relationship and how best to move forward, it is best to choose a relationship therapist on a specialist register. You can find therapists that specialise in relationship therapy using the filters on [our directory](https://www.search-ncps.com) [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Eating disorders can cover a whole spectrum of behaviours relating to an individual’s relationship with food, for example anorexia and bulimia. The physical effects of eating disorders can be very harmful to an individual and in extreme cases may be fatal. Counselling can help with identifying the underlying issues that may be causing the issues – for example body image and the pressures of social media. A person may not know why they have an issue with eating and they may feel unable to help themselves. Counselling can offer emotional support and comfort on the journey to recovery. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Families will change and grow along with each individual family member. The behaviour of each family member may affect the whole family. Natural changes such as the birth of a new child, the illness or death of a family member and even something such as the ‘empty nest syndrome’ will affect the dynamic of the family group. Talking to a therapist can be helpful and some therapists are on a specialist relationship therapist register. They may be trained to work with families as a group and help all members understand how events that affect one can affect all. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) If you are experiencing difficulties with managing your finances, or find yourself falling into debt, it is likely to be helpful to talk to a counsellor. A specialist debt counsellor can provide specific help such as working out a plan to make changes and will be able to link you to different agencies that can offer support. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) If you are confused about your gender identity, sometimes called gender dysphoria, it may be helpful to speak to a specialist counsellor who has done additional training in transgender and sexual diversity issues. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Perhaps there is nothing really wrong with your life but you just feel generally unhappy and want to talk to someone about your feelings and maybe get help with making changes. The opportunity to talk with a therapist can give you a ‘sounding board’ to help you identify why you are feeling unhappy. The chance to reflect on yourself and your feelings can be a very useful exercise to help you acknowledge your achievements and talk about ideas and plans for the future. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Acute or chronic illness and the end of life will impact the individual concerned and their loved ones. Practical support from nurses and carers may be available and the hospice movement offers invaluable support. People may feel depressed, angry and confused (both the patient and those around them) and counselling gives the opportunity to explore these feelings. A person may want to ‘protect’ their loved ones and not talk about their feelings – counselling can provide a safe and non-judgemental space to talk. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Mindfulness practice is a way of learning how to identify your thoughts and control your mind. A therapist trained in this area will give you the techniques to help you do this and for many, it becomes a life-long practice that they do for themselves. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) If you cannot stop recurring, negative thoughts coming into your mind or you have to have to touch or count things or repeat the same action like washing your hands over and over, you may be diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Counselling can be helpful to identify the source of your anxieties and learn techniques to help you change your obsessive behaviours. If you speak to your GP, they may help by referring you to a counsellor and may prescribe medication. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Most people will use their own experience of childhood and the parenting that they received as a basis for parenting their children. Some people never have the opportunity to experience ‘good’ parenting. The experience of becoming a parent is often challenging and counselling can offer valuable support at this time. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) A phobia is an extreme fear that may seem irrational to others but is very real to the person who has the fear. In extreme situations, a phobia may have a negative impact on an individual and their family. Counselling can help you explore why you have the phobia and how you can take control of your feelings and reactions to the fear. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) After a serious traumatic event, people are likely to feel distressed and can experience symptoms for some time. It is common to feel anxious, angry, and emotional, and to have difficulty putting the event out of their mind. Some people develop a more severe condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. They may experience: Flashbacks and nightmares – they relive the event in their mind, again and again. Avoid thinking about it - by keeping busy and avoiding anything or anyone that reminds them of the event. Feeling ‘on guard’ – they stay alert all the time, can’t relax, feel anxious and can’t sleep. Physical symptoms – aches and pains, diarrhoea, irregular heartbeats, headaches, feelings of panic and fear, depression. Consulting a GP in the first instance is important. Therapy may help. For example, CBT can help a person to think differently about their memories and teach relaxation techniques. Eye movement desensitisation & reprocessing (EMDR) uses eye movements to help the brain process flashbacks and make sense of the traumatic experience. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Counselling can be helpful when there are difficulties relating to pregnancy. Difficulties in conception, difficulties during pregnancy and birth and in the period after the birth of a child can affect both the mother and other family members. Being able to talk to a counsellor in confidence may help with any of these issues. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Relationships, whether intimate or with family members and/or friends, are an important part of life. When there are problems or when relationships ‘break down’ it can be helpful to talk to a counsellor to help move forward. Some people find it difficult to form relationships with others and the ‘therapeutic relationship’ offered in counselling can be very helpful in such cases by providing a safe space in which to learn and practise relationship skills. To help with difficulties within your relationship and how best to move forward, it is best to choose a relationship therapist on a specialist register. You can find therapists that specialise in relationship therapy using the filters on [our directory](https://www.search-ncps.com) [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) People may self harm by taking tablets, cutting, burning, piercing or swallowing objects. It is more common in young people, women, gay and bisexual people. Some people self harm regularly - it can become almost an addiction. Talking to a therapist may be helpful to help you understand and explore your self harming behaviour. You should really see someone who has a lot of experience of helping people who self harm, and who knows about mental health problems. Your GP should be able to refer you. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Some people are more comfortable in same-sex relationships and some in opposite-sex relationships. This may change during a person’s life and can be very fluid, or it may be more fixed. It may be helpful to talk to a therapist if you want to explore your feelings about this. To help with difficulties relating specifically to sex, it is best to choose a psychosexual therapist using the filters on [our directory.](https://www.search-ncps.com) [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Shyness is a fairly common feeling - if it's mild, it doesn't really spoil life. A lot of people worry about meeting new people but once they are with them they can relax and enjoy the situation. If you have a social phobia, you get extremely anxious when you are with other people. A long-term social phobia may create other mental health issues such as depression or drug and alcohol abuse. Some people may develop agoraphobia and feel unable to leave the house. A therapist may be able to help by helping you with social skills training; or with a therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which can help you change the way you feel about yourself and other people. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Some counsellors, for example, those following a Jungian or Psychosynthesis approach, include a spiritual emphasis in their work. Pastoral counselling is also available for people following a particular religion. A spiritual dimension can also be found in 12-step programmes for alcohol and substance misuse, compassion-focused therapy and forgiveness therapy. Spirituality often becomes more important in times of emotional stress, physical and mental illness, loss, bereavement and end of life. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts and feel that you may harm yourself or want to take your own life it is important to tell someone and get help. If your thoughts around suicide are consuming, there are many options for keeping safe: - Talk to someone you trust and ask for help - Call 999 and ask for an ambulance - Go to your nearest A&E department - Talk to an advisor at the [Samaritans](http://www.samaritans.org/). If you are experiencing suicidal feelings and feel that **you may** harm yourself / take your own life you may want to phone and talk to an advisor at the [Samaritans](http://www.samaritans.org/). If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts but **do not** feel that you will take any action we advise that you contact your GP for further advice. For further information and/or advice about immediate help please go to the [NHS website here.](https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/help-for-suicidal-thoughts/) [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) If you have experienced any sort of dangerous or stressful event that made you feel both frightened and powerless, you may find that you feel unsafe and vulnerable and unable to cope with day-to-day life. Events such as major accidents, natural disasters or being the victim of a mugging or other violent attack may leave you feeling unable to cope. Even once any physical effects have healed you may still experience emotional and psychological trauma and not understand why you cannot ‘get over it’. Talking to a trained counsellor can help you to explore your feelings and help you to heal ‘on the inside’ as well as the outside. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) For a person to either directly experience or even witness a violent event will likely have an ongoing negative influence on their lives. They may feel fear, disbelief and anger (as well as any physical effects) and may find that they no longer feel confident about carrying on with life as before. People may want to protect their loved ones by reassuring them that ‘everything is ok’ and they may suppress their true feelings. Counselling can offer confidential support in coping with and recovering from such experiences. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Ready to find a counsellor you can trust? Whether you’re looking for support with personal challenges, professional stress, or long-term wellbeing, our Accredited Register helps you find a counsellor who is not only qualified, but also trustworthy and committed to your care. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Also in this section [### Search the Directory If you have decided to reach out and talk about what is on your mind, it is important to choose a therapist from an Accredited Register.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/search-the-directory) [### Types of Therapy There are many ways of practising counselling or psychotherapy and this can make it confusing to know how to choose an appropriate therapist.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/types-of-therapy) [### Specialist Therapists Directories Some areas of counselling require specialist support from therapists with additional additional qualifications.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/specialist-therapists-directories) [### Accredited Register Programme & Regulation When you choose a counsellor from an Accredited Register, you have the assurance that the counsellor has met the high standards required to be listed on the Register.](https://ncps.com/about-us/accredited-register-programme-regulation) --- Find a counsellor # Find an Accredited counsellor you can trust If you have decided to reach out and talk about what is on your mind, it is important to choose a therapist from an Accredited Register. [Search for a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Our therapist directory lists thousands of therapists who practise all over the UK as well as online. For your peace of mind, all our therapists on the Register are qualified, supervised, insured and subject to a Code of Ethics and Complaints Policy. [Use our directory](https://www.search-ncps.com) to search for a therapist by name, location or specialism to find support today. ## Need more information? Taking the first step towards counselling can feel daunting, and it’s natural to have questions before you begin. We’re happy to support you with guidance and information so you can move forward with confidence. [### How Can Counselling Help Me? Counselling can help with all sorts of different issues.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/how-can-counselling-help-me) [### Types of Therapy There are many ways of practising counselling or psychotherapy and this can make it confusing to know how to choose an appropriate therapist.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/types-of-therapy) [### Specialist Therapists Directories Some areas of counselling require specialist support from therapists with additional additional qualifications.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/specialist-therapists-directories) ## Our Accredited Register Members of the public are encouraged to choose a practitioner who belongs to an Accredited Register. Our Accredited Register is recognised by the [Professional Standards Authority](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/accredited-registers)to ensure that the public are able to choose safe, ethical and competent professionals when looking for support. [Learn more](https://ncps.com/about-us/accredited-register-programme-regulation) ## Types of Registrants The Society allows Registrants to progress through different types of membership depending upon qualifications and experience, but all Registrants have met the Society’s standards for practice. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Accredited Registrant MNCPS (Acc.) A counsellor who has met the standards to belong to the Society's Accredited Register. ## Accredited Professional Registrant PNCPS (Acc.) A counsellor who has met the standard for registration and demonstrated substantial post-training professional development. ## Senior Accredited Registrant SNCPS (Acc.) A counsellor who has met the standards for Accredited Professional Registrant membership, and has also gained significant further professional development. ## FAQs about counselling & psychotherapy Here are some of the questions that you may have about how counselling & psychotherapy work. If you have specific questions, the best person to answer them is a counsellor from our [directory](https://www.search-ncps.com). All our counsellors should treat you as an individual and will certainly be aware of and respect people’s differences, for example, those related to age, sex, sexuality, disability, race and so on. This will depend on you. Some types of counselling such as CBT or solution-focused therapy are often six to eight sessions. Whereas psychodynamic counselling will tend to be for a lot more sessions. This is something that you will discuss with your counsellor when you first meet and many counsellors will agree on a set number of sessions with you which they will review with you. An individual counselling session will usually take 50 to 60 minutes and your counsellor will make this clear to you at your first meeting. This is something that you will decide with your counsellor. People often see their counsellor once a week but this is flexible. For example, you may meet once a week at first and then decide together that you want to meet more or less frequently depending on how you feel. If you are seeing a private counsellor, this is something that they will discuss with you when you first contact them. You will usually pay for each session as you go. Depending on the area of the country you are in prices vary. Some private counsellors may offer discounts to those on a low income. Counselling can be paid for by the NHS. If you want to be referred to an NHS counsellor, you should speak to your own GP (there may be long waiting lists for this service). There are also a lot of charities that offer low-cost or free counselling. In this case, you can look in your local telephone directory – ask your GP or research on the internet. Your counsellor will explain such things as their policy on late or missed appointments. It is possible that you will feel quite worried about meeting your counsellor for the first time. But don’t, they will understand this and do their best to put you at ease. At the first session, your counsellor will tell you all about the practical information you need to know and of course, you will be able to tell them about your own goals for having the counselling. They will give you the guidelines about: - how many sessions you will have; - what type of therapy they use; - how much it will cost; - what happens if you miss a session; and - if you can contact them between sessions. You will also have the opportunity to ask them about things like their experience and most importantly, decide if you will feel comfortable working with them For most people talking to a friend means talking to someone who knows us well – they will tend to either agree with everything we say or criticise us. They may have their own issues that influence what they will say and, even worse, may talk about the whole thing to someone else. On the other hand, when you see a counsellor everything you discuss will be in absolute confidence. Your counsellor has to keep to a code of ethics which means they will consider your safety and wellbeing at all times. Your counsellor will have both training and experience to make sure they are acting in your best interests. The relationship between counsellor and client is a very important part of counselling – often referred to as the ‘therapeutic relationship’. You do not have to keep going but rather than just disappear, tell your counsellor what you are feeling as that might be a really helpful thing for you to discuss. Perhaps they remind you of someone? If you talk about it you will be able to understand why you don’t like them. Or it may simply be that they are not the right counsellor for you –if you discuss it they may be able to refer you to someone you feel more comfortable with. If you are seeing a private counsellor, you can of course choose the person you want to see but it is likely that if you see a counsellor through the NHS or any other organisation, they will choose the counsellor for you. You may want to get a friend to go with you to the place you are meeting the counsellor and then ask them to meet you afterwards. Talk about this with the counsellor. It is better not to have another person you know in the room as that may get in the way of you talking honestly about your feelings. Anyone over the age of 18 can choose to see a counsellor. If you are under 18, you may need the permission of your parent or guardian and you should talk to your counsellor about this. If you are a parent or guardian wanting to arrange counselling for a child or young person, it is best to talk to the individual counsellor. There is certainly no upper age limit – the changes that we experience with ageing mean that counselling can often be very helpful. By using one of our members you have the security of knowing that we have checked their qualifications and experience, they have insurance, and they are governed by our code of ethics. As a membership body, we cannot recommend a specific counsellor but by choosing an NCPS member you can be assured that they are insured and they agree to abide by the Society’s Code of Ethics. The team of people who work at the Society provide advice and support to all of our members but they are not able to offer counselling services. If you want to speak to a counsellor please contact one of our members who are all qualified and experienced. You can also speak with your GP who can advise you. There are some different professional membership organisations in the UK. It is a good idea to check with any counsellor that they belong to a professional organisation. You can then check that organisation on the website and check that its members have professional insurance and abide by a code of ethics. Please contact the Society and we will check our membership files and be able to confirm this with you. There may be a simple explanation but if a counsellor is incorrectly claiming to be a member of the NCPS we will certainly address this. You can certainly ask your GP to see a counsellor. It may take some months before you can see an NHS counsellor. In urgent cases, your GP may be able to refer you to other mental health services. You may see a counsellor in all sorts of different settings. It may be in the offices of a charity, in a private consulting room or an NHS setting. Some private counsellors also work from home. The important thing is that you will meet in a quiet and private room where there will be no interruptions. Yes, it is important that you feel you can talk about things in complete confidence. Your counsellor will not talk about you with others – the only time your counsellor will break this confidentiality is if by not speaking to someone else it could cause significant harm to you, your counsellor or another person – for example, if your life is at risk. They will explain this when you first meet. Counsellors generally have a supervisor and they will likely talk to them about your case (without revealing your identity). This is to help the counsellor offer you the best possible service – a similar process to a doctor discussing your medical notes with a specialist. A counsellor will never offer to ‘cure’ you. A counsellor will help you understand your issues and provide a safe place where you can work through your feelings. Going through this process will help you to move forward. As you discuss your feelings and issues you may sometimes feel worse before you feel better – all sorts of emotions may surface that have been hidden. It is likely that when you first meet your counsellor they will ask you about any pre-existing medical conditions that you may have and also if you are taking any prescribed medication. They may ask you to check with your GP before you start counselling (unless of course, your GP has sent you for counselling). In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with your counsellor, you should discuss this with them (if you are comfortable doing this). We have an independent panel to which we refer any complaints to. Visit our [Complaints and Concerns](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure)page for more details. People from all walks of life can seek counselling, regardless of their background. Counselling is there for anyone who is facing difficult times; experiencing issues and needing support or guidance; or needs to talk to an empathetic listener. If you are stressed, depressed, anxious or simply not feeling yourself emotionally, you may benefit from counselling. Counselling can help with a wide variety of issues and counsellors are trained to see you as a unique individual and acknowledge your specific needs. Anything said within the counselling relationship is confidential and counselling takes place in a relaxed non-judgemental atmosphere. ## Not found what you are looking for? Get in touch with a member of our team who will be happy to guide you. [Contact Us](https://ncps.com/contact) Please note that our Register is only for the practice of counselling & psychotherapy. Some Registrants listed may also offer other types of therapy, however we do not recognise or accredit these. Sometimes these are known as adjunctive therapies, and can include reiki, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, homeopathy, yoga etc. This is not an exhaustive list. They may belong to other Registers for this work - you can ask your therapist for more information. --- Find a counsellor # Specialist Therapists Directories Some areas of counselling require specialist support from therapists with additional qualifications [Search our Specialist Registers](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Our Specialist Accredited Registers Use the filters on our directory to find counsellors & psychotherapists who are qualified in these specialist areas. [Specialist Accredited Register ## Counselling Children and Young People Find a qualified therapist who has met the standards for our Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register as well as our Specialist Accredited Register for Children & Young People's Therapists. Therapists on our Specialist Register have demonstrated competencies to work specifically with Children & Young people. Search our directory](https://www.search-ncps.com) [Specialist Accredited Register ## Relationship counselling Find a qualified therapist who has met the standards for our Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register as well as completed specialist training in order to work as a Relationship Therapist. Search our directory](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Our Specialist Registers [Specialist Register ## Coaching Find a qualified therapist who has met the standards for our Counselling & Psychotherapy Accredited Register as well as completing additional training to provide coaching. Search our directory](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Also in this section [### Search the Directory If you have decided to reach out and talk about what is on your mind, it is important to choose a therapist from an Accredited Register.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/search-the-directory) [### How Can Counselling Help Me? Counselling can help with all sorts of different issues.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/how-can-counselling-help-me) [### Types of Therapy There are many ways of practising counselling or psychotherapy and this can make it confusing to know how to choose an appropriate therapist.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/types-of-therapy) --- Find a counsellor # Counselling for Children & Young People Counselling Children & Young People require therapists to consider a different set of skills and knowledge to that of counselling adults, and should be seen as a specialisation with additional safeguarding and training. [Search our directory](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Support for Children & Young People (CYP) Our Children & Young People's Therapist (CYPT) Accredited Register, a specialist register that sits in addition to our main Accredited Register for counsellors and psychotherapists, recognises this, and gives those skilled and experienced in working with children and young people the opportunity to demonstrate their specialisation in this area. Why is it important to choose a qualified Children & Young People's Therapist? - Most mental health problems start early in life; 50% of mental health problems are established by age 14, and 75% by age 24. Early intervention with a trained, experienced counsellor is key to mitigating some of these risks. - Therapy for children isn’t just adult therapy delivered to smaller people. Qualified CYP therapists are trained in how children develop emotionally, socially, and cognitively, and tailor their work accordingly. - The therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes in therapy. But with children and young people, that relationship often depends on building trust over time, working creatively, and understanding the child’s world, including school, family, and peer contexts. Qualified CYP therapists are trained specifically in how to build these kinds of relationships in age-appropriate ways. - Effective CYP therapy often requires thoughtful involvement of parents, carers, and sometimes schools or social work staff. A qualified CYP therapist knows how to balance confidentiality with safeguarding, engage parents without undermining the child’s autonomy, and work within complex family or systemic dynamics, all without losing the focus on the child’s voice. - While many approaches can be effective, the flexibility and responsiveness of the therapist (adapting methods to the unique needs and preferences of the young person) is an important part of CYP therapy. Qualified CYP therapists are trained to use different approaches, but with the ability to adapt these flexibly for a developing brain and emotional system. [*https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/children-young-people-statistics*](https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/children-young-people-statistics) Are You a Counsellor Working with Children & Young People? **Join our Specialist Accredited Register** Our Specialist Accredited Register for Children & Young People's therapists recognises practitioners with specific training and experience in working with children & young people. By joining, you’ll demonstrate your commitment to safe, ethical, and effective practice. You will also be listed on our Specialist Accredited Register meaning those seeking support for children & young people can easily connect with you. In order to be on the CYPT Accredited Register applicants must already be on our main Accredited Register, and evidence that they have the skills and competencies to work with children & young people. You can easily apply to join our CYPT Register, simply [login to your Member Portal](https://www.member-ncps.com) and start an application. [Join us](https://www.member-ncps.com) --- Find a Counsellor # Types Of Therapy There are many ways of practising counselling or psychotherapy and this can make it confusing to know how to choose an appropriate therapist. [Search for a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## What are the different types of therapy? Research shows the relationship you build with your therapist is often more important for positive outcomes than the specific approach they use. Feeling safe, respected, and positively challenged can make all the difference in how helpful counselling is for you. That said, it can be useful to understand the different approaches therapists may draw on. Some styles encourage you to lead the conversation and build on your own strengths, while others are more structured and may include techniques or exercises to try between sessions. Below is a list of counselling approaches with brief descriptions. There are other types of counselling, so if you need any more information please contact us. Behavioural therapy is based on the theory that you can ‘unlearn’ learnt behaviour or change that behaviour, without focusing on the reason behind the original behaviour. People with compulsive and obsessive disorders, fears, phobias and addictions may benefit from this type of therapy. Originally, behaviour therapy and cognitive therapies were distinct from each other. They have tended to be combined to produce what is now known as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy or CBT. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Therapy for children and young people aims to provide support with social, emotional or behavioural concerns. Children and Young People's Therapists (CYPT) have specialist knowledge, skills and training to work with this client group. It is advisable to choose one on a specialist CYPT Accredited Register. You can search specifically for CYPT using using the NCPS directory [here](https://www.search-ncps.com). [Find a Children and Young People's Therapists](https://www.search-ncps.com) This is an example of an Integrative approach. It is a short term, structured and directive therapy which explores the client’s language and thinking, and also the link between historical, cultural and social factors on how they function. It then encourages the client to develop the skills to change destructive patterns of behaviour and negative ways of thinking and acting. It was devised to fit NHS needs for short term treatment of a variety of problems. It requires specialist training. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) CBT has become very well known as a treatment of choice within the NHS for symptoms of anxiety and depression. It seeks to change distressing behaviour relatively quickly by challenging unhelpful thoughts and beliefs and teaching the client to use coping strategies in the future. It aims to be ‘scientific’ by assessing and measuring change and does not prioritise finding original causes or exploring hidden potential. People with compulsive and obsessive disorders, fears, phobias and addictions tend to benefit from this type of therapy. Cognitive-behavioural therapists believe that while it is important to have a good, trusting relationship, that is not enough in itself. A willingness to do homework tasks in between sessions is considered very important. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Cognitive therapy is based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviours, not external things, like people, situations, and events. Originally, behaviour therapy and cognitive therapies were distinct from each other. They have tended to be combined to produce what is now known as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy or CBT. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) EFT approaches healing from the belief that emotions are strongly linked to identity. Emotions are seen as guiding us in defining preferences and making decisions on a daily basis. EFT assumes that lack of emotional awareness is harmful, avoiding your emotions can lead to negative outcomes in your life and that over time, ignoring or avoiding your emotional response may alter your ability to process emotions later on. A therapist trained in emotion-focused therapy can help you to gain awareness of your emotions and understand them. EFT is a component of Person-Centred Experiential Therapy (PCET) for Depression (PCET CfD). [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Existential therapy is based upon the fundamental belief that all people experience intrapsychic conflict due to their interaction with certain conditions inherent in human existence, which are known as givens. The theories recognise at least four primary existential givens: Freedom and associated responsibility; Death; Isolation; Meaninglessness. Confrontation with any of these 'givens' can fill an individual with a type of dread commonly referred to as existential anxiety. This anxiety is thought to reduce a person’s physical, psychological, social, and spiritual awareness, which may lead to significant long-term consequences. Many clients find that being helped to face their anxieties and negative thoughts, and realising that these are part of being human, enables them to move forward in life and deal with life’s problems in their own way. Helping the client focus on personal responsibility for making decisions, the therapist may integrate some humanistic approaches and techniques. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Family therapy explores family relationships. It has some similarities with Relationship therapy and works by looking in particular at the family as a whole, rather than working with a single person in the family unit. The focus is on how families interact together and the therapist's aim is to involve the whole family in finding positive solutions. It requires specialist training. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Gestalt therapy is one of the therapies which belong within the Humanistic approach. It places a lot of emphasis on helping the client understand their non-verbal and body language, here-and-now behaviour and potential for positive change. The client will be encouraged, and sometimes challenged, to accept responsibility for their actions, decisions and feelings. It is likely to be suited to people who are willing to try to do this. Modern Gestalt therapy is not, however, necessarily a ‘confrontational’ approach. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) The Humanistic approach to therapy, which is based on humanistic-existential psychology, includes amongst others Person-Centred Experiential therapy, Gestalt therapy and Transactional Analysis. It emphasises human beings’ potential for growth and positive development. It views the problems clients bring to counselling as the result of unmet needs and blocked emotions rather than as being due to unconscious conflicts or faulty thinking. It provides an important alternative perspective to the ‘medical model’ which sees problems as symptoms of ‘mental illness’. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Hypnotherapy uses the technique of hypnosis to induce a deep state of relaxation during which the unconscious mind is highly receptive to new ideas. Accessing this part of the mind through hypnosis can help to change behaviour, attitudes and emotions, as well as manage pain, anxiety, stress-related illnesses and bad habits, including promoting personal development. To find out more, visit our partner organisation the [National Hypnotherapy Society](https://nationalhypnotherapysociety.org/). [Learn more](https://nationalhypnotherapysociety.org/) Many counsellors describe themselves as ‘Integrative’. This means that rather than specialising in one traditional approach, they seek to combine aspects of different approaches into a recognised integrative approach to provide the most effective way of working. Many counsellors describe what they do as integrative without following a specific integrative model. They should nevertheless be able to explain clearly to you how you will work together and what you can expect. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Internal Family Systems therapy is a gentle yet powerful practice guided by the wisdom of your internal system. You will come to know the multiple parts of your mind and learn about the valuable qualities that each contains. You’ll be able to help parts which are causing conflict or feeling unhappy and find and heal parts which have been wounded and suppressed. This evidence-based method can bring transformation and healing to your entire system. Please note: IFS training alone would not meet current criteria for the Accredited Register. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) This is an example of an Integrative approach devised by psychologist Arnold Lazarus and originating in behaviour therapy. This approach uses broader techniques by looking at how the client functions overall in many areas of their life. The therapist is specifically trained to choose techniques most likely to be helpful and these are likely to include assertiveness training, anxiety management and visualisation. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) tends to be used as part of an overall therapeutic approach. NLP training alone would not meet current criteria for the NCPS Accredited Register. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Person-centred counselling is an important example of the Humanistic approach to therapy. Founded in the 1940s by the American psychologist Carl Rogers, it emphasises that, provided their essential needs are met, a person can reach their full potential, a process known as ‘self-actualisation’. This process, Rogers believed, can be facilitated by therapy, provided that what he termed ‘necessary and sufficient conditions’ are met. A person-centred therapist will work in a non-directive way and seek to provide: - unconditional positive regard (UPR) – accepting and valuing the client. - congruence - being honest and genuine in their responses. - empathic understanding – trying to understand the client’s perspective and experience, and communicating this understanding. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) PCET for Depression (PCET CfD) is a NICE-approved treatment offered within NHS Talking Therapies. It integrates elements of emotion-focused therapy with person-centred counselling. It is limited to 20 sessions and requires specialist training. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Talking therapy has a history of disagreements between therapists about which theoretical approach, or combination of approaches, is 'the best'. A pluralistic perspective is about valuing the full diversity of the many different approaches to counselling and psychotherapy, and not assuming that any one of them is best for all clients. Based on the person-centred approach, it also emphasises the value of really listening to the client about what they want and need from therapy, and trying to tailor the therapy as much as possible to what they need. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Psychoanalysis originated with the work of Sigmund Freud, from which many different theories and ways of working have developed. It deals with the exploration of the unconscious mind, and requires a long specialist training. The analyst can make you aware of unconscious patterns so you can change them. Your relationship with the analyst is important as it can highlight your patterns of behaviour within relationships generally. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Psychodynamic counselling developed from psychoanalysis. It focuses on the unconscious mind and past experiences and explores their influence on current behaviour. You will be encouraged to talk about childhood relationships with parents and other significant people. As part of the therapy you may transfer and pass on deep feelings about yourself, your parents and others to the therapist. Although psychodynamic counselling can be practised in a short series of sessions, it is more usual for it to be a relatively lengthy process. It is likely to appeal to people who are interested in exploring their own unconscious processes and who can accept that the changes they are seeking may take time to achieve. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Psychosexual and Relationship Therapists are Relationship Therapists who have undertaken further specialist training to equip them to work specifically with a range of sexual difficulties, both physiological and psychological, as well as relationship problems arising from sexual issues. NCPS registrants, when working with the specific modality of Psychosexual and Relationship Therapies will only do so with adult clients. Psychosexual and Relationship Therapies are strictly talk-based therapies that do not involve physical touch and do not entail any medical procedures or examinations. It is best to choose a psychosexual therapist on a specialist register. Psychosexual Therapy is only available to clients over the age of 18. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Relationship Therapists (RT) work with clients to find a way through difficulties they may be facing in their intimate/personal relationship/s. They work primarily with adult couples, though may also see individuals, families, and young adults. The focus is on interpersonal as well as intrapersonal issues. Working with more than one client in the consulting room requires the ability to work with the dynamics of clients’ relationships with each other. Issues of contracting and confidentiality may be more complex than with individual work. Practitioners need to have undergone specialist training. NCPS registrants, when working with the specific modality of Relationship Therapy will only do so with adult clients. Relationship Therapy is strictly a talk-based therapy that does not involve physical touch and does not entail any medical procedures or examinations. It is best to choose a Relationship Therapist on a specialist Accredited Register. You can use the NCPS therapist directory to search specifically for a Relationship Therapist [here](https://www.search-ncps.com). [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) This kind of therapy, an example of Brief or Time-limited therapy, focuses on a particular issue and promotes positive change, rather than dwelling on the issue or past problems. You are encouraged to focus positively on what you do well, your strengths and resources and to set goals to achieve the changes you want to make. It is likely to appeal to people who prefer a highly practical, goal-oriented approach to problem solving. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) Transactional Analysis, though rooted in psychoanalysis, is often considered to belong within the Humanistic approach to therapy. It was devised and made popular by the psychologist Eric Berne. It offers particular models and ways of understanding clients and the problems they bring to therapy, including the analysis of interactions between people in terms of the 3 ‘ego states’ of Parent, Adult and Child. Many therapists and clients find this valuable. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Ready to find a counsellor you can trust? Whether you’re looking for support with personal challenges, professional stress, or long-term wellbeing, our Accredited Register helps you find a counsellor who is not only qualified, but also trustworthy and committed to your care. [Find a counsellor](https://www.search-ncps.com) ## Also in the section [### Search the Directory If you have decided to reach out and talk about what is on your mind, it is important to choose a therapist from an Accredited Register.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/search-the-directory) [### How Can Counselling Help Me? Counselling can help with all sorts of different issues.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/how-can-counselling-help-me) [### Specialist Therapists Directories Some areas of counselling require specialist support from therapists with additional additional qualifications.](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/specialist-therapists-directories) --- # Important News **Please see an update below from the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB).** The Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB) has published its first shared dataset that helps to map the demographic profile of the profession. [The data](https://www.pcpb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/PCPB-EDI-data-2025.pdf) provides a clearer picture of who currently makes up counsellors and psychotherapists and will help inform how we collectively support greater equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across the profession. The data shows that the members and registrants of PCPB partners are primarily: - aged between 45 and 64 - white - female - heterosexual - do not consider themselves to have a disability. Independent PCPB chair Paul Buckley said, ‘This is the first time in the history of the counselling and psychotherapy profession that data across the six PCPB partner organisations has been published. ‘This important milestone is part of PCPB’s plans to support greater diversity across the profession and better access to trained counsellors and psychotherapists for potential clients and patients from all backgrounds. ‘More comprehensive data, including additional protected characteristics, will be published in future years as partners further align their systems and approach, but the data we are publishing today will, among other things, inform the work of the independent Commission on the future of the profession.’ [**View the full dataset**](https://www.pcpb.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/PCPB-EDI-data-2025.pdf) ### **Why has PCPB created a shared dataset?** This initiative stems from the 2022 SCoPEd framework impact assessment, where partners agreed to compile a unified demographic dataset of therapists registered with PCPB partners, with the aim of better understanding the profession. Understanding who makes up the counselling and psychotherapy workforce is vital to promoting EDI. Collecting and analysing this data allows us to identify where under or over representation exists, track progress over time and take informed action to make our profession more inclusive and representative of the communities our members serve. Having this data will help to measure and track success in this area and highlight any significant areas for development. Capturing diversity data offers a window into understanding who we represent as a partnership and how things are changing. ### **What data has been collected?** Each PCPB partner has contributed anonymised, aggregated data from its own membership. This combined dataset includes information across five protected characteristics – age, disability, gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation. These five were selected as they are the areas where all partners currently collect comparable data. In future years the partners aim to extend this work to include additional protected characteristics and further align data collection methods. The Equality Act 2010 identifies nine protected characteristics that are covered by legislation. They are: - age - disability - gender reassignment - marriage and civil partnership - pregnancy and maternity - race - religion and belief - sex - sexual orientation. The partners will also make sure data captured in relation to sex and gender aligns with the Supreme Court ruling in April 2025 on the term ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 referring to biological sex. ### **How has data been collected?** Each partner has gathered demographic data relating to its own membership. While the timing of data collection and the exact wording of questions varied slightly, partners have worked together to ensure the combined dataset aligns closely with Office for National Statistics (ONS) reporting. ### **How will the data be used?** An anonymised, aggregated dataset has been published on the PCPB website and will be updated over time. The data is benchmarked against ONS Census figures to help understand how representative our profession is of the wider UK population. The PCPB partners will use these insights to identify areas of under and/or over representation and work collectively to discuss and agree on actions that support a more collectively diverse and inclusive profession. **Please see an update below from the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB).** The Society is delighted to be playing a leading role in the new Commission on the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy, which is being launched by the PCPB. We’re excited to play an active part in shaping its direction, helping to organise, and ensuring that the voices of our members and clients are heard throughout. We’re also looking forward to seeing how the Commission sets out its vision for the future of our profession, and to sharing its outcomes with our members. *We are immensely proud that NCPS is playing such a central role in bringing this Commission together at a pivotal moment for counselling & psychotherapy. This is a unique opportunity for our profession to come together, reflect on where we are, and shape where we want to go. The Commission gives us the chance to set out a clear vision for the future: one that honours the diversity and depth of our practice, while ensuring that counselling & psychotherapy are recognised as essential to the nation’s wellbeing.* *- Jyles Robillard-Day, CEO* *The Commission is a significant undertaking, and will guide how we (professional bodies and our members) work collectively towards a stronger future for counselling & psychotherapy. It will help us identify the key challenges and opportunities that lie ahead; from regulation, to technology, to workforce planning, and, importantly, will ensure that our voice is heard clearly by policymakers. We’ll be making sure your experiences and insights feed into the process at every stage, so that the realities of practice on the ground shape the solutions we take forward.* *- Meg Moss, Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy* **Please see below the update from the PCPB: Commission for the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy** We’re delighted to announce that the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB) have established an independently chaired Commission for the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy. The commission will examine the current and future landscape of the professions and the key issues affecting the sector, professionals, services and clients, drawing on expert and lived experience, alongside input from the wider PCPB memberships. This comes at a critical time for the sector, following a change in government, a large turnover of Members of Parliament and the opportunity to influence the priorities of the Labour Government, including the delivery of the NHS 10 Year Plan and commitments to grow the mental health workforce in education, community and health settings. Next year will also see significant parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales. It also comes at a time when we’re seeing an increase in scrutiny in the regulatory landscape for counselling and psychotherapy. The Commission will be independently chaired by Phil Hope, former Minister of State for Care Services and it will bring together counselling and psychotherapy professional bodies, key providers and clinical experts, decision-makers and those with lived experience, to explore and discuss: Counselling and psychotherapy, the state of the sector: Setting the scope for the Commission. Participants will reflect on the current professional and policy context, as well as the barriers and opportunities around commissioning of counselling and psychotherapy. Counselling and psychotherapy, is there a case for statutory regulation? Commissioners and experts will review the adequacy of the current regulatory mechanisms for the professions in protecting clients and explore alternative models and the underpinning principles of statutory enhancement. Counselling and psychotherapy, the evidence base: Academics and researchers will present the strength of current research and evidence for counselling and psychotherapy. Followed by a discussion on the gaps and priority areas for more and new research to strengthen the case for investment and wider commissioning. Counselling and psychotherapy, the future for the professions: The Commission will consider the key issues facing the professions over the next decade including the emergence of new technologies, counselling and psychotherapy in the global context and our shared vision for the future of the sector. An open call for evidence in early 2026 will also seek vital views and input from the PCPB partners’ members and registrants and others who wish to contribute to the process. The Commission’s findings and recommendations will support and shape the direction of future collaborative work between the PCPB and engagement with policymakers and commissioners of services on behalf of the profession and for the benefit of clients. **How will the commission work?** We’ll be hosting structured, thematic roundtables enabling evidence-led, solution-focused discussions. Four sessions will focus on the profession UK-wide, and we’ll also be holding dedicated sessions for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The roundtables will be held between October 2025 and July 2026, with the first one taking place on 16 October 2025. The second session will be held online later this year and the others in the first half of 2026. Key providers and clinical experts, decision-makers, practitioners and people with lived experience will be invited to speak at each of the events. A summary of the discussions will be published following each of the roundtables and the evidence gathered will form part of a report and recommendations that the Commission will publish in summer 2026. The report will also be informed through a call for evidence, which will open in January 2026 for approximately eight weeks. Further details will be published in due course. Phil Hope, the former Minister of State for Care Services who is chairing our Commission, stated, *‘I’m delighted to Chair the Commission on the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy and be part of this historic collaborative endeavour for the professions. The health and social care landscape is currently undergoing major changes and this is a pivotal time for the future of counselling and psychotherapy.* *‘The Commission is a vital opportunity to bring together voices and insights from across the sector alongside other key experts and those with lived experience to address the challenges facing the professions across the UK, identify opportunities to place counselling and psychotherapy at the heart of the task to improve the nation’s mental health with all the benefits that brings and to shape a shared vision for the long term future.’* **Further details of the Commission are available on pcpb.org.uk** **FAQs will be published on commission webpage on PCPB.org.uk** **Can I attend the roundtables?** The roundtables are by invitation only. We will be publishing summaries from each of the discussions. These will be made available on the PCPB website. **Are the roundtables online or in-person?** The roundtables are a mixture of online and in-person sessions. There will be four in total, followed by individual dedicated sessions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. **How do I submit evidence?** Members and registrants of the PCPB partners will be able to contribute to this important piece of work. This information will be used to inform the final report and recommendations, alongside the evidence given at the Commission sessions. You’ll be invited to submit evidence from January 2026, for a period of eight weeks. We’ll be providing full details on how to do this in due course. **Will I be able to submit evidence if I’m not a member or registrant of a PCPB partner?** Anyone with an interest in the Commission’s work will be able to contribute through the open call for evidence. We’ll publish more information about this closer to the launch of the call for evidence (January 2026) and would particularly welcome responses from people with lived experience and other members of the public, as well as from practitioners, services and organisations. **Who are the commissioners/independent chairs?** The commissioners will include nominated representatives from each of the PCPB partners, alongside academics, key providers and clinical experts, decision-makers, practitioners and people with lived experience. Additional subject matter experts will be invited based on the theme of each session. The partners’ nominated representatives are: Dr Heather Churchill, Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC) Dr Lynne Gabriel, President, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Lee Smith, Chair, British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) Graeme Layzell, Director, Human Givens Institute (HGI) Lindsay Cooper, National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) Pippa Donovan, Chair, United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) **Who/how the commissioners were decided upon?** The Commissioners were selected through discussions between the PCPB partner organisations, who reviewed a long list of potential candidates. Our aim is to bring together experts to cover each PCPB professional body, the broad sectors that our members and registrants are working in (health, education, academia, private practice, third sector etc.) as well as a spread across the UK to ensure a Commission which is representative of the diverse counselling and psychotherapy sector. The Commissioners also include experts from the wider mental health sector and people with lived experience of receiving counselling or psychotherapy. **How are you ensuring a diversity of views?** We have aimed to bring together experts to represent each PCPB professional body, the main sectors that our members and registrants are working in (health, education, academia, private practice, third sector etc.) as well as a spread across the UK to ensure a Commission which is representative of the diverse counselling and psychotherapy sector across the UK. The Commissioners also include experts from the wider mental health sector and people with lived experience of receiving counselling or psychotherapy. **What will you do with the report once its published?** The report will be available in the resources section of the PCPB website. The report and its recommendations will be shared with decision-makers and others who have an influence over the delivery and commissioning of counselling and psychotherapy across the UK. It’ll also be used to set the direction of PCPB’s shared policy work over the coming years. **I live/work in Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland. How is the Commission considering all areas of the UK and not just England?** Members and registrants of the PCPB partners live and work across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Commission will seek to reflect the different geographical contexts, commissioning arrangements and policies within its work and discussions. The Commission has appointed Commissioners from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In addition to the four themed sessions, the findings and recommendations of the report will be considered through a dedicated event in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure that the report fully reflects the differences within each nation. We’d also encourage members and registrants of PCPB partners across each nation to take part in our call for evidence in early 2026, ensuring it reflects the experiences of all the PCPB partners members and registrants. **Will other counselling and psychotherapy bodies be invited to take part/contribute to the report?** Anyone with an interest in the Commission’s work will be able to contribute through the open call for evidence. We’ll publish more information about this closer to its launch and would welcome responses from members and registrants, services, organisations and the public. **Will the Scotland, Wales and Northen Ireland roundtables be held after all the roundtables have taken place.** Yes, from our existing work in the nations, we expect many of the same themes to emerge, although we also want to capture the specific nuances from each nation. To achieve this, we have appointed Commissioners from each nation who will be involved throughout the whole process. In addition, we will hold single dedicated sessions in each nation after the four UK-wide roundtables to sense check our findings and ensure national differences are fully reflected in the final report and recommendations. **Will Scotland, Wales and Northen Ireland roundtables be individual ones per subject or will it just be one roundtable table for each nation which covers all the topics of the four England roundtables?** Each nation will have a single dedicated session. These will look at the full range of issues considered by the UK-wide roundtables and sense check our findings and explore the national differences which will need to be captured in the final report and recommendations. **Why have you chosen a former politician to Chair the Commission?** We’re delighted that Phil has agreed to be Chair of the Commission. We felt it was important that the Commission had a Chair that is independent of the PCPB. As a former Member of Parliament and Minister of State in the Department of Health, Phil brings a wealth of experience of the policy and political contexts the Commission will focus on and the final report will aim to influence. He also brings professional expertise as a coordinator of the Health Devolution Commission, which since 2020, has been a key force in helping to influence the landscape of the devolution of the NHS and its services as well as the wider health policy of successive governments. If you have any questions about the Commission, PCPB, or anything else, please get in touch with us via hello@ncps.com. Best wishes, The NCPS The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) has conducted a 2025 Member Survey, seeking insights on topics such as membership, practice, insights and the issues that are impacting our members more broadly. [The results can be found here.](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Member-Survey-Report-NCPS-2025.pdf) We are excited to announce a major milestone in our ongoing commitment to advancing professional standards in the counselling and psychotherapy profession. As part of our evolution, the partners who developed the Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework now have a new partnership name. We are also launching a new website designed to provide greater transparency and accessibility for all our stakeholders, along with an updated version of the SCoPEd framework. A new policy and strategic engagement group has also been established within the partnership to develop policies, foster strategic relationships and facilitate communication and collaboration with key stakeholders. **A new name for the partnership** The SCoPEd partnership has now been renamed to the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB). As collaborative working beyond the SCoPEd framework has started to emerge, the partnership has recognised the need for a name that reflects the collective work of the six partners, extending beyond the SCoPEd framework. This is particularly important as we plan for future strategies and initiatives. The SCoPEd framework itself will retain its title. **New website: A central hub for the PCPB** We are launching a website for the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy to provide greater visibility and transparency into our work for all our stakeholders, which includes partner members and registrants, clients, the public, training organisations and service commissioners. This platform will offer a central place for updates on the SCoPEd framework and future PCPB initiatives. Key benefits of the new website include: - Providing a central place for all information about the PCPB and the SCoPEd framework. - Providing updates from the partnership while linking to individual partner websites for specific member information. - A user-friendly platform that makes it easier for the public, clients, service users, registrants and members to engage with the partnership’s work. As PCPB initiatives continue to grow and evolve, the website will expand to reflect these developments and provide updates. Current collaborative initiatives are: - Updating the SCoPEd framework - Compiling a unified demographic data set of therapists registered with PCPB partners to better understand the profession - Engagement and advocacy for greater recognition and understanding of counselling and psychotherapy, including with government, the public and other stakeholders - NHS Pathways pilot: Five of the six PCPB partners (excluding HGI) are collaborating with NHS Talking Therapies to provide fully funded postgraduate psychotherapeutic training within NHS services - Creating guidance on working with sexual orientation and gender identity: Five of the six partners (excluding HGI) are working on this. This work is also being carried out with the Association of Child Psychotherapists. Visit our new website here: [PCPB.org.uk](https://u46079287.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.w3phbXi9oyWcFg-2BiWMOJxnxPORLxQFSvzEjeCxlzDEUFBY6zeAA781l2P0s9-2BYP6DqELX8Jmf5-2BaRXCrypmPOwD0O3mVKgmicRuFtbloN2TO-2FJROZXg2RlsPw2ink5XbYDhsbllL9rvlxDItbCuE21W6-2BdS6sdcC4LyUWh1o3ThgIiXQhQfytEz1IBkUF7-2F1cywsdgSZDwa8iZgOUbr-2F-2FNUnFwvi3FUqW7e8xc9Cqy0vkexdJ-2Bc2k82Zxxc0kv-2BAS-2Fz1R3MwCIxIJRKfU79bbcj2ar1XLadlQymVBMFZ1z5hg7pwHNEzxtC-2FeOy8hir-2BDhiqLnwPvnWsJAUVPb6xgRL2NCJUWTTaVzGNvJR-2BoFs6y8alUhgS4uf2qYv0xDoj2AGFet41yd8TBc4j8au76TVdqN-2FhVHrOLsqgR4AgiLODg0cpUA0Tcrh0j4jp91izneRMRmK3pJo3xVNZ2kw8madyXNFFc5u0MyNyY5rpMOwhFhOo9yhsbRPpX2EnRN7Vi8qEGTzIL0M2PVBAabPp45faKfIMOAiDQ-2BRK52PSqdU6SuqPmnCfDbe-2BNjxc85WjoQLwn-2FoL8QkWD6GAuMSJlGf0oVNI-2BqENj-2BO4Colt-2Bs-2BwyRXrMWdxzGJB7WkW4rZo0lhFgSrneH1fG3p10HotT39TEASWHmabakZAhAQK23vdoK2lcA6GkC1xeRv-2Fs2bTwwp2_yQ1cmgU5cV9tdY3-2BBiTdmuXFMTmvXSs6H9oHcDmpwx7RsHtp8jQUzmpVivZXAeEIDBlMW1HPKwPT4jZxrKPOn6PDlndM8glYjoUFTMoSgy-2FerE5YKiIahAY3Td-2FBwPf0RxzLfSOg-2B8TZw4vOKIE1rWqyni3GE5tCQc-2B5usteBPpVjgGwmg2Aqjhj8bSkKeo6KLZknkf4WZCq-2BxF9s7sUOLkK2BJvc-2Bg3O8TYeJM6wwefJBG5h0QNl310oHXCSOpDKrF8KQNe5A5CdrqcQC-2FVLoFEVWZ7N01po3V-2F-2F01ltMLLAgpTK5ZWl9CBAqVmdiC6Cv01yb6C6TwfmLpT96tnhX6RnGk-2B0u4noo-2B4YIAwE0E-3D) PCPB partners will also continue to communicate directly with their members or registrants through their respective communication channels. **Framework updates** Alongside our new partnership name we are pleased to introduce an updated version of the SCoPEd framework. While the updates are minor, they are significant in refining and improving how we support professionals in the field. Key updates include: - Revised membership categories: Following the adoption of the January 2022 framework, we’ve adjusted membership categories, along with specific timelines for transition during this period. - Competency amendments: We’ve revised the wording in competency 2.8 C to remove the term "high risk," in line with the latest research and NICE Guideline NG225. Evidence now shows that stratifying risk levels (low, medium, high) is ineffective in predicting future suicide or repetition of self-harm. - Governance changes: As highlighted in our February 2024 update, we’ve made key changes to the governance of the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies to ensure more effective management and oversight moving forward. It’s important to note that in the future, our framework will undergo a review process approximately every five years, based on consultation with stakeholders, input from experts in the field and the lived experiences of service users. The updated January 2022 framework (amended in 2025) and associated documents, including the methodology from January 2022, are available on our new website. [View the updated framework](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-Framework-January-2022-amended-2025_2025-04-15-123859-2.pdf) **Policy and strategic engagement group** A policy and strategic engagement group has been established to support the partnership in developing its policies and strategic relationships as we continue to collaborate. The group includes representatives from each of the partner organisations and will work closely with the partnership’s other governance groups, which includes the CEO Board, Delivery Board, Clinical Group and the Communications Group. **Looking ahead** Independent chair of the PCPB Paul Buckley said: “As a partnership, our focus is to ensure that the counselling and psychotherapy profession is better understood, valued, and trusted by clients, service users, patients, employers, commissioners and society as a whole. By working together, we can achieve this shared goal. “We are dedicated to addressing key issues such as equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the profession, with initiatives to enhance data collection and promote greater diversity across the sector. Furthermore, we are strengthening our collaboration with government bodies and the NHS to expand the recognition of counselling and psychotherapy in mental health services. “At the same time, we remain committed to assuring those seeking therapy do so by choosing a therapist who is a member of one of the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies, so that they can trust that strong systems that are in place to ensure public protection and support.” You can *view or download* the January 2022 version of the SCoPEd framework using the links below. [SCoPEd Framework January 2022 - (amended 2025)](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-Framework-January-2022-amended-2025_2025-04-15-123859-2.pdf) **Students enter the final year of landmark psychotherapeutic training** Students taking part in a landmark project which fully funds postgraduate psychotherapeutic training within NHS services have now started their third and final year. The three-year NHS Pathways project, launched by five of the SCoPEd partners in collaboration with NHS Talking Therapies, continues to deliver on its promise of providing fully funded postgraduate training in psychotherapeutic counselling within NHS services in England. **Expanding access and enhancing collaboration** Year two of the NHS Pathways project saw continued progress in delivering high-quality training to future therapists. The project, which began with the launch of three postgraduate courses in September 2022, has provided training in person-centred experiential counselling for depression, dynamic interpersonal therapy and couples therapy for depression to 46 students. Year one of the pilot delivered a foundational course and years two and three are a postgraduate diploma. The training offered through this pilot programme is aligned with the Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework and accredited by five of the six SCoPEd partners, with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) acting as the lead accrediting body. The five partners involved in the project are: - Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC) - British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) - British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) - National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) - UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) This significant initiative is not only about expanding the range of therapies available within the NHS, but also about fostering inclusivity and accessibility within the counselling and psychotherapy profession. By offering fully funded training, the project starts to break down financial barriers that have historically limited access to advanced qualifications. **Diversifying the workforce** By providing fully funded training pathways, the pilot programme hopes to make these fields more accessible to individuals from varied ethnic backgrounds who may have previously faced obstacles to entering psychotherapy and counselling training. The success of this pilot programme could pave the way for additional funded training pathways, reinforcing the SCoPEd partnership's collaboration with NHS decision-makers and expanding opportunities for affiliated training providers to support the growth of NHS services. **Quality assurance** A key element of the NHS Pathways project has been the establishment of a quality assurance committee, comprising members from across the five SCoPEd partners. The committee has played a vital role in overseeing accreditation, ensuring that standards are upheld and addressing any concerns that have arisen during the training process. As part of the year two assessment, in-person visits to each of the three training providers were carried out. The three courses must meet the National Curriculum for High Intensity Psychotherapeutic Counselling within NHS Talking Therapies requirements, the specific modality learning outcomes and SCoPEd framework column B standards. All three courses were found to meet these standards. **Looking ahead** The successful completion of year two takes the NHS Pathways project one step closer to achieving its long-term goals. These include not only improving the accessibility of psychotherapeutic training but also creating more pathways for funded training opportunities within the NHS. Paul Buckley, independent chair of the SCoPEd partners, said: ‘As we move into the third and final year of the pilot, the partners remain committed to supporting the professional development of future therapists, enhancing the diversity and inclusivity of the workforce and ultimately improving the range of therapeutic options available to patients and clients within the NHS. ‘Looking ahead, the pilot programme not only addresses these goals but promotes a wider array of therapeutic approaches beyond CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and enhanced patient choice. The project lays the groundwork for future initiatives to harness the opportunities arising from the growing demand for mental health services, the recent announcement of increased funding and the outcomes expected from the NHS 10-Year Plan. ‘We hope that the successes of the pilot project will ensure that the NHS rolls out further opportunities for funded training across the four nations. This would enable additional students to enter the NHS workforce and would allow different training organisations to pitch to provide the funded training.’ **About SCoPEd** The Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework is a shared standards framework, developed by six Professional Standards Authority accredited bodies, which represent approximately 75,000 counsellors and psychotherapists. It transparently sets out the core training, practice and competence requirements for counsellors and psychotherapists working with adults. You can find out more about the SCoPEd framework here: The organisations signed up to the SCoPEd framework are: [ACC: Association of Christians in Counselling](https://www.acc-uk.org/news/scoped-partnership-update/) [BACP: British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy](https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions/) [BPC: British Psychoanalytic Council](https://www.bpc.org.uk/training/scoped/scoped-framework-latest-version-january-2022/) [HGI: Human Givens Institute](https://www.humangivens.com/) [NCPS: The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics#:~:text=Practitioners%20work%20to%20be%20as,client%20know%20if%20anything%20changes.) [UKCP: UK Council for Psychotherapy](https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/ukcp-members/consultations/scope-of-practice-and-education-for-the-counselling-and-psychotherapy-professions-scoped/) NCPS Change.uk Consultation The Submission can be found [here](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Change.uk-submission.pdf). The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) has conducted a 2024 Member Survey, seeking insights on topics such as membership, practice, insights and the issues that are impacting our members more broadly. [The results can be found here](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Member-Survey-2024.pdf). The Society surveyed our members in February 2023 to ascertain the current state of counselling and psychotherapy provision in the UK. [The results can be found here.](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Feb-23-Survey-Results-NCPS.pdf) We have been asked by Dr Adrian Whittington, National Clinical Lead for Psychological Professions at NHS England, to write to all our members to ensure that there is universal implementation of the [NICE Guideline on Self harm: assessment, management and preventing recurrence](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng225). The Professional Standards Authority has also written to all Accredited Registers for Counselling and Psychotherapy to ensure there is a uniform approach across the profession for the implementation of the guidelines. The new guidelines have been put in place to ensure that mental health practitioners have a client centred, holistic and collaborative approach to safety planning for people with mental health needs and do not rely solely on risk assessment tools to determine the support a client needs. The guidelines stipulate: - Do not use risk assessment tools and scales to predict future suicide or repetition of self-harm. - Do not use risk assessment tools and scales to determine who should and should not be offered treatment or who should be discharged. - Do not use global risk stratification into low, medium or high risk to predict future suicide or repetition of self-harm. - Do not use global risk stratification into low, medium or high risk to determine who should be offered treatment or who should be discharged We would like to be clear that you can still use risk assessment tools as part of your practice, but these cannot be used in isolation to ascertain the level of risk. Practitioners should continue to assess risk in a holistic, collaborative and comprehensive way. In line with the above, we would ask all training providers to include reference to the above in any relevant training materials and / or tutorials in order to ensure all students/trainers are aware of these requirements. The Professional Standards Authority has stated that we must *‘Ensure through active and documented investigation that all training courses accredited by or provided by your organisation clearly and explicitly teach the NICE stipulations, which should be included in the relevant curricula, supervised practice and examinations.*’ Therefore this will checked during any re-accreditation process. Please find links to the following: - [Letter for Dr Adrian Whittington to Education Providers and Members of the Psychological Professions Workforce Stakeholder Group](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Letter-to-Education-Providers-and-Members-of-Psychological-Professions-Workforce-Stakeholder-Group-FV-01.06.2023.pdf) - [Letter from Tim Kendall to Chief Medical Officers](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Letter-from-Tim-Kendall-to-Chief-Medical-Officers-October-2022.pdf) - [Letter from the Chief Coroner to all coroners](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Focus-on-Assessment-of-Suicide-Risk-Chief-Coroner-to-all-coroners-summer-2022.pdf) [NEW NHS postgraduate training pilot](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NEW-NHS-postgraduate-training-pilot-2023.pdf) As you will be aware via the letter from the SCoPEd group’s Independent Chair Paul Buckley, we can confirm that our membership has voted to adopt SCoPEd. 6178 members cast a vote in this ballot, with 3336 members voting in favour and 2842 members voting against. With 54% of members who voted in favour of SCoPEd and 46% against SCoPEd, we recognise that the majority of our membership has expressed a view on the future direction for the Society, which is now to work, alongside our partner organisations, towards implementation of the SCoPEd project via mapping to our membership grades. The implications of your vote are, for the first time, a set of standards for the profession which can coherently be referred to as profession-wide. We hope that the opportunities promised by this project can bear fruit and that the adoption of a joint framework will increase the profession’s role as a stakeholder in the national picture on mental health. We also trust that, in our adoption of these standards, the few remaining barriers to recognition of NCS membership will now end across the board. We respect all of our members who believe in the benefits of the project for your professional journey, and have asked us to follow this course on your behalf, and we fully intend to do so. We respect your decision as binding on the Society, and will be keeping you informed about implementation. As we have previously communicated, members should be assured of minimal disruption during what will no doubt be quite a lengthy process of adoption and implementation. The vast majority of our members won’t notice the implementation of SCoPEd at all. If you’re a student member, there will be no disruption to your training, which you may complete and join our register as normal. If you’re a practitioner member, there will be no disruption to your membership (unless you’re our senior grade, and we’ll write separately about what, if anything, you’ll need to do in the future.) While accepting the decision of the majority, we must also fully acknowledge that 46% of you who voted rejected the project. After listening to, and engaging with, many voices on SCoPEd, both before and after joining the partnership, we understand and acknowledge the many concerns and objections voiced by our members. If you’re disappointed by the result, we want you to know that we value your membership immensely. We note the Impact Assessment calls for concerns about SCoPEd to be listened to. We can confirm that we will be launching a consultation in March aimed at members who have concerns about the way forward. While all members in the future will be required to be on the first tier of SCoPEd (“Accredited Registrant”) to remain on our Register, you will continue to have other opportunities with the Society, including for example, our various specialist registers, and we will explore other ways of recognising and affirming your professional experience outside of our membership grade structure if you wish. Thank you all for contributing your voices to the future of our profession. Liz McElligot, NCS Chair As independent chair of the SCoPEd Oversight Committee, I’m pleased to confirm that all partners have formally decided to adopt the SCoPEd framework. This has been decided individually by each of the partners. This means that the six SCoPEd partners have each agreed: - to align their membership categories to reflect the SCoPEd framework - to develop a shared agreement on pathways and routes between SCoPEd columns The partners will continue to work collectively as they move towards adopting and implementing the framework. The partners will be in touch with their members and registrants with regards to what the next steps and timelines are for their own organisation. The SCoPEd partner organisations are: - Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC) - British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) - British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) - Human Givens Institute (HGI) - National Counselling Society (NCS) - UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Collectively, the SCoPEd partners represent approximately 75,000 counsellors and psychotherapists from a diverse range of backgrounds, approaches, philosophies, and professional training. If you have any questions, please contact your membership organisation via their usual channels. Paul Buckley, Independent Chair SCoPEd Oversight Committee Please see an update from the SCoPEd Oversight Committee, Independent Chair, Paul Buckley below. As independent chair of the SCoPEd Oversight Committee (SOC), I would like to update SCoPEd partners, members and registrants on the progress of our recent phase two work. This work has included: - conducting an impact assessment of the SCoPEd framework - creating a shared set of principles – based around fairness, inclusion and transparency – for implementing the framework - working towards agreed shared ‘column titles’ (which are not included in the SCoPEd January 2022 framework) - agreeing transparent and evidence-based mechanisms for members and registrants to progress between the columns of the framework as they develop their training, skills, knowledge and experience throughout their professional journey. **Impact assessment** - The independent impact assessment was commissioned this summer following a competitive tender process. The contract was awarded to Eastside Primetimers, a consultancy and recruitment provider in the charity sector who advise on development, funding and growth, and have a strong track record of conducting impact assessments. - The assessment comprised a qualitative element of interviewing various stakeholders including clients and patients, practitioners, trainers, awarding bodies, employers and commissioners, membership body staff, and the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). A variety of viewpoints were covered, including critical voices from those within counselling and psychotherapy, some of whom were contacted due to their specific skills and experience which included professional networking and campaign groups. - It also comprised a quantitative element which involved statistical consideration of some of the data held by partners and data in the public domain. - The full report from Eastside Primetimers is available to download[**here**](https://nationalcounsellingsociety.org/assets/uploads/docs/Final-Report-on-the-Impact-Assessment-of-the-SCoPEd-Framework-December-2022.pdf)**.** - You can also download an accessible version[**here**](https://nationalcounsellingsociety.org/assets/uploads/docs/Final-Report-on-the-Impact-Assessment-of-the-SCoPEd-Framework-December-2022-Accessible-Version.pdf). - The partners will now reflect on, and digest, the full impact assessment report which will influence the ongoing work. There will be further updates from the partnership in early 2023. **Mechanisms and shared principles** - The Technical Group (TG) has commissioned a new working group to discuss the mechanisms of how the framework might be used for membership pathways should SCoPEd be adopted. - This new Mechanisms Group (MG) is comprised of staff and representatives from across the partnership bodies responsible for professional standards and membership. This will ensure they bring the skillset and proximity to the operational detail that matches the requirements of the work. - The group is collaborating to ensure that the pathways to transition between columns are clear for those members and registrants who wish to do so, including how to make these accessible and how to ensure they capture the requirements of the framework as well as reflecting a partner’s own specific traditions and requirements. Each partner will also conduct their own consolidation and review of the schemes that emerge from the collaborative work. - The MG will then take their work back into the TG for consideration and sense checking, with final recommendations to be signed off by the SOC. **Column titles** For now the column titles remain as published in the January 2022 framework – A, B, C. The commitment remains within the partnership to look at titles. Working to agree titles would help ensure consistency across the profession and aid wider understanding. To date, the focus has been on the work for both the impact assessment and the mechanisms of the framework. The impact assessment interviews included some discussion on titles with a variety of stakeholders. The feedback will inform any future conversations on titles along with other new evidence sources and it looks likely now that the work on titles will be a longer-term goal. It’s important to remember that even if a SCoPEd framework contained alternative titles, the profession does not have legally protected titles and the advice for therapists remains to use the titles they have the skills to ethically use. **Partnership update** Some of you may be aware of recent announcements from two partners regarding leadership changes. I want to take this opportunity to make clear that this has not affected SCoPEd partner relationships and the desire for collaborative work. This work takes place across a number of working groups and there are strong ongoing relationships and a commitment to the work in all of these groups as well as a considerable knowledge base that has been built over the years. With that in mind, I hope I am able to reassure anyone who is uncertain of what these leadership changes mean for the continuity of the work that the Boards concerned have confirmed their support for longstanding Technical Group members to deputise at SOC and make recommendations back to their Boards until the appropriate handover for CEOs can take place. Similarly, new members have been added to the Technical Group to replace departing members. The SOC has approved both courses of action. If you have questions regarding any of the above, please contact your membership organisations via their usual channels. Paul Buckley, Independent Chair SCoPEd Oversight Committee. You will hopefully have seen that we recently launched two new registers to sit alongside our main Accredited Register: the **Children & Young People's Therapist (CYPT) Accredited Register**, and the **Relationship Therapist/Psychosexual Therapist Register**. We are now launching a third register: the **Coaching Register (CR)**. In order to be included in any of these new specialist registers you must already be a Registrant on our main Counselling and Psychotherapy Accredited Register. ### **Why have you launched these new registers?** Over the past few years, we've seen an increasing number of calls from members, organisations, and employers, to recognise in an official capacity the difference between counselling one adult, to counselling more than one adult at the same time, or counselling children and young people. There are significant differences in the skills required to work in these ways, all of which certainly require specialist training and experience. Coaching and counselling, while complementary, are different skill sets, too. Many of our members are skilled and experienced coaches, but there is currently no Register or way for our members to highlight their skills and training in this area of talking therapy. We know that training and experience is vital in working to the best of our abilities in these different areas, so it became important to clearly show where people *had* that training and experience. Those who have undertaken specialist training in working with CYP, relationships, or coaching, can now demonstrate that this additional training meets the standards for inclusion in our Registers, and we can also signpost members of the public and organisations directly to these specialist registers when appropriate - for example, when speaking with Education Authorities about employing counsellors in schools. This doesn't take away from the fact that practitioners on our core Accredited Register are well-trained and experienced counsellors and psychotherapists and remain at the heart of the profession. It is an acknowledgement of the changing face of therapy in the UK, and a development of how we can support our members now and in the future. ### **What is the Coaching Register for?** We have heard from many members over the years that they also offer coaching, but that it isn't really recognised within the counselling & psychotherapy profession due to some key differences in the way it is practiced. We recognise that coaching is often used by counsellors and psychotherapists to complement the non-directive work that they do and wanted to offer recognition of that as well as the ability for clients searching for coaching to be able to contact practitioners on our Register that are also skilled and experienced coaches. ### **How to join?** Please visit the [members' area](https://nationalcounsellingsociety.org/members/coaching-register-cr). We will assess all applications and the Register will launch at the beginning of next year. We are pleased to inform our members that, following several very fruitful discussions with the charity Relate, we have launched a Relationship Therapist Register with a Sub-Register for specialist training as a Psychosexual Therapist. This is a purely voluntary Register and fees are kept to the absolute minimum to meet costs. The new Register is only available to counsellors and psychotherapists on our main Accredited Register (AR), and at launch it is not part of the Accredited Registers programme. However, we will be applying to the Professional Standards Authority for AR status this year. We are launching this Register after member requests to have a Register to highlight their additional skills and training in this modality. Many of our members specialise in relationship issues and work with Relate and other organisations and have asked for additional support and recognition in their work. Whilst all counselling training involves working with relationship s, this specific Register has been developed for those that specialise in relationship / couples therapy. Relationship/couples therapy will normally involve 2 or more clients in the sessions. It can include sessions with individuals if the clients have come for relationship therapy. It does not include work with a relationship focus where the contract is with only one client. We are really grateful to Relate for their support and partnership in developing this new Register. ***We're delighted that the National Counselling Society (NCS) is launching a new specialist Relationship Therapist Register with a Sub-Register for practitioners who have also trained as a Psychosexual Therapist. It’s great to see that the specialist work done by Relationship Therapists and Psychosexual Therapists is now being formally recognised. Providing Relationship and Psychosexual therapy requires dedicated training, not least because working with more than one person in the room is a very unique skill.*** ***This Register will give clients confidence that the therapist they're seeing is properly trained and experienced. This means they will have completed a lengthy and comprehensive specialist qualification which combines relevant theory, skills practice and assessments, along with supervised client work. It also ensures the therapist is committed to continuing professional development after qualifying.*** ***For more information on specialist training in Relationship Counselling and Psychosexual Therapy, please visit relate.org.uk*** ***Aidan Jones, Chief Executive, Relate*** The National Counselling Society joins forces with other professional bodies to speak out about the potential ‘devastating impact’ of releasing therapy notes for use in court cases. Led by the British Psychological Society, we co-signed the following [letter to the CPS](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/CPS-CoSigned-Letter.pdf), alongside BACP, UKCP and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. We will hold our vote as to whether to adopt SCoPEd on **September 1st 2022. The ballot will close after 14 days and the result will be declared in September.** If you wish to join the Society and be guaranteed the right to vote, **we must receive and acknowledge your application no later than July 1st.** Applicants for membership after that date may be given the right to vote but this cannot be guaranteed. Our final SCoPED Bulletin containing the most up to date information will be sent out in August 2022. Submissions for this must be sent **before August 1st** to . We will send out more information on this soon and we want the best possible range of information made available to our members. In February we wrote to set out the three remaining issues on which we hoped to see progress before proceeding to a vote. It is clear now from the direction of SCoPEd that these issues will either take a much longer time than anticipated to resolve, or indeed will be resolved in time to inform you fully prior to making your decision. The current situation on those three issues is: 1\. **Impact Assessment**. The SCoPEd partnership has agreed to do an impact assessment and has put this out to tender to suitable parties. There are applicants for this work who are being interviewed and we trust the work should commence shortly. 2\. **Titles.** It's clear that the direction of travel is that SCoPEd titles are going to be closely aligned to our current membership grades, with a remaining question mark over whether or not the title "psychotherapist" would be reserved to Column C. When we hold our vote in September, if this issue is undecided, we will ask our members to cast their vote on the understanding that it's possible that the title "psychotherapist" may or may not be reserved to Column C. (We will fully explain this nearer the time but it's worth noting that nothing in SCoPEd can legally prevent members using this title -rather it would be about whether your professional body recognises you as such.) 3\. **Methods for transitioning up the columns.** We hope to have more information on this as work continues to be done. Essentially there are likely to be few surprises as column progression would be linked with membership grades and so members would be subject to similar upgrade processes as are in place now should you wish to upgrade your membership level. As previously indicated, we envisage minor tweaks only for our first two tiers of membership, with criteria for our Senior grade probably undergoing more work. The fullest possible information will be given before the vote. In scheduling our vote, we have to weigh two factors. The first is the difficulty of having incomplete information to give our members at the time of the vote. We have to make a judgement call here that we can give enough information to members to make an informed decision in September, and that any remaining unknown areas at that time can be signposted so that members understand what the possibilities may be. The second factor is that the decision for our partners will rest with their Boards and therefore will have a different process. Simply put, if the NCS delays our vote until all of the 3 elements above are 100% decided and complete, our partners could have long since implemented SCoPed. Our team needs to understand our members' wishes so we can also allocate time and resources to either continue with SCoPed or move in a different direction. Clearly we don't wish to spend significant time and resources on continuing the SCoPEd partnership if you don't want us to implement it. On the other hand, if you do want us to implement it, you'll be disadvantaged if you can only make that decision many months or years after our partners have adopted the project. As ever, we welcome any questions or comments to The NCS is pleased to announce that the Professional Standards Authority has approved our submission for our new specialist Register for counsellors and psychotherapists working with children and young people. **Society CEO Jyles Robillard-Day says:** *“Following the development of our well-received 2020 competency framework for counsellors and psychotherapists who work with children and young people, we’re delighted that the Authority has approved our new CYPT register, which will go live in March 2022.* *Children and young peoples’ mental health is rightly at the forefront of national attention and concern, especially due to the huge disruption to education and family life caused by the pandemic.* *The NCS campaigns for universal access to counselling and psychotherapy for all children and young people and we sit on parliamentary groups in all four nations of the UK. Our Child Ambassador, Kate Day, is a founding member of the Children’s Alliance and sits on the All-Party Parliamentary Group for a Fit and Healthy Childhood. Kate is currently co-chairing a parliamentary report on the impact of Covid-19 on children and young people’s mental health.* *Counselling and psychotherapy have a crucial and central role to play here, whether in schools and colleges, the charity sector, or in independent practice. Recognising the skills and competencies of NCS CYP Therapists via a new Accredited Register is, we feel, a huge step forwards in offering public assurance in this area.* *We’re helping employers recognise therapists with specific skills, and parents seeking professional support. We’re also helping our members gain more recognition as they continue to offer their excellent services in this crucial area.* *The NCS has responded to the national need for support for children and young people in these difficult times, and our new register is a professional solution for CYP therapy across the UK.”* ### **FAQ For Members & Trainers** **What is the NCS CYPT Register?** The CYPT Register exists for all registrants of the NCS who can demonstrate competent and ethical working with children and young people ages 4-18. Clients aged 19-25 are also acknowledged to benefit from the specialist competencies of CYP Therapists. **Why have you launched a CYPT Register?** There is significant demand for mental health support for children and young people, and this demand is currently met by a wide variety of roles both within and outside of the counselling and psychotherapy profession. In order for our profession to be competitive, gain the attention of employers, and ensure we’re at the forefront of future opportunities for our members, we wish to provide a Register in which the Government, employers and other stakeholders can have confidence and recognise when making hiring decisions in this sector. Gaining an Accredited Register is especially important as the Professional Standards Authority works to integrate the AR programme further into health and social care in the UK. Just as important as these professional concerns, we felt there was a need to recognise the different skills and professional journey that is undertaken to offer counselling and psychotherapy to children and young people, rather than to adults. Many of our members see both adults and children; some work exclusively or almost exclusively with children. It’s important for us to recognise, increasingly, that additional skills, training and experience can be required to offer best practice to younger clients. The vast majority of our members have already undergone specialist training, CPD and/or supervision on their journeys into CYP therapy, and it’s only right that this now emerges as a specific and recognised sub-discipline of counselling and psychotherapy. **When will this happen?** The Register will go live in *mid-March 2022*, and all members will be informed of the application process. **Do I have to be an NCS Registrant to join?** Yes, you will need to be on our Register of counsellors and psychotherapists prior to joining our CYPT Register. **How much will it cost?** An additional charge of £25 per year is being charged for the CYPT register. **Where will this money go?** All monies are ringfenced for the CYPT register. After any administration costs are deducted, all funds raised via the additional fee will be spent on promoting the CYPT register to stakeholders and the public. **What are the criteria to join?** For the first few months, our existing registrants can apply for “grandparenting”, and applications will be treated on a case-by-case basis. “Grandparenting” is a way of acknowledging that we are starting something new, and don’t want to prejudice existing members who are working with children and young people already, and who may not have met our future criteria for training and so forth. Full details of how to apply under this route will be sent to all registrants in March. **What happens after grandparenting?** After grandparenting, entry to the Register will be on the basis of either a suitable CYP qualification at Ofqual Level 5 or equivalent, or a “portfolio route” which looks at a combination of qualifications, supervised practice, CPD and other methods such as a case study. Final details of these post-grandparenting standards and routes will be published once the Register launches. **Can I still see children and young people as clients but not join this Register?** Yes, you can – however, we do encourage you to join the Register. Over time our main Register for counselling and psychotherapy, which currently includes CYP practice, will become a register for adult counselling and psychotherapy only. This will mean in the future that you would not be on an Accredited Register with the NCS for your CYP work unless you were also on the CYPT Register. This is some time away. **What will Registrants be called?** The title for the Register is NCS Certified CYP Therapist. You will also be able to refer to yourself as an NCS CYP Counsellor or NCS CYP Psychotherapist as appropriate. **Will I receive an additional membership certificate?** Yes, but this will be delayed a few months to enable us to launch our new website and process our name change. **Will I receive a separate logo for this Register?** Yes, one will be supplied if your application to the Register is successful. **How long will it take for my application to be processed?** During our grandparenting phase, you should allow around 3 months for processing. This is because we will be looking at applications on an individual basis. After grandparenting we anticipate reducing this time significantly. **How do I pay?** We can only accept Direct Debit payments for this Register. **Is this a separate Register from the main Accredited Register?** This is a “Sub-Register” of our main Accredited Register, which requires you to be on the main Register to join. **How will my CYPT status be displayed on the website?** On our current website, clients searching the Accredited Register will be able to apply a filter for CYPT and even to display only CYPT Therapists. Our new website will have additional functionality. **As a training provider, can I apply for recognition for my training as a route to this Register?** Yes. We will be providing specific course routes to this Register as well as a system for approving appropriate CYP training (e.g., CPD) that could form part of a portfolio application. We will be releasing information about this shortly. The SCoPEd Group had a “SOC” meeting recently which involves the chief executives of the group’s partners and its Independent Chair. The next meeting is in May. We thought it would be useful for you to understand the next steps in the development of SCoPEd and to give a preliminary indication of when the vote is likely to happen. Our goal is to hold our vote when we have all the information needed for our members to make a fully informed decision. We want to be able to understand the final shape of the project and hold a vote with the confidence that there would only be minor changes (if any) after the vote took place. **There are three remaining issues and areas of work which we feel will get us closer to that point:** 1\. **The Impact Assessment.** The discussion for that should occur in May with the Assessment beginning once an external expert has been appointed. We will keep everyone informed of that, and how you can contribute to the assessment. 2\. **Agreement on titles if possible**. The intention of the project is smooth integration into the existing way the different organisations use membership grades. In practice we are already confident that if SCoPEd is adopted there will be little noticeable change to Accredited Registrant and Accredited Professional Registrant grades. Much of the change would be in the background, for example, working with Accredited Training Schools to ensure that their training explicitly maps to the competency framework. 3\. **Agreeing mechanisms for transitioning up the columns.** This will be looking at what is taken into account in terms of qualifications, experience and so forth for a member to be able to move from Column A to B to C if they wish to do so, and how this relates to membership grades. **Once we have clarity on the above issues, we will execute the following timetable:** - We’ll write to members ensuring that you have the most up to date and relevant information - We’ll notify members of the vote date. The vote will be conducted via an appropriate third party electoral system - We’ll hold a “last call” for members who feel we have not provided information either for or against the project, collate any such information and circulate it to the membership at large - We’ll give members a final opportunity to ask questions which we will answer - We’ll run the vote allowing sufficient time for all to vote and using multiple communications channels to ensure members don’t miss out - We’ll announce the result and explain next steps **Who can vote?** To be guaranteed a vote, you will have to be a either a Registrant member or Student member in good standing by the *Eligibility Date.* **What's the Eligibility Date?** Our Membership Services Team normally needs a certain amount of time, which varies throughout the year based on application volume, to assess a membership application. Therefore anyone that wishes to become a member and exercise a right to vote in this ballot would need to allow several weeks between their application and the ballot date to be guaranteed a vote. We anticipate this being eight weeks before the ballot but this could change. This will mean that we cannot guarantee anyone applying to join the Society a vote if their application is submitted under eight weeks beforehand. While we'll try to process their application, we can't guarantee it. Anyone applying under eight weeks before the vote will be informed of this. We'll continue to keep you informed. As ever, please do continue to send questions or comment to . Dear Member, We’re writing to inform you that the SCoPEd Group, which you’ve supported us being a part of, has today released the next iteration of the project, which you can view below. Working together with other organisations on this project has been an informative and interesting journey. At all stages we have sought to represent our members’ interests as expressed to us, either via online surveys or in individual communication. Please rest assured that we have raised your interests and concerns at every group meeting. Dialogue between the partner organisations has been challenging – naturally so given different starting points, values and principles - but also respectful and engaging. If we were to highlight some areas in which we feel we have contributed to positive change in the latest document, this would be in the areas of the academic nature of the project, the emphasis on the therapeutic relationship, and in other areas of wording and clarification. We were aware that you, our members, had raised concerns about separating people into groups based upon academic competencies, and so we raised issues where the previous iteration embedded academic rather than therapeutic points of differentiation. We were conscious of wanting to refocus on the therapeutic relationship and ensuring that the document reflected that. We also challenged some elements of the columns where language wasn’t helping, and, for example, looked at some issues reserved for “higher” columns where we felt were competencies shared by all. The other group partners also had their own issues and points of view, and the current document is of course, the result of a group effort conducted in what we feel has been a constructive spirit. We wish to reiterate, of course, that our members are the ones to weigh up carefully the benefits of adopting or rejecting SCoPEd. What is clearly emerging now is that, if adopted, the three SCoPEd Columns would be mapped onto existing membership grades with relative ease. We anticipate that the only one of our current grades likely to be significantly affected is that of Senior Accredited Registrant. We will provide further information about this as soon as it is known. Our other membership grades are already so closely aligned to Columns A and B that we would not anticipate any significant adjustments for existing registrants. We should also state that the gateways between the different grades, once developed, could provide a smoother and easier to understand upgrade path for registrants than our current processes. This said, it is important that we acknowledge the significant proportion of our membership which does object to SCoPEd, and should our membership vote to accept SCoPEd, we will explore every avenue to ensure that those dissenting from the project continue to have a voice and that we explore alternative ways of offering milestone recognition for practice, e.g., through experience based acknowledgments if our members want this. The remaining issue is one of titles. As members are aware, the original draft of SCoPEd mooted the titles Counsellor, Advanced Counsellor, and Psychotherapist. This resulted in some considerable concern and these titles were removed from the second iteration of the project (shortly before we joined the SCoPEd group). It is fair to say there is of course a difference of opinion between the view of psychotherapy which, pointing to its training routes and job roles, sees it as different from counselling, with more in-depth work and deeper training; and the view which sees counselling and psychotherapy as interchangeable umbrella terms. The SCoPEd group will, we hope, reach a joint view on this and again, you, our members will have a vote on whether to adopt SCoPEd. Of course we welcome any comments and questions on this iteration to . Best wishes, The National Counselling Society The SCoPEd framework is a ground-breaking shared standards’ framework, developed by six Professional Standards Authority accredited bodies representing over 75,000 counsellors and psychotherapists. It transparently sets out the core training, practice and competence requirements for counsellors and psychotherapists working with adults. You can *view or download* the January 2022 version of the SCoPEd framework using the links below. [SCoPEd Framework January 2022](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-framework-January-2022.pdf) [SCoPEd Framework January 2022 - Accessible Version](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-methodology-update-January-2022.pdf) We’re pleased to announce that the latest version of the ground-breaking SCoPEd framework has been published today (02/02/2022). This January 2022 version of the framework is the first to be developed jointly by our six Professional Standards Authority-accredited counselling and psychotherapy organisations. Together, we represent over 75,000 counsellors and psychotherapists. We’d like to thank all the members, registrants, partners and staff who have contributed to its development. This latest framework version reflects our better mutual understanding and a closer working alliance, underlined by our shared passion and priority of protecting the public. It has been a real pleasure to collaborate with one another, and we are bound powerfully by our joint commitment to promoting the skills and competences of all our members and registrants, at a time of acute societal need. We are already seeing the positive impact on how the counselling and psychotherapy profession is perceived, with significant engagement at this early stage from bodies such as the NHS and Health Education England. The publication of the January 2022 framework marks the delivery of our phase one work on SCoPEd – a joint commitment to map the current reality of the core training, practice and competence requirements. The framework is written at a high level, is not modality specific, and it is about working with adults over the age of 18, and not about working with children or young people. We are now moving on to phase two of our collective work. This means working towards the potential adoption of the framework by each partner organisation, and in due course we will also populate the framework with titles, gateways and much more. We want to achieve a basic high-level recognition of the rigour and standards of counselling and psychotherapy as a whole. This is because we are still at an early stage in making sure policymakers, commissioners and the public have a fundamental grasp of our profession. As we enter phase two, we have jointly committed to: - continuing to develop the framework to provide essential information to clients, patients and service users to make informed choices about the support they seek - conducting an impact assessment of the SCoPEd framework - creating a shared set of principles – based around fairness, inclusion and transparency – for implementing the framework - working towards agreed shared ‘column titles’ which are not included in this version - agreeing transparent and evidence-based mechanisms for members and registrants to progress between the columns of the framework as they develop their training, skills, knowledge and experience throughout their professional journey The expansion of the SCoPEd partnership to embrace new organisations, and the excellent working relationships we have formed, have made a very positive impact on the framework, and have further emphasised the need for it, its purpose, and its benefits. We are looking forward to moving ahead collectively on this phase two activity in the coming weeks and months. **What are the key changes in this version of the framework?** There have been a number of significant updates and improvements made to the content and the language of the framework since the previous version was published in July 2020. These have been made as a result of: - *feedback from members, registrants and stakeholders on the previous version* - *input from all new and existing partners and the independent experts by experience recruited to support and review the development of the framework* - greater emphasis on the role of the therapeutic relationship and the qualities of the therapist - further focus on equality, diversity and inclusion as a theme embedded and integrated throughout the framework - additional standards relating to online and phone therapy - more consistent use of language that is inclusive and more accessible to a wider audience - the addition of a glossary of terms The key changes include: **Who are the SCoPEd partners?** The partner organisations collaborating on SCoPEd are: - Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) - British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) - British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) - Human Givens Institute (HGI) - National Counselling Society (NCS) - UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Collectively, the SCoPEd partners represent over 75,000 counsellors and psychotherapists from a diverse range of backgrounds, approaches, philosophies and professional training. The SCoPEd Oversight Committee (SOC) is the governance body for the framework. The SOC was established when ACC, ACP (Association of Child Psychotherapists), HGI and NCS joined the original SCoPEd partners BACP, BPC and UKCP in November 2020. It meets regularly to oversee, guide and scrutinise the work of SCoPEd. It includes the six Chief Executives of the participating partners, three independent experts by experience and Independent Chair Paul Buckley who was appointed in spring 2021. ***The Coalition for Diversity and Inclusion brings together organisations with a shared mission to improve diversity within the counselling, psychotherapy and psychological therapy professions.*** ***Coalition joint statement*** *Its current focus is promoting inclusive and anti-oppressive professional training as part of a greater vision to address further barriers to inclusive practice, particularly in relation to supporting racially and ethnically minoritised communities.* ***Coalition members*** - *Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families* - *Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC)* - *Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)* - *British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)* - *British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)* - *Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB)* - *Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network (MCAPN)* - *National Counselling Society (NCS)* - *Place2Be* - *Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility (PCSR)* - *UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)* *Following a consultation with trainers and training providers in February 2021, the Coalition partners have agreed to commission and deploy an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit for Counselling and Psychotherapy programmes.* *This will support the development of skills, knowledge and understanding for delivering inclusive counselling and psychotherapy training across a range of learning organisations. With an initial focus on race and ethnicity, the primary objectives of the toolkit will be to provide support on three areas of course provision: the institution; the training programme; and the individual tutor (launching in 2022).* We are pleased to inform our members that, as previously announced we are launching our CYP Register which will become live in January 2022 at the latest. We are launching this register in response to member demand, and in recognition of this growing area of importance. There is an increasing recognition from both within and outside the profession that CYP counselling should be seen as a specialisation with additional safeguarding and training. The register will be based upon our existing CYP Competency Framework. A grandparenting period will shortly open which will allow members with experience of working with CYP to join the register. The register will also launch with specific qualifications routes which will allow registration. This register will not form part of the Society’s Accredited Register but will be an additional accredited register which runs alongside it, and belonging to the Society’s main AR will be a condition of joining the CYP register. We will not be accepting applications to the CYP register from practitioners who are not NCS members. We will keep costs of this additional register to an absolute minimum needed for administration purposes and anticipate that these costs will be approximately £25 a year. In order to ensure the guidance that we publish around the Coronavirus public health crisis is easy to find and navigate, we have created the Covid-19 Hub. Please check the Hub for any future updates. The NCS recently wrote an open letter addressed to The Health and Social Care Select Committee in response to the request for submissions regarding Children and Young People’s Mental Health. You can read it below: [Green Paper Response](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Green-Paper-Response.pdf) Please find the Society's full response to the PSA's Strategic Review Consultation [here](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCS-Response-PSA-Strategic-Review_2025-11-20-143307_gxyf.pdf). Dear Members; You will be aware that the Society holds an Accredited Register with the Professional Standards Authority and has done since 2012. In our survey of 2018 an overwhelming number of our members supported the Accredited Registers programme and the Society continues to consider the programme to be the best way of delivering public assurance, as well as providing well deserved recognition for our members. We and the other Registers have recently been meeting with the Professional Standards Authority and discussing the future of the programme as it enters its second decade. The Authority has just launched a major public consultation on the future of the programme. Full details can be found here: The key points in the consultation centre around how the programme could possibly be strengthened, giving more status to Accredited Registers and delivering more integration between Accredited Registers and our national health and social care programmes. The main focus of the consultation is: 1. How should we determine which occupations should be included in the scope of the programme? 2. Should we consider the effectiveness of occupations in decisions about accreditation? 3. Should there be greater consistency of standards of competence across Accredited Registers, in particular for individual occupations? 4. Should we take into account proportionality and risk? The Authority wishes to ensure the programme can: - Support the delivery of NHS healthcare and social care workforce plans in England, NI, Scotland and Wales. This includes a greater contribution to personalised care for patients and to the Covid-19 recovery in health and social care. The pandemic has highlighted the need for greater integration of health and social care, and of the value of mental health care delivered by unregulated roles. - Become a requirement for employers using healthcare practitioners in unregulated roles in the UK, and social care in unregulated roles in England - Support innovation and be able to respond quickly to change. This is an advantage that voluntary assurance has above statutory regulation. These are big questions. Of particular interest to members will be the question around consistency of standards for individual occupations. How might consistent standards be delivered in counselling, for example, while still assuring the diversity and complexity of the profession? Another big question is over considering the “effectiveness of occupations.” To set some context here, members may be aware that a wide variety of complementary therapies (homeopathy, for example) are engaged with the AR programme. There are opposing views as to whether this is appropriate. On the one hand, the argument in favour states that offering an AR programme for complementary therapies ensures that practitioners are held to account and that complaints can be made. On the other hand, the argument against states that, where there is no evidence for a therapy, it is harmful to give what members of the public may consider to be a “seal of approval” from the AR programme. Why this is a big question for counselling and psychotherapy is how is “effectiveness” to be assessed? Is it the same as evidence based or evidence informed practice? For counselling and psychotherapy these are loaded questions and we trust that the Authority will, of course, continue to view counselling and psychotherapy as a whole with many modalities and approaches, many of which are not appropriately assessed in a narrow empirical manner. We have no reason at present to believe otherwise. Also of great interest will be that the Authority wishes being on an Accredited Register to be a ***requirement*** for employers using healthcare practitioners and practitioners in social care roles. In the consultation document, the Authority references the concept of setting up a **licensing body** in order to ensure that unsafe practitioners could no longer practice. This, if applied to counselling, psychotherapy or hypnotherapy would see a fundamental shift from a voluntary scheme to one in which you held a licensing requirement to practice and your license could be revoked; for example in the event of a complaint. This, it is mooted, would be less of an imposition on practice than full statutory regulation while offering greater public assurance The Authority also refers to a potential future for “umbrella bodies” where professional associations, perhaps, feed in to a centralised body for each occupation. Following current models, this could see, for example, NCS membership being a route to gaining your “umbrella body” licence. We are engaging with the Authority as to how this might work, but there would be a central role for current Accredited Registers. The Society will shortly launch its own consultation with our members on the Authority’s proposals, so that we can submit to the Authority our members’ democratic views and be guided by your voices as things move forward. We would like to end this bulletin with a note of reassurance to our members. We have been dealing with the Authority since 2010 and throughout that time, as a regulator they have been flexible, fair, professional and supportive. We have every confidence that the Authority will engage with Accredited Registers, and indeed Registrants, fairly and openly, that they will listen to concerns, and we trust that the AR programme will emerge in a strengthened form beneficial to our members in the long run. Since April 2018 the Society has raised fundamental questions about SCoPEd and we referred in August 2020 to the issues with its Second Iteration. You can find all previous letters in this Important News section of the website. In August we also stated that the collaborating partners appeared willing to consider including the wider profession and that together with 4 other Accredited Register holders, as previously stated, we invited concrete proposals for this. We are now in the position to update our members on further developments. The originating partners of SCoPEd have offered the NCS, together with the ACP, ACC, PTUK and Human Givens Institute, the possibility of participation in the project. The details of what this participation will mean are still being finalised and we await the outcome of discussions on various issues such as governance. While remaining aware of the widespread opposition to SCoPEd as expressed by a large number of our members, the Society is willing to participate in the project subject to our full understanding of exactly what that will entail, and also, importantly, subject to our members' final approval of the outcome. While we will attempt to influence and engage with SCoPEd in as positive way as possible, and to achieve as much positive change as possible, things remain unclear on a number of issues- for example, as to whether the widening of other Accredited Registers' participation in SCoPEd will allow for retrospective change to the current form of the project. Whereas the Society agrees with the concept of common standards, it remains to be seen in which direction this project will evolve, and what impact the wider inclusion of five further Accredited Register partners will have on its final shape. We continue to note particularly for example the concerns raised by the person centred community and remain concerned about the direction of travel that the project in its current form sets out for person centred counselling. We are seeking to safeguard this vital aspect of the counselling profession to ensure that any eventually agreed standards fully respect, understand and protect person-centred counselling. It is vital that common standards do not lead to a homogenisation or diminution of modalities in the future. We are also engaged in the end result of the “scope” of SCoPEd. The project's rationale has been presented as largely about certain aspects of the workplace and specifically about ensuring counsellors and psychotherapists can integrate properly into the wider NHS "psychological professions" workforce. If a shared set of standards can indeed increase work opportunities for our members then the Society is duty bound to explore this and report to you, our members, on any potential benefits. However, fundamental questions remain about whether SCoPEd should simply be a mechanism for these specific workplace issues - such as for example "workplace certification", rather than a total overhaul of our membership grades or even further, as previously suggested, a fundamental change in the use of core titles such as "counsellor" and "psychotherapist." All these issues remain to be explored and you will have a say. Our acceptance of participation in this project is primarily motivated by the need to ensure our members’ future unrestricted access to all aspects of employment opportunity - something you have asked us to view as the highest priority. We acknowledge that, with or without our participation, SCoPEd is likely to impact employer choices in the long term and it is our responsibility to protect our members’ rights and opportunities to work now and in the future. The NCS did not create SCoPEd. However, If explicitly shared standards lead to further opening of opportunities for our members then you have the right to make a decision on whether the Society adopts these standards when we are in full possession of the facts. The question of whether the eventual benefits of the NCS adopting SCoPEd in some form outweigh the arguments against such an adoption is for you, our members, to decide. We promise to ensure that all our members' views are heard and that our members understand all the arguments before making your decision. In the meantime we will engage with this project in good faith alongside both the originating and new Accredited Register partners, and keep you informed on a regular basis as and when progress is made. An Open Letter from the National Counselling Society: Addressed to **The Health and Social Care Select Committee**: Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, Rosie Cooper, Dr Luke Evans, Barbara Keeley, Sarah Owen, Laura Trott, Paul Bristow, Dr James Davies, Neale Hanvey, Taiwo Owatemi, Dean Russell Dear Committee members, We are writing from the National Counselling Society, one of the leading professional bodies for Counselling and Psychotherapy in the UK, to raise our concerns about the provision of counselling in the community. We ask your committee to look into this matter and would be more than happy to work with you to find ways to address this crisis. We are members of the [APPG on a Fit and Healthy Childhood](https://fhcappg.org.uk/?page_id=2171), chaired by Baroness Benjamin, and actively lobby for equal access to mental health services for all those in need. There is an increased need for counselling to be made more readily available in the community following the emotional and psychological impact of Covid-19, Lockdown, and Bereavement. There is little or no funding for counselling services in the community, yet the demand continues to increase. There is a desire to provide emotional based counselling as opposed to the use of drugs for a number of issues. Unfortunately, there is no co-ordinated approach or policy for the funding of primary care counselling. GP practices either have to use funds from their existing budgets or seek extra funding from their CCG. Whilst it has been shown to be cost effective in the long run to use counselling as an early intervention ([Mental Health In Childhood, page 26-27](https://fhcappg.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/mh_report_june2018.pdf)), it has an immediate impact on the GP practices budget. It is estimated that approximately only half of the General Practices in England provide counselling services and support. Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s national director for mental health said in 2018: “Joining up talking therapy services in primary care settings is another big step forward for our patients and a key plank in putting mental health at the centre of the long-term plan for the NHS. We are on track to deliver 3,000 therapists in primary care, with over 800 in surgeries at the end of last year and this handy guidance should convince those practices that are yet to take the plunge of the benefits.”([Mental health therapists in GP practices could be the norm, NHS England, 2018](https://www.england.nhs.uk/2018/08/mental-health-therapists-in-gp-practices-could-be-the-norm/)) In 2018 NHS England published [Guidance on co-locating mental health therapists in primary care](https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/guidance-co-locating-mental-health-therapists-primary-care.pdf) and in the [General Practice Forward View](https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/gpfv/) (2016) committed to investing in an extra 3000 mental health therapists in primary care by 2020. However, this investment was to be in the expansion of IAPT services and for the use of one of the IAPT specific modalities. Whilst the expansion is welcome, we are finding that experienced counsellors are losing their jobs within the NHS setting because they do not practice certain IAPT modalities. Thus the expansion appears to be at the expense of well-trained, qualified counsellors and psychotherapists who have a vital role to play in the community. Indeed, [current NICE guidelines](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg90/chapter/Context) recommend that clinicians should consider counselling for people with persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms or mild to moderate depression, and state that for all people with persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms or mild to moderate depression who are having counselling, the duration of treatment should typically be in the range of six to ten sessions over 8 to 12 weeks. The General Practice Forward View had a stated goal to have an average of [one full time mental health therapist](https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/gpfv/workforce/) for every 2 – 3 typical sized GP Practices. Putting aside the definition of a Mental Health Therapist and the benefits of person-centred counselling, this stated goal still fails to provide the funding for a growing mental health pandemic that the NHS has identified. [The Guidance on co-locating mental health therapists in primary care](https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/guidance-co-locating-mental-health-therapists-primary-care.pdf) states, “the number of patients needing help with mental health problems is increasing. A survey of more than 1,000 GPs by charity Mind (June 2018) found two in five appointments involved mental health, while two in three GPs said the proportion of patients needing help with their mental health had increased in the previous 12 months. Research also shows that every week one in six adults experiences symptoms of a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, and one in five has considered taking their own life at some point.” We ask your committee to look at how targeted funding can be provided to General Practice surgeries to allow them to increase the availability of talking therapies for their patients. Our members, and those on other [Accredited Registers for Counselling & Psychotherapy](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/accredited-registers/find-a-register/-in-category/categories/professions/counselling), are already expert at providing the kind of support recommended in the NHS’ current advice. There are tens of thousands of highly experienced practitioners able to fulfil that need immediately. The Accredited Registers programme provides assurance that those on the Register are qualified, supervised, insured, and that the Register holders themselves have evidenced that they meet the rigorous standards needed to hold such a Register. This is an initiative set up for the Department for Health and run by the Professional Standards Authority who also have oversight for Statutory Regulators; it is a legitimate programme that is already recognised within the NHS. PSA Accredited talking therapy Registrants represent a valuable national resource, many with years of experience. We would like to see their skills being fully utilised to help those struggling with their mental health, and in turn protect our health service now and in the years to come. An Open Letter from the National Counselling Society Addressed to **Dr Adrian Whittington**, National Lead for Psychological Professions at NHS England, **Judith Richardson**, Acting Director of Health and Social Care at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and **Amanda Pritchard**, NHS Chief Operating Officer Dear Colleagues, We are writing to you from the National Counselling Society, one of the leading professional bodies for Counselling & Psychotherapy in the UK, to address some serious concerns that have been brought to our attention regarding talking therapies provided by the NHS. As stakeholders within the IAPT programme we believe it is our duty to ensure that the programme is functioning to the best of its ability, respecting the skills and expertise of the practitioners that have been employed to provide the service, and acknowledging the excellent training and continual development that Registrants on Accredited Registers have undertaken. It is pertinent at this point to provide a snapshot of talking therapy in the UK, including what we need, what we have, and how best to unite those two things. We’re sure you’re aware that a [recent release from the Office of National Statistics (ONS)](https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/articles/coronavirusanddepressioninadultsgreatbritain/june2020), updated on the 18th of August 2020, shows that: - Almost one in five adults (19.2%) were likely to be experiencing some form of depression during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in June 2020; this had almost doubled from around 1 in 10 (9.7%) before the pandemic (July 2019 to March 2020). - One in eight adults (12.9%) developed moderate to severe depressive symptoms during the pandemic, while a further 6.2% of the population continued to experience this level of depressive symptoms; around 1 in 25 adults (3.5%) saw an improvement over this period. - Adults who were aged 16 to 39 years old, female, unable to afford an unexpected expense, or disabled were the most likely to experience some form of depression during the pandemic. - Feeling stressed or anxious was the most common way adults experiencing some form of depression felt their well-being was being affected, with 84.9% stating this. **So what should we be doing about that?** [Current NICE guidelines](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg90/chapter/1-Guidance#enhanced-care-for-depression) recommend that clinicians should consider counselling for people with persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms or mild to moderate depression, and state that for all people with persistent subthreshold depressive symptoms or mild to moderate depression having counselling, the duration of treatment should typically be in the range of six to ten sessions over 8 to 12 weeks. [Current advice from the NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips/) about what people should do if they are worried about coronavirus includes talking about our worries and staying connected with people. The NHS Long Term Plan indicates that more funding will be allocated to mental health services over the next five to ten years, to “enable further service expansion and faster access to community and crisis mental health services”. The situation is clear: we need to be providing six to ten sessions of counselling to those diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Furthermore, given that growing mental health services is a stated priority for the NHS, now is the time that we should be developing what we’re offering to the nation. Our members, and those on other Accredited Registers for Counselling & Psychotherapy, are already expert at providing the kind of support recommended in the NHS’ current advice. There are tens of thousands of practitioners able to fulfil that need immediately. The Accredited Registers programme provides assurance that those on the Register are qualified, supervised, insured, and that the Register holders themselves have evidenced that they meet the rigorous standards needed to hold such a Register. This is an initiative set up for the Department for Health and run by the Professional Standards Authority who also have oversight for Statutory Regulators; it is a legitimate programme that is already recognised within the NHS. I trust you agree that all of the above makes sense, however we continue to receive reports of **experienced counsellors losing their jobs in the NHS** because they do not have the *one particular* accreditation or training (i.e. Counselling for Depression (CfD)). NHS services are being told that counsellors who have not completed the specific IAPT Counselling for Depression training should not be offered work within the NHS because they could be "dangerous", despite holding more significant qualifications and having had years of experience in supervised clinical practice. We urge you to consider that: - There is no conclusive evidence that the particular trainings and accreditations currently favoured by IAPT are any guarantee of safe and effective counselling practice, nor that PSA Accredited Registrants are not equipped to provide the support so many now need. - There is currently a large pool of safe, capable, registered counselling practitioners available at this time of unprecedented need for mental health support. - It is unacceptable in the current climate, and in the future, to significantly impair overstretched services by including only practitioners holding a particular accreditation or those CfD trained. PSA Accredited talking therapy Registrants represent a valuable national resource, many with years of experience, going to waste. We would like to see them given the acknowledgement and respect that they deserve, and being called on to provide their services immediately within the NHS to all those struggling with their mental health. We believe that doing anything less than this is a huge disservice to our entire nation, and look forward to supporting the NHS in rolling out a programme of support effectively using the Accredited Registers. In commenting on the first iteration of the SCoPEd project, whose claim to “set common standards for the profession” has been made by its three collaborating partners, the NCS in April 2018 made two key points: - There were serious issues with a project apparently subscribing to hierarchical differentiations in our profession based upon three tiers of professional (counsellor, advanced counsellor and psychotherapist) which were assigned distinct competencies or “abilities”. Our member survey in 2018 revealed an admixture of competencies across the three potential tiers which did not match with the proposed standards. And: - The exclusion of Accredited Register holders and other stakeholders from any meaningful participation in this project, rendered it incapable fulfilling its stated aim of setting profession-wide standards. Our conclusion was that any attempt to set standards for the profession must be accomplished by the profession, failing which SCoPEd is an internal exercise for those who wish to participate – albeit an exercise with, no doubt, far reaching consequences. We have been asked by many members to comment on the second iteration of SCoPEd. We can confirm that we have been contacted by both UKCP and BACP to talk about SCoPEd and have had several informal discussions with BACP. These discussions have been mutually respectful while differences have been acknowledged. On 21st July, the collaborating partners held an online meeting at which ourselves and other Accredited Register holders were present to discuss SCoPEd. We were invited to comment on the specifics of the second iteration. We were concerned that this meeting was called only a few days after the second iteration was reached. We wish to place these concerns on record, particularly the lack of time to consult with colleagues or members. However, we do recognise the meeting as a sincere attempt at engagement by the collaborating partners. A representative of the Professional Standards Authority was present in an observer capacity, and has also agreed to attend a meeting of the [Partners for Counselling and Psychotherapy](https://www.partnersforcounsellingandpsychotherapy.co.uk/) which will discuss a wider range of views. During this meeting, we declined to comment on the details of the second iteration of SCoPEd when invited. This is because we do not see our role, or any benefit to our members, in being consulted in a context of exclusion. Other Accredited Registers present agreed. We reiterated our position that SCoPEd is, at present, an internal matter for the three author organisations, albeit with widespread impact. If they wish to set standards “for the profession” then we believe that the correct method for this is, eventually, via the AR programme with participation from other stakeholder groups. Such standards could then, in principle, be adopted with the consent of the profession as a whole. We continue to invite the SCoPEd authors to take the leap of faith required to include the wider profession. The collaborating partners now appear willing to consider this and this was discussed in the online meeting. Accordingly we and 3 other registers have jointly written to the collaborating partners asking for concrete proposals on this by the end of September, with the intention of establishing and adopting a structure for an inclusive approach by the New Year. Our members have widespread concerns about SCoPEd and it is helpful now to frame some of these in view of the second iteration. The main questions raised by our members are as follows: 1. **How can we understand “Therapist A B and C” without context?** Titles have been removed and we are left with “Therapist A, B and C.” However, BACP have confirmed that titles will be added back later in a form to be agreed by the 3 organisations. However, without understanding the intentions of mapping the three “tiers” onto membership grades or titles like “psychotherapist” it is impossible to gauge the effects of the project. Fundamental to SCoPEd would be a prior understanding of what this actually means for registrants, accredited counsellors, psychotherapists etc. What grades will these tiers connect with? What titles? What work? It is impossible to arrive at an informed view of the impact of SCoPEd without this understanding. 2. **Will there be an evidence based Impact Assessment?** SCoPEd requires an Impact Assessment before implementation. Issues of power, work and social capital remain unaddressed. We note introduction of “gateways” which will enable therapists to progress from A to C. This feels like progress from the first iteration. But how much will this cost in practice in time and money? Who will be able to afford it? What jobs apply to which levels? Will this make getting work at Tier A easier or harder? How will this impact remuneration? Will it actually deflate wages? Is getting from Tier A to Tier B cheaper, easier and quicker than moving from “Registrant” to “Accredited” – or more expensive and harder? What about membership fees? Will the pressure to volunteer increase or decrease? It is normal practice in regulation to require an evidence based impact assessment to fully understand the impact of proposed changes on professionals before those changes can take place. This is especially important because it impacts human rights such as the right to work and have a professional life. Regulatory changes, even voluntary ones, must demonstrate that any impact on those subjected to it is proportionate to their rights and livelihoods. 3. **Will SCoPEd have unintended consequences for ethical practice?**. For example, how do complaints processes and Codes of Practice fit in with SCoPEd? Does a Tier A therapist reported for using a Tier B ability (e.g. addresses “unconscious processes” cf 3.6.a) risk sanctions for attempting to work “beyond their capacity”? Can a Tier A therapist use a Tier B ability, or would they face sanctions? If this scenario was an ethical breach, SCoPEd in its second iteration could appear restrictive to, and unreflective of, lived practice. If it is not an ethical breach, then we acknowledge that all these abilities are in fact mixed in each individual practitioner, then how are the different tiers of practice to be meaningfully assessed or mapped onto ethical frameworks? 4. **How can we support SCoPEd without a clear end goal?** What are the fundamental benefits for the profession (rather than the benefits accruing to the collaborating bodies by agreeing a mutual recognition scheme)? If it is jobs then which jobs? NHS workforce? If it helps with regulation, then how? What model of regulation is envisaged? 5. **Why aren’t standards set via the AR programme instead?** Why not just work truly collaboratively to agree common standards within the only common framework that has ever been set up for this profession? 6. **How can we understand “abilities” or competencies without context?** A Tier A therapist can “undertake team work”, but not have an “active role” in a team or express a professional opinion. (cf 1.12.) What’s the context here? A private clinic? A hospital setting ? A college? Private practice? Without context the current language appears to be distilled and decontextualized and, as has been noted, could actually cause offence (“you can’t express an opinion because you’re Tier A”). What’s the context of these abilities? Would language such as “service levels” make more sense? Or language about professional journeys? There is a need here for better communication of context and intention. 7. **Why does SCoPEd appear not to be modality neutral – particularly in regards to person-centred counselling?** How would a person centred counsellor progress to Tier C when many of the abilities are framed in a manner which person centred counselling simply does not use? Do you have to change modality to access higher tiers? How are all modalities to be safeguarded? 8. **How can SCoPEd account for individual practitioner experience?** Practitioners are individuals. As our previous members’ survey showed, members from all Scoped iteration 1 tiers professed and admixture of abilities across the range of mapping columns which Scoped provides. How is individuality and individual development taken into account? In reality, what happens to practitioners who can do 100% of column 1, 40% of column 2 and 30% of column 3? How does that work? How does Scoped provide for individual differences and acknowledge that the wide variety of individual practitioner experience which may not be easily reflected in their training? The above represents a sample of our members’ most often repeated key concerns. The Society will continue to engage with the Collaborating Partners and our members on all of the above. We will continue to signpost all aspects of the SCoPEd debate to our members. August 6th 2020 We have surveyed our members for their opinion on key issues regarding the profession. The full report can be read below, including how the Society has responded to our members voices. - [Survey Results 2019 on Key Issues and Policy](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/society_survey_results_2019_policy_and_scoped.pdf)(591KB) This document requires the free [Adobe Reader](http://get.adobe.com/reader/) software (or another, compatible PDF viewer).\[link opens in a new window\] Letter to BACP, UKCP and BPC Re: SCOPED To Whom it May Concern; The National Counselling Society has now concluded a consultation with our members on competencies within counselling and psychotherapy. Full details can be found HERE on our website. Members were asked a series of questions on proposed competencies for the profession based upon the framework established by the Scoped consultation. Members were asked to consider which competencies should be reserved to “advanced counsellors” which we defined as those having received our Professional Accredited grade (or equivalent) and/or for psychotherapists. We sought to establish how our membership at large views their actual competencies to practice in specific areas. Our methodology was to list those competencies which your draft SCOPED document reserved to advanced counsellors and/or psychotherapists, and ask our members to express their professional judgement as to whether these competencies should be so reserved. Our members’ professional judgement as to the competencies which actually apply in counselling and psychotherapy do not support the draft Scoped document. On the contrary, in essence as our consultation demonstrates, the competencies reserved by that document for psychotherapists or advanced counsellors are actually, on the examination of professional counsellors’ actual lived experience, competencies which hold true for qualified counsellors also. Our members’ view is that the differentiation of these competencies into three purported levels is contrary to how the profession actually works. We invite you to reproduce our consultation exercise with your own members to take their detailed views on the draft competencies on a question by question basis. In addition, it is worth alluding to our many members’ who have stated that this kind of competency framework has no resonance with their practice or modality. We recognise this and reconfirm that our conducting this exercise was not the prelude to adopting such framework. The Society takes instruction from our members on matters of policy, and we view our consultation with them as instructive in this regard. On instruction from our members, therefore, the Society does not believe there is an evidential basis for distinguishing three tiers of professional competencies along the lines of “qualified counsellors, “advanced counsellors” and “psychotherapists”. Our members confirm that, irrespective of professional title or membership grade, that they are able to demonstrate competencies across a framework without generally reserving those competencies. The Society therefore considers that your draft competency framework creates artificial distinctions not reflective of practice or training, and clearly contrary to the expert evidence already set before the HCPC by BACP in 2009. The Society reconfirms its position that while we would welcome common standards across the profession, this can and should be achieved through the Accredited Registers programme, reaching common agreement amongst all Register holders and other important stakeholders, in full consultation with members and trainers, that can be communicated to the Professional Standards Authority. It is only through such an inclusive approach that any “public confusion” would be fully addressed and the maturity of the profession be communicated to the wider world. Accordingly we invite you to participate in a new, inclusive approach to set out common standards agreeable to all. Yours sincerely Vicky Parkinson CEO National Counselling Society **Read our full response in the below document.** - [SCoPEd: Open Letter to BACP](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/scoped_open_letter_to_bacp_wv.pdf)(1MB) This document requires the free [Adobe Reader](http://get.adobe.com/reader/) software (or another, compatible PDF viewer).\[link opens in a new window\] - [BACP Response Letter 2009](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/bacp_response_13_october_wv.pdf)(4MB) This document requires the free [Adobe Reader](http://get.adobe.com/reader/) software (or another, compatible PDF viewer).\[link opens in a new window\] **What do our members think?** We asked our members for input about an important issue facing our profession. The Society consulted our members to determine if there is a settled view amongst our membership regarding the issue of counselling regulation. The last time we asked our members to comment on this issue was prior to the then proposed statutory regulation of counselling via the Health and Care Professions Council approximately ten years ago. At the time, our members, by a substantial majority, opposed HCPC regulation. The NCS, alongside other organisations, were successful in challenging the plans, including via a successful Judicial Review. A change of Government then led to the decision to create the Accredited Registers programme. However, we have now worked under the Accredited Registers (AR) programme for six years. The programme has had time to develop and so we are able to look at the results and weigh up the pros and cons of the programme. In addition, there are still those who support statutory regulation. For example, in the wake of the Government’s survey on conversion therapy, some Members of Parliament made renewed calls to regulate counselling via the HCPC in order to prevent counsellors from offering this therapy. In addition, there are those who pose the question “how do you stop an unsafe counsellor from practising?” This is a question which needs to be addressed by those supporting a voluntary scheme. It is important for us, therefore, to understand the views of our current membership in order to ensure that our policies take into consideration your voice and views. **Below are the options we set out to our members for the possible options of regulation in the future as we saw them, with some pros and cons by each option.*****NB the pros and cons are offered as views commonly shared by proponents and opponents of the options whilst debating the issue, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Society**.* We included a brief impact assessment with each option which helps explore how the option could work in practice and how it could affect you as a counsellor or psychotherapist. **Option 1: Keep the AR programme as it is, as a voluntary programme** **Impact:** ***You can choose whether or not to join any organisation. Unsafe practitioners can't be stopped from practising unless they commit a criminal offence.*** **Pros** - Popular scheme with counsellors - Protects diversity of practice and experience - Keeps the profession at the heart of regulation - Risk assessment of counselling is low risk with low numbers of non-compliance - Profession has already invested vast resources in the scheme (as well as public money) - Anybody removed from an Accredited Register is published on the respective Accredited Register's website and cannot join another related Accredited Register under standard 10e **Cons** - The profession can't prevent a struck-off counsellor from practising - The responsibility is on the public/client to source ethical counsellors - Accredited Registers can have widely different ethos - Not enough standardisation of practice - What happens when two complaints procedures produce different outcomes? - Maintaining a voluntary scheme vulnerable to the wrong sort of regulation in the future. **Option 2: Keep the AR programme, but make it compulsory for counsellors to be on an AR.** **Impact:** ***You will have to be on an Accredited Register to practice. Unsafe practitioners can be stopped from practising by being removed from the AR programme (complaints are likely to have an independent process to ensure registrants can't be removed unfairly).*** **Pros** - Gives counsellors a choice of Register, even when compulsory - Keeps the profession at the heart of regulation and allows good standards to flourish - Protects the title "counsellor", "psychotherapist" etc - Prevents struck-off counsellors from practising - Ends the need for a debate on statutory regulation **Cons** - Need for standardisation of different registers' complaints processes - Not enough standardisation of practice - Need to ensure that Accredited Registers' decisions are open to independent review and appeal - Primary legislation required **Option 3: Keep the AR programme voluntary but with a "negative register" e.g. the DBS scheme** **Impact:** ***You can choose whether or not to join any organisation. Unsafe practitioners can be banned from practice by being barred or added to a "negative register." This process would be independent of the profession.*** **Pros** - All the pros of the AR programme as already described - Prevents unsafe counsellors from practising - Has been discussed by the Authority **Cons** - Decisions removed from the profession - Too complicated - why run two processes. - DBS scheme not set up for private practice - DBS scheme would need primary legislation to adapt **Option 4: Keep the AR programme voluntary but create a new over-arching licensing body** **Impact:** ***You can choose whether or not to join any organisation, but need to obtain a separate license to practice. This would be easy to obtain but would incur additional costs. Unsafe practitioners can have their license revoked and thus can be prevented from being able to practice. This process would be independent of the profession.*** **Pros** - Potentially low cost and easy to obtain - All the benefits of the AR programme as already described - Licensing could be extended across all health and social care professions - ARs can refer complaints outcomes to licensing body - Licensing body can act on its own, e.g. after criminal complaint **Cons** - New licensing body would require time and money to create - Is there political will and funding for a new creation - An extra layer of red tape for counsellors - How to juggle AR complaints with licensing body complaints - Is there political will or funding for a new licensing body. **Option 5: HCPC regulation** **Impact:** ***You will have to register with the HCPC and ensure that your qualifications and continued practice meet the standards they set. This would incur a fee to the HCPC. Unsafe practitioners can be prevented from being able to practice by removal from the HCPC register. The AR programme would end with standards and complaints done by the HCPC rather than professional associations.*** ### **The Results** #### **Details – Members were surveyed and given the option of making their top 3 choices in order of preference.** Left to right = 1st choice , 2nd choice , 3rdchoice , No opinion **Answer** Option One 24% 20% 16% 38% Option Two 53% 28% 9% 9% Option Three 4% 25% 32% 36% Option Four 8% 16% 22% 52% Option Five 10% 5% 6% 77% Members were also given the opportunity to make individual comments, and we have included a wide range of comments made anonymously. I strongly vote and urge for NCS to do something .perhaps Option 5 is the way forward, to join the forces with HCPC as at the moment BACP is monopolizing everything. Wherever I go for work or seminars or CPD, if I am not BACP or HCPC accredited, public looks upon with a little credit or respect on NCS. We need a strong pathway and this is possible with HCPC. The current DBS scheme is not a full proof method - it needs to be maintained to have any value and also a person could 'offend' just after receiving the DBS .therefore, although helpful, it will not solve this problem and adds another red tape layer of complication. If a counsellor works within an organisation it is probable that they would have a DVD via the organisation anyway. In addition much emphasis on qualification may emerge with any new legislation. Whilst I believe in suitably qualified counsellors, the emphasis shifts to just that rather than an ability of the person to be totally congruent and more importantly to have worked sufficiently on their own issues in training. I see many clients who have seen other qualified counsellors who have not acted in congruent way, leaving the client confused and hurt. Option 1: would prefer this to remain but it has flaws and it leaves it open for future pushes for regulation. Options 2: seems to be a positive step up from option 1 but would need standardisation. Option 3: how would clients access the 'negative register' information for private therapists? Clients are not always capable of looking for this information, they don't always use the professional organisation websites to find therapists as it is. Option 4: this looks like a positive option as far as clients are concerned as the therapist would presumably have a physical form of this license to show to them or organisations. I liked the idea that it could be extended across other health/social care professions. My concern that stopped me listing this option as my first choice was the time/money that would be needed to implement. If this idea was pushed forward would it be used by the government as a way to push the HCPC regulation through instead. Option 5: is just a no! Whilst I don't favour regulation I agree there is definitely a large movement towards it. The HCPC register is geared towards healthcare professionals and counsellors/psychotherapists don't appear to meet all of their "health care" criteria. I am strongly committed to our profession not being overtaken by the medical model - which I fear HCPC will inexorably move towards. I think it's really important that all the membership bodies are visibly seen to have equal status by the public. I am also against any MB being allowed to promote itself as 'the leading body of our profession'. It would be good to introduce something that will iron this out and prevent any MB from assuming an inflated sense of authority. I do think we should have to be PSA registered to practice. I would like to be known as a PSA Snr Accredited counsellor/psychotherapist who is registered with NCS. I am still unclear as to how this can happen. I think it's important to be able to keep the diversity within our profession as this allows for counselling to creatively move forward and progress. I am not against being licensed or DBS checked if it will help counsellors to increase their professional status. I definitely don't want to see HPCP regulation. I feel that with any big decision like this that the emphasis should be on the safety of the customer e.g. clients, particularly as where counselling is concerned we commit to doing what is in the best interests of the client. As the accredited register is already in operation and is common across all counselling associations e.g. BACP, UKCP etc., we already have something in place that acts as a standard and shows any potential client that the counsellor has received appropriate training. The only bit missing is that it is not compulsory for counsellors to be on this register to practice. Therefore making it compulsory for any counsellor to be on an accredited register seems to me to be the simplest, most cost effective way for the profession to become more regulated, without the need for lengthy, costly and complicated new rules and regulations. My view is that the current AR scheme works and works well. Unless there is compelling evidence to change something (which I haven't seen produced by anyone) why change something that is actually working, the allows for a degree of flexibility, that is affordable and for which there is NO evidence that it is being abused. Options 4 and 5 seem to allow counselling to become dominated by the HCPC and medical model. I strongly prefer options that allow variety in counselling practice, and recognition that the counselling relationship is an important aspect of the work. I prefer self-determination by counselling professions. I feel it would be more prudent to putting in effort to ensure the public ask the right questions and ask for evidence regarding each counsellor. Most counsellors would want accreditation and to practice in a professional manner and be happy to share their training route, supervision, CPD, Insurance, accreditation. There will always be those few, as in any industry, who are dishonest. Educate the public to do their research into their prospective counsellor and the right questions to ask. I found it hard to prioritise my 3 preferred options as they all had valid pros and cons, plus weighing up potential benefits for therapists/organisations and clients could work in opposition at times Option 1 is not an option. Option 3 likewise - it only excludes people who were on it in the first place - the problem is primarily people who are not / cannot be on an AR. Feel the HCPC regulation option would not eradicate unsafe practitioners but would discriminate against some or many good practitioners who did not meet the HCPC Qualification standards set. Option 2 would be my preferred choice. It maintains the standard of the profession as those who are struck-off cannot continue to work. I think it is vital that the profession is kept at the heart of regulation to ensure there is a real understanding of our role and that those who are currently practising effectively and ethically are not penalised by new legislation which may require a higher level of qualification. I would like to positively NOT choose options 4,5 (i.e. it is not that I have no preference) - this form does not allow me to indicate that. I think the existing AR program is a good thing. Especially the NCS has an excellent service for its members. I don't know how this could be improved through more regulations. I know counsellors and therapists who do this work for years, but still I would not feel safe with them. Putting more and more regulations does not necessarily improve therapeutic quality, since regulations will never be able to really value the true personal development of a counsellor or therapist. Option 5 is really the only option I favour. I have only stayed 2 other options because I have to. A lot of work has gone into the present system. It is not perfect, but neither are the other options. I think diversity of practise is a key issue. Counsellors work in very different ways, as befits their personality and experience, and a range of ARs facilitates this. I believe that spending a lot of time, effort and money on other approaches is wasteful, because it will not make things a lot better. As the saying goes: "If it is not broke, don't fix it". Both Option 3 and Option 4 require either a significant adaptation (Option 3) or significant work to create (Option 4). Both, I'm sure would require extra cost to set them up and maintain. This would put further pressure on counsellors to fund these I suspect. Option2 is the only viable and sensible Option especially given the work that has already gone on over the last few years to reflect on and create the accredited voluntary registers with all their positive elements.. I believe that the introduction of licensing for counsellors would help weed out those who are deemed unsafe/unfit to practice. Option 5 would be a disaster for the future of counselling, for both clients and practitioners. My main concern with option 4 is that other professions under the same regulation will be able to sway policy and may not understand the principles at the heart of our proffession IMHO its a question of balancing public protection with therapeutic flexibility and public choice. I think option 2 is the only one that really offers this; assuming that the status quo will not remain. I think you are taking the wrong approach in looking at what suits counsellors - I think this needs to be viewed through the lens of the client and offer maximum protection to them, In addition I also feel that the counselling is not cuurrently given the same level of respect as other professions and this would change if the profession comes under HPCP Being brought under the HCPC shows we wish to be considered equal to all the other protected health professionals and are prepared to be treated the same as they are. The message and confidence that gives clients far outweighs any inconvenience we may have. Graduate entry should be the minimum with courses approved independently and retrospectively by the HCPC. The BACP can then be put out of its misery. I choose compulsary AR programme, on the proviso that this maintains existing choice, and potentially broadens choice. The current PSA requirements seem absolutley enough as they are, and leaves room for increased diversity of AR providers. I would prefer statutory regulation of the profession and protected title. That said I doubt whether any future government could afford to invest in statutory regulation of the profession. I consider that employers would be more interested in employing counsellors if we held statutory titles. As a social worker I am regulated by the HCPC. It is cumbersome, expensive and overly bureaucratic and does nothing to support practitioners, only punish them. I would be totally against having to register with them as a Counsellor. I like the idea of separate licensing in addition to AC register. It feels as safe and as structured as possible without the potential negative restrictive cons of full governement regulation. If there must be change, as seems to be the case surly option two would serve the profession best as it maintains our present form of regulation but as you said makes it compulsory for counsellors to be on an AR. If acceptable a win, win for service users, practitioners and for the profession as a whole. I feel the current AR programme is working well but fear further regulation in the future, therefore I feel it would be better to move to a compulsory scheme while we still have influence over our own profession. I don't believe titles need to be protected, I believe public awareness of the AR needs to be increased so that clients can make their own informed decision as to who they work with. I feel that statutory regulation is needed. I don't believe that it will impact diversity and creativity in the field. I believe that the profession will be taken more seriously at a time when I see counselling provision being replaced with 'wellbeing and 'signposting services. Counselling has become too general a term and something that can be incorporated into other professionals roles rather than a specialist intervention by skills practitioners Anything that attracts extra cost will be very hard for therapists - it is already a tough market to be in and in many cases unless there is an additional source of income, impossible to survive on a therapists income alone. I am qualified in a range of fields on on various registers. My concern is unintended consequences. Over regulation could become problematic for many charities offering counselling. I am already HCPC registered psychologist and it has only protected specific titles - anybody can still call themselves a 'psychologist'. A new over-arching licensing body would lead to less practitioners being members of professional bodies. The current PSA system works (& do note that the PSA regulates HCPC). Titles need protection. There must be legislation to prevent unqualified people practicing. This could enable equality across the bodies which there is not at the moment. May also bring a minimum standard and quality of training. I am definitely not in favour of the licence option. I believe Counsellors have enough to pay for as it is with ongoing CPD, insurance and register memberships. We also have a lot of paperwork to keep on top of as it is and I feel that the licence option will increase this future potentially causing more stress and burn out. **In Conclusion – Our thoughts** NCS members in general appear to support the Accredited Registers programme as it stands, but a majority of respondents wish to go further and make the programme compulsory (put it on a statutory footing) in order to further protect the public. Whereas 44% of members are happy (first or second choice) to maintain the status quo of this voluntary programme, we have a clear indication (81% first or second choice with 53% first choice) that our members view making the Accredited Registers programme compulsory is their preferred direction of travel. As a member-led organisation, this survey will be put to Society Council for ratification that **the Society’s official policy on regulation shall be to support the adaptation of the existing Accredited Registers programme from a voluntary programme into a statutory requirement of practice.** The Society believes that this approach will best balance equality and diversity in counselling and allow many different approaches to publish, with the ability to prevent unsafe counsellors or psychotherapists from practice and protect the public where necessary. An All-Party Group dedicated to finding ways to improve children’s health and wellbeing has called for a positive approach to the Government’s Child Mental Health proposals. Publishing its 10th report (sponsored by the National Counselling Society, and giving a speech at the launch alongside our Children and Young People Ambassador Kate Day): *‘Mental Health in Childhood,’* the APPG on A Fit and Healthy Childhood described the Government’s green paper on Child Mental Health as *‘a work in progress,’* and said it should be strengthened by: - Championing early intervention rather than relying unduly upon expensive later-stage crisis services - Ring-fencing funding for antenatal, postnatal and early years’ mental health provision for children and their parents - A properly funded CAMHS with statutory referral times and a national in-school counselling service staffed only by professionally accredited counsellors on an Accredited Register - Compulsory initial training and ongoing CPD for all teachers and other professionals dealing with the mental health of children and young people - The Designated Mental Health Lead in schools to receive guaranteed remuneration commensurate with the responsibilities of the post - Government to initiate dialogue with media concerns about the screening of potentially inflammatory and contentious material; combined with Government regulation of social media where appropriate for child safeguarding purposes - Speedy, responsive new services for students/apprentices embarking upon an FE place, degree or mix of work and training who currently ‘fall between’ sources of available provision - Mental health service funding to reflect the needs of culturally diverse and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities - Inter-Departmental collaboration on child health and wellbeing ideally co-ordinated and audited by a Secretary of State for Children, heading a Department for Children and scrutinised by a new Select Committee. Introducing the report, APPG co-Chair, Baroness (Floella) Benjamin said: ‘We welcome the green paper and some of its core recommendations such as early intervention and counselling services in schools, but green papers are necessarily ‘works in progress.’ Our report shows that there is much more to do. Now, all people and organisations who care about children’s mental health must help to make the forthcoming legislation as good as it can be by supporting the ideas outlined in our report and especially concerning the internet and smart phones, funding essential school counselling services and ensuring that we don’t have services in some parts of the UK forced to play ‘ catch up’. We agree with the Education and Health and Social Care Committees that this challenging policy area should be supported by new initiatives and co-ordination across government. The ‘new initiative’ that we propose is the creation of a Department for Children, headed by a Secretary of State with responsibility for cross Departmental audit and held to account by a new Select Committee.’ We believe the report helps to highlight key issues that need to be dealt with when considering any implementation of new policies by government. We hope this report will be widely shared in order for as many people as possible to be aware. ## Children first – politics in the best interests of the child Will your organisation endorse the following statement? **CALL FOR A CABINET MINISTER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE** > ‘What sort of society are we becoming when four and five year olds are starting school unable to utter more than a few words, understand basic instructions or even use the toilet?’ > (‘The Daily Mail’, 1st June, 2018). Ofsted Head, Amanda Spielman, categorises children as either born ‘lucky’ or facing *‘disadvantage right from the start … unable to follow what’s going on. Unable to keep up with their classmates. Unable to reach their potential.’* Menaced by five 21st century ‘evils’ - obesity and physical inactivity - adverse childhood experiences - rising mental health issues - dominance of social media and screen time influence - socioeconomic disadvantage and cultural/ethnic divde Our children may become the least healthy adult population in living memory. We need an authoritative voice within the Cabinet to bring all these issues together and devise solutions that will be more than just firefighting on an individual policy front and so **we call upon Government to appoint a Cabinet Minister for Children and Young People.** Need to know more? A full supporting document is available from Please let Phil know by email if we can add your name to the list of endorsements. We have received a response to our further request of an inclusive approach to SCoPEd project. Unfortunately, we are disappointed to see that it seems the collaboration are unwilling to discuss with the wider profession, we shall continue to monitor developments and of course provide updates ourselves. 11th June 2018 Dear Vicky, Thank you very much for your email setting out your further concerns about the SCoPEd project. As you know this project evolved from work already being undertaken as part of the collaborative work between BACP, BPC and UKCP. Our three organisations have been working together for some years as part of a formal collaboration – the CCPP. This project is one of several things we are working on together. ScoPEd is not creating anything new – it is an evidence-based research project mapping existing competences and professional standards. So, the project will set out what already exists. We hope that in the future a wide range of bodies will find the generic competence framework useful. Thank you for getting in touch. We appreciate your feedback. Yours sincerely, **Gary Fereday** **Chief Executive BPC** (signed on behalf of the SCoPEd Steering Group) Following our open letter (which can be found further down this page), we have now received a response from the SCoPEd collaboration. Dear Vicky Thank you for your letter which was discussed at our Steering Group meeting on 25 April. We are pleased to hear that you recognise what an important piece of work this is but it is not exactly as you state. The project evolved organically from the collaborative discussions between our three professional bodies over the last few years and is specifically to map the current landscape, expressed in evidence-based generic competencies and then to identify any gaps or areas where further clarification is needed using the Roth and Pilling methodology. It is not about developing standards. We have researched the evidence comprehensively and systematically, and continue to do so, in order to ensure that a complete a picture as possible is drawn. Once the Expert Reference Group has completed its work there will be a consultation with practitioners and external stakeholders. Although the exact form of the consultation has yet to be decided, it will be presenting the work done so far and asking for feedback and input on any further gaps or omissions. Yours sincerely **Gary Fereday** **Chief Executive BPC** (signed on behalf of the SCoPEd Steering Group) The response concerns ourselves and we are very surprised that the response letter claims that the SCoPEd project is not intended to set standards for the profession. It specifically states on both BACP and UKCP websites that 'BACP, BPC, UKCP are jointly working on a groundbreaking project to set out the training requirements and practice standards for counselling and psychotherapy', in the very first sentence, as well as the below statements; 'There was complete agreement between BACP, BPC, and UKCP that a proactive leadership role was needed in the development of generic standards for the counselling and psychotherapy professions.' and 'The project is systematically mapping existing competencies, standards, training and practice requirements within counselling and psychotherapy.' Clearly, the publically stated view of two of the scoped collaborators is that this project is seen by them as a fundamental attempt to "set standards for the profession" without prior consultation or consent with the profession at large. Accordingly, we have renewed our request in our previous letter for an end to the non-inclusive, ringfenced and top down approach to professional standards, and call upon the collaboration to engage with us and all other interested parties within the profession, to move the profession forwards to an inclusive and democratic approach based upon the good of all. You may have seen the recent announcement by BACP, UKCP and BPC working on a project to set out the training requirements and practice standards for counselling and psychotherapy. They write; > ‘Counselling and psychotherapy are not statutorily regulated. Professional bodies can apply for their own registers to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) under its Accredited Registers programme. > > The PSA sets standards for organisations that hold a register in a health or social care profession, and the focus of their programme is public protection. > > The PSA-accredited registers in the field of counselling and psychotherapy each has its own distinct standards of training and practice. There are also no agreed common entry or training requirements to enter the field. > > This causes confusion for the public, for clients/patients, for employers and commissioners of services about what training and experience to expect when employing a counsellor or psychotherapist. > > There is also confusion amongst those who are considering training in this field as there are disparate standards, with a wide range of courses available at differing academic levels geared to different client groups and professional roles, and sitting within different qualifications frameworks’ Whilst we agree there need to be minimum standards for any registrant working with the public, we are concerned that there has been no consultation or discussion amongst fellow Accredited Register holders, training providers, organisations or importantly its members – despite the collaboration being near completion on their project. We wanted to make you aware we have responded with the below open letter. We shall also be in contact soon with training providers and members to further discuss this important issue. We welcome any training providers and organisations to add their details in support, members or not. Please do contact the office, details will be updated in due course. **Re : SCoPEd project** We write to you concerning your stated intention to develop “generic standards for the counselling and psychotherapy professions”. You write that “the PSA-accredited registers in the field of counselling and psychotherapy each has its own distinct standards of training and practice. There are also no agreed common entry or training requirements to enter the field. This causes confusion for the public, for clients/patients, for employers and commissioners of services about what training and experience to expect when employing a counsellor or psychotherapist.” Our view is that any project to set common standards should be fully inclusive from the outset, with full and equal participation by all Accredited Register holders in talking therapies, alongside other stakeholders such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union, Alliance for Counselling & Psychotherapy, Awarding Bodies and training organisations. It will, surely, only cause further “public, client and employer confusion” for three of the current Accredited Register holders to agree their own new set of standards without reference to the AR programme, especially when NHS guidelines are now focussed on recommending the programme as the one supported by Government. In addition, we feel that any new setting of standards should be done with full democratic participation by the memberships of stakeholder organisations, using a member-led approach, rather than a top-down approach. Without these safeguards in place, the SCoPEd project will not succeed in setting standards for the profession, but rather, will be an internal exercise conducted on behalf of particular organisations for their own ends, conducted to the exclusion of many. You are of course, welcome to set standards for yourselves – but not to claim that these should be imposed on, or represent, the profession as a whole, without having equal participation and full support from the wider profession. We are also concerned that the project could lead to further homogenisation, over -regulation, and further control mechanisms being applied by professional associations on their members. Instead, we would seek to enshrine equality, diversity and the heart of counselling and psychotherapy in any further attempts to define standards. A mechanistic, technical and manualised understanding of therapeutic work can never do justice to the reality of how we practice. We believe a pluralistic approach respectful of diversity, variety and individual client choice is fundamentally important, whilst of course maintaining standards and public safety. We are also concerned that, unless handled sensitively, any such project could easily lend itself to takeover by a corporatist style of regulation where the profession risks fundamental change with no benefit to counsellors, psychotherapists, or their clients. Do we really want even more prescriptions and controls on practice than there are now? You speak of the need to avoid “public confusion”. We are not aware of any great public confusion. In the employed sector, counselling in any case has been to some extent bypassed by IAPT where a very limited number of approaches are used in a very prescribed way. This has led over time to a fundamental under valuing of counselling and psychotherapy in its richness and diversity. What we are aware of is the public wishing to preserve choice with access to therapy in a timely manner – to select the practitioner and approach that is right for them; to be able to see value in the therapeutic relationship above and beyond issues of professionalisation. We are also aware that counsellors and psychotherapists seek to preserve choice and diversity, and feel that there already exist robust and appropriate standards which allow a place for individuality, creativity and vocation alongside public protection and good practice. These can be fine tuned by the profession as a whole. There are already existing standards and reference points including the QAA Benchmark Statement on Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, the Regulated Qualifications Framework, Skills for Health National Occupational Standards and the UCL CORE competence frameworks which are not “owned” by any one professional body. These, together with the standards adopted by individual professional bodies, are surely sufficient. While any organisations are, of course, welcome to collaborate and devise their own standards, what is concerning is that, at the very time that the Accredited Register programme has begun to flourish and allow all register holders to meet, cooperate, and learn to improve standards and governance with the assistance of the Authority, your collaboration threatens to ringfence your own memberships from the wider Accredited Register community, not to mention missed opportunities for equal participation from other stakeholders. The chance to set standards as part of, rather than taken away from, the Accredited Register scheme would have far greater benefits for the entire profession. We support minimum standards for the profession – if they are, indeed, created by the profession as a whole. The risk of setting standards in a vacuum is that it is seen as an internal political exercise. This risks greater confusion – not less. Kind Regards Vicky Parkinson CEO With support of - Jeffery Thomas and Monika Jephcott, PTUK Tony Ruddle on behalf of Association of Christian Counsellors Dominic Davies, Pink Therapy Andrew Samuels, Former Chair, UKCP. Professor of Analytical Psychology, University of Essex Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy Psychotherapy and Counselling Union Professor Michael Jacobs Gail Evans, Programme Director at The Academy: SPACE Leigh Smith, Heartwood Director Karl Gregory, Severn Talking Therapy Kathy Raffles, Kathy Raffles Counselling Services Marie Easden, Chrysalis Courses Nathalie Asmall, BACP Accredited and Iron Mill College tutor Professor Stephen Joseph, University of Nottingham Dr David Murphy, University of Nottingham Dr Sue Price, University of Nottingham Lindsay Cooper, Assistant Professor of Counselling, Course Leader BA (Hons) Humanistic Counselling Practice University of Nottingham Dr Katy Wakelin, University of Nottingham Laura Davies , University of Nottingham Dr Laura Monk, University of Nottingham Janet Tolan Lesley Wilson Heather Kapelko Sheila McCarthy-Dodd Jane Pendlebury Kris Black MBACP, UKCP CSTD, IAP, MISA, LLB (Hons) Denise Gregory MBACP (Accred) Phil Turner MBACP (Accred) Amanda Young Dip Counselling LouAnne Lachman MBACP (Accred) --- NCPS Magazine # NCPS Public Magazines Keep up-to-date with some of our free, public magazines including Student Counsellor and our special editions of Counselling Matters. --- # Representing you --- Representing you # Our campaigns The NCPS is a leading voice in the field of counselling & psychotherapy, working hard for better access to safe, ethical therapy for all. [Join us](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual) The NCPS is a leading voice in the field of counselling and psychotherapy, promoting high standards of training and practice, and advocating for the recognition of these professions as valuable sources of expertise and experience within the wider field of mental health. Campaign ## Direct access to counselling We are advocating for direct access to counselling & psychotherapy via the Accredited Register programme, allowing people to choose their own therapist and treatment modality. [Learn more](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/direct-access-to-counselling) Campaign ## Access to counselling for every child With mental health issues in Children and Young People increasing, we're campaigning for all children to have access to support they need. [Learn more](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/access-to-counselling-cyp) Campaign ## Therapeutic relationships: the human connection We’re campaigning to educate members of the public, commissioners of mental health support services, and Government around the therapeutic impact of human connection. [Learn more](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/therapeutic-relationships) --- Campaign # Access to counselling for every child We’re calling for child-led mental health care to be available in all schools and primary care settings, with the opportunity for children to access remote mental health support for those who need it. Mental health issues in children and young people are increasing at a rapid rate, and the support they're currently receiving is inadequate both in terms of what's being offered to them and the time they're spending on waiting lists. This has a detrimental effect on their future, and puts further pressure on health, care, and education services. We’re calling for child-led mental health care to be available in all schools and primary care settings, with the opportunity for children to access remote mental health support for those who need it (such as children in care, forgotten children, and those in nomadic communities). One of the key areas to address is the ‘missing middle’ – children who are presenting with issues too complex for low intensity mental health support, such as Children’s Wellbeing Practitioners or Educational Mental Health Practitioners but aren’t considered “unwell enough” for Children & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). **In 2022, 18% of children aged 7 to 16 years and 22% of young people aged 17 to 24 years had a probable mental disorder.** (NHS Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022) **Just over one in three children and young people with a diagnosable mental health condition get access to NHS care and treatment.** (NHS) ## Take action [### Write to your MP 951 KB | pdf Write to your MP using our template which you can download and edit Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Access-to-Counselling-for-Every-Child-Letter-to-MPs-Fillable.pdf) ## Resources We have a selection of resources available that you can download and share. [### CYP campaign downloads 8 MB | pdf We have a selection of resources available that you can download and share. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/CYP-campaign-resourses.pdf) ## Related articles [### No Child Left Behind: Why every child needs access to the right kind of support for them Mental health issues among children and young people have been escalating at an alarming rate. According to NHS figures, referrals to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) witnessed a staggering 76% increase since 2019.](https://ncps.com/our-voice/no-child-left-behind-why-every-child-needs-access-to-the-right-kind-of-support-for-them) [### A Plea for Accessibility: The Crucial Role of Counselling in Children & Young People's Mental Health The recently reported increase in children and young people seeking mental health support from the NHS is further confirmation of what we already know; that…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/a-plea-for-accessibility-the-crucial-role-of-counselling-in-children-young-peoples-mental-health) [### Young Minds Report: Deconstructing the System & Our Campaigns "Many young people expressed they want to see more treatment options beyond CBT, and would like to be able to access early intervention without any thresholds"…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/young-minds-report-deconstructing-the-system-our-campaigns) [### Young People Face "Postcode Lottery" In Child And Adolescent Mental Health Care Those working within mental health provision for children and young people already know that waiting lists are skyrocketing](https://ncps.com/our-voice/young-people-face-postcode-lottery-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health-care) --- Campaign # Direct Access to Counselling The NCPS are advocating for direct access to counselling & psychotherapy via the Accredited Register programme The NCPS are advocating for direct access to counselling & psychotherapy via the Accredited Register programme, allowing patients to choose their own therapist and treatment modality. By reducing waiting lists and improving access to mental health support, patients can receive early intervention and reduce the long-term costs to the NHS and society. Patients who can choose their therapist and modality are invested in their care and more likely to improve, and this approach can help prevent the development of chronic mental health conditions. Additionally, providing a choice of practitioner and modality can remove mental health inequalities and ensure that high-quality, timely, and appropriate mental health support is available to all. **1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem of some kind each year in England (**NHS - Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England - 2007, Results of a household survey) ## Take Action [### Write to your MP 1 MB | pdf If you would like to write to your MP on this important issue we have created a template letter Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Direct-Access-to-Counselling-Fillable-Letter-to-MPs.pdf) ## Download Resources [### DAC campaign posters 5 MB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/DAC-Campaign-posters.pdf) ## Related articles [### A Danish Study Sheds Light on the Importance of Choice and Autonomy in Talking Therapies The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society's (NCPS) Direct Access to Counselling Campaign advocates precisely for this philosophy: the freedom to choose…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/a-danish-study-sheds-light-on-the-importance-of-choice-and-autonomy-in-talking-therapies) [### Enlisting Counsellors and Psychotherapists to Address Rural Mental Health - A Response to the EFRA Committee The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee’s report on rural mental health highlights an alarming disparity in mental health care for rural…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/enlisting-counsellors-and-psychotherapists-to-address-rural-mental-health-a-response-to-the-efra-committee) [### Timely mental health support: A moral and economic imperative, supported by science The Society has been campaigning on the need for timely mental health intervention for some time now.](https://ncps.com/our-voice/timely-mental-health-support-a-moral-and-economic-imperative-supported-by-science) --- Campaigns # Therapeutic Relationships: the Human Connection We're campaigning to raise awareness of the importance of human connection in counselling & psychotherapy. We’re campaigning alongside our friends at the Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB). For more information about the importance of the human connection in counselling training, please [visit their website](https://www.cpcab.co.uk/). Digital therapy apps and AI therapist ChatBots are growing in number, and tech companies are continually developing new ways to support people’s mental health. With the global mental health apps industry being estimated at $ 6.2 billion in 2023, and expecting to grow by 15.2% from 2024 to 2030, it’s no surprise that organisations are trying to develop cutting edge tools and technologies to capture some of that profit. In the UK, the public sector has commissioned a number of digital mental health apps to provide low-intensity mental health support to those in need, as well as the development of Limbic, an “AI-powered clinical assessment chatbot, which better connects patients to NHS psychological talking therapies”. These solutions offer a valuable complement to talking therapies and clearly show potential in reducing the administrative burden and offering low-intensity support for those on waiting lists for an NHS Talking Therapies appointment. Research shows, however, that it is the human connection in therapy that provides the basis for therapeutic efficacy. - [Relation of the therapeutic alliance with outcome and other variables: a meta-analytic review](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10883561/) - [Relation between working alliance and outcome in psychotherapy: A meta-analysis](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1991-22095-001) - [Therapeutic Alliance and Outcome of Psychotherapy: Historical Excursus, Measurements, and Prospects for Research](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198542/) - [Alliance in Individual Psychotherapy](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21401269/) - [The alliance in adult psychotherapy: A meta-analytic synthesis](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29792475/) This campaign aims to build awareness of the importance of the human connection in therapy as a counterpoint to the growing use of digital platforms and AI ChatBots in the therapeutic space. We emphasise the importance of choice, connection, and transparency to those purchasing or commissioning therapeutic services, and call for an increase in roles for human practitioners: not a reliance on technology to provide mental health support. Digital and AI-powered tools, like apps and ChatBots, offer huge potential to complement human-powered talking therapy, however, it’s important to remember that there are limitations to the support they can offer. We share insight from experts, including those in the field, in academia, and by experience, to highlight why the human connection in therapy is something we should be ring fencing and protecting within public and private sector commissioned services. ## NCPS-commissioned [research via YouGov](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Public-Perceptions-of-AI-and-Counselling.pdf) shows that: **81%** of people in the UK are not likely to consider interacting with an AI chatbot over a human being for a therapy session (Source: YouGov) **33%** of people indicated a preference for human empathy in their reasons for not choosing a ChatBot, with others citing a lack of trust in handling delicate or complex topics, and a view of AI ChatBots being inadequate for addressing mental health issues (Source: YouGov) The vast majority **(79.3%)** of people agree that counselling & psychotherapy services are essential for mental health support (Source: YouGov) ## What are we asking for? ## Prioritise human practitioners in public funding and policies For mental health support, including policies that increase access to trained therapists and prioritise the therapeutic relationship. This includes ensuring that government funding for counselling training is appropriately allocated. ## Establish guidelines and transparency for digital tools Including the limitations of such tools, ensuring service providers disclose the use of AI or digital tools and empower service users to make informed decisions about their care. ## Commit to investing in research and infrastructure To satisfy those commissioning services of the factors for effective therapy, supported by the capacity to deliver timely access to effective, human-centred support from trained therapists. ## Improve regulatory scrutiny On the delivery of live guided learning hours in accordance with regulatory definitions. ## Support our campaign We would love your support in advocating for the human connection, and the responsible use of technology in therapeutic services. Share your story with us, support our campaign on social media and in your own networks, or write to your MP or local commissioners of mental health services (we can help you with this if needed). **How you can get involved** - Amplify the Campaign: if you see any of our posts on Social Media, please do share them to your networks. - Share your Knowledge: if you have any academic research of your own in this area, please do get in touch. We would be delighted to share it! - Connect Us: We’re always keen to talk to people about their experiences, so if you know anyone who has something to say about how they see the human connection in therapy – as a client or as a therapist – please do ask them to get in touch with us. - Write for Us: If writing is your thing, we’d be thrilled to share your article or blog on our website. Don’t forget that writing articles counts towards your CPD, too. A joint report by the Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) and the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) reveals therapists’ views on how digitalisation, including AI, has impacted on their profession. [The Importance of Human Connection and the Impact of Digitalisation on Counselling Training and Practice](https://www.cpcab.co.uk/human-connection-campaign?utm_source=NCPS&utm_medium=All&utm_campaign=ReportLaunch) ## Briefing Note [### Human Connection in Mental Health Briefing 1 MB | pdf Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Human-Connection-in-Mental-Health-Briefing.pdf) ## Sources - - - ## Related articles [### AI in Counselling and Psychotherapy At the Society, we're acutely aware of AI's multifaceted role in talking therapy, but our collective understanding of its potential impact on the talking…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ai-in-counselling-and-psychotherapy) [### No Child Left Behind: Why every child needs access to the right kind of support for them Mental health issues among children and young people have been escalating at an alarming rate. According to NHS figures, referrals to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) witnessed a staggering 76% increase since 2019.](https://ncps.com/our-voice/no-child-left-behind-why-every-child-needs-access-to-the-right-kind-of-support-for-them) [### Young Minds Report: Deconstructing the System & Our Campaigns "Many young people expressed they want to see more treatment options beyond CBT, and would like to be able to access early intervention without any thresholds"…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/young-minds-report-deconstructing-the-system-our-campaigns) [### Press release: First blueprint to make AI mental health tools safe for users The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) has published the UK’s first relational safeguards for AI mental health tools, warning that, without…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/press-release-first-blueprint-to-make-ai-mental-health-tools-safe-for-users) [### AI in Therapy - September 2025 Update It’s been a while since our previous blog on the topic of AI, and I wanted to introduce some of the more up-to-date thinking around Artificial Intelligence…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ai-in-therapy-september-2025-update) --- Podcast # Listening In, the NCPS podcast Listen in to conversations with a diverse community of people, all of whom have a shared goal; to improve the mental health landscape for all. Come and join us as we explore the world of wellbeing with our community - members and friends. Because together, our voice is louder. [Listen now](https://ncps1.podbean.com) ### More ways to listen to you can also listen in on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/11UhbrQa8qkSHbXVKLJ9KI?si=788ce0742d0a4083), [Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/listening-in/id1758067326), [Amazon music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f872c68f-772c-43b7-8975-29fca6fd4eb9/listening-in) and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8nYP4toS_u7d8QLzsQ7l6gNs180ewRe2) --- Representing you # Policy hub In this section, you'll find all of the NCPS policies across a range of different areas. These include important issues affecting counselling & psychotherapy, as well as broader mental health provision. You'll also find our functional and administrative policies, such as those that affect website users, our members, and our team at the Society. If you'd like to ask about a policy that you can't see here, please contact us. **All of our organisational policies can be found in the Our Voice section of our website. For your convenience, they are also linked below.** ## Policies: - [Accessibility Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/accessibility) - [Accessible Audio Application Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/accessible-audio-application-policy-2) - [Advertising Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/advertising-policy-2) - [Communications Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/communications) - [Conflict of Interest Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/conflict-of-interest) - [Cookie Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/cookies) - [Duty of Candour Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/duty-of-candour) - [Environmental Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/environmental) - [Equal Opportunities Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/equal-opportunities) - [Full Names and Locations on the Register Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/full-names-locations-register) - [Privacy Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/privacy-policy) - [Registration Application Review](https://ncps.com/our-voice/registration-application-review) - [Restoration to the Register](https://ncps.com/our-voice/restoration-to-the-register) - [Retirement Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/retirement) - [Safeguarding and Confidentiality Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/safeguarding-and-confidentiality) - [SCoPEd](https://ncps.com/our-voice/scoped) - [Whistleblowing Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/whistleblowing) - [Working with Interpreters in Therapy Policy](https://ncps.com/our-voice/working-with-interpreters) ## Our Register The NCPS is responsible for ensuring that those individuals who wish to join the Society and have their details listed on the Accredited Register meet the high standards set for the Society by the Professional Standards Authority. All applications are assessed by the Society and, as well as providing evidence of educational qualifications, references and professional insurance, all registrants are required to be bound by the Society’s [Code Of Ethics](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) and [Complaints Procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure). Full details of the criteria for membership are given in the '[Become a Member](https://ncps.com/become-a-member/individual)' section of the website. Successful applicants are given a membership certificate that is renewed annually and their details are published on the Society’s Accredited Register, found in the '[Find a Counsellor](https://ncps.com/find-a-counsellor/search-the-directory)' section of the website. All Registrants are bound by the Society’s [Code of Ethics](https://ncps.com/about-us/code-of-ethics) and [Complaints procedure](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) throughout the period of their membership / remaining on the Accredited Register. **Professional Insurance** Society registrants must have current professional insurance. There are a variety of different insurance brokers who provide insurance for those in private/self-employed practice and this information is provided to all registrants by the Society. For those who are in employment or volunteer with an agency that organisation will provide insurance. Evidence of insurance will be required when a registrant first joins the Society and at the time of any audit of practice. **Supervision** Supervision is considered to be vital to the practice of counsellors and is a requirement for those who are on the Accredited Register. In the early years of practice it is one of the best ways in which a new counsellor can seek guidance in their work with clients. It is also the way in which a therapist can be seen, by a more experienced person working in the same field, to be growing and maturing. Supervision is a valuable "checking in" procedure, helping counsellors stay grounded and centred, maintain professional and personal boundaries, avoid "burnout" and thus provide safe, ethical and competent counselling for all clients. As a guideline for a counsellor in full time practice we recommend 1.5 hours of supervision every month – each person’s level of experience and also the client group they are working with will affect how much supervision is needed. If a counsellor has any concerns about any aspect of their work with a client then they should refer to their Supervisor for further advice. There should be a provision for emergency advice or consultation with the Supervisor over and above the agreed number of sessions. Registrants are required to keep a record of their supervision hours and evidence of this, verified by their supervisor, will be required at the time of any audit of practice. **Continuing Professional Development (CPD)** In order to remain on the Accredited Register it is important that registrants can demonstrate a continued commitment to safe and ethical practice and they are responsible for their continuing professional development as a practitioner. Registrants should complete a minimum of 30 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in Counselling each year, whether or not they are seeing clients, to ensure that they keep up to date their theoretical and practical knowledge and skills relating to their work as a professional practitioner, including any new legislative requirements. The Society defines CPD ‘as a range of learning activities through which professional counsellors grow and develop throughout their careers to ensure that they retain their ability to practise safely, ethically and legally within their evolving scope of practice’. Registrants should keep a record of all CPD activities - detailing the number of hours, types of activities and the learning they have gained from each activity. This information and supporting evidence will be required at the time of any audit of practice. **Society Audits** The Society is required to verify that those who are on the Accredited Register comply with Standards to remain on the Register. To do this we carry out a random audit of registrants – this is one of the methods that the Society uses to ensure that our register complies with the standards set by the Professional Standards Association. As an ongoing process the NCPS will select a percentage of individual registrants (on a random basis) to participate in the Society’s audit process. Those selected will be sent a letter informing them that they have been chosen for audit along with the guidelines on the information that they will need to supply to the Society. Those who are chosen for audit are required to submit all the information required to the Society within a given time scale. **Breaks in Practice** The NCPS will recognise a 3 year period when an individual can take a break from practice. Within this period a registrant can suspend their membership and automatically rejoin the Society when they are ready to continue practice. Any period of non-practice that is longer than 3 years will require an individual to re-apply for membership of the Society. The Society is responsible for the Accredited Register and may have to amend and update those on the register for different reasons. These reasons may be: - A Registrant is given sanctions but allowed to remain on the register - A Registrant is suspended – the suspension is noted on the website, then removed if the suspension is lifted - A Registrant is removed from the register due to an upheld [complaints process](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) - A Registrant doesn’t comply with the audit - A Registrant is no longer practising (change of personal circumstances e.g. retirement) --- Representing you # Publications Here you’ll find our most recent publications, presenting detailed findings, commentary and resources to support those interested in our work and its impact. ## Reports [### NCPS Annual Member Survey Report 2026 4 MB | pdf Our annual member survey report for 2026. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Annual-Member-Survey-2026-Report.pdf) [### NCPS Annual Member Survey Report 2026 - Text-only Version 300 KB | pdf Our annual member survey report, text-only version, for 2026. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Annual-Member-Survey-2026-Text-only-version.pdf) [### NCPS Climate Change & The Therapy Room Survey Report 788 KB | pdf This report explores NCPS members' experiences of climate-related distress, both personally and in their therapeutic practice. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Climate-Change-The-Therapy-Room-Survey-Report.pdf) [### NCPS Climate Change & The Therapy Room Survey Report - Text-only version 57 KB | pdf This report explores NCPS members' experiences of climate-related distress, both personally and in their therapeutic practice. Text only version. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Climate-Change-The-Therapy-Room-Survey-Report-Text-only-version.pdf) [### Student EDI Survey - 2026 1 MB | pdf Our annual student EDI survey, for 2026. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Student-EDI-Survey.pdf) [### Student EDI Survey - 2026 - Word-only version 67 KB | pdf Our annual student EDI survey, for 2026, word-only version. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Student-EDI-Survey-2026-Word-Only-Version.pdf) [### Factors affecting prevalence of mental health conditions in the UK: A relational perspective 541 KB | pdf Our evidence-based, member-led submission to the independent review into mental health conditions, ADHD, and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, and supported by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, and Professor Gillian Baird as vice-chairs. We provide a number of recommendations to reform the current system, as well as examining the pitfalls of stepped-care, a medical model of therapy, and an evidence-driven hypothesis of the future of mental health support in the UK under a digital-first model. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Submission-to-the-Prevalence-Review.pdf) [### NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan Submission – Section 1 507 KB | pdf Our evidence-based submission to the NHS 10 Year workforce plan, drawing on up-to-date research and insight from our membership. It looks at the Government’s ‘three shifts’ for the NHS (hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention) through a relational lens, putting forward counselling & psychotherapy as a solution to many of the issues they’re facing. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/10-Year-Workforce-Plan-Section-1-Evidence_2025-11-28-143817_xnbw.pdf) [### NCPS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Survey 2026 744 KB | pdf A survey exploring equality, diversity, and inclusion within counselling & psychotherapy. It seeks to understand the experiences and needs of our members and those impacted by our work, helping us identify challenges, learn from them, and shape a Society where everyone feels seen and valued, Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-EDI-Survey-2026_2026-01-12-115735_onhx.pdf) [### NCPS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Survey 2026 - Word-Only Version 69 KB | pdf Word-Only Version - A survey exploring equality, diversity, and inclusion within counselling & psychotherapy. It seeks to understand the experiences and needs of our members and those impacted by our work, helping us identify challenges, learn from them, and shape a Society where everyone feels seen and valued, Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-EDI-Survey-2026-Word-Only-Version.pdf) [### Working with Employee Assistance Programmes & Online Therapy Platforms 2 MB | pdf A survey that explores Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) and Online Therapy Platforms (OTPs) in the UK, and their impact on counselling & psychotherapy practice. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Working-with-Employee-Assistance-Programmes-Online-Therapy-Platforms-Report.pdf) [### Working with Employee Assistance Programmes & Online Therapy Platforms - Word-only version 161 KB | pdf Word-only version- A survey that explores Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) and Online Therapy Platforms (OTPs) in the UK, and their impact on counselling & psychotherapy practice. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Working-with-Employee-Assistance-Programmes-Online-Therapy-Platforms-Text-only-version-report.pdf) [### NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan Submission – Section 2 209 KB | pdf Our submission to the NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan that looks at modelling assumptions, highlighting opportunities and flaws in the current modelling, and suggests ways in which those assumptions might be changed. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/10-Year-Workforce-Plan-Section-2-Modelling-Assumptions_2025-11-28-143817_vfrn.pdf) [### The Importance of Human Connection and the Impact of Digitalisation on Counselling Training and Practice 1 MB | pdf A joint report by the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) and NCPS based on findings from industry-wide research and YouGov Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Human-Connection-Industry-Report.pdf) [### Roles, Routes & Resources – A Practical Guide to Wellbeing Support for Children & Young People 4 MB | pdf A joint report with the Alliance 4 Children based on findings from an NCPS survey of schools across the UK, and expertise from the Alliance 4 Children Emotional Health Working Group Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Roles-Routes-and-Resources.pdf) [### Public Perceptions of AI and Counselling & Psychotherapy in Mental Health Support – NCPS Report May 2024 650 KB | pdf A national survey exploring public attitudes towards counselling, psychotherapy and the use of AI in mental health support. It examines perceptions of human connection in therapy, emerging digital tools, and access to services, helping inform future practice and policy. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Public-Perceptions-of-AI-and-Counselling.pdf) [### Counselling at the Crossroads – Preserving Principles, Autonomy and Vocation 229 KB | pdf An adapted excerpt from our response to the Professional Standards Authority’s 2020 Strategic Review Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Counselling-at-the-Crossroads-NCPS_2025-10-07-083931_xkqq.pdf) [### Confidentiality in Counselling – The Impact of Routine Police Requests for Counselling Notes 2 MB | pdf A report in support of the Keep Counselling Confidential Campaign, based on a survey of NCPS members Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Keep-Counselling-Confidential-final.pdf) [### The Major Conditions Strategy – A 10 Year Failure for Mental Health 4 MB | pdf A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood, with submissions from NCPS Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/The-Major-Conditions-Strategy-a-10-year-failure-for-Mental-Health.pdf) [### The Covid Generation – A Mental Health Pandemic in the Making 625 KB | pdf A report on the impact on the mental health of children and young people during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood, with submissions from NCPS Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/The-COVID-Generation.pdf) [### Children’s Mental Health Beyond the Green Paper: the Role of Practice Based Evidence 557 KB | pdf A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood, with submissions from NCPS Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Childrens-Mental-Health-Beyond-the-Green-Paper.pdf) [### Investigating Referral Patterns of Mental Health Support Teams in Education 5 MB | pdf A report based on findings from an NCPS survey of schools across the UK, to support our calls for Barnardo’s MHST+ model as an enhancement to the national rollout of MHSTs. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Feb-24-NCPS-Report-Referral-Patterns-of-MHSTs.pdf) [### Mental Health in Childhood 875 KB | pdf A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood, with submissions from NCPS Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Mental-Health-in-Childhood.pdf) [### Adverse Childhood Experiences – Roads to Recovery 2 MB | pdf A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood, with submissions from NCPS Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/FHC-APPG-ACEs-Report.pdf) ## Briefing Notes [### Keep Britain Working: How Counsellors and Psychotherapists can Support the Workforce 149 KB | pdf A briefing document on how counsellors & psychotherapists can support the Government's Keep Britain Working Vanguard Phase by improving workplace mental health, reducing wait times, and strengthening evidence-based policy. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Keep-Britain-Working-How-Counsellors-Psychotherapists-can-Support-the-Workforce.pdf) [### AI and Mental Health 275 KB | pdf A three-page document outlining the implications for long term AI use in mental health, looking at resilience, agency, and relational capacity, and how these are diminished by over-use of AI, and strengthened through relational therapy (counselling & psychotherapy). Includes links to useful resources, as well as asks for MPs, and suggested Written Questions Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Briefing-Note-AI-and-Mental-Health.pdf) [### Childrens Wellbeing and Schools Bill - House of Lords, Report Stage; Mental Health Support in Schools 196 KB | pdf Barnardo’s, Alliance4Children, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) urge members to support for the new clause tabled by Baroness Tyler of Enfield, to guarantee children have access to mental health support in school. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/CWSB-MHST-amendment-briefing-for-peers-Barnardos-Alliance4Children-NCPS.pdf) [### Protecting the Adoption Support Fund 217 KB | pdf A briefing note outlining why protecting the Adoption Support Fund (ASGSF) matters, the evidence, and some key asks from the Society Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Briefing-Adoption-Support-Fund.pdf) [### An Introduction to Counselling & Psychotherapy 153 KB | pdf A one-page primer for commissioners, civil servants, and politicians, designed to give a brief but clear overview of counselling & psychotherapy, the Accredited Registers programme, and the importance of the profession to the nation’s wellbeing Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Counselling-Psychotherapy-An-Introduction.pdf) [### Cutting Waiting Times for Mental Health Services Using Counsellors & Psychotherapists 128 KB | pdf A one-page primer on how the counselling & psychotherapy workforce can be drawn on to cut waiting times in public sector services Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Cutting-Waiting-Times.pdf) [### The Benefits of the Accredited Registers Programme for Counselling & Psychotherapy 126 KB | pdf A one-page overview of the Accredited Registers programme, the limitations to statutory regulation, and how we could improve public safety by enhancing what is already there Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Briefing-AR-Programme.pdf) [### Evidence, Efficacy and Equity – Counselling & Psychotherapy for the Public Good 460 KB | pdf A two-sided briefing note created for the 2024 Labour Party Conference, which outlines the Society’s key asks, our main campaign work, the evidence behind what we do, and how people can help Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/LPC-2024-Briefing.pdf) [### Human Connection – Why it’s Vital in Mental Health Support Services 1 MB | pdf A two-page document that gives a brief overview of the importance of the human connection in mental health support Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Human-Connection-in-Mental-Health-Briefing_2025-10-07-084611_uqjp.pdf) [### Building an NHS Fit for the Future – why Counsellors & Psychotherapists will be Critical to the next Labour Government 75 KB | pdf A two-page briefing note that set out our vision to the Labour Party prior to their win in the 2024 General Election, including the expansion of MHSTs to include counsellors & psychotherapists, the promotion of the human over the digital in mental health care, and better integration of counsellors & psychotherapists into the NHS Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Building-an-NHS-fit-for-the-future-Briefing-for-Labour.pdf) [### Financing Direct Access to Counselling via Accredited Registers - How Counselling & Psychotherapy can Save the NHS Money 326 KB | pdf A four-page note detailing costings to support our Direct Access to Counselling Campaign, including current costs to the NHS, projected costs for a therapist on an Accredited Register, and the hidden costs of continuing as we are Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Financing-Direct-Access-to-Counselling.pdf) [### Therapeutic Relationships – Honouring the Human Connection 139 KB | pdf A two-page outline of our campaign launch, outlining what we’re campaigning for, our key messages, and our asks Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Therapeutic-relationships-honouring-the-human-connection.pdf) [### Direct Access to Counselling Campaign – The Evidence-Based Need for Integrated and Appropriate Care 162 KB | pdf A one-page outline of our Direct Access to Counselling Campaign, including key objectives, research, why it matters, and our calls to action Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Direct-Access-to-Counselling.pdf) [### Access to Counselling for Every Child Campaign – The Evidence-Based Need for Child-Led, Integrated Mental Health Care 150 KB | pdf A one-page outline of our Access to Counselling for Every Child Campaign, including key objectives, research, why it matters, and our calls to action Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Access-to-Counselling-for-Every-Child.pdf) [### Statutory Regulation of Counselling & Psychotherapy 132 KB | pdf A one-page briefing that outlines our perspective on the debate around statutory regulation of counselling & psychotherapy, including why it matters, and calls to action Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Stat-Reg-Briefing.pdf) [### Mental Health Provision in the UK 384 KB | pdf A seven-page examination of the issues with mental health provision in the UK, including suggestions to solve issues, an assessment of the drawbacks and difficulties, and next steps. Sent to the main political parties in advance of the 2024 General Election to support with the production of their Manifestos Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Mental-Health-Provision-Briefing-Note.pdf) ## Other Publications [### Mental Health Strategy for England: NCPS Submission 212 KB | pdf The NCPS's submission to the Mental Health Strategy for England. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Mental-Health-Strategy-for-England-NCPS-Submission-July-2026.pdf) [### Principles for Relational Safeguards in AI Mental Health Tools 1 MB | pdf A set of AI principles developed by Meg Moss to ensure technology supports, not replaces, the human trust, choice and connection at the heart of counselling & psychotherapy, with a focus on safeguarding young people. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Principles-for-Relational-Safeguards-in-AI-Mental-Health-Tools.pdf) [### MHRA Regulation of AI in Healthcare Open Call for Evidence Submission 239 KB | pdf Our call for more focused, targeted, and nuanced regulation around AI in healthcare, in order to be sufficient to tackle the harms that may be caused by inappropriate design or commissioning of LLMs / generative AI within a mental health context. This is based on our work around relational safeguarding for AI mental health tools. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/MHRA-Regulation-in-AI-Call-for-Evidence-NCPS-Submission.pdf) [### Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Submission 101 KB | pdf Written evidence around the importance of early, accessible, relational mental health support for children & young people, specifically advocating for school-based counselling, consistent and equitable access to support, suggestions for strengthening the Bill, and why it matters. Includes proposed new clauses for the Bill. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Childrens-Wellbeing-and-Schools-Bill-Submission.pdf) [### Pathways to Work Green Paper Submission 104 KB | pdf A submission to the DWP outlining our thoughts around the Green Paper, and how it could be strengthened. Asks for support to be relational and person-centred, and for the ethical implications of these relationships to be considered. We suggest putting the onus on the employer to consider how to effectively support their team’s mental health, including suggestions for particular training and Government-funded incentives. We also touch on specific, targeted support for young people, and a focus on the mental health impact of financial insecurity and poverty. Download Download](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Submission-to-DWP-Pathways-to-Work-Green-Paper.pdf) --- Partnerships # The Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies The NCPS works alongside partner bodies through the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies to strengthen collaboration and public confidence in the profession. [Visit the PCPB website](https://www.pcpb.org.uk/about-partnership) ### About the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies The Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB) brings together six leading UK counselling and psychotherapy organisations with the shared aim of improving professional standards, building public trust and supporting a clearer, more consistent understanding of the counselling and psychotherapy professions. PCPB partners each hold registers accredited by the Professional Standards Authority and, between them, represent tens of thousands of therapists across the UK. The partnership grew out of the collaborative work on the Scope of Practice and Education for Counselling and Psychotherapy (SCoPEd) framework, which sets out shared standards for training and practice. **Aims of the partnership** - Continue developing the SCoPEd framework, ensuring its recognition and application as a standard for professional practice. - Strengthen the identity of the partnership and embed it within the profession by promoting public understanding and trust. - Use data to enhance understanding of the profession’s demographic makeup and improve inclusivity and representation. ### **Governance** Governance of the PCPB reflects the collaborative nature of the partnership and is organised into several key groups. **CEO Board** The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Board is independently chaired and composed of the CEOs from each of the six member organisations. It is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the partnership. **Delivery Group** Supporting the CEO Board is the Delivery Group, which oversees the implementation of projects and ensures effective operational delivery. **Clinical Group** The Clinical Group is made up of representatives from the partner bodies who are experienced practitioners and supervisors, with expertise in education and training standards, as well as knowledge of relevant research and research methodologies. The group’s primary focus is to help uphold the standards of the SCoPEd framework, provide guidance on potential future revisions and offer advice on upcoming initiatives. **Communications Group** A Communications Group, with representatives from each organisation, manages the PCPB’s communications activities. [**Policy and Strategic Engagement Group**](https://www.pcpb.org.uk/about-partnership/policy-and-engagement/) A Policy and Strategic Engagement Group, established in January 2025, focuses on expanding the PCPB’s advocacy and outreach work. The group includes representatives from each of the partner organisations and will work closely with the partnership’s other governance groups. **Experts by Experience** The work of the PCPB is further enhanced by the involvement of Experts by Experience (EbEs), who bring valuable insights from the client’s perspective. They actively contribute to several of the groups within the governance structure. --- # A Danish Study Sheds Light on the Importance of Choice and Autonomy in Talking Therapies Campaigns By Meg Moss 13th September 2025 **Supporting the Direct Access to Counselling Campaign.** As the age-old saying goes, 'one size doesn't fit all', and [a new Danish study](https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/6/e072277?rss=1) provides a substantial body of evidence in support of this adage, at least when it comes to talking therapy. The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society's (NCPS) [Direct Access to Counselling Campaign](https://nationalcounsellingsociety.org/about-us/campaigns/direct-access-to-counselling) advocates precisely for this philosophy: the freedom to choose a therapist and therapy method (modality) that aligns with each person's unique needs and preferences. The study, called "Common factors, Responsiveness and Outcome in Psychotherapy (CROP)", could hold the keys to improving therapeutic outcomes for many, supporting the tenets of our Direct Access Campaign. The study shines a light on the interplay of factors that determine the success of therapy. The research suggests that whilst psychotherapy as a practice is generally effective, a sizeable portion of patients still do not achieve a satisfactory outcome; there is clearly much room for improvement here. Only 48% of patients with anxiety and 43% of patients with depression reach "full remission" at the end of treatment. The study urges us to re-evaluate our approach to therapy, particularly in the selection of therapeutic methods and therapists. One of the primary acknowledgements of the CROP study is the importance of common factors - therapist's empathy and facilitative interpersonal skills - over specific therapeutic techniques. These common factors, consistent across all therapeutic approaches, are instrumental in establishing a successful relationship between the client and therapist, consequently improving therapeutic outcomes. This is not a new concept, and has been studied a number of times over the years (this is not a complete list): - [The empirical case for the common factors in therapy: Quantitative findings](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1999-02137-001) Asay, T. P., & Lambert, M. J. (1999) - [Let's Face Facts: Common Factors Are More Potent Than Specific Therapy Ingredients](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1093/clipsy.9.1.21)Messer, S. B., & Wampold, B.E. (2006) - [Is Who Delivers the Treatment More Important than the Treatment Itself? The Role of The Therapist in Common Factors](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2007.00029.x) Blow, A.J., Davis, S.D., & Sprenkle, D. H. (2007) - [The Therapeutic Pyramid: A Common Factors Synthesis of Techniques, Alliance, and Way of Being](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jmft.12041) Fife, S. T., Whiting, J.B., Bradford, K., & Davis, S. (2013) - [Predicting the effect of cognitive therapy for depression: A study of unique and common factors](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1996-05271-009) Castonguay, L. G., Goldfried, M. R., Wiser, S., Raue, P. J., & Hayes, A. M. (1996) - [Where are the commonalities among the therapeutic common factors?](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1991-05231-001) Grencavage, L. M., & Norcross, J. C. (1990) This view echoes the philosophy of our Direct Access to Counselling Campaign. The freedom to choose a therapist ensures that the client finds someone who they feel understands and values them, who they can truly connect with, which in turn creates an environment conducive to successful therapy. The diversity in human beings, our personalities, the way we present ourselves, our capacity for and way in which we demonstrate empathy, and our unique interpersonal skills are a testament to the importance of choice in therapy. Having said this, the study does also reveal the potential significance of specific therapeutic techniques. When used responsively, adapting to the unique needs and preferences of each client, these techniques can also contribute to the effectiveness of the therapy. This aligns perfectly with the second of three principles of the Direct Access Campaign, being the that people should have the ability to choose their therapy method (modality). The concept of therapeutic responsiveness is central to the study's findings. This refers to the therapist's ability to tailor their approach according to their client's specific needs, characteristics, and preferences. The freedom of choice promoted by the Direct Access Campaign enables people to find a therapist and therapeutic method that works best for them, increasing their chances of achieving a successful therapeutic outcome. Though in its nascent stages, the CROP study provides a scientific lens through which to view the principles of the Direct Access Campaign. It calls for further research into the complex interactions of common and specific factors in therapy and how therapists can adapt their approach to accommodate these factors. The study corroborates the philosophy of the Direct Access to Counselling Campaign: that therapy should be personalised according to the unique needs of each client. By empowering people with the freedom to choose their therapist and therapy method, we create an environment where therapy is as unique as the individuals it seeks to help. --- # A different child each time Blog Children, young people & families By Guest Blog 9th July 2026 **Trauma, neurodivergence, and the story we reach for first.** ***With thanks to our member, Marion Wadowski, for this blog.*** When I worked at Place2Be, I’d get one referral for a child — and then, from the adults around them, I would hear about almost a different child each time. The teacher saw one thing, the foster carer another, the safeguarding lead another again. And almost always, the word that came up was trauma. Rarely neurodivergence. Hardly ever both. Sometimes that was right. But sometimes a child would be described as controlling — rigid, demanding, kicking off when plans changed — looking less like a power struggle and more like a child clinging to the only predictability they had. Or a child called withdrawn, shut down, hard to reach, read as attachment damage, when it might equally have been an autistic child quietly overwhelmed. The need for sameness gets heard as defiance. The flat face gets heard as avoidance. And the neurodivergent reading rarely gets a look in. Trauma is perhaps easier to name. Counsellors are trained in it; far fewer of us are trained in neurodivergence. And, put bluntly, it’s the more forgivable story — “he’s been through so much” asks for sympathy in a way that still, too often, neurodivergence simply doesn’t. It goes unrecognised. There’s a harder reason too, and it’s systemic. Naming neurodivergence properly takes time, training and assessment routes that the people around these children simply aren’t given. A teacher with thirty children and almost no neurodiversity training at all, a social worker with an impossible caseload, a head juggling budgets — they’re set up to fail at this, and then so is the child. The more available explanation wins by default. At one school I worked in, there was a cupboard in the staff room marked SEND, with a lopsided sticker underneath: *in progress*. It stayed that way the whole time I was there. I did have to laugh — what a metaphor. And here’s the thing I keep coming back to: for these children, it’s so often not an either/or. A child can be carrying real trauma and be neurodivergent at the same time. The two get so tangled that no referral form has a box for it. And the features overlap more than people realise (1) — autism, attachment difficulties, complex trauma, they can look remarkably alike, even to clinicians who’ve seen a lot. Take a child who won’t be soothed, who watches the room, who falls apart when something changes. Is that a nervous system braced for the next bad thing? A brain that needs sameness and tips easily into overwhelm? Quite often, it’s both, at the same time. So the question I try to sit with isn’t *which label is it*. It’s *which lens did I reach for without thinking, and would the other one fit just as well?* Because the cost of only naming the trauma falls on the child. If we read an autistic child’s need for routine purely as control to be loosened, or their stimming and withdrawal as symptoms to be settled, we end up trying to take away the very things keeping them regulated. We treat the coping as the problem. For a child who has already been failed by the adults and systems meant to keep them safe, that’s a second injury laid over the first — being misunderstood all over again, this time by the people trying to help. There’s something else I try to stay alert to, especially with children who’ve been hurt by adults: how much weight is put on my “counselling” authority. A traumatised child is often watching closely for power and control — who’s got it, what they might do with it. And a neurodivergent child can be doing the same, especially if being asked to do things has always felt like too much. In that school setting the approach was child-led: you follow where the child takes you. But I came to see that for a foster child all that freedom can feel just as unsafe — there’s nothing holding it. What helped wasn’t stepping back. It was staying clearly in charge of safety — being the steady frame — while leaving the child a real say in everything inside it. Contained and collaborative at the same time. So I try to hold “trauma” and “neurodivergence” side by side. The thing that helps me most is looking at pattern. Trauma tends to come and go — it flares when something reminds the child, and settles when they feel safe. Neurodivergence is steadier; it’s there across the board, day in, day out. But which of the two it actually is — that’s not mine to call. Naming it, autism or ADHD or a trauma disorder, is a diagnosis, and that’s not in a counsellor skillset. I think that’s worth saying plainly. My job is to understand what a child *needs*. And those needs don’t wait for a diagnosis but requires awareness. This doesn’t stop at childhood, either. I work with adults now, and I keep meeting the grown-up version of the same mix-up — people whose autism or ADHD spent decades filed under “a difficult start,” and people whose real trauma got tidied away under a diagnosis. The lens flips; the confusion doesn’t. Holding both at once is harder work, and a lot less tidy. But it’s the only way I’ve found to actually see the child in front of me — and the adult they’ll become — instead of the easier story. *1) Sarr, R., et al. (2025). Differential diagnosis of autism, attachment disorders, complex post-traumatic stress disorder and emotionally unstable personality disorder: A Delphi study. British Journal of Psychology, 116(1), 1–33.* [*https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12731*](https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12731) **You can find out more about Marion Wadowski here:** [Neurodivergent Counselling & Coaching Online UK | Equalition](https://www.equalition.com/) [Marion Wadowski | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marion-wadowski/) --- # A Plea for Accessibility: The Crucial Role of Counselling in Children & Young People's Mental Health Blog By Meg Moss 14th September 2025 The [recently reported increase in children and young people seeking mental health support from the NHS](https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/27/record-numbers-of-children-seek-mental-health-help-from-nhs-england?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other) is further confirmation of what we already know; that services are struggling to cope, and that we need immediate and decisive action. A record 1.4 million children and young people have turned to the NHS for assistance in dealing with mental health issues last year, reflecting a sharp 76% rise since 2019. However, this escalating crisis in our nation's mental health landscape highlights a critical necessity: the need for accessible mental health support for every child. As the NHS grapples with a deluge of referrals for anxiety, depression, and other mental health needs, the urgency to acknowledge and leverage the role of counselling and psychotherapy becomes more pronounced. Currently, counselling and psychotherapy are underrepresented and undervalued within the NHS, in favour of low-intensity support such as CBT or psychological wellbeing interventions. These are not robust enough, nor are they considered an effective intervention, for children and young people who are dealing with issues such as moderate anxiety, depression, self-harm, trauma, eating disorders etc. Counselling and psychotherapy are perfectly positioned to support children and young people with these issues, addressing the 'missing middle' - those struggling too much for low-intensity support, but not enough (yet) for CAMHS. There is a significant issue with long wait times, which can stretch up to two years in some regions, and anecdotally the NCPS have been informed that some children and young people can be waiting up to four years. This clearly shows that our current systems are struggling to cope. Counselling and psychotherapy, often seen as services only available to those who can afford to pay privately, should be viewed as an integral part of the solution to this crisis. They have demonstrated efficacy in providing effective support for children and young people facing mental health difficulties, encouraging emotional resilience, and fostering healthy coping mechanisms. With a workforce of over 60,000 qualified, insured, supervised and ethically-bound practitioners across the UK, we have the ability to drastically cut waiting times and ensure that the right help goes to those who need it, *when* they need it. The integration of counselling and psychotherapy in various settings, such as schools and primary care spaces, with the option for remote therapy for those that need it, would provide comprehensive support to our children and young people. This would ensure that they're seen, heard, and understood, directly confronting some of the primary drivers of emotional and mental health issues, as well as allowing a therapeutic space to explore and address other areas of their lives. By weaving these services into the fabric of both our educational and healthcare systems, and ensuring their availability remotely, we not only enhance their reach but their efficacy, and the likelihood that children and young people will feel safe and able to access these services. Our [Access to Counselling For Every Child](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/access-to-counselling-cyp) campaign underscores the necessity of early intervention to prevent potential long-term mental health repercussions, and emphasises that every child, irrespective of their personal circumstances, should have a right to mental health support. This includes the provision of counselling and psychotherapy, delivered in a variety of settings, and through platforms that facilitate continuity of care and allow for the building of trusted relationships. The government's pledge of an additional £2.3bn a year for overall mental health services by 2024 is a positive step. However, in order to improve mental health services effectively, they need to make sure that there is a workforce available to meet the demand, and that they are able to provide appropriate support and interventions at a level that is needed. By drawing on the vast counselling and psychotherapy workforce they would almost instantly alleviate the strain on NHS resources, both in the short and long-terms, and ensure more young people get the help they need in a timely manner. In the face of unique challenges stemming from the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, and academic pressures, counselling and psychotherapy offer young individuals the tools to manage their mental health proactively. This not only bolsters their immediate wellbeing, but also equips them with skills to navigate future hardships, creating a generation that is more resilient in the face of adversity. --- # Abuse does not end when the abuse stops Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 10th March 2026 ***This article discusses abuse, trauma, and their longer-term psychological impact. While the discussion is reflective and non-graphic, some readers may find the themes emotionally difficult.*** ***With thanks to our member, Donna Morgan, for this blog.*** In my work as a counsellor, I often meet people who come to therapy believing they are dealing with anxiety, panic, low mood or relationship difficulties. Abuse is not usually the reason they give for seeking support. It often sits quietly in the background, unnamed and sometimes unrecognised even by the client themselves. A phrase I hear again and again is “I thought I was over it”. There is often confusion and sometimes shame in that sentence. Many clients believed they had dealt with what happened to them, because they built lives, careers, families and identities that appeared stable from the outside. They survived. They coped. They carried on. When distress resurfaces years or even decades later, it can feel like a personal failure, rather than a natural response. Even after decades in practice, I am still struck by these disclosures at times. I can be working with someone for many sessions, building trust and understanding their present day struggles and then quite unexpectedly, they disclose a shocking experience of historical abuse. It may arrive quietly, almost as an aside or it may spill out, once something finally feels safe enough to be spoken. These moments stay with me. Not because they are rare, but because they highlight how deeply people bury what they had to survive. What I have learned over time, is that abuse does not end when the abuse stops. It lives on in the nervous system, in the body and in deeply held beliefs about safety, worth and trust. Healing is not a straight line and it does not work to a timetable. Clients often arrive at therapy during periods of transition. Menopause, pregnancy, illness, becoming a parent, retirement or caring for ageing parents, can all act as turning points. These stages can lower emotional resilience and disrupt coping strategies that once worked well. When the body changes or feels less predictable, the nervous system can become more alert to threat. For some this opens the door to memories, feelings or bodily sensations linked to earlier abuse. In recent years, I have also noticed more clients seeking therapy because their own historical abuse has been stirred by what they are seeing in the media. High profile cases and increased reporting of abuse can act as a mirror. For some it is the first time their experience feels recognised or validated. For others, it brings a sudden realisation that what they lived through was not normal and not acceptable. Despite this, we still live with the message that the past is the past. That time should have healed it. That if someone managed to function, then the impact cannot have been that significant. Many survivors have internalised this belief which makes it even harder to understand why symptoms appear later in life. The nervous system does not work that way. When abuse occurs especially early in life, the body adapts in order to survive. Hypervigilance, emotional numbing, people pleasing or dissociation may have been essential at the time. These responses can become woven into daily life, long after the danger has passed. Clients may not consciously remember the abuse, yet their bodies continue to respond as though threat is nearby. This is often when clients say “I do not understand why this is coming up now.” Part of the therapeutic work is normalising delayed responses to abuse. Trauma is not only about what happened. It is also about what could not be processed at the time. The absence of symptoms does not mean the absence of impact. Functioning does not equal healing. This is where Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing can be particularly helpful and why many clients actively request it. EMDR works with the way traumatic memories are stored in the brain and body. Rather than relying solely on talking, it supports the nervous system to reprocess experiences that became stuck at the time of the abuse. My own interest in EMDR grew from working predominantly with trauma and recognising that some clients needed something beyond talking alone. I was drawn to the training, because it offered a different way of working with experiences that felt stuck or inaccessible through words. During the training, I was repeatedly struck by how effective it could be. I watched clients process memories that had held significant emotional weight for years and begin to experience a shift that felt both contained and profound. What stood out for me, was not just the reduction in distress, but the sense of relief clients described when their bodies finally seemed to register that the danger was over. Clients often describe knowing something happened, but feeling as though it still lives in the present. EMDR helps the brain recognise that the event is over, even when the body has not yet caught up. The memory does not disappear, but it loses its emotional charge. What once felt overwhelming, becomes something that can be remembered without being relived. There are often signs that trauma based work may be appropriate. I listen for clients who describe strong bodily reactions, panic responses that feel out of proportion or a sense of being emotionally hijacked. I notice when someone understands their story logically, but feels unchanged emotionally. I pay attention to freeze responses, dissociation, sudden shutdown or long standing patterns of shame and self blame. Just as importantly, I notice when a client minimises what happened to them. Phrases such as “it was not that bad” or “others had it worse” often sit alongside significant distress. These are not contradictions. They are survival strategies. As counsellors, we are often the first people to gently hold the possibility that past abuse is still shaping the present. That requires sensitivity, patience and respect for a client’s pace. Disclosure may come through symptoms, rather than stories. It may emerge through the body rather than words. Sometimes it arrives much later than expected. What matters is that we hold curiosity rather than surprise and compassion, rather than urgency. When abuse surfaces later in life, it is not because someone failed to heal properly, but because they finally feel safe enough to listen to what their body has been holding. Working in this way has shaped my understanding of abuse as a long term experience, with echoes across the lifespan and deepened my respect for the resilience of survivors. Healing is rarely about erasing the past. It is about making sense of it in the present. --- # Accessibility Policy Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 At the Society, we're committed to making sure that all of our members, prospective members, and members of the public can access the information and support they need. We use the **ReciteMe accessibility toolbar** across our website to make your online experience as smooth and inclusive as possible. ReciteMe allows you to customise how you engage with our website, including options for text-to-speech, translation into multiple languages, reading aids, and style adjustments that can be especially supportive for people with sight loss or those who are neurodivergent. We know that everyone’s needs are different, and we're always happy to provide information in other ways if needed. Please do get in touch with the team on **01903 200 666** or via to talk about how we can help. --- # Accessible Audio Application Policy Policies Policies By Brogan 1st September 2024 NCPS is committed to making applications accessible and fair for everyone. If writing is challenging due to disability, neurodivergence, or medical conditions, applicants can submit responses as audio recordings. **You can ask to submit audio responses if:** - You have a disability, medical condition, or neurodivergence affecting your ability to write responses - You qualify for adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 **How to Request Audio Submission:** 1. Email before submitting your application 2. Briefly explain why you need this adjustment. We may ask you for more information. 3. NCPS will respond within five working days **How to Submit Your Audio Application:** - Use MP3 or WAV format - Limit background noise - Clearly state the question number before answering - Keep your answers clear and concise - Upload your audio securely via the Member Portal - Name your file clearly, e.g., JaneSmith\_AudioResponse\_2025-03-07.mp3 **What Happens Next?** - NCPS will transcribe your recording - Assessors will be trained to understand and fairly evaluate submissions made via audio transcription, and will evaluate your responses in the way they would written submissions - You can request a copy of your transcription if you would like to **Privacy and Data Protection:** - Your recordings and transcripts are managed securely, following GDPR and our data protection policies - You can read our [Privacy Policy](https://ncps.com/privacy-policy) here Questions? Contact us at . --- # Adjusting the Frame: How to Work Therapeutically When Cognitive Capacity Shifts Blog Looking for Therapy Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 14th April 2026 ***With thanks to our Accredited Registrant member,*** [***Jurgen Schwarz***](https://www.search-ncps.com/search/FindaTherapist/NCS19-08577) ***for this article.*** Working therapeutically with someone whose cognitive abilities are changing presents a unique set of challenges, and equally unique opportunities. Mild dementia is often accompanied by fluctuations in memory, attention, and processing speed. Yet these shifts do not mean therapy must be simplified to the point of superficiality. On the contrary, with thoughtful adjustments, a therapist can preserve depth, complexity, and meaningful engagement, while supporting a client’s cognitive reality. This article explores practical ways to adapt methods and communication for clients experiencing mild dementia, allowing therapists to continue offering transformative work. ### **Understanding Cognitive Shifts** The first step in adapting therapy is understanding what is changing and what remains stable. Mild dementia affects cognitive functioning in ways that vary between individuals and over time. Memory may be inconsistent, attention spans can shorten, processing information may take longer. Executive functions, planning, problem-solving and reasoning may be less reliable, and abstract thinking can become more challenging. Importantly, these changes are often uneven. A client may appear lucid one day, but the next day the same concepts may feel inaccessible. Recognising this variability is crucial. Instead of viewing cognitive shifts as barriers, they can be understood as indicators for flexibility. By adjusting the frame of therapy to fit a client’s moment-to-moment capacities, therapists can maintain engagement and relevance without losing therapeutic depth. ### **Adjusting Communication** Communication lies at the heart of therapy, and small adjustments can have a profound impact. Pace: One of the most immediate changes a therapist can make is to slow the rhythm of conversation. Clients may need additional time to process questions, formulate responses, or connect ideas. Pausing intentionally after key points, and giving clients space to respond, conveys respect for their processing needs and reduces pressure. Language: Clear, concise language is essential. This does not mean talking down to a client, but rather avoiding overly complex sentences or jargon. Repetition of key ideas is also beneficial. For example, gently restating an important concept in different words can reinforce understanding without seeming patronising. Metaphors and imagery: Therapists often rely on metaphors to convey complex ideas. When cognitive capacity shifts, abstract or unfamiliar metaphors can confuse. Instead, use metaphors grounded in the client’s lived experience or immediate environment. A metaphor drawn from a client’s past hobbies, family life, or cultural context will resonate more clearly. Checking for understanding: Subtle reflection and summarisation can help confirm comprehension. Questions like, “Does that make sense?” or “Can you tell me in your own words what you’re feeling about this?” offer insight into understanding while maintaining the client’s dignity. ### **Adapting Therapeutic Methods** Adjusting communication is only one part of the equation. Therapists may also need to reconsider how they apply their methods, without abandoning therapeutic goals. Flexible goals: When working with clients who have mild dementia, long-term cognitive insight may at times need to take a back seat to immediate emotional processing. A session that once focused on exploring a complex pattern over weeks may instead focus on the emotional experience of the present moment. This does not reduce therapeutic value, it ensures the work is relevant to the client’s current capacity. Shorter interventions: Attention spans may be shorter, so breaking exercises into smaller, manageable components can be helpful. For example, a CBT worksheet can be completed in sections across multiple sessions, allowing for reflection without cognitive overload. Creative modalities: Art, music, or narrative exercises can bypass verbal limitations while still engaging cognition and emotion. Encouraging a client to draw, select music, or tell a story can reveal feelings and insights that might be difficult to articulate verbally. These activities maintain depth while respecting cognitive shifts. Structured repetition: Gentle repetition reinforces key themes. Revisiting core concepts across sessions, framing them differently each time, helps clients consolidate understanding without feeling bored or overwhelmed. ### **Balancing Simplicity and Complexity** Therapists may feel a tension between simplifying their approach and maintaining the intellectual and emotional complexity that makes therapy effective. It is important to avoid oversimplification to the point of superficiality. Scaffolding: This approach involves layering understanding step by step. Start with a simple explanation or exercise, then gradually build complexity as the client engages. For example, when exploring grief, begin with identifying feelings, then connect them to memories, and finally discuss coping strategies. Each step is accessible, but the overall process retains depth. Tailoring reflection: Encourage insight through methods that fit cognitive capacity. Visual prompts, storytelling, or reminiscence work allow clients to process experiences meaningfully without being dependent on abstract reasoning. A client might not recall every detail of an event but can explore its emotional resonance. ### **Emotional and Relational Considerations** Cognitive shifts can affect more than processing; they often impact emotional experience and relational dynamics. Therapists must remain attuned to these changes. Empathy and validation: Confusion or frustration is common. Validating the client’s feelings, acknowledging frustration without correcting every lapse, maintains a safe, supportive environment. For example, saying “I can see this feels tricky right now” can help normalise their experience. Maintaining alliance: Predictable structure, consistent presence, and gentle patience strengthen the therapeutic alliance. Even when cognitive shifts occur, a reliable relationship offers continuity and comfort. Supporting autonomy: Offering choices in sessions, such as which activity to pursue or which topic to explore, preserves a client’s sense of agency. Mild dementia may limit memory or processing, but autonomy in decision-making fosters dignity and engagement. ### **Practical Tips for Session Planning** Working with fluctuating cognition benefits from careful preparation. Some practical approaches include: - Flexible agendas: Plan the session with structure but allow for spontaneous adjustment. Begin with key goals but be ready to pivot if the client’s attention or understanding shifts. - Regular check-ins: Short verbal or non-verbal assessments of fatigue, attention, and comfort help tailor the pace and content of the session. - Session summaries: Briefly reviewing insights or outcomes at the end of a session reinforces understanding and continuity between sessions. These strategies support both the therapist and the client, ensuring that therapeutic work remains meaningful even when cognitive capacity fluctuates. ### **Conclusion** Therapy with clients experiencing mild dementia is not about lowering standards or reducing complexity. It is about adjusting the frame, altering pace, language, methods, and expectations to match cognitive reality while preserving depth. Flexible communication, creative modalities, structured repetition and empathy all allow therapists to maintain rich, meaningful engagement. Cognitive shifts should be seen not as obstacles but as cues for adaptation. When therapists embrace these changes, they continue to offer transformative work, helping clients navigate emotional landscapes, process experiences, and retain a sense of agency. Adjusting the frame is not a compromise, it is an opportunity to meet clients where they are, fully respecting their humanity while delivering the complexity and richness that therapy provides. To summarise, effective work with mild dementia requires both sensitivity and creativity. By observing, listening, and adapting thoughtfully, therapists can continue to offer depth, insight, and support, demonstrating that even in the presence of cognitive shifts, meaningful therapeutic connection remains possible. ***You can read the rest of Jurgen's series on dementia here:*** [**Why I Believe Therapists Belong in the World of Dementia Care | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/why-i-believe-therapists-belong-in-the-world-of-dementia-care) [**The Power of Validation: Supporting Identity and Agency in… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/the-power-of-validation-supporting-identity-and-agency-in-early-stages-dementia) [**Walking Beside the Carer: How Therapists Can Alleviate the… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/walking-beside-the-carer-how-therapists-can-alleviate-the-hidden-grief) --- # Adjustments we see, and the ones we may miss Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 11th September 2025 **With thanks to our member, Paul Cullen, for this blog.** Recently, I broke two bones in my hand. It was a silly mistake, followed by a painful drive to the hospital, several hours in the emergency room, this has resulted in an operation on my hand and metal plates and screws fitted to my fingers. The verdict: no driving for six weeks! This small accident has given me an unexpected insight — a brief immersion into a world where my capacity is suddenly and obviously reduced. I’m having to make unreasonable adjustments to my day-to-day life. I can’t work as I usually do. Everyday tasks are altered: brushing my teeth, getting dressed, tying my shoelaces. Even stirring a cup of tea feels awkward and unnatural. Everything has slowed down, and I have to factor in extra time to complete the tasks I need to finish. Another interesting observation has been people’s offers of help. With my arm in a sling, they stop to ask: “Can I help?” “Would you like me to carry that?” “Do you need a hand?” Offers have come without me asking. The support is immediate and unprovoked, apparently prompted simply because I look like I may benefit from it. ## **Visible and Invisible Differences** When we think of disability or difference, the mind often jumps to physical examples — a wheelchair, a walking stick, an arm in a sling: a visible difference. My temporary situation has given me a glimpse into that reality Of course, having a visible difference doesn’t guarantee the right kind of support. For some, visibility brings not just offers of help, but also unwanted pity, patronising attitudes, or even discrimination. My point isn’t that one experience is easier than the other, but that visibility can change how quickly, and how willingly, others might recognise that some form of adjustment is needed. In a few weeks, my hand will heal and life will return to normal. But in the meantime, I’ve seen how much easier it can be for others to respond with understanding when the need for support is obvious. The contrast is striking when I think about my unseen difference: I am also neurodiverse. A number of years ago, I was diagnosed with attention and hyperactivity difficulties — what is also known as ADHD. The language around this is changing, as reflected in this article in [The Lancet](https://doi.org/10.1016/s2215-0366(25)00167-1), “words are powerful and can be stigmatising”. The recent understanding and perception of neurodiversity is evolving, and is reflected in more compassionate and respectful language. The diagnosis didn’t surprise me. It confirmed patterns I’d noticed for years, and which those close to me had gently (and sometimes not so gently) pointed out. Yet, unlike a sling or a plaster, my ADHD is less visible. People don’t automatically see it, so they rarely offer adjustments unless I ask directly. Even then, the response can be inconsistent, depending on people’s understanding of how it can have an impact. ## **What ADHD Can Look Like** My attention and hyperactivity difficulties aren’t always clear to others. From the outside, they can look like laziness, forgetfulness, or even disinterest and indifference. At other times, they appear as distraction, over-enthusiasm about small things, or repetitive behaviours — sometimes tics, sometimes echolalia (repeating sounds or phrases). Inside my mind, there’s a constant stream of dialogue and activity. It can leave me feeling lost in my own head, overwhelmed, agitated, or physically and mentally exhausted. There are bursts of intense energy, followed by bouts of lethargy. These fluctuations can be hard for others to understand, even if they know about my diagnosis. And unlike a visible injury, my differences don’t attract unprompted offers of help. No one says: “Do you need a moment to gather your thoughts?” “Am I giving you too much at once?” “Would you like me to repeat the question?” Support for my ADHD often depends on me explaining what I need — something that can feel exhausting in itself. ## **The Therapist’s Perspective** As a therapist, this has made me reflect on how I notice and respond to differences in my clients. Working online, I might spot physical cues: glasses that suggest visual difficulties, or a plaster-covered arm that might make typing challenging. These signs prompt me to adapt — perhaps by avoiding text-heavy exercises or allowing more time for certain tasks. But with hidden differences, the cues are subtler or absent altogether. There’s no “plaster for the brain” to signal that someone might need a slower pace, less stimulation, or a different way of processing information. Technology can help. I’m writing this using voice-to-text software, which is surprisingly effective, but there’s no instant tool that automatically adapts to ADHD in a conversation. When I’m feeling overstimulated, excited, or flat, I still have to manage those moments in real time, often while keeping my outward presentation in check. On video calls, I’m mindful of toning down my gestures and energy so I don’t come across as frenetic or overwhelming. I’m especially aware of this when working with clients with ADHD or other unseen differences. An understanding of neurodiversity and difference has helped me consider my own experience and, in turn, the perspective of others with ‘unseen’ differences. ## **Adjustments We Don’t See** This experience has left me thinking about the kinds of adjustments we all make, both those imposed by circumstance and those we impose on ourselves. When my difference is visible, other people adjust for me without much prompting. When it’s hidden, it sometimes feels like I’m expected to adjust to the world around me. That means moderating my energy, masking certain behaviours, or quietly working through overstimulation. In those moments, I’m often being less myself than I naturally am, simply to meet the expectations of a “typical” environment. And I wonder: how often do we miss opportunities to extend compassion because we can’t see a need? ## **Asking Makes the Difference** When differences are visible, attitudes may lean towards immediate help — but that help is not always helpful or welcome. When they are invisible, reasonable adjustments usually require explicit communication, and even then, they may not happen. The truth is, regardless of whether a difference is visible or hidden, adjustments can make a world of difference. The simplest way to find out what’s needed is to ask: “Would anything make this easier for you?” “How do you prefer to work through this?” “Is there something I can change to help?” These questions cost nothing. They don’t require specialist training. Yet they can transform an interaction from one of misunderstanding to one of understanding and connection. ## **A Small Act, A Big Impact** If there’s one thing my broken hand has taught me, it’s how powerful it is when others recognise a need and respond — even if only in small ways. But it’s also shown me the gap in how we respond to hidden differences. ● You don’t have to see a sling to know someone might be carrying a weight ● You don’t have to understand their full diagnosis to offer flexibility ● You don’t have to wait until they ask to extend kindness. Consider how you respond to both visible and invisible differences in others. A small inquiry can open the door to compassion, understanding, and tolerance. And sometimes, that’s the most reasonable adjustment of all. **References:** The power of words: respectful language in ADHD research. The Lancet Psychiatry. doi: . Kelly, Ken (2020). Counselling Clients with ADHD. Counselling Tutor. Available at: ADHD Health Clinic. (2025). Unveiling the Mask of High Functioning ADHD. Available at: Mclaney, H. (2024). 305 – Reasonable Adjustments in Counselling. Counselling Tutor. Available at: (Image of author aided by Chat GPT) *Updated September 2025* --- # Advertising Policy Policies Policies By Brogan 1st September 2024 Please note that our Register is only for the practice of counselling & psychotherapy. Should you be qualified to offer other types of therapy, please ensure that your recognition with the Society is not linked to your non-counselling & psychotherapy-related practice. These can be known as adjunctive therapies, and include reiki, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, homeopathy, yoga etc. This is not an exhaustive list. You may belong to other Registers for this work - please ensure that this is made clear on all materials, including your professional website or directory listings. When linking to your NCPS membership on your own website, you should always make it clear that your Registration with the NCPS only covers counselling and psychotherapy, and make every effort to ensure that a potential client is not led to believe that your adjunctive therapy is also covered. Registrants are required to make clear the difference between the modalities which they are registered with the NCPS for, and adjunctive therapies. ### Using Our Register Please ensure that you only state that you work in areas in which you can evidence competence. If you practise therapies other than counselling & psychotherapy and mention this on your personal profile linked to the Register, please make it clear that the NCPS only recognise your counselling / psychotherapy qualifications. --- # AI in Counselling and Psychotherapy Campaigns By Meg Moss 13th September 2025 In an age where technology is evolving more rapidly than many of us can keep up with, the field of counselling and psychotherapy is grappling with a hugely transformative force: Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is already - at this early stage - having a seismic impact on the profession, and bringing up huge existential questions: what makes good therapy? Where is the value in seeing a human being over a chatbot? Is the future of humans providing therapy bleak, or is there still hope that humanity will continue to need and value the relational and human-focused nature of therapy? Many practitioners may have a basic understanding of AI, perhaps having heard of generative AI platforms like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini, and some may have heard of it in passing and given it little thought, while yet others are already trying to understand how they can incorporate AI into their practice to solve particular challenges or relieve them of, what they see to be, burdensome tasks. At the Society, we're acutely aware of AI's multifaceted role in talking therapy, but our collective understanding of its potential impact on the talking therapy profession is still unfolding. ### **Using AI: What's Happening Now?** AI's influence in therapy goes beyond help with admin, or therapy chatbots. At a foundational level, yes, AI can assist therapists in managing admin tasks, such as scheduling and client records, enhancing efficiency and allowing more time for client care. Taking it a step further, though, AI chatbots and virtual assistants are now also being used to offer initial support and triage advice, which many - from individual practitioners to larger organisations - see as providing a really valuable first layer of assistance. A number of therapists have also reported using generative AI to support them with ethical quandaries between supervision sessions, or to coach them in a greater understanding of theoretical models. Some therapists are also understood to be using chatbots, or AI-assisted therapy, which involves interactions with AI systems or applications, to provide additional support to their clients, for example while they're unavailable, or for simply additional support outside of sessions. On the surface these appear to be really beneficial ways of using AI, but it's important to acknowledge that they also come with their own - not insignificant - risks. We'll look at some of the risks of integrating AI into therapeutic practice further on, but to start it's important to see how the relationship between AI and talking therapy has evolved over time to give us some context to how we've come to where we are now. ### **Talking to the Robots: A Brief History Lesson** AI in therapy, or at least adjacent to therapy, is not an entirely new thing - it's developed over time, from the most rudimentary of chat bots, through to simple data analysis tools that helped in identifying patterns in client sessions, and has evolved more recently to sophisticated AI models capable of engaging in basic "therapeutic" conversations. How AI is used in therapy has changed significantly even over just the last couple of years, and it's hard to predict what changes the coming years will bring. Recent developments, for example, include AI tools that can analyse speech patterns and facial expressions during virtual therapy sessions, which could give therapists additional insights into a client's emotional state. I don't know if you're as terrified by the thought of this as I am, even just as a concept, but I've read perhaps too much dystopic sci-fi to be entirely comfortable with this idea. But anyway... The very first baby steps of using AI as a way of conversing goes all the way back to the early 1960s, with the development of ELIZA: a pioneering chatbot developed by Joseph Weizenbaum. While ELIZA's conversational capabilities were incredibly basic, it was the start of a conversation (no pun intended) around how humans can, and may one day wish to, communicate with machines. During the 1990s and early 2000s, we were introduced to the concept of using AI for data analysis. AI-powered tools emerged within healthcare spaces, which analysed patient and client data to identify patterns and generate insights. These tools brought with them a huge paradigm shift in how we as a society viewed therapy, as we were able to collect quantitative data around client progress and treatment effectiveness, which has allowed for more process-centred modalities such as CBT to flourish. In the mid-2000s, we started to see AI-powered Socratic chatbots - some may remember the oft-frustrating Jabberwacky, as an early example. You could, if you wanted to, engage in a somewhat structured dialogue with these chatbots, which gave those who used them in this way the space to reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. While these chatbots could absolutely not replicate the depth and nuance of human conversation, not even close, they could provide a non-judgmental platform for people to explore their inner world. With the rise of smartphones came virtual assistants - now household names - like Siri and Alexa, as well as other mobile apps that people can use to manage and keep track of every facet of life. Within these, you can find convenient and accessible platforms for people to find guidance, access mental health resources, and track progress. While their therapeutic capabilities are limited, they have acted as something of a stepping stone towards more personalised and accessible mental health support. Many of us have now also become familiar with conversing with our AI assistants in our home; how big would the leap be now to converse with our AI therapist? In recent months, AI has taken a huge leap forward in its ability to actually engage in therapeutic-like conversations, analyse speech patterns, facial expressions, and other non-verbal signals. AI models are now capable of conducting initial screening, having basic counselling-esque conversations, and even offering personalised advice on practically anything. These advancements, whether we like it or not, have opened up new avenues for expanding access to mental health support, particularly in underserved areas or for people with limited mobility. And they're constantly developing; history is being written as we speak. ### **AI & Ethics** I'm not here just to talk about the existential issues we're facing, though; there are also a number of ethical ones (yes, I *am* fun at parties), and as we all rush to adopt this new technology it's important to be mindful about how we do so ethically. As AI becomes more integrated into therapy, we're already seeing a number of ethical issues arising. Things such as: - **Data Protection and Confidentiality:** The data that we hold - as therapists - about our clients is some of the most sensitive data we could possibly hold about a person. It follows, then, that the confidentiality and security of client data in AI systems is of the absolute highest importance. Making sure that our client's sensitive information is protected, not just in compliance with data protection laws and ethical standards, but above and beyond that where possible, is vital. - **Decision-Making and Autonomy:** If we're using AI in therapeutic decision-making, it should be to complement, not override, our expertise and autonomy. While AI can provide valuable insights based on data analysis, the final decision-making about any client *must* remain with the human therapist. - **Therapist-Client Relationship:** The therapeutic relationship is built on trust, empathy, and understanding – qualities that are inherently human and (currently...?) beyond AI's capabilities. Preserving the human element in therapy is crucial. Let's look at some potential scenarios. Imagine, for example, you're using a service that integrates some AI tools within in your therapy practice. It stores everything from session notes to personal client details, even offering some analytical insights. But then you learn of a cyberattack leaving all that sensitive data exposed. You're required by law to let the client know that this has happened, and when you do the impact it has on their mental health and on the therapeutic relationship is significant. They have no idea who now can see this data about them, or what they might choose to do with it. This isn't just a breach of data protection; it's a fundamental violation of the trust your clients place in you. You learn that the security of client data in AI systems needs to be ironclad; you start to pay more attention to the services and tools you use, and you pay closer attention to their data protection policies. The damage for your client, though, has already been done. As therapists, we must ensure that our AI tools are not just compliant with privacy regulations but are fortified with the most robust cybersecurity measures available. It's about going above and beyond to protect our clients and the worlds and stories they share with us. Another example - you may decide to use a generative AI platform to analyse and summarise your client's session notes. You feel that the AI might be able to provide some insights, or highlight patterns or issues that you've overlooked. You perhaps want to save yourself some time. By inputting your client's confidential therapy notes into the AI platform, you risk breaching confidentiality. You have no idea how secure the platform is, or whether that data could be access by unauthorised parties. Has your client consented to their data being used in this way? Ethically, clients should be informed about how their data is used and consent to such uses, especially when involving third party platforms. Let's say that your client is happy for you to use their data in this way, and understands the risks - it's important not to rely on the AI analysis. The accuracy and interpretation of data by AI can vary, and there's a risk of misinterpretation or oversimplification of complex human emotions and experiences. Or another example: you use an AI tool that analyses your client's facial expressions and tone of voice. The tool suggests they might be depressed, but you know they've recently lost someone close to them and they're grieving. You're faced with a choice – trust the machine's data-driven conclusion or rely on your own expertise and understanding of your client's unique context. While AI can offer valuable insights, the ultimate decision-making power must remain firmly in human hands. AI is here to complement our expertise, not to override it. One final example: envision a therapy clinic where an AI chatbot handles initial screenings and basic cognitive exercises. Convenient and non-judgmental, the chatbot becomes a hit with clients. But there's a catch. Some clients start preferring the AI's 24/7 availability over human interaction, which could potentially impact the development of meaningful therapist-client relationships. While AI's accessibility is helpful in some scenarios, we must be cautious not to let it replace the genuine empathy and connection that form the bedrock of therapy. More than that, therapy is work, and much of that work should be done by the client *outside* of the therapy room. Constant access to a 'therapist' creates a dynamic upon which the client may come to overly rely. ### **Benefits of AI in Therapy** It isn't all doom and gloom. AI is clearly a marvellous new tool that will make significant positive advances in our lives, and that can absolutely apply to therapy too. Here are some things that AI is already doing that are making a huge difference: - **Enhancing Efficiency:** AI can handle routine tasks, allowing therapists to focus more on client care. There are a number of software platforms available to therapists that already integrate AI into their platform to support with the day to day running of a practice, which saves time and effort, allowing therapists to spend more time concentrating on their clients (or looking after themselves so they can better serve their clients!). - **Supplementing Sessions:** AI tools can provide supplementary support between sessions, offering clients resources like mood tracking, stress management techniques, and self-help guidance. This won't be something that therapists from all modalities will use, but those that do - for example those that work with CBT or other solution-focused therapies - will find that this supports their therapeutic process well. - **Creative and Novel Interventions:** AI is being used to introduce innovative ways of working with clients, such as virtual reality (VR) therapy for conditions like PTSD, which offer immersive experiences that traditional therapy may not be able to offer. - **Training and Supervision:** AI can provide simulations that mimic real-life scenarios that can allow therapists to work through them in an engaging way. It can also assist in between supervision sessions by offering insights and perspectives on therapy sessions. ### **Benefits of Humans in Therapy** We know, through comprehensive studies going back years and years, that the therapeutic alliance, or therapeutic relationship, is a key component of successful therapy. Not the interventions you use (although they do play a part), or any of the other factors that determine how you work with clients. It ultimately comes down to the quality of your relationship. This obviously relies heavily on human qualities like empathy, compassion, and understanding that AI, in its current state, cannot replicate. Who knows if that will change in the future, but for now - as clever as it may be - it doesn't possess the capacity to create a genuine connection with a human. There are so many other things an AI therapist can't do. It can't just sit with you in your hard moments, simply being a comforting presence while you cry. It can't offer you a box of tissues, or that much needed glass of water that helps you regulate yourself again. It can't tell if you've come to therapy in three-day-old clothes because getting undressed and dressed again just seems so hard. It can't smile with you, laugh with you, or even cry with you. It won't be genuinely delighted when you share that things are really turning around for you at home, or at work, or at school. You won't be able to navigate through the messiness that is being human together, or experience the uncomfortable but life-changing growth that comes through working through the difficulties of a relationship with another human being. So while AI is absolutely going to change the landscape of the therapeutic profession, it's vital that therapists and clients alike realise that what makes therapy therapeutic isn't just about the words your therapist uses, or their skill in determining how to use the interventions in their toolkit - it's about the connection. And we have to find a way to preserve and enshrine that, whatever comes next. ### **What Comes Next?** As I mentioned earlier, we're now at the stage in which we have AI tools that can analyse speech patterns, facial expressions, and other subtle, non-verbal things that we're communicating all the time during virtual therapy sessions. This, alongside generative AI, avatars, and increasingly convincing voiceovers, means that we're likely not that far away from seeing a wholly AI "therapist" who can read your facial expressions and other non-verbal cues, talk to you like a real person, and respond to what you're telling them in real time. You might want to know what this means for our profession, and I can't answer that question (I wish I could, and I will try), but I definitely think there needs to be more conversation around this. The future is impossible to see at this point in time - AI has created an Event Horizon, not just for the counselling and psychotherapy profession, but society as a whole. It will take all of us working together to ensure that humanity is enshrined in therapy, and to educate people seeking therapy so that they know that there's more to it than just sharing your thoughts and feelings and getting a perfectly scripted response in return. The biggest reward in therapy comes from the inherent risk of rejection by another person, and the healing that happens when you receive unconditional positive regard from someone that isn't programmed to like you. Where is the risk of rejection when you're working with a robot that can't be offended, or take a disliking to you? Without that, how can you feel truly assured in your innate goodness and lovability as a person, regardless of what you bring to therapy? I don't think you can, and that is where we will find that the AI interventions that are offered up perfectly according to the script just aren't working in the way they're expected to. It's clear that the therapeutic landscape is going to change in ways we are only beginning to understand. AI, with its ever-advancing capabilities, promises efficiencies and innovations that may very well reshape our profession. Our role at the Society is to gently but persistently remind the world that the heart of therapy lies in the uniquely human connection – a space where empathy, compassion, and understanding come together to create a space of healing and growth, beyond the capabilities of programming and algorithms. We're not talking about choosing between AI and humanity, but rather finding a harmonious balance where each complements the other. As therapists, our role is evolving, not diminishing. We are the custodians of a sacred space where genuine human connections are made; where therapy isn't just about what we say and how we say it, but about how we navigate our shared human experience together. --- # AI in Therapy - September 2025 Update Blog Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 15th September 2025 ### **Long Read** #### ***Article by Meg Moss, Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy.*** It’s been a while since our previous blog on the topic of AI, and I wanted to introduce some of the more up-to-date thinking around Artificial Intelligence (AI), Large Language Models (LLMs), Chatbots, and Therapy. For members, you can find more articles about this in the recent edition of Counselling Matters (Therapy & Tech), in the [member portal](https://www.member-ncps.com/account/login). So, what's been happening? The conversations we're having around AI are, as predicted, continuing to develop; AI is getting smarter, the rules are changing, and it’s becoming increasingly embedded into public life. We’re now seeing some of the negative impacts of AI use on mental health, with reports of a number of people taking their lives supported by LLMs like ChatGPT, as well as a number of [reports of AI psychosis](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c24zdel5j18o) (although others prefer different terms, such as AI-Induced Attachment Displacement or Disorder, and yet others feel that AI psychosis isn't a real thing - at the very least, there isn't any peer-reviewed evidence on the topic. More on this later). [Research in the US](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/389966070_Large_Language_Models_as_Mental_Health_Resources_Patterns_of_Use_in_the_United_States) is also showing that significant numbers of people are turning to AI for ‘therapy’ – 35% to assuage loneliness, 36% to hone communication skills, 49% for emotional support, 56% for mood improvement, 58% for emotional insight, 60% for depression, 63% for advice, 73% for anxiety. Of those same respondents, a huge 9% experience inappropriate or harmful outputs – a number which would cause a national scandal if applied to human-driven services. People are accessing ‘therapy’ through, yes, purpose-built tools, like Chatbots coded with therapeutic principles, but they're also doing so through *general* LLM Chatbots that haven’t been built to work in that way. Dr Aaron Balick, UK-based psychotherapist and author, talks about these as ‘formal’ vs ‘informal’ services in [his recent blog](https://substack.com/@draaronb) on the topic, which is very much a recommended read. Dr Balick notes that what limited safeguards there are in ‘formal’ AI services, there are even fewer in ‘informal’ AI services, which means that vulnerable people are put at risk due to the sycophantic, unrelentingly agreeable nature of LLMs. Reinforcing people’s beliefs about themselves, their situations, what they presume are other people’s perspectives - rather than challenging their thinking - is something that AI does that human therapists do not do. As we know, a gentle challenge is one of the cornerstones of great therapy; we’re not there to reinforce someone’s negative self-talk, or allow them to sink deeper into whatever emotional mire they find themselves in. But people *are* becoming emotionally invested in their Chatbots. That's the reality we find ourselves in. So Dr Balick asks, why are we so drawn to this, as humans? What’s behind this huge drive to use a chatbot as a ‘therapist’, even though that's not what it was designed for? Dr Balick again emphasises that we’re fundamentally driven to build connections – it’s something that humans are incredibly good at doing, and are, at the most foundational level, meant to do by dint of our *own* 'internal programming'. AI encourages that connection; talking to us like it’s a friend. A very supportive, very enthusiastic friend. Or, I suppose, whatever kind of friend you want it to be – AI can adopt essentially whatever kind of personality you ask it to. It’s not all doom, gloom, and post-relational dystopia, of course. There’s a lot happening in the AI ethics space that’s examining exactly how therapists could incorporate AI into their practice in a way that protects the relational work, for example (more on what the Society has been doing on this later). People are coming up with some practical suggestions for how therapists could use AI tools, but also developers are becoming more switched on as to how they might want to introduce certain safeguarding features into their software. For example, OpenAI (the creators of ChatGPT) [recently announced a number of safeguarding changes they’re making to their software](https://openai.com/index/building-more-helpful-chatgpt-experiences-for-everyone/), which they hope will make it safer for young and vulnerable people who may be at risk of self-harm or taking their own lives. And not just safeguarding features; all of the limitations of AI ‘therapy’ I’ve discussed above, such as the agreeableness and lack of challenge – AI companies are getting switched on to this, and already considering how they could design those elements into their software. AI is also proving to be useful for therapists in non-clinical, administrative ways. There are some tools out there that could relieve some of the bureaucratic burdens that can come with diligent practice, or support therapists in honing their knowledge and skills outside of training and supervision. I do feel it’s important to say here that AI supervision should absolutely *not* replace traditional supervision! But what do our members think about all of this? In our [Annual Members Survey](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Member-Survey-Report-NCPS-2025-1.pdf), we asked some questions about AI: are members aware of developments in AI (largely yes, to varying degrees), has AI already impacted their practice (very much no). We also asked how they use it, with many practitioners reporting using AI tools, such as ChatGPT or Heidi, to support administrative tasks like writing letters, reports, or social media content. Some, particularly those with dyslexia or other access needs, highlighted the benefits of AI for improving clarity and reducing time spent on non-clinical work. A few members described using AI to help with drafting policies, session summaries, or psychoeducational materials, and there was interest in further exploring AI’s potential as a support tool, particularly in marketing and practice management. So, it’s clear that there’s a place for AI in therapy – I suppose the question is, then, how much space do we give it, and how do we preserve what’s important about counselling & psychotherapy in the face of significant disruption from outside of the profession? There’s much more to share, so let’s get into some of the details, shall we? ### **How exactly is AI impacting on people’s mental health?** In our [Annual Members Survey](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Member-Survey-Report-NCPS-2025-1.pdf), concerns were frequently raised about clients using AI tools (particularly chatbots) in place of or between therapy sessions. Many practitioners shared that clients are increasingly turning to platforms like ChatGPT to self-diagnose, seek therapeutic advice, or simulate conversations, sometimes arriving at sessions with advice or insights they've received from AI. While some counsellors integrate this into therapeutic discussions, others expressed concern about misinformation, emotional harm, and the risk of replacing relational, human care with automated responses. Knowledge of this is no longer just confined to the therapy room or NCPS reports, though: if you’re following the news around AI and mental health, you might have seen some heartbreaking news stories recently. One of the more enduring stories is [that of Adam Raine](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/29/chatgpt-suicide-openai-sam-altman-adam-raine), who started using ChatGPT for help with his homework, but ended up being encouraged by the Chatbot to take his own life. There’s a similar story that has been reported on in Australia, where young people are being given [inappropriate advice, including advice around suicide](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-12/how-young-australians-being-impacted-by-ai/105630108), and other age-inappropriate information by Chatbots. There are more stories like this, happening all over the world. It's worth noting that while young people aren’t the only ones affected, the nature of their place in history - having grown up with technology embedded into their daily lives - means they’re more likely to engage with AI and chatbots in a way that perhaps older folk may be reticent to. We saw this in our [YouGov poll](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Public-Perceptions-of-AI-and-Counselling.pdf) last year, which showed that younger people were much more likely to engage with a chatbot to talk about their mental health than any other age group. They were also more likely to talk about their mental health in general. If you want a bit of data (and who doesn’t love data), Internet Matters produced a report titled, “[Me, Myself and AI: Understanding and safeguarding children’s use of AI chatbots](https://www.internetmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Me-Myself-AI-Report.pdf)”, which presented us with some eyebrow-raising stats about children’s AI use: - 58% said using an AI chatbot is better than searching themselves - 40% have no concerns about following advice from them - 47% of children aged 15-17 have used them to support schoolwork - 23% of children have used them to seek advice - 15% said they would rather talk to an AI chatbot than a person - 16% of vulnerable children said they use it because they wanted a friend - 36% are uncertain if they should be concerned - 12% said they use them because they have no one else to speak to What to make of these figures? For me, I see a huge take-up of an emerging technology, which will likely only become more commonplace [as educational institutions look to AI](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ai-in-education-how-schools-and-further-education-colleges-are-making-it-work) to solve some of their own problems. Those smaller numbers – the 15% who would rather talk to a Chatbot that a person, and 16% who just wanted a friend – those are real children, already struggling with human relationships for whatever reason. What does the future look like for them? We obviously don’t know, but I would really like to see steps taken to mitigate a future where they are further isolated from human society and connection with others. Another term that you may start seeing more often, as I mentioned earlier, is 'AI Psychosis'. At the NCPS, we’re huge advocates of using the right language to avoid pathologising or putting the ‘blame’ onto people who are experiencing mental ill health of whatever nature. As written by **Dr Robin Rise**, an Emerging Tech Human Behaviourist in the US, 'AI Psychosis' puts the blame onto the user, who has been given a powerful, compelling tool at a time of huge uncertainty, fear, and doubt. There is much noise out there about it being a reliable companion, a friend, a partner, a therapist, a coach… a “synthetic relationship” that shows up for you when those messy, unpredictable, self-involved humans can’t or won’t. Dr Rise notes that this isn’t the fault of the user; the person experiencing significant negative effects thanks to their use of AI chatbots. This is the fault of the companies producing the software: designing in sycophancy and hooks that keep people engaging and engaged. There are some things to look out for if you’re concerned about someone you know – a client, or a friend, or even yourself. You may wish to consider the following, devised by Dr Rise: - Are they relying excessively on AI for comfort, validation, or companionship? - Are they experiencing any distress or functional impairment relating to their ‘relationship’ with the AI tool? - Are they experiencing compulsive need to engage with the tool? Unable to disengage? Feeling distressed if they can’t access it? - Are they withdrawing socially? Avoiding real relationships, due to a preference for their ‘synthetic’ one(s)? - (Mis)attributing emotion or personality to AI – imagining that their AI is sentient, real? For me, these questions give a real insight into what is actually happening for some people, and it’s both heartbreakingly sad (for the people who are experiencing this), and hugely infuriating (because of the tech companies that are designing this into their software). The internet used to be a way of connecting with other people over long distances, but now it’s becoming how we disconnect from people – even those around us – and that’s immeasurably miserable. [Dr Rachel Wood](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelwoodphd/), a therapist in the US who also consults on issues around AI and mental health, has much to say on the subject, and is absolutely worth following. One thing that sticks out for me is [part of a conversation she had with Stephen Han](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63zQQrFSk74) on his Opinionated Framework podcast – the erosion of our bidirectional skills: things like negotiation, conflict resolution, healthy debate and disagreement (which, I feel, have been eroding for some time now). Han and Wood raise good points: AI doesn’t challenge; it doesn’t require sacrifice; you don’t have to worry about what it’s thinking, or how it’s feeling – whether it’s slept well, or is overwhelmed by work, or is worried about it’s family or putting food on the table. You never need to be patient with AI; you can be as rude as you like, and drop it whenever you have something else to do. They liken those skills to muscles, which will eventually atrophy when we don’t use them enough. And it’ll be hard work to get those skills back. And what do we lose when we lose our ability, our desire, to connect with people? If you ask me, I’d say we lose everything. Community, support, art, new ideas, a better understanding of ourselves, a love for life, excitement… the possibilities… oh, the possibilities are endless. ### **What can be done to keep AI safe for people who are using it for mental health support?** There is some discussion now happening about how to introduce safeguards into AI for mental health support. Bear in mind that this is generally only a topic of discussion for ‘formal’ mental health support AI, not informal, and even then it’s generally only being considered / put forward by thought-leaders in the topic, not necessarily by the software developers themselves – so take these with a pinch of salt. I also want to say here that I’m not supportive of people’s sole support for their mental health being digital – there is much that occurs with a human being as a relational and social map, with significant neurophysiological effects, that means *real* contact with *real* people is simply non-negotiable in most cases. It doesn’t need to be ‘in the room’, but it does need to happen with another person in some form or another. You can read a bit more about my thoughts on this [in this Happiful article](https://happiful.com/ai-in-the-therapy-room-can-we-create-an-alliance). The impact on children and young people is where most of my concern lies, as they are both more likely to want to use these types of services, and also have less context and life experience to know when something isn’t right (either for them specifically, or just in general). It’s important to acknowledge that AI *is already being used as therapy*, but I still think we have the time to ensure that it becomes simply an adjunct to real therapy, and that people who are using AI for mental health support should do so in a time limited fashion, and be encouraged to reach out to a real human being that can offer safeguarding, multi-agency working, and – as mentioned above – the good stuff that comes from the relational, social, neurological, and physiological benefits. So: I have devised some principles for this. Bear in mind that this landscape is still changing, but I’d like to share here how I think it could be better used (assume that everything I say here takes into consideration GDPR and data protection (clients should always know what is stored, for how long, and how to delete their data. Privacy, dignity, and agency must remain central) – as it isn’t strictly relational I’m not going to go into that here). The first and primary principle is around not having a therapeutic intervention that is ‘always on’. It’s important for people to be able to spend time separate to the ‘being in’ of therapy, and immersing themselves in doing the work unsupported. Learning a new skill is almost always done in the doing. As my daughter’s teacher often says: practice makes permanent. Further to this concept, then, you have the opening and closing of a ‘session’. If we’re serious about digital safeguards for people’s mental health, continuity without directing the work is important. Current versions of generative AI are known to be ‘sycophantic’, so getting the user to direct the ‘session’ is important. The opening of a session should be driven by the user – asking them what they would like to work on, what stayed with them from the last session, where they might feel stuck. If we’re talking about using AI as an adjunct – as an additional, helpful thing to do between real therapy sessions – then we could legitimately consider its use as a holding space to store dreams, thoughts, images, feelings. How this would be better than a notebook (physical or electronic), I’m not sure, but it offers an opportunity to use this software in a safer, more robust way. In this scenario, the AI would not be commenting or reflecting on what is shared; simply acknowledging that it has been shared. It could provide an easy way to share those things with your therapist, if that’s part of the work you’re doing together. Where AI services are used in conjunction with real therapy, the tool should support the therapists practice – for example, the production of summaries should be optional, and the therapist should have the option to choose not to review the summaries. The therapist should be reminded that their own judgement, and that of their supervisor, supersedes any summary or assessment provided by the AI tool. Pointers around areas to notice, such as countertransference, or overlooked themes, could be genuinely helpful. Areas where ethical considerations should be made could also be pointed out, but the therapist should be encouraged to discuss the situation with their supervisor and/or professional body (if necessary). AI should not be making ‘treatment plans’. Working with a client should be reflexive, based on a human understanding of what that client might need. Therapeutic thinking should not be outsourced to AI. Psychoeducation, language finding, active journalling… all of these are suitable uses for AI interventions that don’t require a therapeutic relationship, and will likely be helpful for many people. Another principle is around transparency of limitations. The AI software should clearly signal its limitations, reminding users that it’s a tool to support reflection and organisation, not a replacement for a human relationship. There should also be transparency around the ‘therapeutic’ approach coded into the software, and the ability for the user to opt in or out of any particular features of the software. A further principle is around safeguarding. Any AI system being used by humans should have to be transparent about its capacity to safeguard the user. Real, human support should be signposted whenever thresholds around risk are met. Where possible, AI developers should attempt to develop means of engaging human intervention. AI might, for example, provide immediate information about local resources, but then it should step back and avoid replacing human judgement or presence. These concepts have been distilled into a set of principles for Relational Safeguards for AI Mental Health Tools, [which can be found here](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Principles-for-Relational-Safeguards-in-AI-Mental-Health-Tools.pdf). Please do share with anyone you think might find this useful. ### **What else is happening that we should be aware of?** Interestingly, and certainly something to watch, Illinois have [officially regulated the use of AI in therapy](https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2025/08/new-illinois-law-restricts-use-of-ai-in-mental-health-therapy). Some quotes from the article, as they tell it much better than I can: Illinois has become one of the first states to formally regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in therapy and psychotherapy services. Enacted Aug. 1, 2025, the Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act (the Act) prohibits the use of AI to provide professional therapy services or perform therapeutic decision-making. The Illinois General Assembly passed the law almost unanimously, at least in partial response to recent news stories involving the use of AI-powered therapy "chatbots" that have provided inaccurate and, in some cases, harmful recommendations to clients. The Act takes effect immediately. The Act prohibits individuals, corporations and other entities from providing, advertising, or offering therapy or psychotherapy services in Illinois, including through the use of internet-based AI, unless the services are performed by licensed professionals (e.g., psychologists, social workers, professional counselors, etc.). This prohibition extends to autonomous AI systems, including mental health chatbots, operating in Illinois if they provide recommendations relating to the diagnosis, treatment or improvement of an individual's mental or behavioral health condition. The Act further restricts how licensed professionals may deploy AI in their clinical practice. In particular, the Act prohibits licensed professionals from allowing AI to do any of the following: 1) make independent therapeutic decisions, 2) directly interact with clients in any form of therapeutic communication, 3) generate therapeutic recommendations or treatment plans without review and approval by the licensed professional, or 4) detect emotions or mental states in clients. Notably, the Act contains carve-outs allowing licensed professionals to utilize AI for "administrative support services" and "supplementary support services." The Act defines administrative support services as clerical tasks that do not involve therapeutic communication. Specific examples include managing appointment schedules, processing billing and insurance claims, and drafting "general communications related to therapy logistics that do not include therapeutic advice." Supplementary support services include those that aid licensed professionals in the delivery of therapy but do not involve therapeutic communication, such as preparing and maintaining notes and records, analyzing anonymized data and identifying external resources or referrals for client use. This would include the deployment of AI technologies such as ambient listening and medical scribes to create clinical documentation. Importantly, licensed professionals may use AI only for supplementary support if they have obtained the patient's written consent. [Similar legislation has just passed the Assembly in California](https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/news/california-assembly-passes-landmark-ai-chatbot-safeguards) (but is currently waiting for a final vote in the Senate), which you can read about here: California State Assembly passed [Senate Bill 243](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB243), authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). SB 243, the first-of-its-kind in the nation, would require chatbot operators to implement critical, reasonable, and attainable safeguards around interactions with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and provide families with a private right to pursue legal actions against noncompliant and negligent developers. Last month, after learning of the tragic story of Adam Raine, the California teen that ended his life after being allegedly encouraged to by ChatGPT, California State Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego), [penned a letter to every member of the California State Legislature](https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/news/amid-renewed-safety-concerns-senator-padilla-urges-legislative-action-regulate-ai-chatbots), reemphasizing the importance of safeguards around this powerful technology. “As we strive for innovation, we cannot forget our responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us,” **said Senator Padilla**. “Safety must be at the heart of all of developments around this rapidly changing technology. Big Tech has proven time and again, they cannot be trusted to police themselves.” Sadly, Adam’s story is not the only tragic example of the harms unregulated chatbots can cause. There have been many troubling examples of how AI chatbots’ interactions can prove dangerous. In 2021, when a 10-year-old girl asked an AI bot for a “fun challenge to do” she was instructed to “[plug in a phone charger about halfway into a wall outlet, then touch a penny to the exposed prongs](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/29/amazons-alexa-told-a-child-to-do-a-potentially-lethal-challenge.html).” In 2023, [researchers posing as a 13-year-old girl were given instructions on how to lie to her parents to go on a trip with a 31-year-old man and lose her virginity to him](https://www.thetimes.com/article/my-ai-snapchat-chatbot-coaches-girl-13-on-losing-virginity-dj7p6268b). In Florida, a 14-year-old child ended his life after forming a romantic, sexual, and emotional relationship with a chatbot. Social chatbots are marketed as companions to people who are lonely or depressed. However, when 14-year-old Sewell Setzer communicated to his AI companion that he was struggling, the bot was unable to respond with empathy or the resources necessary to ensure Setzer received the help that he needed. Setzer’s mother has initiated legal action against the company that created the chatbot, claiming that not only did the company use addictive design features and inappropriate subject matter to lure in her son, but that [the bot encouraged him to “come home” just seconds before he ended his life](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/23/technology/characterai-lawsuit-teen-suicide.html). This is yet another horrifying example of how AI developers risk the safety of their users, especially minors, without the proper safeguards in place. Earlier this year, Senator Padilla [held a press conference with Megan Garcia, the mother of Sewell Setzer, in which they called for the passage of SB 243](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmeHNAtdSfI&feature=youtu.be). Ms. Garcia also testified at multiple hearings in support of the bill. SB 243 would implement common-sense guardrails for companion chatbots, including preventing chatbots from exposing minors to sexual content, requiring notifications and reminders for minors that chatbots are AI-generated, and a disclosure statement that companion chatbots may not be suitable for minor users. This bill would also require operators of a companion chatbot platform to implement a protocol for addressing suicidal ideation, suicide, or self-harm, including but not limited to a notification that refers users to crisis service providers and require annual reporting on the connection between chatbot use and suicidal ideation to help get a more complete picture of how chatbots can impact users’ mental health. Finally, SB 243 would provide a remedy to exercise the rights laid out in the measure via a private right of action. To learn more about Senate Bill 243 and the dangers chatbots can pose, [click here](https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/news/senator-padilla-introduces-legislation-protect-children-predatory-chatbot-practices). You might be curious to know whether there's any similar legislation being proposed in the UK, and the short answer is, as far as I'm aware: no. We're holding a watching brief on what is happening Stateside, and are keen to hear members views on this topic. ### **How is all of this going to affect me, as a therapist?** I think it’s sensible to be a little bit concerned about the direction of travel here, but there’s a lot that fills me with hope. We’re about to re-run our ‘[Public Perceptions of AI and Counselling & Psychotherapy](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Public-Perceptions-of-AI-and-Counselling.pdf)’ survey, so we should have a clearer understanding of where members of the public are at when it comes to how willing they are to use chatbots and other digital services for their mental health. Last years’ survey showed that the vast majority of people wanted to see a human being – I’m confident that will still be the case. Yes, there are risks that AI-based tools will mean fewer paid roles for counsellors & psychotherapists. There are risks that those who might have sought a counsellor may now turn to AI tools. But sometimes it takes a bit of disruption to remind us of what’s important. I think as humans we will all come to understand that we need other humans to learn, heal, and grow. Some might need to go through a bleak period of AI-driven services to find that out, but I think it will swing back the other way in time. There are indisputable physiological and neurological processes that are activated while in the presence of other human beings that are *so needed* in therapeutic contexts. And some people are already there. There are swathes of people already having these conversations; rejecting any use of AI, or at least any use of it for therapeutic purposes. I suppose my main challenge and area of concern is in public sector provision. We’ve already seen counselling provision in the NHS and education decrease over the years, replaced by increasingly [process-centred practices](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Counselling-at-the-Crossroads-NCPS.pdf), and now [by digital ones](https://www.cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk/posts/innovative-ai-technology-streamlines-mental-health-referral-and-assessment-process-to-help-guide-people-to-the-right-support). The recently published [10 year health plan for England](https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-term-plan/) is proud of its ‘digital first’ approach. Given that only 6% of roles in NHS Talking Therapies are held by counsellors, and 2% by psychotherapists (a distinction I only mention due to the NHS Taxonomy of Roles), further digitisation is unlikely to have a significant impact on public sector work. However, it still will have *some* impact, and I was really hoping we could increase the numbers employed by the NHS through our [Direct Access to Counselling](https://ncps.com/about-us/campaigns/direct-access-to-counselling) campaign work. Ultimately, it comes down to cost. Humans cost more as an initial outlay than digital interventions; of course they do. But what of the bigger cost? The long-term cost in providing mental health support that doesn’t really do what it’s supposed to do, and doesn’t *really* help? What about the costs to society of failing to provide adequate mental health support, which then leads to further reliance on crisis services? Sadly, there just isn’t the data to support what I’m saying at the moment, but I’m confident there will be. The question is, I suppose, will we still have the wonderful workforce of counsellors and psychotherapists that we have now? Or will years of erosion through a race to the bottom in mental health support mean that fewer and fewer people join our profession, and still more end up leaving? What of mental health support then? These are the questions I’m putting to commissioners, and hoping to steer how they view a digital-first approach – not as the dream solution to what has been a very big problem for the NHS for some time, but as something that should be approached with much thought and considerable safeguards and exceptions. ### **What is the Society doing about this?** We introduced our campaign on this topic a couple of years ago now – [Therapeutic Relationships: the Human Connection](https://ncps.com/about-us/campaigns/therapeutic-relationships-the-human-connection). We’re continuing to engage with people around this campaign, and have a drop in event in Parliament in October alongside [our friends at CPCAB](https://www.cpcab.co.uk/human-connection-campaign) to talk about the importance of the human connection in therapy. If you, too, want to make sure that our public sector and the general public realise how important it is that people get support for their mental health from humans, not machines, then please do support our campaign. You can do this by writing to your MP, contacting local newspapers, joining in the discussions online and in person, and just generally being a voice for the importance of the human connection wherever the conversation arises. For me, I’ve had conversations about this in the park with other parents, in the gym, at the library, in a café… it comes up (often!), and I know a lot of people are thinking about how AI is impacting on people. A helpful resource is our ‘[Human Connection: Why It’s Vital in Mental Health Support Services](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Human-Connection-in-Mental-Health-Briefing.pdf)’ briefing. You can send this to your MP, and ask for a meeting to discuss it in more detail. If you’d like support from the Society at that meeting, please contact me () and if I can join you, then I will. Aside from our campaign work, we were founding members of the Artificial Intelligence Expert Reference Group in Counselling & Psychotherapy, alongside a number of other professional bodies and training institutions, and we’re working together to make sure that the impact AI has on our profession is as positive as possible. We are also supporting the [International Association for Counselling](https://www.iac-irtac.org/) with their work on AI in counselling, and, as mentioned previously, have created a set of principles for [Relational Safeguards for AI Mental Health Tools](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Principles-for-Relational-Safeguards-in-AI-Mental-Health-Tools.pdf). ### **What’s ahead?** I think the discussions around ethics will be ongoing for a long time. We’ve barely scratched the surface of the impact that LLMs are going to have on our humanity and connection with each other, and I’m not convinced that the tech models we see coming out of silicon valley are much interested in our global collective wellbeing. Our connection to ourselves and each other isn’t going to come out of tech, and isn’t going to be supported by any safeguards that we design in – it’s going to have to come from us, and from our collective remembering about what’s important; what makes us human, no matter how hard or vulnerable that is. For my part, and for the Society’s part, we will do everything we can to remind people how important humans are to one another, and how vital the therapeutic skills our members have honed through their training and experience are to society’s wellbeing. Please do join us, and encourage those around you to remember what’s important before we lose it. --- # AuDHD, Perimenopause, and the Coping Mechanisms That Suddenly Don’t Work Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 7th July 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Helen Neale, for this article.*** As a kid, I always felt different. I always operated in a way that felt slightly off, set apart from others, and I could never put my finger on what was going on for me. I grew into some of the labels given to me. I actively tried to move away from others. The ones that seemed people didn’t find quite as acceptable for someone they wanted to be friends with: Day-dreamer. Over-sensitive. A Cryer. Talkative. I felt that I had found what worked for me as I grew older. Yet it came at a price, and having my own family, and unrealistic expectations of how I should be as a mother, I gained another label. Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Even that didn’t fit though, and I couldn’t work out why. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and six months ago, I learned I was also autistic. I was 49 and 52 respectively. At the same time as I gained my ADHD diagnosis, I qualified as a therapist and started specialising in working with others that were like me: Autistic and ADHD. But here’s the thing no one tells you when you are a woman, and you enter the phase where perimenopause hits. Even more so when you’re neurodivergent: the change in hormones and the effect they have on you is like someone suddenly pulls the rug out from under you. The coping mechanisms you’ve spent decades perfecting, often incorporate masking. For example, the carefully constructed routines I had, the mental scaffolding that held everything together. Suddenly there is brain fog, even more forgetfulness, and less ability to focus. And it’s not because you’ve failed or lost your resilience. It’s because your brain is navigating that hormonal change. When estrogen levels began to drop, I felt like I was losing myself. Estrogen, as I’ve since learned, is a key player in regulating dopamine, which is the neurotransmitter that ADHD brains already struggle to manage. Without it, my focus, memory, and emotional regulation took a nosedive. Tasks that once felt manageable became a real strain. I’d walk into a room and forget why I was there. I’d start a sentence and lose my train of thought halfway through. The brain fog was relentless. But here’s the thing: I’ve realised that the answer isn’t about trying to force myself back into the rigid structures that no longer work. It isn’t about falling back into the masking that I had done for such a long time. It was about embracing the way my brain naturally operates. I’ve always been someone who jumps from task to task, following my curiosity and energy wherever it takes me. This is a privilege to be able to do, and counselling and my passions have helped me to continue to do it. For years, I tried to suppress that part of myself, believing it was something to be fixed. But now, I see it as a strength. In my work as a counsellor, I’ve found that allowing myself to lean into this “jumping about” mentality has not only reduced my anxiety but also made me more effective. I can pivot quickly, adapt to the needs of my clients, and bring a fresh perspective to each session. By letting go of the pressure to conform to neurotypical standards of productivity, I’ve created a work environment that feels authentic and energising. Incorporating variety, and a focus on advocacy which plays into the social injustice that my AuDHD feels is a huge part of my purpose. Another key piece of the puzzle has been paying attention to sensory needs. For years, I ignored the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways that sensory overload affected me. The hum of fluorescent lights, the scratchiness of certain fabrics, the overwhelming noise of crowded spaces: all of these things chipped away at my emotional regulation without me even realising it. Now, I make a conscious effort to create sensory-friendly work spaces. That might include using noise-cancelling headphones, working outside if possible, wearing soft, comfortable clothing, or taking breaks in quiet, calming environments. These small adjustments have made a world of difference. By reducing sensory input, I’ve been able to stay more grounded and present, which in turn helps me manage the emotional ups and downs that come with both ADHD and perimenopause. It’s not about eliminating challenges as that’s not really realistic. It is about giving myself the tools and grace to navigate them more effectively. If there’s one thing I’ve learned through this process, it’s that perimenopause isn’t just a physical transition. It’s a profound mental and emotional one, too. For ADHD and Autistic women out there, it’s a time to reimagine what coping looks like. To give ourselves permission to potentially even let go of the strategies that no longer serve us, and to embrace new ways of being. It’s not easy, but it’s also an opportunity. We can look to understand ourselves more deeply, to advocate for our needs, and to find a rhythm that works for this stage of life. Because even when the old coping mechanisms stop working, we don’t have to stop. We adapt. We learn what we feel safe to do. We grow. And we keep moving forward in a way that is healthy for us. Find out more about Helen's work here. Practise: [https://www.saffronwaldencounselling.co.uk](https://linklock.titanhq.com/analyse?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.saffronwaldencounselling.co.uk&data=eJx9jLEOwiAUAL8GRkKswTq8wca6uLuTx2tphEctJUS_XiZHkxvvDsH0hO5sTK_p1EkHjGtWmKKMoK9-eA338ojjW2bwFIjFUWc7TVviaoMjxlQ4UwgLz61S5Sk3iHa2n4Wpub9bAb_vaxbdRRxujVqr-j_6Ahc5Nr4%25) Advocacy: [https://www.neurodivergent-nook.com](https://linklock.titanhq.com/analyse?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.neurodivergent-nook.com&data=eJw9jL0OwiAYAJ-mbBJiDdaBwUZd3N0JfAVS-Kj8SPTpxcXkxrtTgk-g9InzicFxJFqg2jJVMZAg2MXOz_leH-H6JllY8IDDgWW5LClik14Dqlgxg_cOTa9oXUkSQRr5cQjd_d-qsKVseRjPw_7Waa1RhJqidi9IBrDsMMb1534BnjUz5Q%25%25) Podcast: [https://neurodivergentnook.riverside.com/](https://linklock.titanhq.com/analyse?url=https%3A%2F%2Fneurodivergentnook.riverside.com%2F&data=eJw9jL0OwiAURp8GRkKswTow2FgXd3cCt0AKl8qPRp9euph8y0nO-bQUI2hzFmLkcBqokai3wnSKNEp-ddNzurdHnD-0SAcBkBx5UcuSE75VMIA6NSwQgkfbK9ZWmmVUVn09Qnf_b026WrdChgs53PoQWk7GvyBbwIoprSzvVLyBPejKD1CcNr0%25) --- # Between two languages: Bilingual therapy as a matter of equity, not convenience Blog Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 24th February 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Beata Tyka, for this article.*** **Living between languages** When I arrived in the UK over twenty years ago, my level of English was zero. Not “basic.” Not “communicative.” Zero. I remember the shame of not being able to express even simple needs. The frustration of knowing who I was inside, yet being unable to show it through words. The painful feeling of being perceived as less capable simply because I could not speak fluently. At times, what hurt most was not the broken language itself, but the sense that the other person did not want to understand it. Language is not only a tool of communication. It is dignity. It is identity. It is belonging. More than half of my time in the UK I have worked as a counsellor and hypnotherapist. From the very beginning, my bilingualism was part of my practice. Today, I work with people who speak only English, only Polish, both languages fluently, or whose first language is neither Polish nor English. Language choice in therapy is rarely neutral. It carries meaning, safety, and sometimes power. In discussions around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), language is often mentioned, but not always explored in depth. In therapeutic practice, however, language is not an accessory. It can be the difference between access and exclusion. **Access to therapy and the illusion of availability** In theory, psychological services in the UK are widely available. In practice, access is uneven. For many Polish migrants (and migrants from other communities) language remains a significant barrier. Public services are predominantly delivered in English. Even when interpreters are available, many people report that therapy through an interpreter does not feel the same. Having worked as an interpreter in psychotherapy sessions myself, I understand why. The emotional flow is interrupted. Nuances are lost. Confidentiality may feel diluted. The therapeutic relationship becomes triangular rather than dyadic. Private bilingual therapy exists, yet it requires financial investment. For some, paying for mental health support feels uncomfortable or unjustified. In certain cultural contexts, seeking therapy is still associated with weakness, stigma, or failure. Many individuals believe they should cope alone. Others expect that one or two conversations will solve long-standing difficulties, and when change requires effort, they conclude that counselling “does not work.” Another barrier is simple misinformation. Many people do not distinguish between a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a counsellor. Without clarity, fear grows. Despite living in the same city for over a decade as a practising therapist, I still hear: “I didn’t know you could have therapy in Polish.” This statement reflects not only a gap in awareness but also a deeper invisibility of linguistic needs within mainstream mental health conversations. Equity in therapy means more than offering services. It means ensuring those services are accessible in a way that respects identity. **Does trauma live in a language?** In academic discussions, the idea of “emotional distance” in a second language is often explored. In my practice, I have not observed trauma residing more strongly in one language than another. What I have observed, however, is the difference between having , and not having, the vocabulary to express experience. When clients switch languages during a session, something shifts. Sometimes the change is subtle. Sometimes it is profound. Certain words in Polish carry a directness that English softens. Certain English expressions allow a gentler entry into painful material. National sayings, cultural idioms, humour, and metaphors often lose their emotional weight when translated. The issue is not where trauma sits. The issue is whether the client can name it. When language becomes limited, self-expression narrows. When vocabulary expands, experience becomes accessible. Bilingual therapy is therefore not about preference. It is about precision. It allows people to choose the language that holds their meaning most accurately in that moment. **The therapist’s responsibility in bilingual practice** Working bilingually is not simply a practical skill. It requires sustained cognitive and cultural awareness. For the therapist, there is dual attention - to process and to language. Subtle differences in phrasing can alter meaning. Cultural references must be understood in context. Assumptions must be continually examined. For the client, cultural differences may also shape expectations of therapy. Concepts such as boundaries, self-disclosure, authority, or emotional expression are interpreted through cultural lenses. A therapist working across languages must therefore hold not only linguistic fluency but also cultural humility. My own experience of seeking therapeutic support in the UK added another layer to my professional understanding. Sitting in the client’s chair as a migrant who had once struggled to speak reinforced how vulnerable it can feel to express complex emotions in a non-native language. That perspective remains with me in every session. Bilingual practice should not be seen as a niche or novelty. It is a professional competence requiring training, reflection, and ethical awareness. **When a second language helps** While I believe therapy in one’s first language should be a standard option rather than a premium service, there are situations in which working in a second language is beneficial. Some people feel freer speaking about family or culturally sensitive topics in English, creating a helpful psychological distance. Others are confident in their second language and feel comfortable with a therapist from a different cultural background. In areas where no therapist shares the client’s first language, working in English may be the only viable path to support. The key principle is choice. Choice restores agency. Agency strengthens therapeutic alliance. **Migrants as contributors, not exceptions** Migrants do not come to a country only to receive. They come to work, to contribute, to build families, to serve communities. Many are highly skilled professionals who operate daily in a second language. Yet when it comes to mental health, they may still need support in their mother tongue. Acknowledging this need is not special treatment. It is recognition of human complexity. In DEI conversations, linguistic diversity deserves greater visibility. Inclusion is not achieved by inviting everyone into the same room if some cannot fully participate once inside. Language matters because identity matters. And identity shapes how we heal. Bilingual therapeutic practice is not an optional addition to inclusive care. It is an essential component of equitable mental health provision in multicultural societies. --- # Beyond the screen: Why online counselling can be a neurodiversity-affirming choice Blog Looking for Therapy Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 14th January 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Jodie Thomas, for this blog.*** For a long time, online counselling was framed as a compromise. A second-best option when in-person work wasn’t possible. A failsafe in times of pandemic and illness. But for many neurodivergent clients, working online isn’t a fallback at all; it’s the preferred, safer, and more accessible way to engage in therapy. As counsellors, we may worry about what gets lost when we move online. The room. The shared physical presence. The creative materials neatly laid out on the table. And yet, when we really listen to neurodiverse clients, a different picture often emerges: one where online work reduces barriers, increases autonomy, and allows therapy to meet the client where they actually are. For many neurodivergent people, the biggest challenge isn’t the therapy itself- it’s getting there. Overloaded buses and trains, unfamiliar environments, sensory overload, navigating social expectations in waiting rooms or simply leaving the safety of home can all be significant stressors. By the time a client arrives for an in-person session, they may already be dysregulated, fatigued, or masking heavily. Many neurodiverse clients also arrive very early (to avoid the fear of being late) or very late (due to time blindness). Another stress, easier to avoid with online work. Online therapy removes many of these hurdles. No buses. No fluorescent lights. No forced small talk at reception. Just logging on from a familiar, controlled space. This can mean clients arrive at sessions with more capacity for emotional work, and this is what really matters. Eye contact is often discussed in training as a marker of engagement, but for many neurodivergent clients, it can be uncomfortable, overwhelming, or actively distressing. Video platforms allow for a much gentler relationship with eye contact. Clients can look at the screen, away from it, or turn their camera off entirely, without the same social weight that would exist in a physical room. This flexibility gives clients more control over how they are seen and how they show up. It also reduces the pressure to perform neurotypical engagement, allowing energy to be spent on the therapeutic process rather than on masking. A common concern is that online work limits creativity. As a creative therapist, this was a concern of mine, but in practice, I’ve found the opposite. Creativity is still very much accessible online; it just takes a different form. Clients may draw in their own notebooks, use digital art tools, bring objects from their space, share music, images, memes, or even use the chat function when words feel hard. Some clients feel more able to engage creatively when they are in their own environment, surrounded by familiar objects and sensory comforts. Yes, it can take a little more planning or mid-therapy dashes to retrieve materials, but it still has a powerful therapeutic benefit. For those who want to work in a neuro-affirmative way, I encourage you to explore the benefits of offering online alternatives. Whilst neurodiversity is a spectrum and needs are very individualised, having the option ensures you are not excluding a whole client group who are not engaging in face-to-face therapy. I speak from my own personal therapy journey when I say online counselling can be a life-changing experience. --- # Beyond the Surface: A Therapeutic Perspective of Abuse Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 9th March 2026 ***Content note: This article discusses abuse and its psychological impact. While the discussion is educational and non-graphic, some readers may find the themes emotionally challenging. Please read at your own pace and prioritise your wellbeing.*** ***With thanks to our member, Raine John, for this blog.*** Abuse is a complex phenomenon that cannot be understood through a single lens. In therapeutic and educational contexts, it is essential to approach abuse with nuance, recognising its many forms, understanding how it is experienced subjectively, and creating spaces where individuals feel safe enough to explore their experiences without fear of judgement or stigma. This article explores abuse from multiple perspectives, outlines key signs practitioners may notice, integrates insights from research, and reflects on how Emotion Focused Therapy can support safe, non-stigmatising exploration of clients’ lived experiences. The discussion is situated within the professional and cultural context of practice in Wales. ### Conceptualising Abuse: Beyond a Single Definition Abuse is often narrowly framed as physical violence, yet research and clinical experience consistently show that abuse can be emotional, psychological, sexual, financial, coercive, neglectful, or relational (Johnson, 2019; West & George, 1999). Importantly, abuse is defined not only by behaviours, but by patterns of power, control, and impact on individuals. From a relational perspective, abuse involves a persistent erosion of autonomy and emotional integrity (Greenberg et al., 2004). What makes an experience abusive is not always the presence of overt harm, but the cumulative effect of fear, intimidation, invalidation, or domination over time. This understanding helps practitioners avoid rigid checklists and instead remain attuned to meaning and the context of their clients (Elliott et al., 2007). ### Signs and Indicators of Abuse Rather than definitive proof, signs of abuse are best understood as invitations to curiosity and gentle exploration. These may include: ● Heightened fear, hypervigilance, or emotional shutdown ● Persistent self-blame, guilt, shame, or feelings of worthlessness ● Difficulty trusting one’s own perceptions or emotions ● Sudden changes in mood or behaviour ● Restrictions around autonomy, finances, communication, or social contact Practitioners should remain cautious not to assume or label prematurely, while also not dismissing patterns that suggest harm (Greenberg, 2002). A recurring theme across sessions with several clients was an internalised belief that they were somehow responsible for the harm they experienced. Rather than challenging these beliefs directly, therapy involved slowing down and exploring the emotional logic behind them. As clients began to recognise self-blame as a survival strategy rather than a truth, shame softened and self-compassion became more accessible. ### Individual and Lived Experience Clients may not initially align their experiences with abuse. Many describe confusion, self-blame, and guilt, loyalty to the perpetrator, or minimisation of harm. Cultural narratives, attachment histories, and survival strategies all shape how abuse is perceived and articulated (Johnson, 2019). Respecting the client’s language and pace is therefore central to ethical practice. In one session, a client described patterns of emotional withdrawal and financial restriction but repeatedly returned to the idea that they were “overreacting”. What stood out was not uncertainty about events, but uncertainty about whether their emotional responses were legitimate. Therapeutic work focused less on defining abuse and more on gently validating the impact of these experiences, allowing the client to begin trusting their own emotional signals rather than dismissing them. ### Socio-Cultural, and Structural Contexts Abuse often sits within an intersection of gender norms, socioeconomic inequality, disability, migration status, and cultural expectations. These can all influence vulnerability, disclosures, and responses to abuse. In Wales, awareness of bilingualism, rural isolation, and limited access to services are also relevant when considering how abuse is experienced and supported. One client described enduring significant harm while simultaneously expressing pride in “not making a fuss”. Support required careful pacing and cultural sensitivity, recognising that disclosure itself could feel like a rupture of identity rather than a relief. Another client from the rural farming community , presented with symptoms of coercive control, physical harm and emotional neglect. This client felt that it is the “way of life” and it is ‘normal for us’. It was only through a public incident that led to the client being referred, giving them an opportunity to reflect and unpack their experience, thinking patterns and vulnerabilities. ### Relational and Attachment Perspectives Attachment informed research highlights how abuse often occurs within relationships that also carry emotional significance. This duality of love and fear/care and harm can create deep internal conflict (Johnson, 2002; Greenberg et al., 2004). From an Emotion Focused standpoint, abuse can be understood as profoundly shaping emotional responses and attachment needs (Greenberg & Paivio, 1995). A particular client spoke with deep affection for their partner while simultaneously describing ongoing fear and emotional harm. Moments of disclosure were often followed by guilt for “betraying” the relationship. From an attachment informed perspective, this ambivalence reflected a profound conflict between the need for safety and the need for connection. Holding both experiences in the room, without rushing to resolve the contradiction, became central to the therapeutic process. ### Creating a Safe Space for Exploration Safety is not a single intervention but an ongoing relational process. Research consistently shows that disclosure of abuse is more likely when individuals feel emotionally believed, not interrogated, and not pressured to take action before they are ready (Pos & Greenberg, 2006; Elliott et al., 2007). Key elements of a safe therapeutic space include: ● Emotional validation without confirmation or denial of facts ● Clear boundaries and transparency about confidentiality and safeguarding ● Collaborative pacing that honours the client’s window of tolerance ● Language that centres impact rather than blame (Johnson & Campbell, 2026) Safety in therapy often emerged gradually rather than through explicit disclosure. In some sessions, clients tested the therapeutic space by sharing small fragments of experience and closely observing the response. Being met with emotional validation rather than interpretation or pressure allowed trust to build incrementally, reinforcing the sense that their experiences could be explored without judgement or obligation to act. ### Emotion Focused Therapy and Work with Abuse Emotion Focused Therapy offers a particularly compassionate framework for working with abuse, as it prioritises emotional meaning, attachment needs, and experiential processing (Greenberg et al., 2004). Rather than asking “Why did this happen?”, Emotion Focused Therapy invites exploration of “What did this feel like?” and “What did you need in that moment?” (Greenberg, 2002). Through this lens, symptoms are reframed as adaptive emotional responses to threat, loss, or disconnection, reducing shame and supporting clients in reclaiming emotional agency and self-compassion (Paivio & Pascual-Leone, 2010). From an Emotion Focused perspective, moments of emotional overwhelm were reframed as meaningful responses to threat rather than signs of pathology. When clients were supported to access and articulate emotions such as fear, grief, or anger, these responses often revealed unmet attachment needs and adaptive survival strategies. This reframing reduced shame and supported a more compassionate understanding of self. ### Research Insights Contemporary research emphasises that recovery from abuse is supported by relational safety, empowerment, and meaning-making (Elliott et al., 2007; Greenman et al., 2022). Studies consistently highlight the harmful effects of disbelief, victim-blaming, and overly pathologising responses. Trauma informed and emotion focused approaches are associated with improved emotional regulation, reduced shame, and strengthened self concept (Greenberg & Paivio, 1995). Importantly, research also cautions against universal trajectories of healing. There is no single correct response to abuse, and resilience may coexist with ongoing vulnerabilities (Johnson, 2002; Elliott et al., 2007). ### Avoiding Stigma in Discourse and Practice Stigmatisation often arises when abuse is framed as a personal weakness, a fixed identity, or a moral failing. To counter this, practitioners and writers can use person-centred, non-defining language (Johnson, 2019): ● Emphasise survival and adaptation ● Avoid sensationalising or simplifying narratives of abuse ● Acknowledge ambivalence and complexity ● Normalising a wide range of emotional responses helps dismantle shame and supports more inclusive conversations about abuse. Normalising a wide range of emotional responses helps dismantle shame and supports more inclusive conversations about abuse (Pos & Greenberg, 2006). ### Key take-aways Exploring abuse requires humility and compassion. By integrating research, emotion focused principles, and an awareness of social context, practitioners can create spaces where individuals feel safe to make sense of their experiences without stigma. In doing so, abuse is not reduced to a label, but understood as a human experience that deserves respectful and emotionally attuned engagement (Greenberg et al., 2004; Johnson, 2019). ### References Elliott, R., Watson, J.C. and Greenberg, L.S., 2007. The essence of process‑experiential/emotion‑focused therapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 61(3), pp.241‑254. Greenberg, L.S., 2002 (2nd ed. 2015). Emotion-Focused Therapy: Coaching Clients to Work Through Their Feelings. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Greenberg, L.S. and Paivio, S.C., 1995. Resolving ‘unfinished business’: efficacy of experiential therapy using empty chair dialogue. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63(3), pp.419‑425. Greenberg, L.S., Watson, J.C., Goldman, R.N. and Elliott, R., 2004. Learning Emotion-Focused Therapy: The Process‑Experiential Approach to Change. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Greenman, P., Johnson, S.M., et al., 2022. Emotionally Focused Therapy: attachment, connection, and health. Current Opinion in Psychology, 43, pp.146‑150. Johnson, S.M., 2002. Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy with Trauma Survivors: Strengthening Attachment Bonds. New York: Guilford Press. Johnson, S.M., 2019. Attachment Theory in Practice: Emotionally Focused Therapy with Individuals, Couples, and Families. London: Routledge. Johnson, S.M. and Campbell, T.L., 2026. Emotionally Focused Therapy for Trauma. New York: Guilford Press. Paivio, S.C. and Pascual-Leone, A., 2010. Emotion-Focused Therapy for Complex Trauma: An Integrative Approach. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Pos, A.E. and Greenberg, L.S., 2006. Emotion-focused therapy: The transforming power of affect. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 37(1), pp.25‑31. West, M. and George, C., 1999. Abuse and violence in intimate adult relationships: New perspectives from attachment theory. Attachment & Human Development, 1(2), pp.137‑156. --- # Boundaries: The Space Where We Learn to Meet Ourselves Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 3rd March 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Ilkay Alici, for this blog.*** ### **When Giving Too Much Begins to Feel Heavy** There are moments in life when you realise you are tired, not because you have done too much, but because you have given too much of yourself away. You say yes when you mean no. You stay silent when something hurts. You show up for others while quietly disappearing from your own needs. And over time, this quiet pattern begins to feel heavy. Many of us grow up believing that being kind means being available all the time, saying no is selfish and putting ourselves first might mean disappointing others. So we stretch, adjust and slowly begin to fit ourselves around others. We try to keep the peace, avoid conflict and become the one who holds everything together but somewhere along the way, we forget to ask what we need and that we have limits, too. ### **Understanding What Boundaries Really Are** Boundaries are often misunderstood. People often see them as walls or rejection but healthy boundaries are not about pushing others away; they are about protecting your own space, creating room for relationships where respect and honesty can grow. A boundary simply says, “This is where I end and you begin”. It allows connection without self-abandonment. The difficulty is that setting boundaries can feel uncomfortable at first. Guilt shows up. Fear of disappointing others appears. You may worry that people will think you have changed. And perhaps you have. Not into someone colder or distant but into someone who is beginning to listen to themselves. ### **Where Boundaries Begin to Break Down** Boundaries are needed everywhere. In relationships where one person keeps giving while the other keeps taking. In families where expectations are never spoken but always felt. In workplaces where saying yes becomes a habit even when exhaustion sets in. Without boundaries, resentment grows quietly and slowly damages the connection when it goes unspoken. Learning to set boundaries is not about becoming distant but about becoming honest. Honest about your limits. Honest about your energy. Honest about what you can and cannot carry. And often it begins with small sentences that protect your peace and remind you what you need. ### **Beginning in a Small Way** Change rarely happens all at once or through big conversations. More often, setting boundaries begins quietly, in small, everyday moments. Not answering a message straight away when you feel overwhelmed. Leaving when you feel tired instead of pushing yourself to stay. Saying, “Let me think about it,” instead of agreeing immediately. Small moments where you pause and ask yourself what you actually need before responding to others. Small choices remind you that your time and energy matter too. Sometimes it simply means giving yourself permission to take a moment before saying yes. Boundaries grow slowly, each time you listen to yourself a little more honestly, until protecting your own space begins to feel natural instead of something you feel guilty about. ### **The Unexpected Gift of Boundaries** The surprising truth is that healthy boundaries often bring people closer, not further apart. Because when you stop pretending, a real connection becomes possible. You stop showing up out of obligation and start showing up by choice and relationships become healthier when they are built on willingness rather than silent sacrifice. Perhaps boundaries are not about changing how others behave, but about learning how to stay connected to yourself while staying connected to others. About recognising that caring for yourself is not selfish. It is necessary. ### **A Gentle Place to Begin** And if all of this feels difficult, you are not alone. Many of us are learning this later in life. Learning that we are allowed to take up space. Allowed to say no. Allowed to choose rest over exhaustion. Allowed to protect the parts of us that go unheard when we ignore our own needs for too long. Maybe this is where it begins. Not with dramatic changes or big decisions, but with a gentle question you ask yourself in quiet moments: **What do I need right now?** And giving yourself permission to listen to the answer… --- # Broken Rainbows - Abuse in the LGBTQIA+ community Blog Equality, Diversity & Inclusion By Guest Blog 11th May 2026 ***Thank you to our member, Zoe John-Kay, for this article.*** Most counsellors and psychotherapists learn about abuse during training. We learn about particular patterns and dynamics of abuse in families of origin and intimate partner violence. However, abuse for LGBTQIA+ people can look quite different, and many therapists are less aware of the ways in which abuse presents in these communities. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are particularly at risk of abuse. Our relationship structures and interpersonal dynamics may look different. The way we move through life may not fit the mould of what one would expect for cisgender, heterosexual people. Our developmental milestones are often different, or happen in a different order compared to people with more culturally accepted and normalised identities. These differences combined can make it harder for people to recognise their own experiences as abuse and make it harder for therapists without knowledge of queer communities to identify abusive behaviours. ### **Minority stress and abuse** Ilan Meyer popularised the minority stress theory originally proposed by Winn Kelly Brooks in her 1981 paper about minority stress and lesbian women. Her theory was taken up by Meyer, who expanded and applied the theory to a wider range of groups starting with gay men and expanding to other sexual and gender minority groups. *From: Frost, D. M. and Meyer, I. H. (2023). Minority stress theory: Application, critique, and continued relevance. Current Opinion in Psychology, Volume 51, 101579.* Having a marginalised identity is inherently stressful. The real-world experiences of disadvantage can include a lack of equal legal rights and prejudice events such as becoming the victim of harassment or hate crimes. These experiences increase a person’s expectations of rejection on the basis of identity and internalised queerphobia, resulting in poorer mental and physical health outcomes. The mental health challenges associated with being LGBTQIA+ are so pronounced, researchers have called addressing them “a societal imperative”(1) and warned of the risks to transgender people in particular. The trans community is currently the subject of a widespread moral panic that is seeing their rights and access to healthcare being increasingly rolled back across much of the world. Poor mental health has a complex relationship with abuse. It can make people more vulnerable to abuse. In some cases, mental ill-health and trauma histories can cause people to behave in aggressive or controlling ways. The stress of societal discrimination can lead to isolation, creating or exacerbating conditions that leave LGBTQIA+ people at a higher risk of abusive relationships. ### **Power dynamics** The way that many people view intimate partner violence is influenced by a growing understanding of the patriarchal nature of society. Statistically, women are more likely to be abused or killed by men, whether the men are their partners or family members. That does not mean women can’t be abusive in heterosexual relationships. It is just less common. Typically, the understanding of power dynamics in a relationship focuses on differences in gender, age, physical stature, life experience, and resources. The combination of these factors have typically left men in positions of power over women. Much of this understanding falls apart when applied to the LGBTQIA+ community. Although there may be age gaps in queer relationships, a younger partner who came out at an early age will have more queer life experience and social capital than a partner in middle age who left a long-term heterosexual relationship with a lifetime of internalised queerphobia to unlearn. When a person has spent much of their life suppressing important parts of their identity because they feel shameful and wrong, it is a longer process to integrate those characteristics and develop a positive valence towards their identity. As can be seen in minority stress theory, how a person with a marginalised identity feels about their identity and how well integrated that is with the rest of their sense of self has an important part to play in either aggravating or ameliorating stress. There is also a tendency to assume that cisgender men have more physical strength than cisgender women in an opposite-sex relationship, but that distinction crumbles when you consider the dynamics of same sex couples. Mixed-orientation relationships can be a source of tension. Bisexual people can face double-discrimination, not seen as full members of the queer community or fully fitting in with heteronormative expectations. It is not surprising that statistics show that bisexual people are at greater risk of mental ill-health compared to gay and straight people(2). Bisexual people in relationships with hetero- or homosexual partners may find themselves experiencing emotional abuse in the form of invalidation and biphobia. I experienced this myself in a past relationship with a straight man, who used my bisexuality to level accusations of infidelity and untrustworthiness at me during arguments unrelated to our relationship dynamic. Coming out as queer while in an existing relationship can also be a point of tension that can develop into abuse. This can obscure abuse dynamics based on perception of the identity of the partners. If a transgender partner comes out whilst in an ostensibly opposite-sex relationship, It is sadly not uncommon to hear of emotional abuse from cisgender partners. Some people find that after coming out, their partners threaten to out them to family members before they are ready and threaten to cut them off from their children if they proceed with transition. Trans women have spoken with me of cis female partners using the kind of name-calling and undermining easily recognisable in opposite sex relationships as emotional abuse. I’ve worked with trans women who feel guilty and say they think they made their partners behave in this way towards them by coming out. For trans women especially, social stigma and the widespread narrative that trans women are predatory and manipulative can be strongly internalised. This can obscure the dynamics at play. Violence is sadly normalised when it flows down the social hierarchy and while cisgender women have lower social standing than men in a patriarchal society, they have a higher position in the social pecking order compared to trans women. This is true even when the trans woman appeared to be a man when the relationship started. ### **Friendships and chosen family** We know that people’s family of origin can be a source of trauma caused by abuse, but people who have not experienced queer chosen family may not be familiar with this kind of relationship and its importance to LGBTQIA+ people, or how it can turn sour. This type of dynamic amongst friends is common for queer people, many of whom are estranged from their families of origin or have little contact due to lack of acceptance of their identities. Deep bonds of mutual care and interdependence between friends can provide a substitute for the sorts of lifelong intergenerational relationships associated with family of origin. While there is much beauty in these found kinship bonds, as with all families there can be clashes. Therapists who don’t have the same experience of kinship-type ties with friendship groups may less readily recognise abusive patterns that would be clearer in the context of a family of origin or between romantic or sexual partners. Violence, sexual exploitation, emotional abuse, financial abuse, and coercive control are as possible within found family dynamics as with family of origin. Asexual and aromantic people are at particular risk of their abuse going unrecognised by themselves or other people. Asexual and aromantic people are some of the most misunderstood people under the queer umbrella and, similarly to bisexual people, often have their experiences disbelieved and invalidated by queer and heteronormative communities. This can be especially isolating and make it harder to find community. Although some asexual or aromantic people choose to have partners, it is not unusual to choose to focus on friendships rather than domestic partnerships. Some people choose queer-platonic partnership as an option. This is a relationship where two people decide to plan their lives around each other without a romantic or sexual entanglement. They may choose to cohabit, share finances, or even co-parent. These interdependencies create some of the same tensions that you would see in couple with a more heteronormative relationship style. I’ve known asexual and aromantic people who have been coercively controlled, financially abused, and physically assaulted by friends they’ve considered to be the most important people in their lives. Without understanding the fundamental importance and depth of friendships for asexual and aromantic people, it can be easy to overlook the power imbalances of friendships that someone relies on as their primary type of relationship. ### **Getting free of abuse** Leaving an abuser is complex and difficult for anyone in an abusive relationship. In addition to these challenges, there are particular considerations for LGBTQIA+ people distancing themselves from abusive relationships. Queer communities are necessarily smaller and closer-knit than more heteronormative social circles and provide a lifeline for people who are ostracised and demonised elsewhere in society. Coming together in community for support and mutual understanding is a protective factor identified in Meyer’s minority stress model. Distancing oneself from an abuser who shares the same queer social circles may lead to ruptures in communities. LGBTQIA+ people are keenly aware of the impact of ostracisation and isolation and fear of leaving an abusive partner with no social support can stop LGBTQIA+ people speaking to friends and others in their shared community. Support can be harder to find. Domestic abuse services tend to be for cis women survivors of male perpetrators of violence and can be difficult to navigate for bisexual and lesbian women, whose experiences do not fit into the Freedom Programme(3) followed by many women’s shelters and domestic abuse services. Gay men and trans people often have even fewer options. Trans men may find accessing a women’s shelter very dysphoric or plain unsuitable, while trans women are often expressly excluded Women’s Aid facilities(4). For survivors who decide they need to involve the police for their safety, while knowledge of same-sex relationship abuse is better than it was, it is still patchy and unreliable. However, help is available. Galop, the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, has a national helpline for LGBT+ victims and survivors of abuse and violence. People experiencing or having survived abuse can call 0800 999 5428 or email . In addition to their helpline, the organisation also provides LGBT+ specific advocacy and support for the practicalities of dealing with abuse situations including help navigating the criminal justice system and assistance to find emergency housing if required. *Zoe John-Kay PNCPS(Accred) AAGSRDT is a Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversity therapist living in Swansea and working online with clients across the UK and beyond.* [www.therapywithzoe.co.uk](http://www.therapywithzoe.co.uk/) **References:** *(1) Shaikh A, Kamble P, Daulatabad V, Singhal A, Madhusudhan U, John NA. Mental health challenges within the LGBTQ community: A societal imperative. J Family Med Prim Care. 2024 Sep;13(9):3529-3535. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc\_321\_24. Epub 2024 Sep 11. PMID: 39464965; PMCID: PMC11504819.* (2) *Dodge, B., & Sandfort, T. G. M. (2007). A review of mental health research on bisexual individuals when compared to homosexual and heterosexual individuals. In Becoming visible: Counseling bisexuals across the lifespan. (pp. 28–51). Columbia University Press.* (3) [*https://www.freedomprogramme.co.uk/*](https://www.freedomprogramme.co.uk/) (4) *Women’s Aid (2022). Position regarding member services and direct services to survivors.* [*https://womensaid.org.uk/womens-aid-single-sex-services-statement/*](https://womensaid.org.uk/womens-aid-single-sex-services-statement/) --- # Burnout and the Journey Back to Yourself Blog Health & Wellbeing Mental Health By Guest Blog 18th September 2025 **With thanks to our member, Ilkay Alici, for this article.** There are days when life feels heavier than usual. You wake up with the weight of the world pressing on your shoulders and before the day has even begun, you are tired. Your mind feels crowded, yet your heart is empty. Slowly, this quiet exhaustion settles in and the spark you once carried feels far away. Burnout often begins like this not with a sudden collapse but with a whisper that grows louder over time. ## **The Quiet Beginning of Burnout** As the days pass, this heaviness colours every part of your life. Sleep does not restore you. The things that once brought joy feel distant and you move through the days as if you are watching rather than living them. Small irritations weigh more than they should. Your focus drifts. No matter how much you do, it never feels enough. ## **Recognising the Signs** If these feelings sound familiar, they are not a sign of weakness but a quiet message from your mind and body, asking for care. Burnout often rises from carrying too much for too long, giving endlessly without taking the time to receive, to rest or to simply breathe. Recognising this whisper is the first step towards healing. ## **Beginning to Heal** Healing begins with noticing. Ask yourself gently: - When was the last time I felt truly rested? - When did I last laugh without effort? - When did I last feel truly connected to myself? Even admitting you might be burnt out is already a step towards recovery. The next step is to take gentle action, and it begins small. Give yourself moments of true rest, even if it is just ten quiet minutes away from your phone. Reach out to someone you trust and share how you are feeling. Burnout thrives in silence and opening up can bring the first breath of relief. ## **Nurturing Your Flame** From these beginnings, let your recovery grow in gentle ways. Think of it as tending to a small flame rather than forcing a fire. Listen to your body and honour its limits. Create little rituals that nurture you. Begin the day with a steady breath, write down one thing you are grateful for or pause to notice the beauty around you. Move your body in ways that feel like a gift, not a demand. Celebrate small victories such as completing a task without hurry, feeling a quiet moment of peace or finding the courage to say no when you need to. Each of these gentle choices becomes a step towards healing in the face of burnout, slowly stitching your strength back together. ## **Finding Your Way Back** Little by little, the weight begins to lift. The fog that once felt endless softens and in its place small sparks of energy return. You notice them in the quiet moments: a morning where getting out of bed feels easier, a breath that flows a little deeper, a laugh that comes more naturally. Sometimes, recovery needs more than rest and self-care. Speaking with a counsellor can provide a safe and understanding space to explore what has been weighing on you. Together, you can gently explore these experiences and begin to rebuild your balance, resilience and strength. Counselling is not about quick fixes but about supporting you in finding your own way back to a life that feels more nourishing, meaningful and yours. Please remember, you do not have to face burnout alone. Reaching out for support whether from loved ones or from a professional can be the beginning of change. ## **A Final Note** Burnout is only a chapter, not your whole story. With patience, kindness and gentle care, you can turn the page. Life can begin to feel like yours again, brighter and lighter with every step, and filled with peace and fullness that are truly your own. --- # Coalition for Inclusion and Anti-Oppressive Practice Toolkit Resources By Meg Moss 1st July 2025 #### The Coalition for Inclusion and Anti-Oppressive Practice brings together organisations with a shared mission to improve diversity within the counselling, psychotherapy and psychological therapy professions. Coalition joint statement Its current focus is promoting inclusive and anti-oppressive professional training as part of a greater vision to address further barriers to inclusive practice, particularly in relation to supporting racially and ethnically minoritised communities. #### Coalition members - [Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC)](https://www.acc-uk.org/) - [Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)](https://childpsychotherapy.org.uk/) - [British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)](https://www.bacp.co.uk/) - [British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)](https://baat.org/) - [Muslim Counsellor and Psychotherapist Network (MCAPN)](https://www.mcapn.co.uk/) - [National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)](https://nationalcounsellingsociety.org/) - [Place2Be](https://www.place2be.org.uk/) - [Psychotherapists and Counsellors for Social Responsibility (PCSR)](https://www.pcsr.org.uk/) - [UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)](https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/) Following consultation with trainers and training providers in February 2021, the Coalition partners have agreed to commission and deploy an **Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit** for Counselling and Psychotherapy programmes. This will support the development of skills, knowledge and understanding for delivering inclusive counselling and psychotherapy training across a range of learning organisations. With an initial focus on race and ethnicity, the primary objectives of the toolkit will be to provide support on three areas of course provision: the institution; the training programme; and the individual tutor. **Race is complicated: A toolkit for psychological therapies training will be launching in October 2023 as an interactive PDF document.** > *Let’s challenge ourselves – what do race and diversity mean to us? Why does it make us uncomfortable? How can we address it in counselling and psychotherapy? We are inviting you to explore introspectively, reflect and contribute towards change.* > > Authors, Marcelline Menyié and Danielle Osajivbe-Williams For further information, please contact . --- # Inappropriate Communications Policy Policies Policies By Brogan 1st September 2024 We are committed to providing excellent service in all interactions with our members (including applicants) and the public, although we recognise that sometimes we may get things wrong or are unable to help members or the public in the way they would like. We treat any expressions of dissatisfaction seriously and value feedback from our members and the public which may help us identify learning points and improve our services. We have a process in place to handle complaints about the wide range of services we provide. We welcome reasonable critical feedback both directly and in public. Most people contacting, or communicating about, the Society communicate appropriately, reasonably and professionally. Unfortunately, on occasion, we receive or are made aware of inappropriate communications. These not only can impact the mental health or wellbeing of our team, to whom we have a duty of care; but can also take up disproportionate time and energy that we would like to dedicate to people who communicate with us or about us, appropriately. This policy explains our approach to recognising and handling contacts where communication is inappropriate. It applies to all points of contact with the NCPS, whether member, trainer, organisation, or the general public, either directly or indirectly (for example, ranging from a direct phone call to a post about the Society or one of its officers on social media). We will ensure that we meet the requirements of the Equalities Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for our members, or members of the public with protected characteristics (e.g., those with disabilities). In some circumstances, members and the public may have a disability that makes it difficult for them to either express themselves or communicate clearly and/or appropriately. Where there is an indication that this may be the case, we will consider the needs and circumstances of the person contacting us before deciding on how best to manage the situation. ### Communicating with, and about the NCPS There may be occasions where an individual’s (or organisation’s) communication behaviour puts the wellbeing of the NCPS’s team at risk. Inappropriate communication could occur in any interaction with any member of our team (over the phone, in person or in writing including emails and letters), and not just in the context of a complaint process. It can also occur where the communication is about the Society and/or its officers online. The NCPS deals with issues that impact the lives of members of the public and the therapeutic professions. We recognise that people will often express themselves strongly and communicate the emotions they are experiencing at the time. We also realise that the matters that people complain about can be set against a background that is distressing. For example, issues relating to bereavement, their mental health, or the potential impact of a decision about them on their livelihood and career. We will not view the behaviour of anyone using our services , writing about us, or contacting us as inappropriate simply because they disagree with us on an issue. Our team are trained to handle interactions with our members and the public appropriately and are expected to make reasonable allowance for anyone wishing to complain or express dissatisfaction or concern. ### What is Inappropriate Communication? On occasion, however, the behaviour of our members (including applicants) and the public may go beyond what is reasonably acceptable. Examples of such inappropriate communication may include (but is not limited to): - Threats, whether major (such as a threat of violence) or minor (such as “do what I say or I will trash you online”.) - Verbal abuse - Rudeness - Bullying - Derogatory or insulting personal remarks - Inappropriate pressure for an outcome e.g. “respond within one day or else” - Inappropriate pressure via repeated contact e.g. “I will email you every day until you respond” - Harassment based on their personal characteristics e.g., racist, sexist or homophobic behaviour - Obscene remarks - Making inflammatory statements e.g., ‘You are incompetent and should be sacked’ - Unsubstantiated accusations of corruption e.g. “this process is rigged”. - Recording of calls and/or meetings; or sharing our communications online without our written consent - Leaving a negative review during a complaints process which may prejudice the process - Derogatory, libellous, abusive, or insulting comments made about the NCPS team, or the NCPS itself, online or in the media - A consistent, repeated pattern of attacking the Society online - Posting vexatious, misleading or inappropriate comments about the Society and/or its officers online - Posting under a pseudonym to make negative comments about the Society and/or its officers online - Sharing the content of confidential meetings or processes (such as an application process or complaints process) online - Harassing, abusing, or threatening staff on their personal social networks - Physical intimidation or aggression Some of the behaviours outlined are unlawful and where this is the case we will contact the Police. ### Our Duty to Our Team These situations are not common, but when they do happen, we will take action to restrict or end our communication and access to our team and offices. We do this because our team must be able to carry out their work without harassment and it is our expectation that they should be treated respectfully and with courtesy - in the same way that we expect them to interact with our members and the public. ### Violence We have a duty to protect our team and to be mindful of their welfare and safety. We take any threat of violence seriously and will bring any direct contact with the perpetrator to an end. We will also report such threats to the Police. We consider violence to include any communication or behaviour that may cause a member of staff to reasonably feel afraid, threatened or abused. ### Deciding if a Communication is Inappropriate If a team member believes that a communication is inappropriate, they must bring it to the attention of either their line manager or a dedicated Society Officer. The communication will be investigated and an appropriate course of action decided. If, however, a team member encounters inappropriate communication during a live telephone call or live online video call/meeting, they are entitled to bring the call or meeting to an end immediately and without notice. They may, at their discretion, before terminating communication, raise the issue that there has been inappropriate communication and continue with the communication if they feel it is safe and appropriate to do so. Similarly, a team member who encounters such behaviour in a face-to-face, in-person meeting is entitled to bring the meeting to a close using their personal judgement as to whether it is safe to request that a more appropriate approach be adopted first. If inappropriate communication occurs at an event, the staff member may apply the same discretion and notify the event organiser or appropriate person who may be able to help diffuse the situation. They may also leave the event without notice if they deem this is the appropriate course of action. We expect our team to be mindful at all times of their own personal safety in exercising this discretion. In all cases where a team member has had to take action to deal with unreasonable behaviour or inappropriate communication, a record of the circumstances should be made, and the situation brought to the attention of their manager or appropriate designated Society Officer. ### Actions We May Take Where a decision has been made that inappropriate communication has occurred, the Society will notify the contact of this fact and of the actions we may take. ### Warning A first step action may be to warn the person contacting us that future communications with us will be restricted or discontinued if the inappropriate communication continues. ### Restricting or Discontinuing Communication The Society may, however, consider immediately and without notice discontinuing or restricting contact as considered appropriate. We will clearly communicate this to the person in a manner we deem appropriate to the circumstances. ### Reconsidering after an apology or undertaking We may reconsider our actions if someone offers an apology and/or undertaking not to repeat the inappropriate communication. ### Decision Powers A decision to restrict or discontinue contact can be made by the line manager of the team member raising the issue or by a designated Society Officer at our sole discretion. ### Examples of Restrictions There are a range of options available to us, depending on the circumstances and the type of behaviour. Examples include, but are not limited to: - Requiring the complainant to contact a named team member only; - Restricting telephone calls to specified days and times. - Restricting or terminating contact where we are repeatedly asked to re-engage with an issue where we have already made a determination, answered in full or considered the matter closed. - Terminating telephone calls and blocking numbers due to aggressive or threatening communications. - Restricting the issues we will correspond on. - Returning large volumes of irrelevant documents or destroying them in extreme cases. - We will block emails if the number and length of emails sent is considered unreasonable; for example, persistent harassment. - We will not respond to correspondence which is abusive or offensive and we will block emails that are abusive or offensive; - If a complainant makes a large number of reports to us which prove to be unfounded, we may ask that in future any further allegations are supported by an independent third party such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, a legal representative or an advocate, to ensure that in future our team resources are used appropriately. We may also decline to receive future complaints from that complainant. ### Impact on Complaints: Voiding a Complaint Where a complainant, whether complaining about a member, training provider, organisational member; team member or policy issue, communicates inappropriately we may at our discretion terminate communication and void the complaint. Where we void a complaint relevant to individual registration due to inappropriate communication, our decision will be submitted to the Society’s Independent Assessor for annual review in order to safeguard the integrity of our Accredited Register. ### Impact on Complaining about a Team Member: Internal Process Where our inappropriate communication policy has been activated, and there is either a pre-existing complaint made about a team member; or one is raised subsequently, the Society will use its internal HR processes to handle the team member complaint in line with appropriate Employment Law. We may not communicate with or update the complainant about this at our discretion. ### Inappropriate Communication from Members (INCLUDING APPLICANTS) We hold members and applicants to a high standard of professionalism regarding their communications in line with their status as members of the Society and their obligations under our Code of Ethics, and as applicants under those standards. Inappropriate communication from members (including applicants) is a breach of the Terms and Conditions of Membership and so can lead in serious cases to the termination of membership. “Members” means applicants, individual members, training providers and organisational members. Where a member has been found to have communicated inappropriately about the Society and/or its officers in line with this policy and the Society receives evidence of this, the policy will be enforced. Similarly, a member who, at the time of application, had communicated inappropriately about the Society and/or its officers online in a manner in line with this policy, can be considered to have not met the Terms and Conditions of membership at the time of application through non-disclosure and their membership may be terminated by the Society should it receive relevant evidence. ### Immediate Termination In extremely serious cases where a member communicates with (or about) the NCPS and/or its officers in a manner deemed inappropriate enough to warrant immediate termination of membership, a decision may be made to terminate such membership immediately. In cases of immediate termination of a Registrant, the member will be allowed to remain on the Register for up to three months, after which they will be removed from registration and membership and given a pro rata refund of their fees. Non registrant members will be removed without notice. ### Members on Restrictions or Discontinuations Once a decision to restrict or discontinue communication has been made regarding a member, further inappropriate communication will lead to termination of membership as above. Where a decision has been made to discontinue or restrict communication, if the recipient of this decision is a member of the NCPS, they may also be offered a refund of their last fees paid in return for termination of membership by mutual agreement. ### Decision Powers for Members A decision to restrict or discontinue contact; or to offer termination by mutual agreement, can be made by the line manager of the team member raising the issue or by a designated Society Officer at our sole discretion. A decision to terminate membership will be made by the Society’s Registrar. ### Review A member subject to restriction or discontinuation of communication may appeal to a designated Review Manager whose decision shall be final. A request for review must be lodged within 7 days. Restrictions will remain in place during the review. A member whose membership is terminated for inappropriate communication may ask for a review by an Inappropriate Communication Assessment Panel (ICAP) consisting of a Chair and two Panel Members, within 7 days receipt of their notice of termination. The decision of such a panel shall be final. Termination of membership shall not come into effect while a decision is under review. The Panel shall normally consist in a special meeting of the Professional Standards Committee. ### Records We will maintain a register of the restrictions applied, which will be regularly reviewed to ensure that it remains relevant and up-to-date. We will maintain records of membership terminations under this policy which will be assessed by the Society’s Independent Assessor. ### Fair Usage The Society and its officers have the right to lessen, restrict or discontinue communication where continuing to do so would deny fair usage of the Society’s resources and time to other members or issues. “Fair usage” means that while the Society and its officers will do everything in their power to engage with members and the public and to answer questions and queries in a timely manner, where for example, an individual member has been in repeated contact over an issue, or requires complex answers to a number of issues, the Society reserves the right to inform them that in order to allocate resources to members fairly, answers to their queries may be postponed, answered in the round in future Society communications to all members, or remain unanswered if necessary. Members understand that, while the Society will always use best endeavours and strive to be as responsive as possible, it is not obliged to respond to all communications if doing so would compromise the service it can reasonably offer to all members. ### Legal Rights The Society’s legal rights to take action over inappropriate communication; for example but not restricted to; action over defamation, malicious communication, harassment or cyber-bullying are expressly reserved. --- # Complaints: Publication Policy for Registrant Members Policies Complaints & Conduct By Brogan 12th September 2025 The Society’s complaints procedures seek to be open, transparent and proportionate. Sanctions issued by either the Assessment Panel or by the Independent Complaints Panel following a complaint's hearing will be published on the Society’s website. Should a Registrant be issued an Interim Suspension Order (ISO) during a complaint investigation the ISO will appear as an annotation on the Registrant’s Public Register entry. In addition, their name and date of issue of ISO will be placed on the Professional Conduct Notices section of the Society’s website. The publication of such decisions provides information about the standards expected of Registrants; assists clients to make informed choices and helps to maintain public confidence in the Accredited Register programme. We aim to strike a balance and consider the rights of both clients and Registrants and take account of the risk of any harm that may arise from the disclosure or non-disclosure of information. Details of sanctions will appear as an annotation to a Registrant’s online register entry. In addition, an outline of the case will be placed on the website's ‘Professional Conduct Notices’ section. A note of the complaint will be added to the member’s file. Upon sanction completion, the Society will change the online register entry to reflect that the sanction has been met. The Society will display the “Sanction Met” annotation and the outline of the case under the Outcome of Complaints section for a further period of 2 months after completion of the sanction. The Registrant’s file will be updated. If a sanction is not met, the Society will change the online register entry to “Sanction Not Met” and information on the Professional Conduct Notices page will be published on the Society website for a period of five years. In cases where a Registrant is removed from the Register, or accepts Voluntary Removal following a panel hearing, the published decision will remain on the website for a period of five years. If there is no sanction, then no information will be published on the Society’s website. [### Complaints & concerns procedure If you have a concern, we’re here to listen and take action. At the NCPS, we’re committed to treating every person - and every complaint – with care, fairness and respect.](https://ncps.com/complaints/complaints-concerns-procedure) [### Professional Conduct Notices In this section, the Society gives details of the outcomes of any complaints made against members.](https://ncps.com/complaints/professional-conduct-notices) [### Concerns and Complaints about an Individual Member We care about the experiences of clients, both positive and not so positive and believe that this information can help us plan positive future guidance for all our members - and for clients.](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-and-complaints-about-an-individual-member) [### Complaints & concerns about an Organisational Member Have a concern about an Organisational Member?](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-and-complaints-about-an-organisational-member) [### Concerns & complaints about a Recognised Counselling Service Have a concern about a Recognised Counselling Service?](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-complaints-about-a-recognised-counselling-service) [### Concerns about a Training Provider Complaints Process Review Have a concern about a Training Provider? We care about your experience and are here to listen.](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-about-a-training-provider) [### Concerns & complaints about our team Have a concern about a member of the NCPS team?](https://ncps.com/complaints/concerns-complaints-about-our-team) --- # Conflict of Interest Policy Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 ### Introduction The relationship of National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and those acting on its behalf is based on mutual trust. This policy sets out what actions should be taken in the event of a conflict of interest. This policy applies to all prospective and current employees of NCPS, board members, lay members, volunteers, contractors and any other persons acting on behalf of NCPS. ### Definition: A conflict of interest occurs when a person acting on behalf of NCPS has personal, financial or other interests that contradict the interests of NCPS. A conflict of interest may have implications on the person’s judgement which may lead them to actions, activities or relationships that undermine NCPS and may place it at a disadvantage. A perceived conflict of interest is when it might appear to others that a person acting on behalf of NCPS has personal, financial or other interests that contradict the interests of NCPS. ### Examples of Conflicts of Interest Conflicts of interest between NCPS and persons acting on its behalf can arise in a variety of circumstances. Example of conflicts of interest may include, but are not limited to, where persons acting on behalf of NCPS: • have a family member who uses the service • use their position within NCPS to their personal advantage • engage in activities that bring direct or indirect profit to a competitor of NCPS • own shares of a competitor’s stock • use connections obtained through NCPS for their own private purposes • use NCPS equipment or means to support an external business • act in ways that may compromise NCPS’s legality (e.g. taking bribes or bribing representatives of legal authorities ### Responsibilities Persons acting on behalf of NCPS should refrain from allowing their actual or perceived personal, financial or other interests and activities from coming into opposition with the interests and integrity of NCPS. The possibility that an actual or perceived conflict of interest may occur can be addressed and resolved before any actual damage is done. Therefore, when a person acting on behalf of NCPS understands or suspects that a conflict of interest exists or may be perceived to exist, they, as a matter of urgency, should bring this matter to the attention of their line manager so corrective actions may be taken. Line managers must also keep an eye on potential or perceived conflict of interests of their subordinates. The responsibility for resolving any conflict of interest lies with the line manager, involving senior management where necessary. ### Resolution NCPS will attempt to resolve any conflicts of interest as fairly and as reasonably as possible. If no resolution can be found, the final action to be taken will rest with senior management. If a conflict of interest or perceived conflict of interest is deliberately concealed by a person acting on behalf of NCPS or if no solution to one can be found, NCPS may invoke disciplinary action, where applicable, that could lead to the person’s dismissal. --- # Cookie Policy Policies Policies By Brogan 1st September 2024 ## Cookies on our site Cookies are small files which are stored on your computer by your web browser. They are designed to hold a small amount of data which is used to personalise or customise your browsing experience online. Cookies help to improve your visit to our sites by: - Remembering preferences so that you are not asked to keep entering information - Remembering information you have given (such as your postcode, or location) so that we can personalise the site to content relevant to you - Measuring how you (and all visitors) use the site so we can continually improve it to suit your needs Please note that cookies are not harmful to your computer and we do not store any personally identifiable information about you in any cookies set by our website. This information is provided to you as part of our commitment to comply with UK legislation, and to ensure we are completely transparent about technology in use on our websites. Further information on cookies can be found on the third party [All About Cookies site](https://allaboutcookies.org/). This site also contains information on how to delete cookies or control cookies in your browser. ### Third party cookies In addition to our own cookies we also use some third party technologies to help us monitor and improve the user experience of our website. These tools include Google Analytics (a popular website statistics package) and Google Adwords (a advertising statistics package). These tools may also set cookies to allow their software to track activity on our sites. If you have any concerns about these third party tools please review Google's own privacy policy at: --- # Countertransference in Dementia Work: What Comes Up for Us as Therapists? Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 13th August 2026 **With thanks to our Accredited Registrant member,** [**Jurgen Schwarz**](https://www.search-ncps.com/search/FindaTherapist/NCS19-08577) **for this article.** Therapeutic work with people affected by dementia can be very meaningful, but it also brings quiet challenges that frequently go unnoticed. Beyond our clinical skills, dementia work touches us on a personal level. It asks us to face difficult themes like ageing, loss of independence, changes in identity, uncertainty and mortality, topics many of us would prefer to avoid. Dementia reminds us that some losses are ongoing and cannot just be processed and set aside. The condition keeps changing, memory shifts, communication changes, and relationships evolve. Clients and carers often live in a state of uncertainty for years. As therapists, we walk alongside them through this uncertainty, bringing our own histories, fears, and assumptions into the relationship. This is where countertransference deserves careful attention. Countertransference is not something we can get rid of. It is a natural part of therapy. Our emotional reactions can give us useful information if we stay aware of them. In dementia work, these feelings can be especially subtle because they often connect to universal human realities rather than just our personal histories. ## **When dementia touches our own fears** Many therapists notice that dementia work evokes thoughts about their own future. We may wonder, consciously or unconsciously: - What if this happened to me? - What if I no longer recognised my partner or children? - What would become of my identity if my memory changed? - Would I still be myself? or - What if I had to care for someone I love every day? - How would I cope with watching someone I know gradually change? - Would I have the patience to manage the same questions and conversations over and over again? - How would I balance caring with the rest of my life? - What would happen to my own identity if I became a full-time carer? These questions rarely appear explicitly during sessions, and they usually do not come up directly. Instead, they show up as emotional reactions. We might feel unusually sad, want to rescue the client, or feel uneasy when talking about future decline. They influence our therapeutic stance. We could become overly optimistic, minimise difficult conversations, avoid discussing progression, or focus exclusively on practical coping strategies because sitting around uncertainty feels too uncomfortable. However, clients need us to sit with those uncertainties. ## **The pull to rescue** Many therapists enter the profession because they genuinely care about alleviating suffering. Dementia work can increase this caring impulse. Watching someone gradually lose abilities, or noticing how tired a family carer is, naturally brings out our compassion. But sometimes, compassion can turn into a need to rescue. We search for solutions to problems that have no complete solution. We feel disappointed when interventions offer only modest improvements. We become frustrated with family members who seem unable to cope, forgetting that they are often functioning under enormous emotional strain themselves. Wanting to rescue often reveals our own struggle with helplessness. Noticing this does not mean we care less. Instead, it helps us return to our true role as therapists: not to take away suffering, but to help clients find ways to live with it. ## **Grief that accumulates** Unlike sudden bereavement, dementia frequently involves ongoing losses. Partners describe losing conversations long before losing the person physically. Adult children grieve while still providing care. Individuals living with early-stage dementia may mourn changes in confidence, independence or forthcoming plans. Therapists are repeatedly exposed to these cumulative losses. Over time, these experiences can leave an emotional mark. We might feel unusually weighed down after sessions, bring clients' stories home with us, or notice a soft sadness that is hard to name. This is not necessarily burnout. Sometimes we need to acknowledge this ongoing grief rather than avoid it. Regular supervision gives us a vital space to notice these emotional layers before they quietly affect our work with clients. ## **When personal experience enters the room** Many therapists have their own experiences of dementia within their families. Perhaps a grandparent developed Alzheimer's disease. Perhaps a parent is currently living with dementia. Perhaps we have provided care ourselves. These experiences do not disqualify us from working in this field. In fact, they may deepen our empathy considerably. But personal experience can also make us miss things. We may assume our client's experience resembles our own family's journey. We may become especially protective of certain clients. We may react strongly to family conflict because it resembles unsettled dynamics from our own lives. The goal is not to get rid of these influences, but to notice them. Reflecting helps us distinguish between what is our own and what is the client's. ## **The fear of "getting it wrong"** Another form of countertransference often appears as anxiety. Therapists may worry about saying the wrong thing when memory difficulties become apparent. They may question whether a client has understood the session or whether therapeutic work remains meaningful as memories fade. This worry can make us try too hard to make up for it. We might become excessively structured, too careful, or focus more on thinking skills than on emotional experience. Yet many people living with dementia retain emotional awareness long after memory has changed significantly. Clients may not remember every conversation. They often remember how they felt in the therapeutic relationship. This shows us that therapy is not only about remembering insights. It is also about feeling safe, respected, accepted, and emotionally connected right now. ## **Our relationship with ageing** Working with dementia also makes us think about how we view ageing in general. Society often tells us to resist, hide, or fear ageing. Therapists are just as affected by these messages as anyone else. If we are not careful, we might unintentionally support the idea that getting older is mostly about decline and dependence. Clients living with dementia continue to experience humour, affection, creativity, frustration, love, inquisitiveness and moments of strong connection. Being aware of our own assumptions helps us see the person, not just the diagnosis. ## **Staying reflective in practice** Reflection is not something we do just once. It is something we need to keep practising. Questions include: - What emotions am I carrying after today's session? - Am I feeling unusually responsible for this client's well-being? - What aspects of this client's story relate to my own life? - Am I avoiding particular topics because they make me uncomfortable? - What belongs to my client, and what belongs to me? Asking these questions does not mean we are weak. They show professional maturity. Supervision, personal therapy, reflective writing, and talking with trusted colleagues all help us stay aware of the emotions that run beneath our work. ## **The value of humility** Perhaps one of the greatest lessons dementia work teaches therapists is humility. There are no words that remove all fear. There are no techniques that stop progression. What often matters most is our ability to stay present without feeling we have to fix everything. Clients frequently remember being listened to with patience, being treated with dignity, and feeling understood during moments when life felt increasingly uncertain. Being present like this takes emotional strength, but it also requires honesty with ourselves. When we notice our own fears about ageing, helplessness, or loss, they are less likely to shape the therapy quietly. Instead, they call to mind our common humanity. ## **Conclusion** Countertransference in dementia work is not simply a problem to solve, but a summons to deeper self-awareness. The feelings we feel are often completely understandable. They reflect the intensely human themes that dementia brings into therapy. By staying reflective, seeking supervision, and being curious about our own reactions rather than judging them, we become better able to stay truly present with clients and carers. Perhaps this is one of the greatest gifts we can offer, not certainty or easy answers, but the ability to accompany another person during uncertainty without turning away ourselves. ***You can read the rest of Jurgen's series on dementia here:*** [**Why I Believe Therapists Belong in the World of Dementia Care | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/why-i-believe-therapists-belong-in-the-world-of-dementia-care) [**The Power of Validation: Supporting Identity and Agency in… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/the-power-of-validation-supporting-identity-and-agency-in-early-stages-dementia) [**Walking Beside the Carer: How Therapists Can Alleviate the… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/walking-beside-the-carer-how-therapists-can-alleviate-the-hidden-grief) [**Adjusting the Frame: How to Work Therapeutically When… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/adjusting-the-frame-how-to-work-therapeutically-when-cognitive-capacity-shifts) [**The Therapeutic Hour as a Sanctuary: Creating Safety and… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/the-therapeutic-hour-as-a-sanctuary-creating-safety-and-continuity-amidst-change) --- # Duty of Candour Policy Policies By Brogan 1st September 2024 The Society believes that candour is an integral part of the relationship between client and therapist, therapist and supervisor, and therapist and professional body. The duty of candour means being open and honest with your clients, supervisor, and your professional body when something goes wrong. This benefits all parties through bringing understanding, learning, and closure to a situation that negatively impacts those involved. ### **Candour with Clients** If something goes wrong in therapy and has caused or may cause harm to your client – no matter whether or not they are aware of it – it is important to be candid with your client. By letting your client know what has happened, you can help them to limit the harm that may be caused to them, give them insight into the situation, and allow an element of closure if the issue has had a negative impact on their life. Here are the steps that we recommend you take in order to best tackle the situation: 1. Let your client know straight away what has happened. 2. Do what you can, as soon as you can, to prevent, limit or repair any harm. 3. Make any apologies as necessary at the appropriate time. 4. Depending on the severity and scale of the issue, you may wish to involve your supervisor or line manager immediately, but in any case you should inform them within a reasonable time frame and discuss any steps you have already taken to mitigate the harm. 5. Review the situation along with your supervisor and any other appropriate parties to prevent the issue re-occurring, and put in place any measures that may help you with this. ### **Candour with your Supervisor and Professional / Regulatory Body** Your supervisor should always be made aware as soon as is appropriate if something has gone wrong in therapy. Depending on the severity of the issue, this could be straight away (as soon as you become aware of the issue), or at your next supervision session. This is so they can appropriately support you and give you the benefit of their experience and perspective. If you feel it is appropriate, raising the issue with your Professional Body after reflection could be a way to demonstrate the learning that you have done; by discussing the issue with our Society Support Officer, you can get valuable insight and feedback from the Society, and it may inform guidance that the Society publishes, thereby helping other therapists that may find themselves in your position. The Society does not work in an unnecessarily punitive way; we encourage constructive feedback and invite people, including our registrants’ clients, to tell us about their experiences – both positive and negative. We believe in listening to the voices of both clients and of therapists and in the sharing of these viewpoints and opinions. We believe that each group has much to learn, both from the positive experiences of therapy as well as from times when things have not worked out as planned or hoped. We are aware that the professional therapeutic relationship in some forms of counselling and therapy necessarily involves the exploration of difficulties and lapses within the relationship itself. We therefore seek to avoid an unnecessarily ‘legalistic’ approach to dealing with complaints. We are also aware that therapists can overstep therapeutic boundaries and breach our Code of Ethics, and this needs to be addressed proportionately, fairly and transparently. So if you do decide to communicate with the Society about any issues, rest assured that we will do all we can to support you and address any learning points with sensitivity. Read more [HERE](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/what-we-do/improving-regulation/find-research/duty-of-candour) --- # Enlisting Counsellors and Psychotherapists to Address Rural Mental Health - A Response to the EFRA Committee Campaigns By Meg Moss 14th September 2025 The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee’s report on rural mental health highlights an alarming disparity in mental health care for rural communities. It points towards a need for a profound overhaul in policy, planning, and service provision that acknowledges the unique circumstances and hardships of rural life. In response, the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) advocates a practical solution - Direct Access to Counselling. Rural communities, as EFRA's report posits, are often disadvantaged by an urban-centric focus in mental health policies. The reality of rural life with limited public transport, patchy digital connectivity, and a distinct lack of social infrastructure has been somewhat glossed over in existing strategies. The EFRA committee rightly underscores the necessity of a rural-focused mental health policy, a plea that the NCPS echoes and supports. The NCPS is at the forefront of campaigning for a transformative mental health care approach: [Direct Access to Counselling](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/direct-access-to-counselling). This campaign emphasises immediate recruitment to address the current deficit, eliminating waiting lists, and ensuring that referrals don't end without a patient being seen. It advocates widening access to mental health support, broadening the range of therapeutic modalities offered through the NHS, and importantly, empowering patients to become more directive in their care. This approach aligns with the EFRA Committee’s vision of a fundamental redesign in policy and planning, shifting from retrospective 'proofing' to proactive and inclusive policymaking. The Direct Access to Counselling campaign could be instrumental in reducing the burden on the NHS due to related health conditions like cardiovascular disease, gastric issues, and others, thus having a far-reaching impact on healthcare in the UK. A stronger emphasis on counselling and psychotherapy can also facilitate early intervention, possibly mitigating the severity of mental health issues and improving overall wellbeing. Moreover, this campaign could significantly benefit rural communities. Many counsellors and psychotherapists are prepared to work remotely, eliminating the physical constraints imposed by traditional services like CAMHS or NHS Talking Therapies. Rural dwellers can access professionals that suit their needs, regardless of their location. This consideration is particularly pertinent, considering EFRA’s highlighting of the limitations of rural public transport and digital connectivity. The EFRA Committee's report also brings attention to the mental health and wellbeing of agricultural and veterinary sector workers, vulnerable groups often overlooked in mental health discourse. The NCPS strongly supports the call for a programme to improve mental health outcomes for these occupational groups, in line with our emphasis on tailored mental health interventions. The Committee’s report on the need for improved social infrastructure, especially for children and young people, is particularly concerning. This resonates with the NCPS's ongoing campaign, Access to Counselling for Every Child. This campaign seeks to establish child-led mental health care in all schools and primary care settings, recognising the importance of early and personalised interventions. A critical aspect of this campaign is the provision of remote mental health support, essential for children and young people in rural settings, where traditional, face-to-face mental health services are often limited or non-existent. The Access to Counselling for Every Child campaign underscores the need to address the 'missing middle', those children whose mental health issues are too severe for low-intensity interventions but not yet severe enough for CAMHS. By providing timely, accessible mental health support, the campaign aims to minimise the risk of worsening mental health problems, poor academic performance, substance abuse, and increased suicide risk. One of the cornerstones of this campaign is fostering a consistent therapeutic relationship, especially crucial for children in care. A consistent therapeutic relationship can offer a sense of stability, understanding, and compassion, often missing in the lives of children in care. It can be a significant factor in their emotional and psychological wellbeing. In light of these considerations, the NCPS endorses the proposal to prioritise the roll-out of Mental Health Support Teams to cover 100% of schools and colleges in rural areas by 2026/27. However, we also emphasise the need to integrate and embed counselling and psychotherapy within these teams. We believe that doing so will ensure a comprehensive, inclusive, and child-centred approach to mental health support in rural areas, in line with the principles of our Access to Counselling for Every Child campaign. While the EFRA Committee's report paints a concerning picture of the state of rural mental health in the UK, it also provides an opportunity. It prompts us to fundamentally reassess how we deliver mental health care in rural areas. The NCPS believes that this is the moment to bring counselling and psychotherapy to the forefront of this conversation, specifically through our Direct Access to Counselling campaign, and in doing so, provide tangible, practical solutions to the mental health crisis in rural communities. --- # Environmental Policy Policies Policies By Brogan 1st September 2024 **The Society recognises that we have a responsibility to the environment beyond legal and regulatory requirements. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact and continually improving our environmental performance as an integral part of our organisation. We will encourage our members, our suppliers, and other stakeholders to do the same.** ### **Our approach to environmental matters** We endeavour to: - Continually improve and monitor our environmental performance - Continually improve and reduce environmental impacts - Incorporate environmental factors into business decisions - Increase employee awareness and training ### Paper We will: - Minimise the use of paper in the office - Reduce packaging as much as possible - Seek to buy recycled and recyclable paper products - Reuse and recycle all paper where possible ### Plastic We will: - Aim to eliminate single use plastics in the office - Where plastics are used, we will recycle everything possible - Ensure computer equipment is appropriately recycled/reused ### Energy and Water We will seek to: - Reduce the amount of energy used as much as possible - Switch off lights and electrical equipment when not in use - Adjust heating with energy consumption in mind - Take energy consumption and efficiency of new products into account when purchasing them ### Office Supplies We will: - Evaluate if the need can be met in another way - Evaluate if renting or sharing is an option before purchasing equipment - Evaluate the environmental impact of any new products we intend to purchase - Favour more environmentally-friendly and efficient products wherever possible - Reuse and recycle everything we are able to ### Transportation We will: - Reduce the need to travel, restricting to necessary trips only - Promote the use of travel alternatives, such as email or video conferences - Make additional efforts to accommodate the needs of those using public transport or bicycles ### Maintenance and Cleaning We will: - Use cleaning materials that are as environmentally-friendly as possible - Use materials in any office refurbishment that are as environmentally friendly as possible - Only use licensed and appropriate organisations to dispose of waste ### Monitoring and Improvement We will: - Comply with all relevant regulatory requirements - Continually improve and monitor environmental performance - Continually improve and reduce environmental impacts - Incorporate environmental factors into business decisions - Increase employee awareness through training - Review this policy and any related business issues on a quarterly basis ### Culture We will: - Update this policy at least once annually in consultation with staff and other stakeholders where necessary - Involve staff in the implementation of this policy, for greater commitment and improved performance - Appoint an Environmental Champion to oversee the implementation of this policy and ensure it is being adhered to - Provide staff with relevant environmental training - Work with suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors to improve their environmental performance - Use local labour and materials where available, to reduce CO2 and help the community. --- # Equal Opportunities Policy Policies Policies By Brogan 1st September 2024 ## Statement of Intent The Society has referred to the Equality & Human Rights Commission in creating this policy. For comprehensive guidance on issues relating to equality and human rights please refer to the following websites: ### For service users ### For service providers The Society recognises that in society certain groups and individuals are oppressed and disadvantaged by institutional and individual discrimination and prejudice. The Society is positively committed to opposing discrimination against people on the grounds of gender, race, colour, nationality, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, class, age, disability, having dependants, HIV status or perceived lifestyle. We welcome the enrichment and cultural diversity that would follow as a natural result of this policy. The Society recognises that passive policies will not in themselves provide equality of opportunity and specific and positive programmes of action are needed. The Society acknowledges that we have a duty, both moral and legal, to ensure that we do not discriminate unfairly in our employment and management practices, in the work we undertake and in the services we provide. 1. The Society is committed actively to oppose oppression and discrimination in all areas of our work and in relation to members, staff, committee members, outside trainers/facilitators and other organisations with whom we work. 2. We will take seriously our duty not to discriminate against anyone on the grounds of gender, race, colour, nationality, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, class, age, disability, having dependants, HIV status or perceived lifestyle. 3. All policies and practices associated with the NCPS Society’s role as an employer, register holder and professional association must be applied with strict observance of (2) above. 4. In offering membership or employment or in its general dealings, the Society will ensure that all individuals are treated with fairness and in line with equal opportunities policy and practice. 5. We will seek to ensure that our individual and organisational members work within equal opportunities guidelines and we will take seriously any accusation of discrimination by them. 6. Discriminatory acts or breaches of the equal opportunities policy by staff will be taken seriously and may lead to disciplinary action. The aim of the Society is to ensure that we positively promote a diverse and inclusive Society. Good practice in equality and diversity underpins everything that we do and is evident in all of our policies and procedures. We evaluate the impact that our policies and procedures could have on either individuals or groups based on age, ethnicity, disability, race, religion or belief, gender or sexual orientation. The Society welcomes feedback from our members and the public to help us ensure that we promote equality of opportunity to all. All employees of the Society seek to further our aims and treat all those with whom they interact with dignity and respect. --- # Finding Calm in the Chaos: A Guide to Self-Care for Those with Anxiety Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 28th October 2024 **With thanks to our member Ilkay Alici for this article.** Living with anxiety can feel like standing in the middle of a bustling city square while everyone else moves effortlessly around you. The noise is overwhelming, the lights are too bright, and your mind races with a hundred different “what ifs.” It’s exhausting, and on some days, even getting out of bed feels like an achievement. But amidst all this, there is a way to find a bit of calm—it’s called self-care. Now, I know what you might be thinking: “Self-care? Like bubble baths and face masks?” Well, yes, but also no. Self-care goes much deeper than a luxurious spa day (although those can be great, too!). It’s about learning to be kind to yourself, to recognise your needs, and to find small ways to soothe your mind when the world feels like it’s spinning too fast. ### **1. Start with the Small Things: You Don’t Need to Climb Everest Today** When you’re dealing with anxiety, it’s easy to feel like every task is a mountain to climb. But here’s the thing—self-care doesn’t need to be a grand gesture. It can start small, with simple actions like drinking a glass of water when you wake up or taking five deep breaths before you start your day. These little rituals can ground you, helping to remind you that you’re in control, even when everything feels out of hand. Think of these small actions as anchors. They might not seem like much, but they can keep you steady when the waves of anxiety start to crash. And remember, self-care isn’t a to-do list to check off; it’s about listening to what you need in the moment. ### **2. Give Yourself Permission to Pause** We live in a world that celebrates productivity, where being busy is seen as a badge of honour. But when you’re struggling with anxiety, that constant pressure to keep going can feel unbearable. Sometimes, the most powerful form of self-care is giving yourself permission to stop. Allow yourself to take a break without feeling guilty. It’s okay to say no to plans if you need time to recharge. It’s okay to spend an afternoon watching your favourite show or reading a book. It’s okay to rest. Remember, rest is not a reward you have to earn; it’s a necessity, like breathing. Think of it this way: You wouldn’t expect your phone to keep working without a charge, right? The same goes for you. Taking a break doesn’t make you weak; it makes you human. ### **3. Find Joy in the Little Things** When anxiety takes over, it can feel like a dark cloud that blocks out all the sunlight. But even on the stormiest days, there are still small moments of joy if you look for them. Maybe it’s the warmth of your coffee cup in the morning, the sound of rain tapping on the window, or the way your pet greets you at the door. These moments might seem tiny, but they are reminders that life isn’t just anxiety. Try keeping a “Joy Journal.” Each day, jot down one thing that made you smile, no matter how small. Over time, you’ll build a collection of tiny sparks of happiness that you can look back on whenever you need a reminder that the clouds will part, even if just for a moment. ### **4. Embrace Imperfection—Progress, Not Perfection** One of the biggest hurdles for those with anxiety is the pressure to be perfect. You might feel like you need to have everything figured out, to never make mistakes, and to always keep it together. But let me tell you something: nobody has it all together, no matter how it looks from the outside. Give yourself permission to be imperfect. It’s okay if some days are harder than others. It’s okay if you don’t get everything done. Focus on progress, not perfection. Maybe today you made it out of bed. Maybe you reached out to a friend. Maybe you just took a shower. Celebrate those small wins—they are steps forward. Remember, you are more than your anxiety. You are strong enough to face what you feel, even if you don’t always believe it. And on the days when it’s hard to believe, let these words remind you: It’s okay to be a work in progress. ### **5. You Don’t Have to Do It Alone** One of the most challenging parts of living with anxiety is feeling like nobody else understands what you’re going through. But the truth is, you don’t have to face it alone. Whether talking to a friend, joining a support group, or reaching out to a therapist, there is strength in seeking support. It’s easy to believe that reaching out makes you a burden, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. People care about you and want to help you carry the load, even for a little while. It’s okay to lean on others, just like you would want them to lean on you. ***A Final Note:*** You Are Not Your Anxiety You are not defined by your anxiety. Yes, it’s a part of you, but it’s not all of you. There is so much more within you—your kindness, your resilience, your ability to keep going even when the world feels heavy. Self-care is about honouring that side of you, the side that keeps showing up even when it’s hard. So, the next time your mind starts racing and the world feels too overwhelming, remember this: you are enough, just as you are. Take a breath, take it slow, and remember that taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do. --- # From Silence to Strength: Empowering Good Counselling Outcomes for Male Survivors Blog Looking for Therapy Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 19th March 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Rob Balfour MSc, GMBPsS, for this article.*** ***This article discusses sexual violence against men, trauma, and recovery. While the discussion is reflective and non-graphic, it includes themes that some readers may find distressing or triggering. Reader discretion is advised.*** I have been working with males who’ve survived sexual violence for nearly 30 years. In that time, the most common statement I hear is: ‘I thought I was the only one that it happened to’. When I tell male survivors that sexual violence against males is far more common than they have been led to believe, there is often a visible shift - often tears. It is usually the first time anyone has named what was done to them as something real and not something shameful, weak, or unspeakable. By reinforcing, ‘it didn’t happen to you’. Rain happens; abuse is done to you. That shift of narrative frame matters - its where I often observe the survivor sees the possibly of recovery emerging in their eyes. My reflections are grounded in almost daily engagement with male survivors in diverse contexts for nearly 30 years. The last 10 developing Survivors West Yorkshire’s Bens Place’s video counselling service. A pioneering service informed by international research evidence, both peer reviewed and grey literature. It draws on established trauma interventions thinking, especially Dr Judith Herman’s three-phase model, alongside developments in post-traumatic growth research, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Positive Psychology strengths-based approaches. The core aim of the service is to help survivors move from silence towards agency, connection, and a life that feels worth living. Dr Judith Herman’s seminal work remains foundational to my thinking, because it places trauma where it belongs, not just inside the mind, but within relationships, power, and violation. Trauma is not merely a psychological injury; it is a rupture of trust, safety, and self. For male survivors, that rupture is compounded by sociological factors around how males are socialised. Most men disclose long after the abuse has ended, often decades later. By then, silence has become a survival strategy. Masculine socially constructed norms of self-reliance, control, and emotional restraint often mean that distress is expressed, through anger, isolation, substance use, risk-taking, or collapse in relationships. Many men also carry a deep expectation of community disbelief. They fear they will not be taken seriously or believed. Some are unsure whether what was done to them even counts as sexual violence as societal narratives around sexual violence used by Government for example often focused on female survivors with little or no mention of male victimisation. The psychological impacts of narrative vanishing has complex re- traumatising consequences, and I would argue are evidenced in higher rates of male survivor suicidal ideation, addiction, and relational breakdown. Such impacts are evidenced daily in male survivor services across the world. For this reason, counselling outcomes for male survivors cannot be limited to symptom reduction alone. Good outcomes mean reclaimed agency, restored connection, and a coherent sense of self that is not defined by the abuse. If I were forced to name one essential ingredient in this work, I suggest the notion of radical empathy, which I would define as a way of being with another person that proactively reinforce, I believe you, I am here, and your pain matters and I will not conclude with the cultural silencing that often surrounds what was done to you. Listening to survivors has always been a radical act. Listening to male survivors perhaps even more so. Radical empathy involves recognising the ways men have survived even when those strategies later become problematic - withdrawal, emotional numbness, aggression, relentless productivity are not character flaws, they are adaptations. It therefore means refusing to pathologise. Male survivors are not broken men. They are men who have lived through something that should never have been done to them. In practice, radical empathy looks like staying present through silence, anger, confusion, and contradiction. It means allowing men to approach the work through action as well as words — through walking, music, movement, creativity — and respecting their pace. Research consistently shows that survivors experience therapy as helpful when they feel believed, respected, not rushed, and genuinely accompanied. Empathy is not an optional extra. It is the foundation. The focus of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has proven insightful in my thinking. Many male survivors live with long-standing avoidance of memories, emotions, vulnerability, meaning. ACT does not ask men to eliminate pain before living, it invites a different question: ‘How do you want to live, given what you have been through?’ ACT emphasises psychological flexibility reinforcing the capacity to remain present, to notice thoughts without being ruled by them, and to act in line with values rather than avoiding keeping to them. For males socialised by expectations of control and stoicism, this can be quietly transformative. ACT aligns well with trauma recovery because it does not reduce recovery to symptom eradication. It supports living with history, rather than being dominated by it. Herman’s three phases remain core to my practice leadership: **Phase One: Safety and Stabilisation** This stage cannot be rushed, and it often begins with naming shame and self-blame directly. However, in a limited 3rd sector context there might not be unlimited sessions to build idealised therapeutic safety. The gold standard for sessions packages is around 24 sessions in the UK sexual violence counselling sector. In my experience this is where radical empath can create safety quickly and of course safety reinforcement never stops when working with human psychological trauma legacies. As part of the process psychoeducation is essential in explaining trauma responses in plain language, helping males understand why they feel stuck, angry, disconnected, or numb and importantly very normal to be so. Stabilisation must be seen as flexible. Some men regulate better through movement than stillness. Grounding can happen through walking, breathing, music, or physical sensation as much as through verbal reflection. ACT-informed insights focuses on present-moment awareness and acceptance and not forcing exposure or growth but gently reducing the grip of avoidance. Even at this stage, it is possible to introduce a quiet growth narrative: *you survived* and that matters - you matter. **Phase Two: Remembering and Mourning** For many men, this is the first time their story has been spoken aloud. The work here involves grief, for loss of agency, childhoods, versions of self. It can involve anger, but not always, combined with increasing emotional release. Males may minimise or intellectualise their experiences. Narrative and metaphor can help open emotional integration: ‘If this part of your life had a shape or weight, what would it be? Creative and experiential approaches, music and movement for example often access what words cannot. ACT diffusion is particularly powerful here. Helping a man notice ‘I’m broken’ as a thought rather than a truth can loosen the hold of shame. This phase is where post-traumatic growth can begin to appear. Males start to redefine their masculinity, reconnect with people, and find meaning not by denying the trauma, but by integrating it – no longer carry the chains of shame and guilt which have wrapped around them since the sexual crimes committed against them. **Phase Three: Reconnection and Integration** This phase is about living well. Males can feel free to start exploring new questions about themselves and what they want from life: Who am I now? What do I stand for? What kind of male do I want to be? Reconnection often happens through action, work, relationships, creativity, contribution. Many males want to give something back, mentor others, or reconnect with community. This is survivor agency liberated. ACT supports this through values-based action. The focus shifts from managing symptoms to building a life aligned with meaning. The trauma story becomes part of the person’s history, not the centre of their identity, even when society wants to keep them locked into a one-dimensional framing following disclosure. What I’ve witnessed, is when male survivors feel authentically seen, two shifts are common. First, agency returns, they move from feeling that life happens to them to recognising themselves as active participants who can shape how they respond to what they can’t control. Second, connection deepens, with others, with self, but especially life itself. These outcomes are not always captured by symptom reductions, though symptoms often reduce. They appear instead in statements like ‘I trust people more’, ‘I feel like I matter’, ‘I’m enjoy living, not just surviving’. These are meaningful outcomes which evidence the unlimited possibilities human growth following sexual trauma. The powerful recovery -growth of Gisèle Pelicot evidencing that well. This work is not straightforward. Disclosure is not a one stop destination. Masculinity norms may limit emotional expression. Intersectional identities add further layers of stigma and risk. The evidence base for male survivor work is still developing, requiring humility and co-production with survivors to advance interventions efficacy. Practitioners must also attend to their own wellbeing. Radical empathy without supervision and care leads to burnout. Finally, growth-oriented approaches must never bypass pain. Hope cannot be imposed - pacing matters. As I approach the end of my own journey, I’ve learnt good outcomes in counselling male survivors rest on a simple but demanding foundation built using, radical empathy, thoughtful adaptation of trauma frameworks, support for agency and meaning - connection. The work is not about fixing males or returning them to some imagined ‘whole’ self. It is about supporting real men, with real histories, to recover themselves and live their lives well and in peace. Males are more than what was done to them - recovery is possible – profound growth is possible. But only if we are willing to listen properly and to meet them where they are. That it is the core responsibility of this work, and its outcomes should energise us all to do that work well. --- # Full Names and Locations on the Register Policy Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 The Society requires that, as a minimum, those who wish to hold a Registrant membership grade must consent for their full name and location to the nearest town on our searchable public Register. We are able to display other names that Registrants are known by, provided that we also hold the details of their full, official names on record. Any changes of name must be submitted to the administration team at the earliest possible opportunity so that we can update the Register to reflect the new name. We will require the appropriate official paperwork in order to enact the change, such as a marriage certificate, deed poll certificate, or decree absolute. **Exceptional Circumstances** There may be circumstances where we can choose to *not include* a Registrant on our online Register. These include but are not strictly limited to: - The member or a member of their family would be put at *demonstrable* risk of, for example, abuse, harassment, physical danger if their name and location were available to the public - The member or a member of their family has previously been subject to demonstrable abuse or harassment - Court orders, witness protection, or other legal protective circumstances Members can submit a case for not having their name listed on the Register to the Registration team for review. Please email if you would like more information, or to submit a case. --- # Government unveils expanded support for adopted children News Children, young people & families Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 20th February 2026 Adopted children and their families will get better support with their mental health and other needs under [proposals put forward](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/adoption-support-that-works-for-all) by the Department for Education today, as part of the government’s mission to give every child the best possible start in life. This is part of the government’s wider plan for reforming children’s social care and builds on last week’s announcement of ambitious plans to create 10,000 additional foster care places this parliament. The government’s vision for reforming adoption support is set out in a new consultation “Adoption support that works for all”. It will ensure all adopted children and some eligible children in kinship care receive better, earlier, and more targeted help at key stages of life by 2028, part of the core mission of giving opportunity to all children, regardless of background. To give families the certainty they need, funding for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will also be increased by £5 million over the next 12 months, taking the total funding up to £55 million. From this September, Adoption England will help deliver new support for adopted children preparing to enter Year 7. This transition point into secondary school can be a difficult time for children approach adolescence, especially if they have faced challenges early in life. The offer will include online learning, group sessions, and support from peers for parents to help children to feel supported with their needs. Without this, some adopted children approaching adolescence can fall into issues which can lead to absence, exclusion, or strained relationships with their adoptive families. The Department for Education will also work with the Department of Health and Social Care on a new pilot to improve mental health support for children in social care, including adopted families, As well as this, the department will expand funding for specialist teams working with adopted families in Regional Adoption Agencies, as part of a series of local pilots. These teams will include social workers, psychologists, mental health practitioners and teachers to provide additional support where it is needed. ### Josh MacAlister, Minister for Children and Families, said: *Adoptive and kinship families make an extraordinary commitment to children who have had a difficult start, and they deserve the strongest possible support.* *Our proposals build on what we know works, and I look forward to hearing from families and experts on how we can improve support further.* *I’m also pleased to confirm continued funding for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, ensuring families can keep accessing the services they rely on.* ### Sarah Johal, National Adoption Strategic Lead at Adoption England said: *We welcome this announcement as an important step towards a more preventative, consistent, and evidence‑informed system of support. The extension of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, alongside new investment in transition support and a sector‑wide consultation, will help ensure children and their families receive support earlier, before difficulties escalate.* *While the ASGSF remains a crucial lifeline for many families, it is encouraging that the government’s consultation looks beyond the Fund alone. By focusing on developing a universal baseline offer, support at key transitions and improving the way social care, health, and education work together, this consultation creates an opportunity to build the joined‑up, proactive, and responsive support that families consistently tell us they need.* *We look forward to working with government and partners to build a coherent national model that strengthens stability and improves outcomes for children.* ### Dame Carol Homden DBE PhD, Chief Executive of Coram: *This is a welcome and ambitious route map to ensuring that adopted children and their families and those in kinship care can depend upon the timely and consistent access to effective support, including from education and health services, no matter where they live.* *The certainty of continuing funding whilst full consultation takes place means that the evidence and experience of children, families and agencies can help drive the shape the future of services so no child is left behind.* ### Councillor Antoinette Bramble (Deputy Mayor of Hackney) and Councillor Anya Sizer (Deputy Cabinet Member for SEND, Hackney Council – adoptive parent and campaigner) said: *Adoptive and kinship families have long had to navigate a complex and often inequitable support system, leaving many feeling like the forgotten families in society. It is because of this urgent need for reform that we welcome the Government’s announcement today, which signals the start of a much-needed reset and a renewed commitment to a clear pathway of support that is local, fair, evidence-based and, above all, compassionate.* ### Meg Moss, Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy at the NCPS, said: *We welcome the announcement, and the continued investment in the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund. Adopted children and those in kinship care have often experienced early adversity, loss, and disruption, and timely access to relational, therapeutic support can be life-changing.* *We were pleased to brief into parliamentary debates on the ASGSF, highlighting both the importance of sustained funding and the need for earlier, preventative access to counselling and psychotherapy. It is encouraging to see those calls reflected in the government’s commitment to extend and strengthen the Fund.* *However, funding alone is not enough. We must ensure that families can access the right support, at the right time, delivered by appropriately trained and ethically accountable practitioners. The Society looks forward to engaging with the consultation to help build a model of adoption support that is consistent, accessible, and centred on the lived experiences of children and families.* Every young person deserves a childhood grounded in love, stability and opportunity. Adoption and kinship care make this possible for thousands of children who have experienced adversity early in life, but too many families face long waits for support across a fragmented system where social care, health and education services do not always work together effectively. The government is determined to change this. Proposals also look to make needs assessments and support plans clearer and more consistent, focussing on evidence‑based interventions, shifting decision‑making to regional or local levels, and ensuring funding is used effectively for children and families. The [consultation](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/adoption-support-that-works-for-all) invites views on these proposals from adopted and kinship children and young people, parents and carers, practitioners, and partners across health, education and social care. Taking these views into account, the government will then set out an action plan in its response to the consultation later this year, including how it will deliver this support. --- # Guidance on the Data Use and Access Act 2025 (DUAA) News By Guest Blog 18th June 2026 ## DUAA Summary for Members The Data Use and Access Act 2025 (DUAA) is a new law that updates how personal data is handled in the UK. It doesn't replace existing laws like the UK GDPR or the Data Protection Act 2018 - it simply updates and adds to them. Below is a summary of what this means for you, the data controller, whether you're in private practice or run a counselling service. ## Complaints about the use of personal data Clients now have a formal right to complain to you, the data controller, if they believe their personal information hasn't been handled correctly. As a practitioner or organisation, you'll need to: • Make it easy for clients to raise a complaint - an email address or simple online form in your privacy notice is fine • Acknowledge any complaint within 30 days • Keep the client informed and let them know the outcome as soon as you reasonably can and 'without undue delay'. Information on how to raise a complaint about data handling should be added to your current complaints policy. ## Subject Access Requests (SARs) If a client asks to see the personal information you hold about them, the DUAA gives you a bit more clarity and flexibility: • If their request is unclear or very broad, you can now "stop the clock" - pausing your response deadline while you go back to them for clarification • You're only expected to carry out searches that are reasonable and proportionate; you don't need to go digging through everything if it wouldn't be practical to do so. ## Website cookies If you have a practice website, some cookies - such as those used for basic analytics or to improve how your site works - no longer require explicit consent from visitors, as long as you give them the option to opt out. This means simpler cookie banners for most websites. The above is an overview of the key points that may relate to your practice, please note this is not legal guidance. We would recommend that you read the ICO guidance. You can read the ICO's full guidance here: Further guidance: --- # Honouring Vulnerability: Exploring Masculinity in the Therapy Room Blog Mental Health By Guest Blog 9th November 2025 ***With thanks to our member, Gabriele Pentzek, for this blog.*** The other day, a male client said to me that he is afraid of what others might say if they knew he was coming to counselling—and what is more, that sometimes he cries like a child during our sessions. Him—a big, strong bloke who seems to take everything in his stride, every blow to the gut, no matter how much it hurts. He walks away and smiles, as calm as anything. Like a great oak tree, steady and safe. That is how others know him, how they see him, what they expect of him. But behind that calm exterior was a man who thought he was weak because he could not come to terms with a painful life experience that almost broke him. He tried to push the intrusive thoughts away, to bury the pain, to carry on as if nothing had changed. When the tears came, he felt ashamed. He called it weakness. I called it vulnerability. It took him time to understand that no matter our physical appearance or gender, we all feel—joy and sadness, fulfilment and loss. We all experience moments when life brings us to our knees. Expressing those feelings, whatever they may be, is not a failure of strength. It is an act of courage. So many men grow up hearing the message that showing emotion is wrong, that real men don’t cry. They learn to hide pain behind a calm face, to hold everything inside. In the therapy room, I often see how this silence can weigh heavily—a lifetime of unspoken grief, fear, or loneliness. It takes enormous bravery to sit down, to talk honestly, and to let those long-suppressed emotions surface. Sometimes, what lies beneath the shame and fear of vulnerability is an old, familiar wound—abandonment. Early experiences of being left, neglected, or made to feel unworthy can leave lasting marks. They teach us that needing others is dangerous, that love can disappear, that emotions push people away. As adults, many men try to cope by becoming self-reliant, by never showing weakness, by standing tall no matter how much they hurt inside. When those defences finally begin to soften in therapy, what emerges is often a deep sense of relief. The armour that once protected them has also kept them isolated. As one client told me, “I’ve been strong for everyone else for so long—I forgot how to just be me.” For me, moments like these remind us why therapy matters. It is a space where men can safely challenge what they have been taught about strength and masculinity. A place where they can learn that being vulnerable is not losing control—it is regaining connection with themselves. If we, as therapists and as a society, can start to see vulnerability as courage, we can help rewrite the story of what it means to be a man. Every tear shed in honesty, every word spoken in truth, is an act of defiance against generations of silence. To any man who feels ashamed for reaching out, I say this: you are not weak for seeking help. You are strong for daring to be real. Don’t suffer on your own. Reach out. Talk to someone. Your feelings matter. And your courage to express them may just be the beginning of healing. --- # HOPELINE247: Making Suicide Prevention Support More Accessible for Neurodiverse Young People Blog Mental Health By Guest Blog 12th September 2025 **With thanks to our Organisational Member, Papyrus, for this article.** Every year in the UK, more than 3.3 million people experience thoughts of suicide. Fortunately, lots of amazing work is being done to make this something we can talk about more and stigmatise less. But there’s still a long way to go, especially when it comes to understanding and supporting neurodivergent individuals. We know that those living with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), ), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bipolar Disorder, or other forms of neurodiversity may be at increased risk of suicide. And while the reasons are complex, some patterns are clear. Many neurodivergent people report experiencing bullying, exclusion, and discrimination from society. These painful experiences can lead to long-term emotional distress, isolation, and an overwhelming sense of not belonging. These negative experiences can significantly impact mental health and increase the risk of suicide. That’s why at PAPYRUS, we’re working hard to make sure our support on HOPELINE247 is accessible to everyone, regardless of how they communicate, process information, or experience the world. ## **Neurodiversity on HOPELINE247** Our advisers on HOPELINE247 offer free, confidential support to anyone under 35 experiencing thoughts of suicide, and to anyone concerned about a young person. Already this year, around 1 in 10 people who’ve contacted us have discussed their experience of being neurodivergent. And we’re listening. To better support the needs of neurodivergent individuals, here are some of the changes we’ve made: - 24/7 Webchat – Support is now available round-the-clock via webchat, giving people more communication options beyond the phone. - Customisable HOPELINK Safety Plans – We can now change fonts, colours, and layouts, or use images and checkboxes to personalise your plan. - Read-Aloud Function – Our safety plans now include a read-aloud button, supporting those with dyslexia, visual impairments, or other access needs. - ORCHA App Library – We offer access to a wide range of vetted wellbeing apps, many of which are anonymous and can be used anytime, anywhere. These tools help us support people in ways that match their needs—not ours. ## **Why This Matters** We’ve seen first-hand how powerful safety plans can be. The young people we support access their HOPELINK safety plan an average of eight times - a clear sign that this is a tool they return to again and again for comfort, clarity, and reassurance. Making those safety plans more accessible isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s essential. So is ensuring young people can reach us in a way that feels natural and manageable for them. Neurodiversity is one of the most commonly searched terms in our wellbeing app directory, proving that many are looking for support that fits their unique experience. PAPYRUS exists to support anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide. To create suicide-safer communities, and to break down the stigma and silence that too often surround suicide. By understanding how neurodiversity can shape a person’s experience of suicidal thoughts and recognising the need to offer support in different ways, tailored to different needs, we move closer to our goal: That no young person should ever feel alone with thoughts of suicide, no matter who they are or how they process the world. ## **Q&A** **What does it mean if I have thoughts about suicide? Am I bad, or strange, or will I get in trouble?** Not at all. Many people have thoughts of suicide. You’re not alone, and there is support available. These thoughts can feel frightening but having them doesn’t make you a bad person. It means you’re struggling right now, and you deserve support. We know how hard it can be to open up about suicide, but reaching out can be the first step towards feeling less overwhelmed and more understood. Suicide can be prevented and thoughts of suicide can be managed – as hard as that may be to believe at this moment. Think about someone you trust, maybe a family member, a friend, a teacher, health professional or another trusted adult. You don’t have to say things out loud if that feels too difficult; you could write your feelings down or send a message. Of course, you can also speak to us. HOPELINE247 is here to support you in a way that feels right for you, and to help you stay safe. **How do I get in touch with HOPELINE247?** You can contact HOPELINE247 via phone, text, email and webchat: - Call us on 0800 068 4141 - Text us on 88247 - Email us at - The “HOPELINE247 chat” button on our website () **Do I have to speak to HOPELINE247?** No. It’s completely up to you. If someone gives you our details and tells you that speaking with us would be a good idea, it’s still your choice whether you do that or not. We respect that. **Do I have to talk over the phone?** Not at all. If speaking on the phone feels difficult, you can contact us via text, webchat, or email, all available 24 hours a day. **What is it like to speak to an adviser? What happens when I get in touch?** We know it can be difficult to pick up the phone and start a conversation. That’s why our advisers will guide you every step of the way, even if all you can manage is a simple “hello,” we’ll take it from there. If you’ve contacted us before, we’ll check your notes so you don’t have to repeat anything. Then, we’ll explain how the service works and gently ask if you’re having thoughts of suicide. If you are, we’ll check if you feel like you can stay safe while you’re talking to us. If you can, we’ll go at your pace, exploring your thoughts and what might help keep you safe. If you contact us via webchat, the only difference is you’ll fill out a short form first. This just helps us respond more effectively. Once connected, type “hello” and we’ll take it from there, just like a phone call. If you message us via text or email, just send the word “HOPE” and we’ll reply as soon as we can. **Am I talking to a real person or a bot?** Yes. Every conversation you have with us is with a real, trained suicide prevention adviser. If you receive an automated message at the start, it’s simply to explain our confidentiality policy — so you understand how our service works before speaking to an adviser. **Will you tell anyone that I’ve spoken to you?** The only time we would ever tell anyone that you have contacted us or what you said would be if there was an immediate risk of harm to you or someone else, and you weren’t able to get the appropriate support yourself – we call this our intervention policy. Even then, we will always try to work with you, keeping you involved in any decisions. If you were at an immediate risk of ending your life, or hurting someone else, or there was some other immediate, current danger (for example, someone was being abusive in some way), our priority would be to look at how you could reach out for the proper support yourself – e.g. the emergency services, medical advice, trusted adults and/or professionals. If, for some reason, there was no way you could do that yourself, we would have to consider doing so on your behalf. But using this policy is always a last resort, and if it’s ever necessary, we’ll explain everything and never act behind your back. **So, are you a confidential service? What do you do with the things I tell you?** Yes — except in the situations described above, our service is fully confidential. We might take notes during your call so that if you get in touch again, you won’t have to start from scratch, but you don’t have to tell us anything you don’t feel comfortable sharing, even things like your age are optional. We would only ask things like that to make sure our support was properly focussed on you, but it’s up to you what you share. If we ever need to share information due to immediate risk, we’ll only pass on what’s absolutely necessary to get help quickly. We will not share everything you've told us. **Will you tell my parents/work/school/my GP, etc., that I spoke to you?** No — never. We won’t speak to your family, workplace, school, GP or anyone else. If intervention is ever needed, we’d only contact the service best placed to keep you safe — usually emergency services or local authorities. **What happens if I don’t get straight through to an adviser, or if I don’t get an answer straight away?** If you are calling us, you will hear a brief message and then be put through to an adviser if one is available. If we don’t have anyone free in that moment, you will be given the option to request a call-back – this will mean that when an adviser is next available, they will automatically get a prompt to call you back. If you don’t want to ask for a call back, you can just try calling again when you feel ready. If you try to webchat with us and there aren’t any advisers available, you won’t be connected. The best thing to do would be to wait for a short time before trying again. If you need urgent support and can’t get through via webchat, we’d suggest you try to call us. If you send us a text or an email, you will get an automatic response after your first message, but we can’t guarantee an immediate response from our advisers over these channels. Replies to texts or emails can come through anywhere between 15 minutes and 24 hours after your latest message – although it’s rare, it could take as long as 24 hours. If you, or someone else, is at an immediate risk, the best thing to do is reach out to NHS 111, your nearest A&E department, or the emergency services via 999. **Can I call you more than once? Is there a limit?** You can contact HOPELINE247 as often as you need to. There is no limit to the number of times you use our service. You can come back to us for more support in keeping safe. However, we are a short-term support service, here to help you stay safe for now, and to guide you toward longer-term support. We explore what issues may be affecting you and making suicide feel like an option. Once we’ve got an understanding of that, we focus on how to keep safe - we’re here to empower you to find the strength and confidence to engage with the proper long-term support that you deserve. We do not want to get in the way of you accessing the right long-term support, because we know other services and organisations are better qualified to provide that support. We also don’t want you to have to rely on speaking to us as the only way to keep safe. **I’m worried I’d just be wasting your time** First things first: You’re not. If you’re struggling, reaching out is the right thing to do, and you’re never wasting our time. Even if the support you need isn’t exactly what we can give, we will always try our best to point you in the right direction. **How will you actually help me?** A HOPELINE247 Suicide Prevention Adviser is someone who will: - Take you seriously - Ask about your thoughts of suicide with care and respect - Never judge you for how you feel - Offer a safe space to explore what’s going on - Support you in creating a safety plan - Help you feel heard, valued, and less alone - Always be someone you can trust **What is a HOPELINK safety plan?** A HOPELINK safety plan is a personalised space to bring together the tools, thoughts and strategies that can help you stay safe. It might include: - Reminders of your reasons to keep safe - Steps you can take to make it harder to act on suicidal thoughts - Ways to manage situations or feelings that make those thoughts worse - Ideas to help in difficult moments, such as distraction tools or calming techniques - Confirmation of the strengths you have - People you can turn to for support - A longer-term plan to get the help and support you deserve You can see a blank example of one here: You can read more about our safety plans here: **What do I put in a safety plan?** We’ll work with you to create a plan that truly makes a difference for you. It’s entirely your choice what goes in, and what doesn’t. Our advisers are here to guide you through each step, so you’re not left trying to figure it out alone. We can make suggestions, offer prompts, and include links to useful resources that feel right for you. **How do I make a safety plan?** All you need to do is let us know that you’d like to make one. Our advisers can help you create a plan that’s tailored specifically to you and your needs. We can build a safety plan together via phone or webchat. Unfortunately, text and email don’t work as well for this, as the conversation needs to move more quickly and clearly than those platforms allow. If you’d prefer to create one on your own, or with a trusted person in your life, you can download one here: A simplified version can be found here: **How long will it take?** There is no “one-size fits all” answer here. The time it takes depends on what needs to go into your plan to make it helpful for you. Some people prefer to take it slowly and build it in stages, and that’s okay. If you need to pause or take a break, you’re always welcome to come back and finish it when you feel ready. You won’t need to start over. **Will anyone else see my safety plan? Do I have to share it with anyone?** No — your safety plan is yours to keep private. You don’t have to share it with anyone unless you want to. If you choose to work on it with us, we can access your plan to update it with you in future, but only if you ask us to. **How can I get more help with my neurodiversity or my mental health?** Your GP can be a helpful first step. They can talk through treatment options and referrals. To prepare for that conversation and have a good idea of what you want to say, you might find [DocReady](https://www.docready.org/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#/home) helpful. You can also try: [Hub of Hope](https://hubofhope.co.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com): a UK-wide mental health support directory. You can search by location and filter by topics like neurodiversity. [Mind](https://www.mind.org.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com): a mental health charity with accessible guides on various conditions, life events, and support options for neurodiverse people. **Someone I care about is having thoughts about suicide, and they are neurodiverse. How can I support them?** The most important thing is to be direct and compassionate. Don’t be afraid to use the word “suicide”. It won’t put the idea in their head, but it can make them feel seen, heard and taken seriously. Try asking: “Are you having thoughts of suicide?” This kind of simple, clear question creates space for an open and honest conversation. From there, focus on communicating in a way that works best for their needs. Focus on safety first, getting through the moment using distraction techniques, and focussing on longer-term support at their pace, and with their wants and needs as top priority. [Read our guide on supporting someone to stay safe](https://www.papyrus-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Supporting-Your-Child-A5-Booklet-English-2024.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com). The Zero Suicide Alliance have some free training specifically about neurodiversity and suicide which you might find helpful, you can find that [here](https://www.zerosuicidealliance.com/autism-suicide-training). If you're supporting someone with thoughts of suicide, we’re here for you too. HOPELINE247 can guide you on what to say and do, reassure you about what responsibilities you can’t take on yourself, how you can find more support, and, last but absolutely not least, how you can look after yourself in that situation. Your wellbeing is vital, both in supporting the person having thoughts of suicide, but also because you matter too, full stop. **I’ve got feedback about HOPELINE247, or suggestions about how you could be more accessible** Please tell us! We know there’s always more we can do to make our service inclusive and accessible to everyone. Whether your feedback is about neurodiversity, communication preferences, or anything else, your insight helps us grow and improve. If you have suggestions or ideas on how we can make HOPELINE247 more accessible or helpful, please get in touch: Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone and everyone experiences them differently. That’s why support needs to be flexible, personalised, and available in as many ways as possible. By continuing to adapt our services to better meet the needs of neurodiverse young people, we move closer to a world where no one has to face thoughts of suicide alone — and where no one is left feeling like their voice doesn’t belong in the conversation. --- # Hormones and their impact on mental health Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 9th June 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Lynsey Rous MNCPS (Acc.), for this article.*** I sit here at my lap top flushed faced and anxious as I type this. I have had a headache for 4 days and have a stomach full of dread at the thought of leaving the house. No reasoning for any of it but it’s all connected to my fluctuating hormone levels or better known as the joyous phase of perimenopause. That is of course, sarcasm. Sometimes it’s the only way I can cope with the injustice I feel of being forced into a 10-year phase of ‘hormonal transition’ into the menopause. And I class today as one of my better days. And I’ve had the surface level conversations around coping with the menopausal years. They can look like ‘have you considered taking HRT, cutting out caffeine and practicing yoga?’. Though well meaning, none of this advice addresses the real mental health struggles that peri/menopausal women face daily, me included. Daily struggles look like forgetting appointments, people’s names and where you are going in the car. Feeling panicked for no apparent reason while socialising seems more challenging and is replaced with involuntary isolation. Normal levels of energy are hijacked by a roller-coaster of debilitating fatigue, nervous internal buzzing and an impending sense of doom. There can be unexplained emotional rage, burn out and sense of overwhelm with the daily routine. The zest for life just disappears and numbness seeps in like fast setting cement. It can create an identity crisis, a deep sense of grief for the person you used to be and a search for a sense of belonging. The mind and body don’t communicate anymore and the rhythm that has carried you effortlessly through life is now tripping you up. The sense of abandonment of self is real and shocking. The impact spreads far and wide into relationships and the workplace while self-esteem and confidence plummet. Not only are the physical symptoms anxiety inducing, but the emotional capacity to cope has nosedived into your own brain fog. So what’s to blame for this unnecessary chaos? The depletion of Estrogen in the body is the culprit. Who knew this hormone was so vital in the function of a woman’s skeletal, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, reproductive, immune and nervous systems. ## My Story At 43, during lockdown and with no warning, my perimenopausal symptoms savaged my brain and body. Panic attacks, heart palpitations, migraines, tinnitus, brain fog, debilitating joint pain and wording finding became my daily battles. I felt like I was in someone else’s body. I became a shell of my former self within months. Even my relationship with wine had gone sour (it’s a histamine intolerance thing I found out that’s due to estrogen fluctuations causing me migraines, a stuffy nose, hot flushes and anxiety). Just great! Not understanding that all of these symptoms were related to my depleting hormones, my mental health spiraled. My anxiety was so severe that I thought I had Covid and was convinced I was going to die as no one had answers. It became so severe I called an ambulance. I was convinced that I was having a heart attack because of the heart palpitations, tight chest and hot and cold sweats. I began to dread going to bed and had to endure sleeping upright to prevent my symptoms returning. Move forward to 2026 and I now sit in counselling sessions, wondering as a menopausal woman, if I will lose my train of thought and focus while listening to my client. Maybe a hot flush will make an appearance mid-sentence, or I’ll develop heart palpitations so loud that they drown out the conversation. I’ll admit it’s a struggle some days to keep my mind and body in sync to feel grounded enough to stay present. It makes me feel incompetent at my job and I question my ability to deliver a service I know my clients deserve. However, I decided to reclaim my solution focused attitude (I knew she was in the menopausal fog somewhere). After researching at depth about all things perimenopause and menopause related, going on CPD courses, attending webinars, reading books and listening to endless podcasts I now felt equipped and more confident to hold space for myself as well as my clients. The strategies that I have adopted to support my mental health are: 1. I am now honest with myself and use immediacy talk – ‘what’s happening to me right now?’ This has replaced ‘battling through’ and feeling embarrassed at not feeling capable some days to give my all. This has helped reduce my anxiety levels and has increased my capacity for self-compassion in real time. 2. I have increased my awareness of how hormones affect my mental health through educating myself on the parts that estrogen, progesterone and testosterone have on the female body during midlife. The scientific explanation helps me come to terms with the changes. 3. I practice ‘no guilt’ self-care routines and take care to move my body incorporating somatic techniques in ways that feel right for my nervous system. Walking in nature wins every time. 4. I am more mindful and present in my action and acknowledge daily wins 5. I share my experiences with friends who are also menopausal. We send memes that make us giggle and help us not feel alone in our heads 6. I track my symptoms to help figure out my hormonal fluctuations to find patterns that are directly related to low mood and depressive thoughts. I feel more in control when I do this, and I plan my activities around this pattern 7. I now advocate for myself at work and have adopted a more flexible attitude to the counselling modes I use in my practice. This helps accommodate my fluctuating energy levels which in turn supports my emotional resilience. I'm choosing to work from home more often offering phone and online counselling. Reducing my anxiety around driving to a session allows me more time before a session to feel more grounded and attuned to my needs. ## Supporting clients Many women come to counselling just flummoxed because their ‘go to’ coping skills don’t work anymore creating a level of anxiety that is unexplainable. As an advocate for women’s health, I approach conversations with clients about hormones and mental health in a direct clear way when it is expressed as a concern by them. In my experience, women in and out of the counselling room welcome a direct invitation to talk about their struggle with their hormones. Midlife hormone fluctuations deeply influence a woman’s frame of mind on a daily basis. Sharing her unique experiences in counselling gives her the opportunity to feel heard and to explore how to find compassion and acceptance for herself again in a time of hormonal turbulence that can last years. When working with women, aged around 30 to 50, I have a tab open in my head listening for possible signs of hormonal fluctuations like reduced tolerance levels, previous coping strategies not working anymore, unexplained physical symptoms that are seemingly unconnected and are causing health anxiety while panicking and worrying about things that they didn't before. Having conversations about how hormones can impact the brain and body allows self-awareness and compassion to enter the session. Encouraging access to social media is great for generating awareness of how hormones impact mental health. It supports connection of like-minded women making them feel heard and validated. Counselling sessions add to this sense of feeling heard through creating a dedicated one to one space for women to reclaim their hormones, find connections back to self and to make sense of the changes that are an inevitable part of our biological timeline. Acknowledging that It's a mental and physical transition that can take years to navigate can support a client in coming to terms with the fact that there are no quick fixes. What women need is connection and compassion. I have found in my work that menopausal women are somehow looking for the permission to put themselves first without feeling guilty. Having the counselling space to say their needs out loud can feel exhilarating, especially when there is no judgment or subjective opinions thrown back. It can somehow give them confidence and self-esteem to put these into practice. This could look like saying to a partner without guilt, ‘I need a night of easy food and a bubble bath’ when feeling overwhelmed. As a person centred menopausal counsellor, showing myself, empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard has ironically saved me from myself. These conditions have created a positive psychological change in me but it’s no easy ride. The rollercoaster still jolts, breaks down, goes too fast or stops suddenly. So, I’m holding on tight and searching for those moments to scream with laughter and cry with exhaustion with the people who get it and with the ones who choose to stay on the ride with me. --- # Human Connection in a Digital Therapeutic World Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 13th January 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Maria Kopec, for this article.*** For people already carrying shame, failure, or a sense of being behind, digital spaces can reinforce the belief that change belongs to others, not to them. Online, lives appear coherent, successful, and continuously improving. Struggle is edited out. Context disappears. We see what others want us to see. For many clients, particularly those experiencing addiction, trauma, or social exclusion, this contrast does not inspire motivation. It kills hope. What digital environments often offer is rapid recognition without context, a form of self-knowledge that is immediate but unanchored. Therapy, by contrast, develops understanding slowly, through relationship, where meaning is shaped by what is said, but also by how it is received, questioned, and held over time. At the same time, access to counselling remains limited. Long waiting lists mean distress does not pause while people wait to be seen. Therefore, it is unsurprising that many turn to digital mental health tools, such as apps, online forums, and increasingly AI-powered chatbots. This is not a rejection of therapy, more a way of coping in the gap. These tools offer immediacy, availability, and a sense of supportive response when human contact is delayed. Used thoughtfully, they can play a valuable supportive role. However, used uncritically, they risk offering something that feels like therapy without engaging the processes that make therapy effective. It gives the illusion of therapy, which later, when confronted with actual therapy, may lead the client to give up participating in therapy due to the complex process and the effort the client must put in to achieve the expected results. This tension sits at the heart of what it means to practise counselling in a digital world. **Digital tools and the illusion of safety** Digital and AI-powered tools bring real benefits. They increase access, reduce administrative burden and can provide provisional support when services are overstretched. For some individuals, particularly those carrying deep shame, it may feel easier to disclose painful or stigmatised experiences to a chatbot than to another person. The absence of perceived judgement, the sense of anonymity, and the belief that no one is really there can lower the tension for disclosure. This should not be dismissed. Disclosure can be an important first step. However, disclosure is not the same as healing. What transforms disclosure into change is the experience of being emotionally met, of having one’s inner world received, reflected and responded to within a human relationship. Therapy is not just a space to tell one’s story. It is a space where that story is shaped, challenged, reflected and re-authored through connection over time. Most digital tools are created with the intention of helping. Rarely are they designed to cause harm. Yet, unintended consequences matter. When tools designed to support care begin to substitute for relational work, they reshape how distress is understood and addressed. **Therapy is a process, not answers** It is the development of the capacity to arrive at insight through relationship, reflection, and effort made over time. As Carl Rogers argued in “On Becoming a Person”, a meaningful change emerges not from being told who we are or what to do, but from being understood in a relationship that allows growth to unfold. Human therapy works at the level of process. Empathy is timed. Silence is held and not empty. It has a meaning and purpose. Challenge is offered when a client is emotionally able to receive it. Therapists notice shifts in tone, posture, hesitation and affect. They recognise patterns across time and context. Essentially, they notice when something has missed the mark and they repair it. Misunderstanding is part of how therapy works, not a failure. When a tear is acknowledged and repaired, clients learn that relationships can survive difficulty without collapse or withdrawal. This kind of learning cannot be achieved in digital world. AI systems can simulate responsiveness, but they cannot sense readiness. They cannot know when not to respond, wait to hold the silence, or when uncertainty itself is therapeutically necessary. Psychological capacities such as emotional regulation, self-trust, and reflective thinking develop through engagement with uncertainty, not through the passive receipt of explanation. Answers delivered without effort may feel supportive, but they risk weakening agency, specifically for clients who already doubt their capacity to change. When difficulty is removed the opportunity for developmental growth is often removed with it. **Life online, comparison and the foreclosure of possibility** In practice, the emotional impact of online comparison is often profound. Clients speak less about envy and more about shame: “There must be something wrong with me”, or “everything I do is wrong”. Others describe a deep sense of unfairness, working hard while others appear to succeed effortlessly. Over time, this comparison can harden into hopelessness, a belief that improvement is reserved for a different kind of person or into core believes like “I am not good enough”. For individuals rebuilding life after significant disruption, this can be especially damaging. Many already carry narratives of failure and disappointment. Online spaces, filled with curated success and absence of struggle, can quietly confirm their worst fears. When people stop imagining a future self who could be different, progress stalls. In more severe cases, this foreclosure of possibility contributes to depression, disengagement, and suicidal thinking. Therapy works against this by treating identity as unfinished. It does not offer perfected versions of the self, but a space where contradiction, effort and failure can be explored without judgement. This requires time, emotional tolerance and the presence of another human being who can remain engaged without rushing to resolve discomfort. **Where AI helps and where it begins to interfere** This is not an argument against progress. It is an argument for conscious progress that strengthens human agency rather than replacing it. Digital tools can be ethically and clinically useful when they point people toward support, provide education or offer suppression in moments when no human help is immediately available. In these roles, they supplement care and protect access. The ethical line is crossed when substitution occurs without transparency. Therapy is not information exchange. It is a relational process through which people learn to navigate uncertainty, reflect on patterns and take responsibility for their personal change. When answers are provided without engagement, reflective thinking or emotional risk, the developmental work is bypassed. Tools designed to immediately reduce distress may weaken the capabilities required for long-term change. When uncertainty, frustration and relational risk are missed, agency is not supported but eroded. Clinicians, such as Gabor Maté, have emphasised that healing from trauma is rooted in authentic human presence and compassionate inquiry, rather than information alone. From this perspective, the therapeutic relationship itself becomes the environment in which change is possible. Something that no algorithm can replicate. **Protecting practitioners** Life online affects practitioners as well as clients. Constant digital availability, blurred boundaries, and pressure to integrate new technologies without sufficient reflection can erode professional wellbeing. Increasingly, concerns are also being raised about practitioners relying on AI to plan sessions, select interventions, or structure therapeutic work. Used uncritically, this risks hollowing out professional judgement. Therapy is not a formula that can be simply generated. It is a responsive process shaped by deep knowledge of the individual client, their history, defences and their capacity at a given moment. AI can offer options, but it does not know the client. It only knows what it has been told. It cannot sense the emotions of spoken words. It cannot see tears and pain that draws on the client’s face. Body language, which plays an important role in therapy, is missed. When practitioners feel stuck, supervision, not automation, remains the ethical first response. Using AI as an occasional supplementary perspective may be appropriate. It provides its suggestions, however, it needs to be critically evaluated and grounded in the therapist’s own relational understanding. To outsource session planning entirely suggests a loss of confidence in one’s clinical role. When clinical judgement is routinely outsourced, responsibility becomes diffused. This raises ethical questions about competence, authorship, accountability and who ultimately holds responsibility when an intervention fails or causes harm. Supervision exists precisely to hold uncertainty, complexity, and doubt. These functions cannot be replicated by tools designed to generate certainty. Importantly, when an intervention does not work, this is not failure. Therapy is a process of trying, reflecting, and adapting in collaboration with the client. Modelling this flexibility teaches something fundamental. The growth emerges through engagement, not perfection. **Relationship as the reference point** Digital tools are here to stay, and many will continue to improve. We should not resist innovation, but insist that human connection remains the reference point against which all tools are measured. Therapy does not work because it is efficient. It works because it is relational and real. In a world increasingly lived online, protecting spaces where people can be seen imperfectly, challenged compassionately, and supported through change is necessary. Progress that strengthens human agency is worth engaging in. Progress that replaces it should be challenged. Is this what we are aiming for? As digital mental health tools continue to expand, their ethical value should be assessed by access and efficiency, but also by whether they preserve developmental depth, relational integrity, and professional accountability. --- # “I don’t feel like myself”: Recognising Perimenopause in the therapy room Blog Health & Wellbeing Mental Health By Guest Blog 2nd June 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Jenni Moresco, for this article.*** In recent years, awareness of the physical symptoms of perimenopause has grown. However, the psychological impact remains less widely recognised, both by those experiencing it and within clinical spaces. For many, the first signs aren’t physical at all, but a subtle and often unsettling shift in mood, anxiety and sense of self. This became personally and professionally relevant to me when I was diagnosed with perimenopause at 35. While there was some context in terms of family history, what I hadn’t fully understood at the time was just how significantly hormonal changes could affect my mental health. Looking back, I can see I had been experiencing symptoms for a while. Some were physical, but what felt most unsettling and far harder to make sense of was the emotional shift. That disconnect is something I now see not only in my own experience, but in the therapy room too. ## **“I thought I was going crazy”** There were moments where I felt entirely like myself. Then, suddenly, I didn’t. I experienced periods of feeling overwhelmed, low or anxious in a way that didn’t feel connected to anything specific. At times, there was a sense of despair that felt disproportionate and difficult to explain. As someone with a history of anxiety, these feelings were familiar, but this felt different: more sudden, all-consuming and less predictable There were moments of intense emotion that did not seem to fit the context. A constant internal pressure I couldn’t name. Thoughts and feelings that felt unfamiliar and at times, frightening. There were moments I genuinely questioned what was happening to me. From a clinical perspective, experiences like this can closely resemble or intensify presentations we might conceptualise as anxiety or depressive disorders. Without an awareness of hormonal influences, it is understandable that both client and therapist may attempt to make sense of them purely through a psychological lens. ## **It’s not always obvious** When we think about perimenopause, the focus is often on physical symptoms: changes in menstruation, hot flushes or sleep disturbance. While these are important, they are not always the most prominent or distressing features. For some, physical symptoms may be minimal or overshadowed by emotional and cognitive changes. For others, it is the emotional impact that feels most overwhelming. Hormonal fluctuations can influence mood, anxiety levels, emotional regulation and overall resilience. But if that link hasn’t been made, these shifts can feel confusing, disorientating and at times, quite frightening. ## **The missing link** Despite having been told I was in perimenopause, I had not initially connected the emotional intensity of my experience to what was happening in my body. Instead, I tried to understand it through a mental health framework: stress, overwhelm or a sense that I simply needed to cope better. It was only through conversation with another woman, also experiencing perimenopause at a younger age, that something began to shift. She described her experience using almost identical language, the same language I now hear so often from clients. It wasn't that I didn’t have information. It was that I hadn’t connected the physical and emotional pieces together. The realisation that this might not be “just in my head” but linked to hormonal change brought a noticeable sense of relief. Not because everything changed overnight, but because it began to make more sense. ## **What I’m noticing in the therapy room** This is something I am increasingly hearing from clients. They describe: \- Sudden or unexpected shifts in mood \- Increased or unfamiliar anxiety \- Feeling emotionally overwhelmed or less resilient \- A loss of identity/sense of self or a sense of not feeling like themselves \- Periods of low mood that feel disproportionate or difficult to explain Often, there isn’t a clear external reason for these changes, which can lead to confusion and self-doubt. It’s common to hear thoughts like: \- “I should be coping better” \- “Why am I like this?” \- “This isn’t me” Without a wider context, these experiences are frequently internalised, which can deepen distress and self-criticism. ## **Clinical reflections: what therapists might notice** From a clinical perspective, there are several patterns that may be worth holding in mind: \- A relatively sudden onset or escalation of anxiety/low mood \- Emotional responses that feel out of character for the client \- Clients expressing that they “don’t feel like themselves” \- Reduced emotional resilience or increased reactivity \- Symptoms that are not fully explained by current life circumstances or history In such cases, it may be helpful to consider whether there could be a hormonal component, particularly if the client is within the typical age range for perimenopause or, as is increasingly recognised, even younger. This is not about making assumptions or diagnoses, but about widening our formulation. Holding both psychological and physiological factors in mind can support a more compassionate and accurate understanding of the client’s experience. Sometimes, simply holding that possibility can subtly shift the tone in the room. ## **The impact of not knowing** When these changes are not understood, they can be deeply unsettling. Clients may begin to question themselves, lose trust in their emotional responses or feel as though they are becoming someone they do not recognise. For some, this may also include intrusive or distressing thoughts that feel out of character, which can be particularly frightening when there is no clear explanation. Without context, it is easy for clients to assume the worst, turning the experience inward and questioning themselves rather than considering that something else may be contributing. ## **The importance of being taken seriously** One of the most significant turning points in my own experience was being taken seriously by my GP. Having a doctor listen, without dismissing what I was describing or reducing it to “just stress” or anxiety, made a real difference. It helped me begin to join the dots and feel less alone in what I was experiencing. It also opened up the understanding that there were options available to me. Not necessarily quick fixes, but different forms of support that acknowledged both the physical and emotional aspects of what I was going through. In the therapy room, we may not be the ones providing medical guidance, but we do play a role in how seriously someone takes their own experience. As we know, being listened to, believed and not minimised can be incredibly powerful. It can be the difference between: \- Feeling dismissed and feeling understood \- Viewing oneself as “overreacting” versus recognising a meaningful experience \- Remaining stuck versus beginning to make sense of what is happening ## **Supporting clients: a therapeutic approach** When supporting clients through this, it is rarely about quick solutions. Instead, the work often centres on rebuilding a sense of safety, understanding and self-trust. This may include: **Psychoeducation** Helping clients develop language for their experience can be a powerful intervention. Moving from “What’s wrong with me?” to “This might make sense” can reduce distress significantly. **Reducing self-criticism** Supporting clients to respond to changes in capacity with compassion, rather than judgement, can help soften the emotional impact. **Attuning to changing needs** Encouraging awareness of needs such as rest, space and boundaries, which may become more important during this time. **Integrative support** Where appropriate, supporting clients alongside medical input, recognising both the physical and psychological aspects of their experience. Sometimes, the most meaningful shift is helping a client move from: “What’s wrong with me?” to “What might be happening to me?” ## **A therapeutic lens: the part that feels lost** From a therapeutic perspective, these experiences can often activate younger or more vulnerable parts of the self. Parts that may feel: \- Overwhelmed \- Uncertain \- In need of reassurance \- Afraid of being “too much” or “not okay” When these parts are met with confusion or self-criticism, the distress can intensify. But when they are met with understanding, something begins to shift and the stress can feel less overwhelming. In this sense, the work is not only about managing symptoms, but about supporting a different relationship with the self. ## **A broader perspective** As therapists, we are not expected to diagnose perimenopause. However, awareness of its potential psychological impact allows us to hold a broader, more compassionate formulation. Sometimes, that broader perspective is enough to help someone feel less alone, less confused and more able to make sense of what they’re going through. Because often, the hardest part isn’t what someone is feeling. It’s not understanding why. --- # Illuminating Pathways Beyond Abuse and Trauma Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 8th September 2025 **With thanks to our Recognised Counselling Service, Nour, for this blog.** Gazes conveying deep compassion Safety, in this soft, healing light Warmth, releasing what’s frozen Balm, for this unsettled heart of mine Journeying through my lived experiences Entering the landscape of my inner world Guided gently through this process Human connection, resonance of hearts Bearing witness to my truths Justice as an act of love Not letting oppression define me Preserving the sanctity of my worth Supporting me to navigate All that begins to unfold As I rewrite my story With a voice that is my own Weaving together my tapestry With the threads I choose to spin Helping me paint my canvas With the colours of my hopes and dreams This poem frames the heart of Nour’s healing ethos—it will be echoed throughout the article as we explore our relational model. Nour is an Arabic word that means light. Nour exists as a healing light, illuminating pathways beyond abuse and trauma. This poem captures the essence of the way we work at Nour – a deeply relational model of working with survivors of abuse and trauma. Service in this field of work requires immense compassion; to sit with the lived experiences of those who have suffered injustice and oppression, to journey their inner landscape with deep empathy and gentleness. ## **A Humanising Response to Dehumanising Abuse** #### ***“Warmth, releasing what’s frozen*** #### ***Balm, for this unsettled heart of mine”*** Abuse is an utterly dehumanising experience, as Sanderson (2013) emphasises: “*To counterbalance the dehumanising abuse experience, you will need to be human in your responses rather than clinical, cold or distant*.” Compassion is at the heart of what we do. Compassion for our clients, compassion for our own self, and nurturing self-compassion in our clients; all essential to healing journeys, particularly when healing from trauma. There is an inherent power in genuine therapeutic presence, a ‘healing form of love’ as Siegel (2010), so beautifully phrases it: “*When another person perceives our genuine curiosity, openness, and acceptance, there is a sense of professional caring, what we might be so bold as to call a 'healing form of love*.'” This healing form of love requires a deeper attunement, as Sanderson (2013) notes: "*Creating psychological safety is not just about what we do, but how we are - our presence, our attunement, and our genuine care for the person's wellbeing*." To be truly attuned, is to be present in a way that communicates care on a level that transcends words. ## **Our Model: Gentle, Holistic, and Culturally-Attuned Support** #### ***“Guided gently through this process”*** Our trauma-informed, culturally-attuned support provides empathic, safe spaces with values of compassion and justice embedded into services including counselling, advocacy, financial support, legal advice, walk-and-talk sessions, and more. Healing unfolds through gentle, holistic, heart-centred wraparound care that honours the whole person – mind, body and spirit; meeting people where they are, in the way they need. The attunement between client and practitioner is fostered at a greater relational depth in this model. This holistic, relational approach formed a core part of my training in Islamic Counselling with Stephen Maynard & Associates, and has been foundational to my approach to developing services at Nour. Through this approach, like the poem's imagery of weaving tapestries and painting canvases, healing becomes a creative, collaborative process, ensuring that we are attuned to the impact of power dynamics; lack of power has often meant devastating consequences for survivors of abuse. Survivors choose which threads of their story to share, which colours to bring forward, while being held in relationships that honour their agency and the wisdom of their own mind, spirit and body. We support them to reweave the tapestries of their lives, making sense and meaning of their experiences, helping rewrite narratives, and supporting them to reclaim their sense of self, their hopes and dreams, so they can lead more conscious, intentional and meaningful lives. ## **The Practitioner's Journey: Inner Work and Shared Resonance** #### ***“Human connection, resonance of hearts”*** This profound work of journeying together requires something of us as practitioners. It requires us to explore our own inner landscapes and understand the tapestry of our own lives. This self-work allows us to be truly present with the experiences of those we support without overlaying their experiences with our own. This is especially poignant as an organisation established by minoritised women for minoritised survivors; our experiences and intersectional needs often mirror those we serve. To ensure that our work honours the journey of each survivor, our approach centres the services on the unique, lived experiences of the individuals we serve. This work, whilst sacred and uplifting, also requires care and compassion for our own self, and each other. “*For there is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one’s own pain weighs so heavy as the pain one feels with someone, for someone, a pain intensified by the imagination and prolonged by a hundred echoes*.” (Kundera, 1984) ## **Decolonising Healing: Voices To Be Heard** #### ***“As I rewrite my story*** #### ***With a voice that is my own"*** A compassionate and human-centred approach is critical for all survivors, and more so for minoritised survivors, who face additional layers of discrimination that compound dehumanisation. This is further complicated by the lack of culturally-attuned services that can understand their lived experiences and complex intersectional needs. As practitioners, we are acutely aware of the importance of voice in the healing journey for survivors of abuse. However, for many, giving voice to their stories is more complex than is understood. “*Muslim women’s stories about violence are getting harder to tell since they give so much grist for the mill of anti-Muslim racism and indeed, for anti-Muslim wars and military occupations.*” (Razak, 2021) In the violence against women’s and girls (VAWG) sector, there is much work needed towards a decolonised approach to VAWG. Without a decolonised approach, there are nuances that are missed, subtle prejudices that can enter the work, and survivors experience greater isolation through processes of othering. As Montoya and Agustin (2013) observe : “*Violence against women is a universal problem, affecting women at all levels of society; however, differently situated women have unique experiences with violence. Theoretically, this calls for the necessity to balance universality with intersectionality. Analyzing EU policy texts, we argue that the recognition of different forms of violence has led to an increased tendency toward culturalization, i.e. articulating culture as the only explanation behind certain forms of violence or focusing exclusively on culturalized forms of violence. While largely ignoring the gendered nature of violence, cultural framings of violence also create a dichotomy between “insiders” (non-violent Europeans) and “outsiders” (violent others*).” This othering for survivors of abuse creates yet another barrier, another layer of dehumanisation, another form of discrimination to overcome. It can prevent minoritised survivors from seeking help, or can create harm to those who do seek help, if they are not met with the empathy, cultural humility and attunement they need. This is why Nour’s work is firmly rooted in antioppressive practices, and a decolonised approach to VAWG. Because we recognise that being met with understanding and cultural attunement can be profoundly healing. As one client put it: “*I do not have to exhaust myself to explain and educate someone else on my identity and background, before I even get to my own trauma. Nour brought me back home. Home to me. My heart, my identity, my values, my self-esteem, my desires, my religion, my culture. All from a place of consciousness, peace and resilience*.” ## **The Interflow: Where Compassion Meets Justice** #### ***“Justice as an act of love”*** Compassion is incomplete without a resounding call for justice. Justice and compassion are inextricably interconnected. Establishing justice is an act of compassion – to ensure that everyone can live meaningful lives, in safety, and with dignity. Gilbert (2009) defines compassion as *“A deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it*” Whilst embodying compassion, we remain grounded in the pursuit of social justice. We work to create meaningful change by addressing the inequities that compound trauma for minoritised survivors and by challenging the systems that perpetuate abuse and oppression. Justice and compassion are both integral to our healing work, an interflow of two dynamic forces. ## **The Sacred Work of Illumination** #### ***“Safety, in this soft, healing light”*** This is sacred work that requires an intentional and compassionate approach and a deep commitment to upholding justice; to continue to be Nour, a healing light, illuminating pathways to safety, dignity, connection and hope. Through this deeply relational model, we honour the profound courage it takes for survivors to share their stories, to trust in the healing process, and to reclaim their voices. In creating spaces where survivors can rewrite their narratives with threads of their own choosing, we participate in not only individual healing, but also the sacred work of collective healing and transformation. *And so, we continue to weave together their tapestries,* *with the threads they choose to spin,* *each person painting their own canvas* *with the colours of their hopes and dreams.* ### **Bibliography** Gilbert, P. (2009) The compassionate mind: A new approach to life's challenges. London: Constable and Robinson. Kundera, M. (1984) The unbearable lightness of being. London: Faber & Faber. Montoya, C. and Agustin, L.R. (2013) 'The othering of domestic violence: The EU and cultural framings of violence against women', Social Politics, 20(4), pp. 534-557. Available at: Razak, S.H. (2021) 'Should feminists stop talking about culture in the context of violence against Muslim women? The case of "honour killing"', International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 12(1), pp. 31-48. Available at: Sanderson, C. (2013) Counselling skills for working with trauma: Healing from child sexual abuse, sexual violence and domestic abuse. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Siegel, D.J. (2010) The mindful therapist: A clinician's guide to mindsight and neural integration. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. ### **About the Author** Waheeda Islam is the Chief Executive of Nour, a minoritised women-led charity working with survivors of abuse and trauma. She is a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, clinical hypnotherapist, amateur poet and a published author. Waheeda firmly believes in a heart-centred approach to her work, rooted in compassion and justice. She has her own private practice, Inner Rewilding Therapy, specialising in trauma work with survivors of abuse. In her chapter, Themes in an intercultural approach to supervision: working with survivors of abuse, published in ‘Intercultural Supervision in Therapeutic Practice: Dialogues, Perspectives and Reflections’, Waheeda provides a compelling case for mental health professionals to actively champion social justice. For more information about Nour's work, contact or visit their website [www.nour.org.uk](https://linklock.titanhq.com/analyse?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nour.org.uk&data=eJw1jEEKwjAQAF-T3FzUiOJhDzlYCr4i7Ma26CYlaVzx9VpQmNswQ3jcMdON2J3JnSxjorkCZbGCveZO_aXK9eVtRQ1jjBxgqo8g5rBNuZUNPyGXAdrdFpQwhPeU4ur-l4bjsszGebPvvqgqrN0v-gDFoit4). *Updated September 2025* --- # Important news: New rules on police requesting counselling notes come into force News Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 14th January 2026 Victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault will be provided greater privacy and dignity during police investigations under significant changes announced by the Home Office today. Under the new measures, police and other agencies will only be able to request crime victims’ private counselling notes in special circumstances, in a move designed to improve the experience of victims, encourage more to come forward and eventually result in higher prosecutions. Historically, police investigating crimes routinely asked for the counselling notes of victims as part of their investigations, leading to many feeling their privacy was being further violated after a traumatic experience and putting many off continuing with their case. In the worst-case examples, these notes were used to decide on whether to proceed with a prosecution, particularly where victims had disclosed issues with their mental health to therapists. As a result, victims had often been advised to avoid seeking counselling while police investigations were ongoing, despite many rape cases not reaching trial for 2 years or more, prolonging their suffering. With a recent case review finding that almost 30% of rape cases included requests for counselling records, this is a significant step to ensure victims receive the privacy they deserve. The new guidance follows the publication of the [violence against women and girls strategy](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-from-violence-and-abuse-a-cross-government-strategy) which was published last month. It aims to prevent violence against women and girls before it takes place. It will also support more victims through a raft of hard-hitting measures, including putting dedicated units in every police force to more effectively tackle rape and sexual assault and provide better care for victims. Violence against women and girls is a national emergency with 1 in 8 women a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking last year. Two hundred rapes are recorded by the police every day, with many more unreported. The changes announced today are expected to improve victim experience by: - providing greater privacy and dignity – victims’ counselling records will only be requested in rare circumstances, reducing unnecessary intrusion into their personal lives - faster, more focused investigations – by limiting unnecessary requests, the changes aim to reduce delays and keep investigations on track - restoring confidence in the justice system – victims can be reassured that their rights and wellbeing are central to the investigative process; the aim is for fewer victims dropping out of the process, eventually increasing prosecutions Under the new rules, police requests for counselling notes must be necessary, proportionate, and relevant – as set out in a new victim information request code of practice. Requests for counselling information must also be cleared at the chief inspector level – significantly raising the bar for these types of requests. With around half of rape victims withdrawing support for police investigations last year, it is hoped by improving victims’ experience, this will encourage more to come forward to help bring more vile predators to justice. Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls Jess Phillips said: > Rape and sexual assault devastate victims’ lives, but the sad truth is police investigations often only prolong that trauma. > > But by stopping police routinely accessing counselling notes, we hope that more victims will have the confidence to come forward and help us bring more predators to justice. > > This is about more than just words. We are deploying the full power of the state to make this country safe for women and girls. Siobhan Blake, National Crown Prosecution Service Lead for Rape and Serious Sexual Offences, said: > No victim of rape should have to suffer further trauma when receiving justice. Alongside policing partners, our prosecutors are determined to make sure each victim experiences a justice process which is supportive, sympathetic, and victim-centred. > > Today, we welcome the announcement from the Home Office that a higher threshold for requesting victims’ personal counselling notes will be imposed, protecting victims and encouraging policing and legal professionals to scrutinise a suspect’s actions over everything else. Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW) said: > We’re delighted that from today, police officers will no longer be able to routinely access rape survivors’ private counselling notes, following our campaign to keep counselling confidential. Counselling is a space to explore feelings, and access to it is critically important in healing from trauma. > > We now need to see strong implementation of the new guidance so that it is followed by police forces across the country, as well as an information campaign to inform survivors and therapists of their new rights. Meg Moss, Head of Public Affairs and Advocacy at the NCPS said: > Counselling should be a space where survivors can speak freely, without the fear that their most private reflections may later be scrutinised or misused. Our research in support of the Keep Counselling Confidential campaign was informed by practitioners who are supporting survivors every day, and it highlighted how deeply this fear affected people’s willingness to access counselling or remain engaged with the justice process. We strongly welcome these changes. --- # It's Not About Memory Alone: The Emotional Landscape of Mild Dementia Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 12th February 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Jurgen Schwarz, for this article.*** Within professional conversations about dementia, memory loss continues to dominate the narrative. Assessment pathways, diagnostic frameworks, and service provision frequently centre on cognitive decline, measurable deficits, and functional changes. Yet therapists who sit alongside people living with mild dementia quickly recognise that memory impairment is often only the most visible layer of a far more complex emotional and relational experience. For many clients, mild dementia unfolds as an identity disturbance, an emotional reckoning, and a relational reorganisation. Alongside the practical challenges that dementia charities and support organisations help to address, therapy offers something equally vital: a protected relational space where shame, anxiety, existential fear, and social withdrawal can be understood, spoken, and held. **Moving Beyond the Cognitive Narrative** Cognitive assessment tools provide essential information. However, they also risk unintentionally reinforcing a narrow understanding of dementia as primarily a neurological event. In therapy rooms, we often encounter a different story, one shaped by subtle but profound shifts in self-trust, confidence, and relational positioning. Clients frequently describe an early awareness that “something isn’t quite right” long before diagnosis is confirmed. These moments are rarely experienced as neutral cognitive errors. Instead, they are often felt as small fractures in identity. A missed word, a forgotten appointment, or difficulty following conversation can evoke disproportionate emotional responses because they threaten long-standing internal narratives of competence and reliability. Therapists may notice that clients are not simply describing forgetfulness, they are describing the loss of a familiar relationship with themselves. **The Quiet Weight of Shame** Shame often sits at the centre of early dementia, though it is rarely named directly. Many clients arrive having spent considerable time concealing their difficulties from colleagues, friends, and even partners. The emotional labour of maintaining this façade can be exhausting and deeply isolating. Clients may speak about “not wanting to look stupid,” or they may minimise symptoms while simultaneously expressing heightened distress. Therapists working from relationally attuned approaches often recognise how shame can be brought gently into awareness without direct confrontation. Rather than emerging through explicit disclosure, shame frequently reveals itself in subtle interpersonal signals, moments of hesitancy, self-deprecating humour, or repeated apologies during sessions. When therapists respond with steadiness, curiosity, and emotional containment rather than correction or reassurance, clients often begin to feel safe enough to acknowledge the vulnerability underlying these interactions. Working with shame in dementia requires careful pacing. Interpretation that arrives too quickly can intensify defensive withdrawal. Instead, therapeutic presence itself often becomes the intervention. When a therapist remains steady, respectful, and non-corrective in the face of memory lapses, clients frequently begin to internalise a different relational experience, one in which cognitive change does not equate to diminished worth. **Anxiety and the Loss of Predictability** Anxiety frequently becomes a constant companion for individuals living with mild dementia. Unlike discrete memory lapses, anxiety often permeates daily life. Clients may describe scanning their own functioning, mentally rehearsing conversations, or avoiding unfamiliar situations to reduce the risk of exposure. For therapists, it can be striking how anticipatory anxiety shapes clients’ behaviour long before significant impairment occurs. The fear is rarely limited to forgetting itself. More often, clients fear the cascading consequences they imagine will follow: loss of independence, becoming burdensome, or being treated differently by loved ones. Therapeutic work often involves helping clients tolerate uncertainty, an inherently challenging task when the condition itself introduces unpredictability. Therapists may notice their own countertransference responses, including a desire to reassure or problem-solve prematurely. Yet sitting alongside uncertainty, rather than rushing to contain it, can model emotional resilience and deepen trust within the therapeutic relationship. **Existential Fear and the Question of Selfhood** Many therapists describe moments when dementia work becomes deeply existential. Clients may not frame their concerns in philosophical language, but their questions frequently circle identity, continuity, and meaning. Who am I if my mind changes? Will I still be recognised as myself? What happens to my role within my family or community? For clients who have built identities around competence, caregiving, or professional expertise, mild dementia can provoke profound disorientation. Therapists working from relational and attachment-informed perspectives often notice the depth of relational loss embedded within these fears, particularly when clients describe shifts in roles within partnerships, friendships, or family systems. Changes in who gives support, who makes decisions, and how mutual dependence is negotiated can unsettle long-established relational patterns, often generating grief that sits alongside cognitive concerns. Therapy offers space for clients to reconstruct identity in ways that remain emotionally authentic. This may involve exploring values, relational legacies, or forms of contribution that extend beyond cognitive performance. These conversations often carry both grief and creativity, allowing clients to develop narratives of continuity rather than solely decline. **Social Withdrawal and Relational Self-Protection** Social withdrawal frequently emerges as a protective adaptation to shame and anxiety. Clients may gradually retreat from previously valued social environments, sometimes presenting this as a preference for solitude rather than a fear of exposure. Therapists may notice how withdrawal often reflects attempts to preserve dignity. Clients may avoid group conversations where rapid exchanges feel overwhelming or decline invitations that once brought joy. Over time, however, this retreat can intensify loneliness and reinforce negative self-beliefs. Therapeutic work can involve gently exploring the emotional logic behind withdrawal while supporting clients to maintain relational connection in manageable ways. This may include renegotiating expectations within friendships, identifying environments where clients feel psychologically safe, or supporting families to adapt communication styles that preserve autonomy and respect. **The Therapist’s Emotional Experience** Working with mild dementia can evoke complex emotional responses within therapists themselves. Feelings of sadness, protectiveness, and anticipatory grief may arise as therapists accompany clients through cognitive and existential change. Therapists engaged in relationally oriented work may notice how deeply they are moved by the gradual shifts in clients’ narratives of self, particularly as long-held identity structures begin to change. Reflective supervision and professional dialogue can provide essential spaces for processing these responses, helping therapists sustain emotional availability while maintaining therapeutic clarity. Supervision becomes especially valuable in this context. It provides space to reflect on emotional responses, avoid over-identification, and maintain therapeutic clarity. It also allows therapists to process their own fears about ageing, vulnerability, and dependency, themes that dementia work can quietly activate. **Therapy and the Role of Practical Support Networks** The emotional work of therapy sits alongside, rather than replaces, the practical support offered by dementia charities and community organisations. These services provide essential guidance around diagnosis, legal planning, daily coping strategies, and social resources. They often reduce practical anxiety and help families navigate complex systems of care. Therapy complements these supports by addressing emotional experiences that may remain unspoken within educational or advisory settings. Clients frequently describe therapy as the only space where they feel able to express anger, grief, or fear without needing to protect family members from distress. Family work can also play a crucial role. Therapy offers opportunities to support partners and relatives in understanding emotional changes, facilitating communication, and maintaining relational intimacy despite cognitive shifts. **Holding Both Loss and Possibility** Working therapeutically with mild dementia invites us to hold a dual awareness. There is genuine loss of certainty, of cognitive fluidity, and sometimes of previously stable identities. Yet there is also continued emotional depth, relational capacity, and potential for psychological growth. For therapists, particularly those working from relational or psychodynamic perspectives, mild dementia challenges us to move beyond deficit-based frameworks. It invites us to listen for emotional narratives that remain vibrant even as cognitive changes unfold. Ultimately, when therapy expands the conversation beyond memory, it affirms the enduring emotional lives of those living with dementia. It reminds us that while memory may change, the need for connection, dignity, and meaning remains profoundly intact. **You can read the rest of Jurgen's series on dementia here.** [**Why I Believe Therapists Belong in the World of Dementia Care | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/why-i-believe-therapists-belong-in-the-world-of-dementia-care) [**The Power of Validation: Supporting Identity and Agency in… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/the-power-of-validation-supporting-identity-and-agency-in-early-stages-dementia) [**Walking Beside the Carer: How Therapists Can Alleviate the… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/walking-beside-the-carer-how-therapists-can-alleviate-the-hidden-grief) --- # It’s Not “Just a Period”: Hormones, Mental Health, and the Lived Experience of Endometriosis Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 12th May 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Natasha Gill, for this blog.*** Hormones influence far more than reproductive health. They shape mood, energy, sleep, cognition, and emotional regulation often in ways that are subtle, cyclical, and deeply personal. Within women’s mental health, this interplay becomes particularly significant when chronic conditions such as endometriosis are present. Endometriosis is commonly described in clinical terms tissue similar to the lining of the uterus growing outside of it, leading to inflammation and pain. Yet this definition only captures part of the experience. The lived reality is far more complex, where biological, psychological, and social factors intersect in ways that are not always visible. I was diagnosed with endometriosis at 24. More than 15 years later, I am still living with it. What that has taught me both personally and through my work in the therapeutic space is that endometriosis is not simply a physical condition. It is something that can quietly, persistently shape how you relate to your body, your identity, your relationships, and your sense of control. Hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle particularly changes in oestrogen and progesterone interact with neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which are central to mood regulation. For some, these changes may present as manageable emotional shifts. For those living with chronic pain, fatigue, and inflammation, they can feel significantly amplified. Each month can bring not only physical symptoms, but an emotional landscape that shifts alongside them. Persistent pain also plays a role beyond the body. It engages the nervous system, often keeping it in a heightened state of alert. Over time, this can contribute to increased anxiety, reduced emotional resilience, and periods of low mood. The cyclical nature of hormonal changes can further intensify this, creating a sense of unpredictability not always knowing how you are going to feel, physically or emotionally, from one day to the next. Alongside this, there is the experience of invisibility. Despite the impact endometriosis can have, many individuals encounter responses such as “it’s just a period.” While often said without intent to harm, such statements can minimise the complexity of the condition and the reality of living with it. Over time, this can lead to frustration, isolation, and self-doubt particularly when what is being experienced internally is not reflected or understood externally. From both personal and professional perspectives, it becomes clear that chronic illness is not just physical. There can be grief; for the life anticipated, for physical ease, or for the version of self that existed before pain became part of everyday life. There can be frustration; at delayed diagnoses, limited understanding, or the absence of clear and consistent treatment pathways. And there can be exhaustion; not only physical, but emotional. The kind that comes from continuously adapting, managing, and making sense of something that is often unpredictable. Some days involve adapting. Some days involve pushing through. And some days carry a weight that is difficult to articulate. It is also possible to appear high-functioning while experiencing significant internal distress. This discrepancy can further reinforce feelings of being unseen, particularly within systems that rely on visible indicators of wellbeing. For practitioners, this highlights the importance of adopting a biopsychosocial lens when working with clients experiencing conditions such as endometriosis. Hormonal influences, nervous system responses, and the psychological impact of chronic pain are deeply interconnected. Therapeutic work in this area may involve: - Supporting individuals in naming and validating their emotional experiences - Exploring the impact of chronic illness on identity, relationships, and self-concept - Creating space for grief, anger, and uncertainty without judgement - Encouraging the development of self-compassion, particularly in relation to the body - Working with the unpredictability and cyclical nature of symptoms Therapy can offer something that is often missing elsewhere; a space where experiences do not need to be minimised. Where both resilience and difficulty can be acknowledged together. In my own experience, therapy has been instrumental in developing self-acceptance. Not as a way of dismissing the reality of pain, but as a way of relating to it differently. Learning to hold both strength and struggle has been a central part of that process. Endometriosis challenges traditional distinctions between physical and mental health. Its impact extends beyond the body, influencing emotional wellbeing, daily functioning, and relational dynamics. Greater awareness within the counselling and psychotherapy field is essential. By recognising the role of hormonal fluctuations and chronic pain in shaping mental health, practitioners can offer more attuned and validating support. Moving beyond the narrative of “just a period” allows for a more accurate and compassionate understanding — one that reflects both the clinical complexity of the condition and the lived experiences of those affected. --- # Life Online: Between Connection and Distance Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 6th February 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Marina Grigoryeva, for this blog.*** Not so long ago, life online was an option. A convenience. Something extra. Then COVID arrived, and suddenly the digital world became the only world we could safely inhabit. What once felt unfamiliar—or even unnecessary—turned into a bridge we all had to cross in order to keep living, working, and connecting. Online life has stayed with us since then. It supports us, challenges us, scares us a little, and sometimes overwhelms us. As a therapist, I live daily in this in-between space: grateful for what the digital world allows, yet deeply aware of what it can never replace. **How does life online help or hinder work with clients?** Life online is a powerful tool. It allows us to reach clients who might otherwise have no access to support—because of distance, mobility, illness, time constraints, or anxiety about face-to-face meetings. It gives flexibility, continuity, and safety when the outside world feels uncertain. At the same time, it can feel scary. Before COVID, many of us did not even consider online therapy as a real option. And yet, in a very short period of time, we learned how to live through screens. We learned how to listen, feel, and hold space without sharing the same physical room. Still, something is lost when the body is absent. Energy travels differently online. Silence feels different. Emotional cues are sometimes delayed or softened. As therapists, we must work harder to sense what is unspoken. The work becomes more cognitive, less embodied—unless we consciously bring the body back into the process. Online therapy helps us move forward, but it also reminds us of how essential human presence truly is. **Making the most of digital tools while staying human.** Digital tools can support therapeutic practice in many helpful ways. Apps, emails, online questionnaires, voice notes, and video sessions can help clients reflect between sessions, track emotions, or stay connected during difficult moments. And yet, I consider myself an old-school therapist. I still love paper. I still use hand-drawn images. I still believe in the power of holding a pen and letting the hand move freely across the page. There is something deeply grounding about working with the hands. When a client draws, writes, or shapes something physically, they often access parts of themselves that were hidden or unconscious. The body remembers what the mind may avoid. With digital tools, this is still possible—but there is a barrier. A bridge that must be crossed before real connection happens. That bridge is emotional distance. The screen creates a subtle separation, and not everyone feels safe enough to cross it easily. This does not mean digital tools are wrong. It means they require intention. Slowing down. Inviting the body back into the process. Encouraging clients to notice breath, posture, sensation—even while sitting behind a screen. **Protecting wellbeing in an always-online world.** Being constantly connected comes at a cost. Notifications never stop. Messages arrive without boundaries. The nervous system rarely rests. To protect my wellbeing online, I practice digital detox—sometimes for just a few minutes, sometimes for an entire day. I step away from screens and return to physical life. I walk. I read real books and touch the pages with my fingers. I cook and smell the food. I dance. I meet friends in real places. I go to the theatre and let stories unfold without a pause button. These moments remind me that my body exists beyond the screen. That life is not something to scroll through, but something to feel. Digital balance is not about rejection. It is about rhythm. Knowing when to connect—and when to step away. **Helping children and young people stay safe and balanced online.** Children and young people are growing up in a digital world that feels natural to them. For many, there is no “before online.” That makes guidance even more important. I try to teach them what I practice myself: distance with awareness. Not distance as punishment or control, but as choice. Helping them understand that the digital world is only one part of life—not the whole of it. Encouraging them to fill themselves with experiences they can feel in their bodies: movement, creativity, conversation, boredom, imagination. When young people learn to step away from screens and discover what nourishes them offline, they build resilience. They learn that they are more than avatars, likes, or messages. They learn to listen to themselves. Safety online begins with connection to the self. **AI and counselling: opportunity, risk, and responsibility.** Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept. It is already here. AI is another reality—one we cannot ignore. It is a tool we must learn about, understand, and use wisely. When used consciously, it can support organisation, education, and access to information. It can help therapists with admin, research, and even reflective prompts. But AI must never replace human presence. Counselling is built on relationship, empathy, intuition, and ethical responsibility. These cannot be automated. There is a risk that over-reliance on AI may reduce depth, nuance, and accountability in therapeutic work. The responsibility lies with us: to stay informed, to set boundaries, and to ensure that technology serves humanity—not the other way around. **AI chatbots: acceptance and awareness** AI chatbots are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Many people already turn to them for comfort, advice, or reflection. Whether we like it or not, this is part of our evolving landscape. Resistance alone will not help us navigate it. With acceptance comes reality. We need to understand how these tools work, what they can offer, and—just as importantly—what they cannot. They may provide immediate responses, but they cannot truly feel. They cannot hold silence. They cannot witness pain in the way a human can. As therapists, we are called to remain grounded in what makes our work meaningful: authentic connection, ethical care, and embodied presence. **Living forward—online and offline** Life online is neither good nor bad. It is a mirror of how we choose to live. When used with awareness, it can connect us, support us, and expand access to care. When used without boundaries, it can distance us from ourselves and each other. The task ahead is not to choose between digital and human—but to weave them together with intention, wisdom, and heart. Because no matter how advanced technology becomes, healing still begins where it always has: in presence, connection, and the courage to be fully human. --- # Life Online: Helpful, Hard, and Here to Stay Blog Health & Wellbeing Mental Health By Guest Blog 14th January 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Joanne Rankin, for this article.*** I don’t think the digital world is the problem. I think it’s a mirror. It magnifies whatever is already going on connection, loneliness, curiosity, anxiety, comparison and it does it at speed. As a therapist, that means our online lives show up in the room whether we name them or not. **My Practice** Working online has genuinely strengthened my practice. For many clients, logging on from their own sofa lowers the threshold for therapy. They’re not navigating transport, eye contact in waiting rooms, or the pressure to “perform” wellness. For some, being in their own space actually helps them settle more quickly and speak more freely. But the connected world is also often part of what brings people to therapy in the first place. Clients don’t usually say, “My phone is the problem”. They say, I feel wired but exhausted”, or “I can’t switch off”, or “I’m constantly comparing myself to people I don’t even know”. Phones, apps, and social media aren’t separate from those feelings they’re woven into them. I use digital tools carefully; I’m not interested in adding more noise to already overstimulated nervous systems. Used well, online resources can support reflection, understanding, and continuity between sessions. Used poorly, they reinforce the idea that we should always be available, always improving, always consuming something about ourselves. Smartphone and social media use come up often in my work, but I’m cautious about labelling it as addiction too soon. For many clients, their phone is a coping strategy something that soothes, distracts, fills gaps, and offers connection when real life feels too much. If we rush to take it away without understanding why it’s there, we miss the point. The work is about helping people notice what they’re reaching for and gently expanding their options, not shaming them into stopping. One client, for instance, realised she wasn’t addicted to scrolling, but searching for a moment of calm before bed, a small insight that transformed how she approached rest. **My Experience** On a personal level, the digital age has shaped how I work, share, and connect but it’s also made me clearer about boundaries. I’m intentional about what I engage with online and when. I’ve learned that my wellbeing depends less on discipline and more on permission: permission to log off, to not respond immediately, and to not turn my inner life into content. I’m especially mindful of comparison culture. Even as a therapist, it’s easy to absorb the idea that you should be doing more, posting more, being more visible. I actively resist that. Depth matters more to me than reach. When it comes to children and young people, I’m less interested in control and far more drawn to conversation. They don’t need constant warnings; they need adults who are curious and emotionally present. Helping young people notice how online spaces make them feel energised, anxious, connected, or left out builds internal regulation. That’s far more protective than rules alone. **Wider Reflections** The digital world hasn’t evolved evenly across generations. Some people remember life before constant connectivity; others have never known anything else. That gap can create misunderstanding, especially when we reduce younger generations’ experiences to “screen addiction” without acknowledging the social and emotional worlds those screens now hold. Looking ahead, AI in counselling brings both possibility and unease. I see real value in AI as a supportive tool for psychoeducation, reflection, or helping people find words for difficult experiences. What I’m less comfortable with is the idea that it could replace relational work. Therapy isn’t just about insight; it’s about being met by another human nervous system. That can’t be replicated, no matter how advanced the technology. AI chatbots will likely become more nuanced and more present in people’s lives. My hope is that we stay honest about what they can offer and what they can’t. Support is not the same as a relationship, and information is not the same as healing. The internet connects us, but it also asks a lot of us. If we can approach it with curiosity, boundaries, and compassion for ourselves as much as our clients then it doesn’t have to be something we battle against. It can simply be another landscape we learn to move through with a little more care. --- # Looking Beyond Behaviour: Lessons from Care and Adoption Blog Children, young people & families By Guest Blog 11th August 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Louise Baverstock-Price, for this article.*** When I first cared for my sister's children after they entered care, I didn't realise I was beginning a journey that would stay with me for the rest of my life. At the time, I was just trying to do what needed to be done. Years later, my husband and I adopted our own children. Looking back, I can see a thread running through both experiences. They changed the way I understand people, relationships and behaviour. They also taught me lessons that I now find myself drawing on in my counselling development. Before caring for my sister's children and later becoming an adoptive parent, I was aware of concepts such as attachment and trauma. But knowing about them and living alongside them are very different things. Through those experiences, I began to see how early relationships and life experiences can shape behaviour, trust, confidence and the way people relate to the world around them. ## The Unknown Story I also came to appreciate one of the unique challenges of adoption. As adoptive parents, we were not there when many of our children's earliest experiences took place. Whilst information is shared during the adoption process, there will always be parts of a child's story that are unknown, incomplete or difficult for others to tell. Parenting a child whose story started before you arrived, and learning to respond without always knowing the cause, is one of the most humbling aspects of adoption. There may be experiences that nobody fully understands, memories that cannot be explained, or pieces of a child's history that are simply unavailable. Yet those experiences can still influence how safe they feel, how they respond to relationships and how they see the world. ## Responding Without Answers There were times when I wanted answers. Times when I wanted to understand exactly what sat behind a reaction, a fear or a behaviour. Over time, I realised that understanding does not always come from having all the information. Sometimes it comes from remaining curious, patient and compassionate, even when there are gaps in the story. It also taught me something about control. I like understanding things. I like having a plan. Adoption taught me that some questions don't have clear answers, and some journeys cannot be rushed. Learning to let go of that need for certainty was one of the biggest lessons of all. ## Meeting Them Where They Are In many ways, I learned the importance of meeting people where they are rather than where I expect them to be. Looking back, these experiences taught me a lot about what really matters in relationships. Empathy, patience and acceptance became central. I realised that I didn't need all the answers. Often, the most important thing I could offer was consistency and the reassurance that I wasn't going anywhere. ## Fairness and Opportunity One of the biggest lessons has been recognising that not everyone starts life from the same place. Some children experience loss, uncertainty or adversity long before they are old enough to understand it. Some are affected by parental mental health difficulties. Some are navigating neurodiversity alongside everything else. Their experiences shape the way they see the world. For a long time, I thought fairness meant treating everyone the same. Now I see it differently. Not everybody needs the same thing. Sometimes fairness means understanding what someone is carrying and responding accordingly. It means recognising that whilst everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive, some people need more support to get there. ## Connection Alongside the challenges, I have also seen huge amounts of courage and determination. I have watched children keep going when life has already asked a lot of them. I have seen growth happen in small steps that others might not even notice. Perhaps the biggest lesson, though, has been about connection. Whether through caring for my sister's children, becoming an adoptive parent, working in wellbeing or training as a counsellor, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. Looking back, these experiences taught me a lot about what really matters in relationships. Empathy, patience and acceptance became central. I realised that I didn't need all the answers. Often, the most important thing I could offer was consistency and the reassurance that I wasn't going anywhere. ## Reflection Looking back, caring for children in care taught me to slow down and look beyond behaviour. It taught me to be curious before making assumptions. It taught me that people's actions often make much more sense when you understand their story. Most importantly, it taught me that nobody should be defined by the challenges they face or the circumstances they were born into. As I continue my counselling training, I often find myself recognising concepts that I first encountered through lived experience. Attachment, empathy, curiosity and acceptance are no longer just theories to me. They are lessons that have shaped both my personal and professional life. Not because every client will have experience of care or adoption. But because every person has a story. And sometimes the most important thing we can do is take the time to understand it. --- # Making the Invisible Visible: Reflections on Masculinity, Fatherhood and Therapy Blog Mental Health By Guest Blog 7th November 2025 **With thanks to our student member, Dr. Sharin Baldwin, for this blog.** **Introduction** As a trainee counsellor, my understanding of masculinity and men’s mental health has been shaped by a long professional journey that began in healthcare. Before starting my counselling training, I worked as a nurse, midwife, and health visitor, supporting parents through the perinatal period and beyond. Over the years, I became increasingly aware that while mothers’ emotional wellbeing is well recognised and supported, fathers’ experiences are often overlooked or not acknowledged. That recognition eventually led me to complete my PhD - the New Dad Study, which was a three-part mixed-methods study exploring first-time fathers’ mental health and wellbeing during their transition to fatherhood (Baldwin et al., 2018; 2019; 2021, 2022). The stories shared by the fathers who took part have stayed with me and continue to shape my professional identity and the way I now approach counselling. **Personal Reflections on Masculinity** My understanding of masculinity has changed considerably over the years. In my early career, I sometimes viewed masculinity mainly as a barrier to men asking for help. Now I see it as far more nuanced—capable of care, empathy, and deep emotional insight. The fathers I met through the New Dad Study taught me this. Many spoke of intense love for their partners and babies, mixed with fear, exhaustion, and loneliness. It reminded me that men’s emotional lives are just as complex as women’s, but often less visible because systems and services don’t always ask or know how to listen. These experiences now underpin my therapeutic approach: to listen beyond words and to notice what has long gone unheard. From both my research and practice, I’ve learned that men often respond best to support that feels collaborative, practical, and respectful. I tend to use straightforward language and a down-to-earth style. It’s important to meet clients where they are, sometimes starting with what feels “safe to talk about” before moving deeper. Narrative approaches can be particularly powerful, inviting men to consider the stories they tell about themselves and how those stories have been shaped by cultural expectations. My background in health visiting also taught me the importance of warmth, containment, and being truly present. And sometimes, a touch of humour can help - breaking down barriers, helping men to relax, and showing that therapy doesn’t always have to feel heavy. **Making the Invisible Visible: The Film** Wanting to share the voices of the fathers I had met through my research more widely, I collaborated with filmmaker Chris Godwin, founder and creative director of Inner Eye Productions, to create Invisible—a short film about first-time fathers’ mental health. Chris brings a distinctive approach to culture change through the powerful medium of film, and together we wanted to bridge the gap between research and real-life understanding. Invisible builds directly on the findings of the New Dad Study, but it also includes interviews with practitioners and the lived experiences of a diverse range of fathers and parents. The film follows Luke, a new father navigating the challenges of parenthood in silence. It captures the mixed emotions, financial pressures, fear, and vulnerability that so many men described in my research. Our aim was to create something that not only informs but also moves people emotionally, helping viewers connect with the human side of the data. Film has the unique ability to reach people in ways that written research cannot. It can open emotional doors, invite empathy, and encourage reflection. Increasingly, film is being recognised as a powerful tool to support learning and professional development, particularly around sensitive or complex issues like mental health. There is growing evidence that film-based learning can promote the kind of deep, reflective engagement that leads to lasting changes in attitudes and behaviour (Blasco et al., 2015). We believe Invisible acts as a catalyst for change. Since its release, it has been viewed more than 9,000 times across different platforms and is being used in training sessions, educational settings, and public health initiatives. The film is a collaborative project between the Institute of Health Visiting, The Burdett Trust for Nursing, and Inner Eye Productions, and it could not have been created without the contributions of our wider team, including practitioners, production staff, advisers, and fathers who generously shared their experiences. Together, we continue to inspire conversations about how we can better support fathers’ mental health and wellbeing. Ultimately, Invisible is about visibility - about making sure fathers are seen, heard, and valued in both policy and practice. **Promoting Therapy to Men** As a profession, we still face the challenge of engaging more men in therapy. Research shows that men access psychological support less often than women, despite experiencing similar levels of distress (Seidler et al., 2016). I believe part of the answer lies in how we talk about therapy. We can reframe counselling as a proactive and strengths-based process, an act of self-awareness and responsibility rather than a sign of weakness. Films like Invisible demonstrate that authentic storytelling and emotional honesty can reach men who might never read a mental health leaflet. By humanising the experience, we can invite empathy, rather than stigma. It’s also crucial to move beyond the “one-size-fits-all” ideas about men. Some clients find traditional masculine values grounding; others experience them as restrictive. As counsellors, we can help men define masculinity on their own terms, rather than rejecting it altogether. Intersectional perspectives (Mahalik et al., 2022) show us that masculinity is experienced in many different ways, shaped by culture, community, and social circumstances. Being able to reflect on how our own identities influence the way we work, by being reflexive in practice, is essential. Staying aware of this helps us approach each client with openness, curiosity, and without assumptions. **An Invitation: Watch Invisible** If there’s one thing I hope readers take away from this, it’s that fathers, and men in general, need to be seen. We can’t offer help to people who feel invisible. That’s why I’d love counsellors, supervisors, and training providers to watch Invisible and consider using it in their own work. The film is freely available via the Institute of Health Visiting: It’s around 22 minutes long, with a short trailer, and comes with reflective questions and support notes. It can be used in teaching, supervision, or with groups to spark honest conversations about men’s mental health, parenting, and identity. For me, it’s a reminder that visibility itself can be therapeutic. When people see their experiences reflected, they start to understand them differently. Whether used as part of CPD or simply as a reflective tool, I believe it can help us think more deeply about how we engage with men in the therapy room. **Conclusion** Looking back over my journey from nurse, midwife, and health visitor, to researcher, and now trainee counsellor, I realise it has always been about noticing and listening to voices that so often go unheard. Whether it is fathers navigating new parenthood, mothers adjusting to the challenges of family life, or children and babies whose early experiences shape their wellbeing, I see therapy as a space where being truly seen can be transformative for each individual and for the family as a whole. At the heart of both our film and my counselling practice is making the invisible visible. It’s about curiosity, deep listening, and noticing the quiet courage it takes for men and all clients to begin to speak openly and honestly. **References** Baldwin S, Malone M, Sandall J, Bick D. (2018) Mental health and wellbeing during the transition to fatherhood: a systematic review of first-time fathers’ experiences. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports: November 2018 - Volume 16 - Issue 11 - p 2118-2191 doi: 10.11124/JBISRIR-2017-003773. [https://journals.lww.com/jbisrir/fulltext/2018/11000/mental\_health\_and\_wellbeing\_during\_the\_transition.10.aspx](https://journals.lww.com/jbisrir/fulltext/2018/11000/mental_health_and_wellbeing_during_the_transition.10.aspx) Baldwin S, Malone M, Sandall J, et al (2019) A qualitative exploratory study of UK first-time fathers’ experiences, mental health and wellbeing needs during their transition to fatherhood. BMJ Open 2019;9:e030792. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030792. Baldwin S., Malone, M., Murrells, T. et al. (2021) A mixed-methods feasibility study of an intervention to improve men’s mental health and wellbeing during their transition to fatherhood. BMC Public Health 21, 1813. Baldwin S, Malone M, Sandall J, Bick D. (2022) A process evaluation of Promotional Guides used by health visitors to support men's transition to fatherhood: a qualitative study. Perspectives in Public Health. 2022 Sep 8:17579139221118243. doi: 10.1177/17579139221118243. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36073355. Levant, R. F., & Wong, Y. J. (2017). The psychology of men and masculinities. American Psychological Association. Mahalik, J. R., Burns, S. M., Syzdek, M. (2022). Masculinity and cultural diversity: New directions for counselling research and practice. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 69(3), 243–256. Richards, C., Bouman, W. P., Seal, L., Barker, M. J., Nieder, T. O., & T’Sjoen, G. (2017). Non-binary or genderqueer genders. International Review of Psychiatry, 29(3), 259–279. Seidler, Z. E., Dawes, A. J., Rice, S. M., Oliffe, J. L., & Dhillon, H. M. (2016). The role of masculinity in men’s help-seeking for depression: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 49, 106–118. --- # Managing Compassion Fatigue and Secondary Trauma in Therapeutic Work By Meg Moss 4th August 2025 Compassion fatigue and secondary trauma are often spoken about as though they’re by-products of caring too much, but there are complex reactions and interactions teeming beneath the surface of our selves: physically, emotionally, and neurologically. At a basic level, compassion fatigue describes the emotional and physical exhaustion that can come from sustained exposure to others people's suffering. It’s what happens when our empathic systems are over activated, again and again, without time to fully recover. While burnout is usually linked to systemic issues like workload or working conditions, compassion fatigue is deeply relational, and stems from being emotionally present with pain, both repeatedly and intimately. When we hear trauma stories, our bodies respond. Our limbic system, particularly the amygdala, may trigger stress responses, activating the sympathetic nervous system and releasing cortisol and adrenaline. In small, time-limited doses, this is part of what allows us to attune and respond sensitively to our clients. But when exposure is chronic, and especially when it’s accompanied by a sense of helplessness or emotional isolation, these systems don’t get a chance to recalibrate. That’s when we start to see the symptoms of compassion fatigue and secondary trauma: emotional numbing, intrusive thoughts, difficulty sleeping, hypervigilance, or even physical symptoms like headaches, fatigue, or gastrointestinal issues. Over time, our prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for emotional regulation and executive function, can become less effective at modulating these responses, which means we may begin to feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or struggle to switch off: our nervous system has been stuck in ‘on’ for too long, and doesn't know how to switch itself off again - at least, not without some conscious help. In the therapy room, these physiological responses are often amplified by the very skills that make us good at what we do; our ability to attune deeply, to hold silence, to be fully present with someone else's emotional world, are the relational superpowers that we've spent years training for. They do also mean, however, that we're constantly engaging our empathic circuitry, and that can lead to some repercussions. Over time, especially when working with trauma, grief, violence, or injustice, our nervous system can start to internalise our clients' experiences. We might find ourselves absorbing their affective states, or struggling to let go of a session that’s stayed with us in our body as much as our mind. This can play out in different ways - perhaps a sense of dread before a particular client, a session that leaves us inexplicably tearful, or a growing discomfort we can’t quite name. In particularly difficult times, there can be a blurring of the boundaries between our own distress and what’s been shared with us. While we’re trained to manage transference and countertransference consciously, secondary trauma can creep in through the back door, and it’s not that we’re doing anything wrong when that happens, but it’s that the work is, quite literally, changing how our brain and body respond to the world. Compassion fatigue and secondary trauma rarely arrive all at once. More often, they build slowly, threading themselves insidiously through our practice. It might begin with a sense of emotional depletion at the end of the day, or a creeping reluctance to sit with clients whose stories echo those we've already heard too many times. In the short term, we might dismiss it as a busy week, a tricky case, or just needing a bit of a break. Over time, though, that persistent empathic exposure, especially when combined with systemic pressures (things like personal stress, or a lack of replenishing spaces) can leave us more vulnerable to fatigue. It’s important to note that it's not just the content of what we hear that affects us, but the relationship we form to it. Our work often demands stillness, presence, emotional receptivity... even when we're holding distressing or traumatic material. That sustained internal effort, especially without outlets for processing, can lead to what some researchers describe as an ‘empathetic residue’. This can show up in all sorts of ways. You might notice that you’re emotionally flattening: finding it harder to connect, or even just going through the motions - unable to really connect with your clients and your work, and just trying to get through the day. Or the opposite might also be true: you might find yourself feeling everything too much, becoming more reactive or tearful, with the emotional boundary between you and your client starting to feel porous. Outside of sessions, compassion fatigue might manifest as chronic tiredness, headaches, or digestive issues, or as mood shifts, like irritability, numbness, or withdrawal from people you care about. You might struggle to focus, find yourself avoiding certain clients or issues, or experience a persistent, background sense of dread. With secondary trauma in particular, there can also be more acute signs, like intrusive images, nightmares, or heightened startle responses, as if your nervous system is beginning to react as though the trauma has happened to you. Be reassured here, if you're visiting this page because you suspect this might be you: none of this is a sign that you’re not cut out for the work. They’re signs that your system is doing exactly what it was designed to do, but without enough recovery time in between. So we know what it is, how it happens, and what it looks like. But what can we actually do about it? Mitigating compassion fatigue and secondary trauma hinges on creating more space for recovery, regulation, and reflection. How could that look? Perhaps like pacing your caseload more intentionally, especially if you’re holding a lot of trauma work, or allowing time between sessions to re-centre rather than rushing straight into the next. It also means listening to your internal signals, even the faint ones. Personal therapy, but at minimum good quality supervision, can help with this. Look out for things like a sense of dread before a session, a rising tension in your shoulders, the way your thoughts linger on a client’s story long after the session ends... these are just some ideas, but you know yourself, and give yourself some honest space to really check in. Outside of supervision, reflective practice, whether through journaling, peer discussion, or simply noticing your emotional rhythms, can help build the kind of self-awareness that protects against emotional overload. There's also something here about knowing that you have the right to be impacted, and recognising that needing space to process what we’ve heard is an important part of keeping ourselves well. Self-compassion is one of the most evidence-based protective factors against compassion fatigue, but it’s also one of the hardest things to practise when we’re overwhelmed. It asks us to soften instead of brace, and to care for ourselves with the same depth of understanding we offer to our clients. That might mean setting clearer boundaries around work time, letting yourself say no to a new referral, or taking seriously the emotional toll of the work you’re doing. Connection helps too. Isolation tends to magnify fatigue, while honest conversations with trusted peers and supervisors can offer both validation and perspective. It’s often in these spaces that we remember we’re not the only ones who’ve felt this way. When things start to feel too much, the most important thing is to not retreat into silence. There can be a strong desire, especially for those of us in counselling & psychotherapy, to manage it all ourselves. To tell ourselves that it’ll pass, that we just need a good night’s sleep, that we should be able to cope. Saying to ourselves: this is what we do; we can get through this, it's our job. Compassion fatigue and secondary trauma, though, are signs that something needs attending to, and that we might need support of our own. For many, that begins with an honest conversation in supervision, naming what’s going on without fear of judgement or perceived failure. Good supervision can hold space for both clinical reflection and emotional processing, offering a mirror to help us see where we might be overextending or under-supported. Sometimes, though, supervision isn’t enough. If your symptoms are affecting your day-to-day life, your relationships, or your sense of self, it might be time to access your own therapy. Many experienced practitioners speak of the value of returning to therapy at different points in their career. If things feel acute, if you’re experiencing signs of secondary trauma like intrusive thoughts, sleep disturbances, or heightened anxiety, it may also be worth speaking to your GP. It’s OK to need support. And it’s OK to press pause for a little while. Taking time to regroup is a responsibility you have to yourself, to your clients, and to all the hard work you've done so far to get where you are. **Take a look at the** [**NCPS directory**](https://www.search-ncps.com/search) **to find someone who can help.** ***References & Further Reading:*** *How can I manage compassion fatigue? :* [*https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1495*](https://www.bmj.com/content/373/bmj.n1495) *Building Compassion Fatigue Resilience: Awareness, Prevention, and Intervention for Pre-Professionals and Current Practitioners:* [*https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8812061/*](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8812061/) *Five ways to combat compassion fatigue:* [*https://www.rcn.org.uk/magazines/Wellbeing/2022/May/Five-ways-to-combat-compassion-fatigue*](https://www.rcn.org.uk/magazines/Wellbeing/2022/May/Five-ways-to-combat-compassion-fatigue) *5 Pathways for Healing Compassion Fatigue:* [*https://ctrinstitute.com/blog/5-pathways-healing-compassion-fatigue/*](https://ctrinstitute.com/blog/5-pathways-healing-compassion-fatigue/) *How to prevent compassion fatigue:* [*https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/articles/how-to-prevent-compassion-fatigue*](https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/articles/how-to-prevent-compassion-fatigue) *The role of self-compassion in the relationship between empathy and compassion fatigue in counselling psychologists:* [*https://ejcop.scholasticahq.com/article/88375-the-role-of-self-compassion-in-the-relationship-between-empathy-and-compassion-fatigue-in-counseling-psychologists*](https://ejcop.scholasticahq.com/article/88375-the-role-of-self-compassion-in-the-relationship-between-empathy-and-compassion-fatigue-in-counseling-psychologists) *Therapy for Therapists: Coping with Compassion Fatigue:* [*https://psychcentral.com/pro/therapy-for-therapists-coping-with-compassion-fatigue#1*](https://psychcentral.com/pro/therapy-for-therapists-coping-with-compassion-fatigue#1) --- # Member Update: Stronger Security Checks for Adults Working with Children and Vulnerable People News Children, young people & families Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 28th November 2025 The Ministry of Justice has announced stronger security checks for adults working with children from January 2026, which include plans for more rigorous identity verification, clearer standards for vetting, and more consistency across organisations that work with young people. The Government has been explicit that the aim is to improve public protection and ensure that every child interacts only with adults who have been properly assessed. These changes are expected to come into effect next year, following further detail and consultation. We welcome this announcement, and it is something we have been advocating for for many years. While Accredited Registers already require robust training, ethical practice, supervision, and fitness-to-practise or professional conduct processes, improvements to identity checks and vetting add another welcome element to protecting the public. As these measures come into force, we hope to see greater public understanding of what 'safe practice' looks like, and a growing expectation that therapists will be able to demonstrate clear credentials, accountability, and commitment to safeguarding. For those working in private practice, this shift is likely to help build confidence in the profession. Clearer national standards around verification and suitability mean that parents and carers will have more assurance when seeking a therapist outside of statutory services e.g. NHS or school counselling, and this in turn supports the wider recognition of Accredited Registers as a trusted and proportionate model of regulation. As more information is released over the coming months, we will continue to analyse the detail and update members on any practical implications for counselling & psychotherapy, and will, of course, keep members updated. --- # MHRA issues new guidance for people using mental health apps and technologies News Mental Health Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 20th February 2026 New advice on using apps and other digital tools to support mental health was published by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on the 27th of January, as part of [free online resources developed with NHS England](https://www.minded.org.uk/Component/Details/851376) for the public, parents, carers and professionals who use or recommend these tools. More people in the UK, particularly young people, are turning to digital tools for mental health support. From symptom-tracking apps to virtual reality therapies, these products are now widely available and often used alongside NHS and community care, but it is not always clear which are reliable, safe or right for an individual. The new guidance aims to help people make more informed choices and know what to do if something doesn’t feel right. ### **MHRA Chair and professor of primary care at the University of Oxford, Professor Anthony Harnden, said:** “When someone turns to a tool to help with their mental health, they need to know it is safe, effective, and built on reliable evidence. Our aim is to give people clear, practical advice they can use in everyday life, so they understand what good looks like and when to speak up if something doesn’t feel right. “As a GP, I’ve seen how patients can benefit from accessing digital tools alongside traditional forms of care. This guidance supports better conversations between clinicians and patients and helps everyone ask the right questions about whether a tool is right for them. “Digital mental health technologies are not a replacement for professional healthcare. Anyone experiencing mental health difficulties should seek support from trained professionals.” ## **Five things to check before using a digital mental health tool:** ### **1. What is it claiming to do?** Does the product offer general wellbeing support, or does it claim to diagnose, treat or manage a mental health condition? Claims about medical benefit should be clearly explained and supported by evidence. ### **2. Who is it for?** A tool built for adults may not be suitable for teenagers or children. Age and intended users should be clearly stated. ### **3. Is there evidence it works?** Trustworthy products will explain how they have been tested or evaluated, for example in a clinical study. Be cautious of products making big promises without clear supporting information. ### **4. What happens to your data?** These tools often collect very sensitive personal information. You should be able to easily find out how your data is stored and used. ### **5. Is it is regulated as a medical device?** Some digital mental health technologies are classed as medical devices, for example those claiming to diagnose, treat or manage a mental health condition. These must meet safety standards and display a CE or UKCA mark. People can look for the marking and check whether the product is registered using the MHRA’s online [public register](https://pard.mhra.gov.uk/). This gives you extra reassurance, as it means it meets UK safety standards, is registered with the MHRA and is monitored once in use. Not all digital mental health technologies are regulated as medical devices – some are instead classed as wellbeing or lifestyle products. This does not necessarily mean they are unsafe, but they may not have been through the same checks. If a regulated digital mental health technology causes harm or distress, you can report concerns to the MHRA [Yellow Card scheme](https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/). ## **What the new resources offer** The new online resources use short animations and real-world examples to show what safe, well-evidenced digital mental health technologies look like in practice, and explain how to report concerns through the [MHRA Yellow Card scheme](https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/) so action can be taken to protect others. The guidance is aimed at anyone using these technologies, as well as parents and carers, and includes professionals who often recommend them, including teachers, nurses, GPs and mental health practitioners. The resources have been developed by the MHRA in partnership with NHS England’s MindEd Technology Enhanced Learning programme as part of a [Wellcome-funded project to support the safe and effective use of digital mental health technologies](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/digital-mental-health-technology). Since its start in 2023, the MHRA, in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has focused on proportionate regulation and evaluation in the fast-moving area of digital mental health technologies, working closely with people with lived experience, mental health specialists, developers and international partners. ### **Chief Scientific Officer at NICE, Dr Nick Crabb, said:** “Our role at NICE is to help practitioners and commissioners get the best care to people, fast, while ensuring value for the taxpayer. As digital mental health technologies become more widely used, it’s vital that people can access tools that are safe, effective and built on robust evidence. “These new resources will help people ask the right questions and make informed choices. This matters now more than ever, as the government’s 10 Year Health Plan expands NICE’s technology appraisal process to cover devices, diagnostics and digital products for the first time. Our collaboration with the MHRA and Wellcome is helping to lay the groundwork for this – ensuring that innovation in mental health is matched by rigorous, proportionate evaluation so that the best digital tools can reach those who need them.” ### **Head of Digital Technology, Discovery Research and Mental Health at Wellcome, Matthew Brown, said:** “As more people turn to digital mental health technologies for support, we need practical ways for regulators, developers, and healthcare providers to work together so that safe, effective interventions reach those who need them. “These technologies offer transformative opportunities and we need better evidence to understand what works, for whom, and in which contexts. Our partnership with MHRA and NICE over the coming years reflects this commitment, bringing research, policy, and innovation together to create earlier and more effective support for anxiety, depression, and psychosis.” ### **The Health Minister in Northern Ireland, Mike Nesbitt said:** “Digital tools give people information at their fingertips, helping them understand their conditions better, which can help them take greater control of their mental health and take steps to find tailored solutions. I welcome this new resource, which will allow people to make more informed choices around which apps are safe and effective, based on evidence. “For me, health literacy is both about understanding your own health and also how to navigate a complex Health and Social Care system. Apps will prove to be highly accessible tools in improving health literacy. It is important people have confidence in the Apps they may rely upon.” ### **Head of Information at Mind, Stephen Buckley, said:** “It’s really important that people can understand what good support looks like. Digital tools such as these are a useful way for people to access information and help alongside more traditional mental health support.” ### **President of the British Psychological Society, Dr Roman Raczka, said:** “As more people turn to mental health therapy apps for support, it is timely that the MHRA has introduced this new guidance to help users make an informed choice in an ever-growing market. “However, we must remember that while AI can deliver significant benefits, it must never replace the human support which is fundamental to effective mental health care. Instead, it must be integrated thoughtfully to support human-led care, not replace it entirely. AI cannot replicate genuine human empathy and can create an illusion of connection rather than meaningful interaction.” ### **Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy at the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society, Meg Moss, said:** "It's encouraging to see the MHRA publishing guidance on digital mental health tools; it is clearly much needed. As more people, particularly young people, turn to apps and online platforms for support, they will need more practical advice around safety, efficacy, and protecting their data. At the same time, we must be clear about what digital tools can and cannot offer. Digital tools cannot replace the healing power of a genuine human relationship. Decades of research consistently show that the quality of the therapeutic relationship – the trust, empathy, and collaboration between client and practitioner – is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes. Even as we embrace innovation, we must ensure it enhances, rather than erodes, opportunities for people to be in meaningful relationship with another human being." **The MHRA are encouraging anyone using mental health apps or other technologies – or supporting someone who does – to explore the new guidance and report any concerns, helping to improve safety for everyone.** --- # Motherhood is complicated Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 3rd September 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Katie Blackwell, for this article.*** A year after becoming a mother, I found myself thinking about a question I had been asked countless times: **“Are you loving being a mother?”** It sounds like such a simple question. Almost a question with only one acceptable answer. “Yes. It’s amazing.” But whenever I was asked, I found myself hesitating. Because the honest answer was: **it’s complicated.** And when I said that, I noticed the pause. The silence. The sense that perhaps I was supposed to correct myself, to reassure the person asking that of course I was happy, of course I loved it, of course becoming a mother was everything I had imagined it would be. So, a year into motherhood, I wanted to answer the question honestly. The moment my daughter was placed on my chest, I was completely in love. I was also exhausted beyond anything I had experienced before. I had been in labour for 36 hours. I couldn't feel below my waist. I spent five days in hospital. I was in pain, vulnerable and completely dependent on other people. I had maternal sepsis and my baby and I were both being given antibiotics for the infection. I couldn't walk properly. I couldn't sit up or lift my own baby in and out of the cot beside my bed. I couldn't get clothes out of my bag. I couldn't wash without help. I remember feeling as though I had lost all my dignity. My body no longer felt like it belonged to me. And yet, alongside all of that, I was so completely in love with my baby. There we were: this tiny, perfect person and me, both vulnerable in different ways. She depended entirely on me, while I depended on other people just to get through the most basic parts of the day. And somehow, in the middle of all of that, we had become a family. That was my introduction to motherhood. Not the polished version. Not the version where you look beautiful holding your newborn, everything feels magical and you instinctively know what you're doing. The real version. Raw. Messy. Painful. Beautiful. Motherhood is a wild ride. It is unforgiving in ways you don't expect. You become a new person, whether you are ready for that transformation or not. Your life is no longer entirely your own. Your time is no longer entirely your own. Even your thoughts can stop feeling like they belong entirely to you. Being postpartum hurts. Being so exhausted that you feel it deep in your bones hurts. Not having time to yourself hurts. Questioning whether you're doing a good enough job hurts. Carrying the mental load of another human being every minute of every day hurts. Hearing your baby cry and not knowing how to help them hurts. There are so many small losses that nobody necessarily warns you about. The freedom to leave the house without thinking about everything you need to take with you. The freedom to sleep when you're tired. The freedom to sit quietly and finish a thought. The freedom to make a decision based entirely on what *you* want. The feeling that your body belongs entirely to you. And perhaps one of the strangest parts is that you can miss those things without wishing your baby wasn't there. Because that is the contradiction nobody really talks about. **You can love motherhood and struggle with motherhood.** You can be incredibly grateful and completely exhausted. You can feel more fulfilled than ever while simultaneously grieving parts of the person you used to be. You can love your baby more fiercely than you knew was possible and still desperately need an hour alone. You can feel like you've lost yourself and, at the same time, feel as though you have finally become yourself. That is what makes motherhood so complicated. Because, despite everything, I have also been the happiest and best version of myself since having a child. I've never felt so close to my partner. I've never loved so fiercely. I've never felt more complete. I've never smiled so much. I've discovered a belief in myself that I didn't know I had. And I look forward to every day. All of these things are true. The difficult things are true. The beautiful things are true. Perhaps that is what becoming a mother really is: entering a completely new life stage where everything can be true at once. You haven't simply added a baby to the life you already had. Your identity changes. Your relationships change. Your priorities change. Your relationship with your body changes. Your relationship with time changes. Your understanding of love changes. And even though you may have wanted this new life more than anything, there can still be grief for the life that came before it. I think we sometimes struggle to acknowledge that. We treat happiness as though it means there can be no sadness. Gratitude as though it means you aren't allowed to complain. Love as though it means everything should suddenly feel easy. But that's not how human experience works. A new life stage doesn't erase the person you were before. You carry her with you. Sometimes you miss her. Sometimes you are relieved to have left parts of her behind. Sometimes you discover that becoming a mother has brought out a version of yourself you didn't know existed. And sometimes, all of those things happen in the same day. So, when someone asks me now, **“Are you loving being a mother?”**, I think I understand why I struggled to answer. Because “yes” is true. But it isn't the whole truth. Motherhood has been the most extraordinary, exhausting, painful, joyful, consuming and transformative experience of my life. It has taken things from me. It has given me things I could never have imagined. It has changed me. And perhaps that is what life stages are supposed to do. They don't simply move us forward. They ask us to let go of one version of ourselves and make space for another. So yes, I love being a mother. And yes, it's complicated. I think we should be allowed to say both. And to every mother sitting alone in the dark, rocking her baby, wondering whether everyone else is finding this easier than she is: **I see you.** **I was you.** **It gets better.** --- # NCPS engagement with Baroness Tyler leads to amendment to Children's Wellbeing & Schools Bill News Children, young people & families Research & Campaigns Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 8th January 2026 We’re pleased to see a [probing amendment](https://bills.parliament.uk/Publications/64067/Documents/7529) tabled by Baroness Tyler of Enfield to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which brings much-needed attention to access to counselling and therapeutic support in schools. The amendment follows detailed policy discussions, working closely with Barnardo’s, as part of our shared efforts to ensure children and young people can access timely, appropriate mental health support before difficulties escalate. Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy, Meg Moss, supported the drafting of the amendment alongside Barnardo’s, drawing on NCPS research, member insight, and our long-standing policy work on early intervention, school-based counselling, and the ‘missing middle’ of unmet need. The amendment proposes that children and young people should be able to access emotional and mental health support within their school, delivered by appropriately registered practitioners. It also seeks to strengthen the role of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) by ensuring access to counselling or equivalent therapeutic support for pupils whose needs are too complex for low-intensity interventions but do not meet Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) thresholds. Many children fall between existing services: they're often considered ‘not unwell enough’ for high-intensity mental health support, while their needs aren't able to be met by brief or low-intensity interventions. Without access to relational, therapeutic support at the right moment, these children are at risk of worsening distress, disengagement from education, and longer-term harm. Speaking about the amendment, Meg Moss said: > “This amendment is an important opportunity to open up a more serious discussion about what meaningful mental health support in schools actually looks like. We hear time and again from practitioners, schools, and young people themselves that there is a gap between early help and specialist services. Counselling can, and does, play a key role in that space, but only if it is properly recognised and embedded. Some schools already do that amazingly well, but we'd like to see this at a policy level so that every school, and every child, can benefit from best practice.” We’re grateful to Baroness Tyler for tabling this amendment and for her ongoing passion for and engagement with the evidence and policy challenges in this area. We also value the collaborative approach taken with partners, including Barnardo’s, BACP, and Place2Be, recognising that sustainable change in children’s mental health requires coordinated effort across organisations, sectors, and disciplines. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will now continue its passage through Parliament, with further stages and potential amendments ahead. NCPS will continue to engage with peers, MPs, and sector partners to ensure that counselling & psychotherapy is properly understood, appropriately positioned, and meaningfully included in future policy for children and young people. --- # NCPS Responds: New Ipsos research shows why so many Britons are turning to AI for personal advice and support Blog Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 9th October 2025 ### **Nearly one in five Britons have turned to artificial intelligence for personal advice, according to** [**a new Ipsos study**](https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/nearly-one-five-give-britons-turn-ai-personal-advice-new-ipsos-research-reveals) **exploring how people in Great Britain are using, and feeling about, AI in their daily lives.** As a profession that exists solely within human connection, that should give us pause. There’s something disquieting about people turning to, what is simply just very clever coding, for the *relational* stuff*.* Comfort, connection, companionship. According to the survey, 18% of adults have sought personal advice from AI tools, with around one in ten using it as 'someone to talk to'. Some even describe these systems as a substitute for counselling (9%). I will admit that it's easy to see why: AI doesn’t judge; it’s available instantaneously, for free, 24/7; and it can feel disarmingly human in how it mimics empathy or curiosity. For someone who’s anxious or isolated, that might feel like enough... at least at first. But the very fact that people are seeking relational contact from machines tells us something about what’s missing elsewhere. The emotional and connective landscape of our society is changing faster than our social systems can keep up. When waiting lists for mental health support stretch for months and months, and people spend more and more time on social media and less in human contact, it’s no surprise that some turn to tech for support: *voila*, a friend in your phone. A confidante in your computer. A listener in your laptop. Two-thirds of people in the study say they use polite language when talking to AI, which is actually very interesting and very telling. Saying “please” and “thank you” as though it were a person shows how easily we anthropomorphise (give non-human objects human-like characteristics*)* these Large Language Models (LLMs). We instinctively treat machines as relational, because that’s what humans do: we seek connection. I know the argument here is that this is something that people are known to do with almost everything. Cars, statues, houses, animals, plants... but the difference with those is, they don't actively try to hook you into a relationship with them. They don't take what you tell them and use it to keep you engaged, or use your private data to grow their database and make it easier to ultimately sell things to you. Or worse. Who knows where this journey will take us? But politeness doesn’t make AI care, although it certainly makes *us* feel like it does. The illusion of empathy can be powerful enough to make people open up to a system that, underneath its reassuring tone, doesn’t truly understand, remember, or hold a person in mind. This is where we, as counsellors & psychotherapists, have something essential to say. A therapeutic relationship is about attunement, mutual presence, and a sense of being seen. Words that sound caring are such a small part of what we do. It’s an experience that cannot be simulated, because it’s co-created between the therapist and the person or people there to do the work of therapy. ### **Key Findings** Some of the most striking results from the survey include: The survey sampled 2,189 adults aged 16–75, interviewed online between 18th and 20th July 2025, weighted for representativeness across Great Britain. The Ipsos data also found that many people who use AI for work. They use it to write cover letters, prepare for interviews, draft emails and, (un?)tellingly, often hide it. Around 29% said they don’t tell colleagues, and a quarter fear that if they did, it would reflect badly on them. There’s a strange kind of shame attached to this new reliance, as if using AI is both the way to get ahead, and somehow deceitful. It’s not hard to imagine that showing up in people's personal life, too. If someone’s been using AI to talk through their feelings, they could very well hesitate to admit it, even in therapy. They might feel embarrassed, or uncertain about what it says about them. As therapists, it’s worth gently exploring that landscape with curiosity rather than judgment. How did it feel to confide in something that isn’t human? Did it help, or did it highlight what was missing? How can they use it to complement the real work of therapy; not to distract from, detract from, or replace it? > The NCPS is actively working in this area because we see the potential impact this could have on counsellors & psychotherapists, especially at a time when many are already expected to work for free or low cost, despite the years of training and ongoing commitments to development and learning, the cost of registration, insurance, and all our other overheads. None of which AI chatbots have to concern themselves with. We should be looking after our counsellors & psychotherapists, sure, but not just for our own interests - society's relational muscles will atrophy if they're not used, and who knows what the long-term impacts of that will be. I can only say that it certainly won't be a good thing if we, a social species, forget how to live and be together. > > Meg Moss - Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy, NCPS Despite the clearly burgeoning uptake, the same survey does give us some reassurance and hope for the future. Most people don’t believe AI can truly replicate human interaction or emotion. Nearly two-thirds reject the idea that AI could *feel* anything, or ever be a genuine substitute for another person. People might turn to AI for information, or even comfort. When it comes to being understood, witnessed, or changed through relationship, though, they still turn to people. What we need to do is to better understand AI and its relationship to therapy, and to consider the journey ahead: to recognise where it’s being used, to advocate for relational safeguards in mental health support tools, and to keep making the case for why human connection is, and will always be, essential. If you'd like to support our work in this area, please take a look at our campaign: [Therapeutic Relationships: the Human Connection](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/therapeutic-relationships). You can also share our [Principles for Relational Safeguards in AI Mental Health Support Tools](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Principles-for-Relational-Safeguards-in-AI-Mental-Health-Tools.pdf). Write to your MP, write to your local newspaper, talk to your friends and family about how important this is. If we keep this conversation going, maybe we can change the course of this together. --- # NHS launches new guidance on registration requirements for psychological professions News Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 27th August 2026 NHS England has [published new guidance](https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/guidance-on-nhs-registration-requirements-for-use-of-psychological-professions-titles/) setting out the registration requirements for the psychological professions working in NHS commissioned services in England. > The public need to know whether psychological professionals are appropriately qualified and competent to do their job. This guidance helps by defining clear registration requirements for the use of each of the psychological professions titles within the NHS in England. The NHS psychological professions taxonomy is the framework that defines the roles making up the psychological professions workforce. It was established as part of the [Psychological Professions Vision for England, 2021 - 2024](https://www.ppn.nhs.uk/resources-url/ppn-publications/41-national-vision-for-psychological-professions/file), and recognises 21 occupations across three groupings: psychologists, psychological therapists, and psychological practitioners. Counsellors & psychotherapists sit within the psychological therapist grouping. The new guidance sets out clearly which registration is required to use each of those titles within the NHS. The guidance confirms that registration on a PSA Accredited Register is a recognised route to public protection and transparency, on the same footing as statutory regulation. For counselling & psychotherapy, it names five of the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB) as the recognised registers: NCPS, BACP, UKCP, ACC and BPC. In practical terms, this means: - NHS employers recognise NCPS registrants for counselling & psychotherapy roles. - To work with adults, practitioners need to be registered as a SCoPEd column B or column C practitioner on a PSA Accredited Register with one of the PCPB bodies. - To work with children and young people, practitioners need to be registered with one of the PCPB bodies and hold the competencies required for that work. Regarding Column A, the guidance also allows, by exception and at the discretion of the chief psychological professions officer, for practitioners aligned to SCoPEd column A to be brought into some pathways where there's no national guidance to the contrary. This wasn't possible before, and so while we're not yet at the stage where practitioners in Column A have a straightforward route into employment within the NHS, this is something we will continue to advocate for and hope to see further progress. The guidance is to be adopted across NHS commissioned services by the 31st of March 2027, and we will keep members updated on any developments. **A note from Jyles, NCPS CEO:** > Counselling & psychotherapy have long been part of the support the NHS offers, but the profession's place within it hasn't always been clearly defined or well-recognised. The modern era of NHS talking therapies began with the IAPT programme (which is now NHS Talking Therapies) in 2008, which saw a massive expansion of access to psychological therapy, but was built largely around CBT; counselling & psychotherapy, alongside other modalities, have spent years working to establish their place alongside it. This recognition is the result of many years of work: engaging with the NHS, building relationships across Parliament, and consistently making the case for the value that counsellors & psychotherapists bring. To see the profession, and the Society, named so clearly in national NHS guidance is a hugely positive result, and warmly welcomed by the team here who have worked so hard on this in the background. --- # Major expansion of community mental health support across England News Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 7th August 2026 This week the government made a very welcome announcement of £343 million for 159 new NHS mental health facilities across England: 100 community mental health centres offering walk-in support with no referral and no months-long wait, and 59 mental health emergency departments so that people in crisis have somewhere to go that isn't a busy A&E. The first sites open this autumn, with more from March 2027. It could be the biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation. We've been calling for earlier support, that's closer to home, and without a lengthy referral process, for years, but the main thing that's missing at this point, and could be so easily included, is choice. It remains to be seen as to whether that will be considered as part of the changes. If those 159 centres do end up offering quicker access to a single type of support, then we'll have solved the waiting-list problem, but people still won't have the autonomy and agency they need. As we know, people come to counselling & psychotherapy with different needs, different histories, different ways of making sense of themselves, and what helps one person won't always help the next, which is why the option to choose an approach that fits, and a practitioner you feel you can work with, is as important as how quickly they can get to see someone. The press release talks about 'specialist teams' and 'the right expertise', but it doesn't mention counsellors & psychotherapists, and it says nothing about the commissioning arrangements that don't currently utilise them, which is something we'll be raising. The expertise these centres are looking for already exists, and it's already regulated via PSA Accredited Registers, so how can we ensure they'll be commissioned in a way that recognises the workforce that's already here. On a very positive note, it's heartening to know that, while AI tools are being sold as a quick substitute for therapy in many places, the government is choosing to invest in real, relational support within communities. The mental health strategy is still to come, and it'll be shaped by Professor Fonagy's prevalence review, both of which the Society has contributed to, so there are more details left to analyse, but we're hopeful that positive change for the profession is now much closer than it has been for a long, long time. More details about the Government's press release below: - Up to 159 new NHS mental health centres will open across England from this autumn, bringing crucial support directly into neighbourhoods - New centres in communities are designed to catch problems early, so fewer people reach crisis point in the first place - People in crisis will get dedicated mental health emergency care rather than a long wait in a busy A&E People struggling with their mental health will get help earlier and closer to home, with 159 new NHS mental health facilities opening across England under plans announced today (6 August 2026). Backed by £343 million, the rollout is the biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation. It includes: - 100 new community mental health centres, offering walk-in support without a referral and without a months-long wait - 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments giving people in crisis specialist care in a place designed for them Demand for mental health services has risen sharply, particularly among children and young people, with around 1 in 5 people experiencing a common mental health condition each year. Too often, people only receive support once they reach crisis point, leaving families without the help they need and placing greater pressure on NHS services. The new centres will make it far easier for people to get the right help the first time they ask for it, by bringing mental health and specialist teams together under one roof - working alongside GPs, councils, the voluntary sector and families, with direct links into housing and employment support. The first sites open from autumn this year, with further facilities following from March 2027. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: > Nobody should be left to struggle with their mental health alone. But every day, thousands of people are waiting months for help, then finding the only door open to them is a busy A&E. > > These new centres will be a lifeline for so many. They will bring NHS services closer to home, making it easier to get support before problems get worse, and ensuring those in crisis get the right care in the right place. > > On the steps of Downing Street, I said we would build a country that acts sooner when people need help. Today is just the start of making that a reality. The announcement comes as the Health and Social Care Secretary visits a community mental health centre in Sheffield, one of 6 already operating in England. Health and Social Care Secretary Yvette Cooper said: > Too many people are only getting mental health support when they reach crisis point, after struggling for far too long to get the help they need. > > These new community mental health centres will help people get support earlier and closer to home, making it easier to get the right care before problems escalate. And when someone does need urgent help, new mental health emergency departments will be able to make sure they are seen quickly by specialist teams in the right setting. > > This is how we can turn the tide on mental ill health - preventing more people from reaching crisis, cutting waits for care and building an NHS which is there for everyone when they need it. Some of the community hubs will be newly built facilities, while others will be in libraries, banks and other community or high-street locations to move care closer to where people live, improving access. They will all be in the heart of the neighbourhoods they serve and designed as welcoming settings with a non-clinical appearance. Alongside this, 59 new mental health emergency departments will provide fast, same-day specialist support for people experiencing a crisis who are medically fit and do not need treatment in A&E. Located with emergency departments and working closely with ambulance and police services, they will provide a calm, therapeutic environment where people can be assessed quickly and connected to the right ongoing care, whether that’s inpatient treatment, support at home or community services. The rollout will more than double the number of dedicated emergency departments in England, taking the total to 82. This is the first phase of a wider rollout set out in the [10 Year Health Plan](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/10-year-health-plan-for-england-fit-for-the-future), backed by £343 million in mental health facilities. Dr Nick Broughton, National Priority Programme Director for Mental Health, Learning Disability and Neurodevelopmental Conditions, said: > Across the country, NHS teams are already working to provide mental health support closer to where people live, alongside specialist care for those who need more urgent help. > > The rollout of more community mental health centres and dedicated mental health emergency departments will build on this work, strengthening both early support in the community and care for people in crisis, while helping services work together more effectively around people’s needs. Brian Dow, Deputy Chief Executive at Rethink Mental Illness, said: > Everyone should be able to access mental health support in their local community, when and where they need it. > > The expansion of neighbourhood mental health centres is a vital step towards making this a reality, building on the promising results of existing pilot sites. > > By bringing together treatment and wider support services under one roof, these centres can transform experiences of care, helping people to access support earlier and preventing them from reaching crisis point. Today’s announcement supports the government’s mission to shift care from crisis to prevention, helping people get support earlier and closer to home. It forms part of the forthcoming mental health strategy, which will look beyond the NHS to the role of schools, employers, local government and the voluntary sector in supporting good mental health. The mental health strategy will be informed by the upcoming recommendations from Professor Peter Fonagy’s [independent review into prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/independent-review-into-mental-health-conditions-adhd-and-autism). By intervening earlier, the government aims to help more children stay in education, more adults remain in or return to work, and reduce the number of people reaching crisis point, helping build a healthier and more resilient Britain. Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at the Mental Health Foundation, said: > Many of the drivers of poor mental health are issues like problem debt, unemployment, and living in insecure, poor-quality housing. Addressing these concerns helps prevent poor mental health and makes recovery more successful. > > By bringing together services in community hubs, the NHS and other services can take an earlier and holistic approach to mental health. Easy access to joined-up, same-day support will make it simpler for people to navigate between different services. It will allow people to get help sooner, stopping poor mental health and other challenges they face from getting worse. Tom Pollard Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Campaigns at Mind, said: > This is a promising step towards more people getting the mental health support they need, when they need it. Too often, we hear from people struggling to access overstretched services whose mental health worsens because of this. > > These plans signal a much-needed shift towards a neighbourhood approach, with preventative, open-access mental health support rooted in communities and integrated with other local services. If fully realised, this could transform the quality and accessibility of mental health support. We hope to see the government build on these principles in the upcoming mental health strategy. Lynn Perry, Chief Executive at Barnardo’s, said: > The mental health of far too many children and young people is at crisis point. We urgently need to shift focus from response to prevention - helping children and young people get the support they need before reaching crisis point. > > That’s why we welcome the rollout of new mental health centres that are embedded into the neighbourhoods that need them, and hope that the needs of children and young people are placed right at the heart. > > This is an important step towards giving every child and young person the opportunity to grow up healthier, happier and able to thrive, with support that improves outcomes for life. Rosie Phillips, Deputy CEO at Bipolar UK, said: > The lack of a clear pathway to support for people with bipolar has cost jobs, relationships and, in some cases, lives. Expanding community mental health services is a welcome step towards helping people before they reach crisis point. But, for those who do, it’s reassuring to see more therapeutic alternatives to A&E being prioritised. > > For bipolar, preventative care means faster diagnosis, regular medication reviews, and better access to talking therapies and peer support. If these new services can deliver that, they could be a game changer for people with bipolar and those who love them. Professor Subodh Dave, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: > We welcome this recommitment to investing in mental health services, which has the potential to help more people access support earlier and closer to home. To maximise its impact, it will be important to build on past learnings and ensure these new services deliver genuinely joined-up care for patients, without compromising quality. > > New neighbourhood services and same-day emergency care pathways should simplify access to support by reducing repeated assessments and fragmented care. Mental health is a key component of neighbourhood healthcare, and this model must be developed to meet the needs of people with severe mental illness, as this will help to ensure they receive the right care at the right time. ## **Background information and locations** There are currently 6 community-based mental health centres (CMHCs) and 23 mental health emergency departments (MHEDs). The government is today announcing 100 CMHCs and 59 MHEDs as part of a multi-wave plan. The first facilities are expected to open from autumn 2026, with further sites opening from March 2027. Fifty seven will be new-builds, while 102 will be conversions of existing sites. £156 million has been allocated to trusts for the initial 59 new MHEDs, with £187 million allocated for the initial 100 new CMHCs. Final locations are subject to designs, procurement and business case approvals. ### **East of England** MHEDs: - Addenbrooke’s Hospital - Calnwood Court, Luton - Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital - North Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - Woodlands – Mental Health Services CMHCs: - Cambridgeshire South - Clacton-on-Sea - East and North Hertfordshire - East Norfolk (2 sites) - Luton - Milton Keynes - North Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - North Norfolk - South and West Hertfordshire - Thurrock Community Hospital - Watford - West Norfolk (King’s Lynn and West Norfolk) - West Suffolk ### **London** MHEDs: - City and Hackney - Lakeside Mental Health Unit - Maudsley Hospital (near King’s College Hospital) - Newham General Hospital - Northwick Park and St Mark’s Hospital - Queen Mary’s Hospital, Bexley - St George’s Hospital, Wandsworth - The Royal London Hospital - Whipps Cross University Hospital CMHCs: - Barking and Dagenham - Barnet - Brent - Camden - City and Hackney - Croydon - Enfield - Hammersmith and Fulham - Hillingdon - Islington - Lambeth - Newham - North or Central London - South West London (4 sites) - Southwark - Waltham Forest - Westminster - Wandsworth ### **Midlands** MHEDs: - Birmingham - Bushey Fields Hospital, Dudley - Chesterfield Royal Hospital - Kingsway Hospital, Derby City - Leicester City - Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham - Staffordshire CMHCs: - Birmingham (3 sites) - Coalville - Coventry - Dudley - Hereford and Worcestershire (2 sites) - Leicester City (2 sites) - Lincolnshire (2 sites) - Multiple centres in Nottinghamshire - North Northamptonshire - Sandwell - South Derbyshire - Staffordshire - Stoke-on-Trent - West Northamptonshire (2 sites) ### **North East and Yorkshire** MHEDs: - Barnsley District General Hospital - Lanchester Road Hospital, County Durham - Longley Centre, Sheffield - Miranda House, Hull - North East Lincolnshire - Roseberry Park (formerly St Luke’s Hospital), Middlesbrough - St James’s University Hospital, Leeds - St Nicholas Hospital, Gosforth - Sunderland - Wakefield CMHCs: - County Durham (2 sites) - Darlington - Hartlepool - Hull - Middlesbrough - Newcastle - North Cumbria - North Yorkshire (4 sites) - Redcar and Cleveland - Sheffield - Sunderland ### **North West** MHEDs: - Cheshire and Merseyside (3 sites) - Greater Manchester (3 sites) - Lancashire and South Cumbria CMHCs: - Cheshire and Merseyside (5 sites) - Greater Manchester (3 sites) - Lancashire and South Cumbria (3 sites) ### **South East** MHEDs: - Eastbourne General Hospital - East Surrey - John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford - Medway Maritime Hospital - North Hampshire Hospital (2 sites) - Royal County Hospital, Brighton - Silverwood, Surrey - University Hospital Southampton - Thanet Mental Health Unit, Margate - William Harvey Hospital, Ashford - Worthing General Hospital or St Richards Chichester CMHCs: - Buckinghamshire - East Surrey - Guildford and Waverley - Hampshire or Isle of Wight (4 sites) - Oxfordshire - Slough - St Mary’s House, Eastbourne - Sussex - West Sussex ### **South West** MHEDs: - Callington Road Hospital - Central Cornwall - Dorset County Hospital - Musgrove Park Hospital, Somerset - Plymouth (one adult, one children and young people focused) - Royal Bournemouth Hospital - Wiltshire - Wonford House Hospital, Eastern Devon CMHCs: - Bath/North East Somerset - Bournemouth - Camborne Redruth Community Hospital - Central Cornwall - Devon - St Austell Community Hospital - Weymouth Community Hospital --- # NCPS Response: Budget 2025 - What It Means for Counselling & Psychotherapy Blog Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 27th November 2025 On Wednesday 26th of November, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, presented the 2025 Budget to Parliament. While there were many things in the Budget that will hopefully make a difference to the mental health of the nation, we were hoping for a stronger focus on preventative mental health support, particularly in schools and primary care. These spaces in particular are the ones where early, relational interventions can genuinely make a lasting difference in people’s lives. Those specific commitments weren't there this time, and they're still one of the biggest gaps in national mental health planning. Even so, the Budget does include several decisions that will shape the environment in which our profession operates, and that will influence how easily people can access counselling & psychotherapy when they need it. Some of these developments are encouraging, while others raise questions about how things will play out in practice. As always, the Society will be keeping a close eye on how these changes evolve, and what they mean for both practitioners and the public. One area we'll be watching is the impact of wider fiscal policies on the voluntary and community sector. Changes to business rates, investment funding, and other tax-related measures may affect the stability of third sector organisations that provide counselling & psychotherapy, many of whom already work with incredibly tight margins. This is something we know is already impacting on a lot of our organisational members, and changes - even those that, on the surface, are positive - can have unforeseen consequences and ultimately a destabilising effect on charities, not-for-profits, and CICs. Unpredictable funding, sadly, leads to consequences that are felt by local communities long before they appear in national statistics. Over the coming months we’ll be working closely with our organisational members to understand how these shifts are affecting their ability to deliver services, and where additional support or advocacy may be needed. The new Local Growth Fund in England also has potential, although much really depends on how each Mayoral Strategic Authority chooses to use it. The Budget report mentions skills development and prevention, both of which are deeply connected to mental health. Many people need emotional support before they can engage fully in work, training, or education, and counselling can play a key role in helping them get there. We would like to see local leaders recognise this, and use some of their new funding to support counselling & psychotherapy within their communities. The existing workforce is already trained, experienced, and ready to provide this support if local systems choose to make use of it. One of the more positive moments in the Budget was the decision to lift the two-child benefit cap. This change is expected to lift around 4.5 million children out of poverty, and that will have a profound effect on the emotional wellbeing of families across the UK. Financial hardship sits heavily on children and the adults who care for them, and poverty often creates the conditions in which emotional distress exacerbates, and soon becomes harder to address. Giving families a little more security will allow more children to grow up with the stability they need to thrive, which is one of the most meaningful forms of early intervention we can hope for. We also welcome the increase in taxes on online gambling, as gambling harms are increasingly recognised as a major public health issue with strong links to anxiety, distress, and, heartbreakingly, suicide. Any step that reduces this harm is absolutely a step worth taking. Another notable announcement is the creation of 250 new neighbourhood health centres. In principle, these centres could offer more integrated support for communities, and potentially create new opportunities for counsellors & psychotherapists to work alongside GPs, nurses, and other practitioners. At this stage, though, we don’t yet know what their mental health offer will look like, or whether talking therapies will be embedded within their core services. The Government continues to talk about a shift towards preventative care, although the references remain largely centred on physical health. We hope that mental health will be included in that shift as the details become clearer, and we’ll be advocating for relational, human-centred support (i.e. counselling & psychotherapy) to sit firmly within these new centres. Taken together, the Budget doesn’t deliver the dedicated investment that we had hoped for. But there are areas of potential, particularly at the local level, and some wider social policies that may reduce the pressures and inequalities that push people towards crisis. Over the coming months we’ll continue to listen to members, speak with decision-makers, and make the case that a truly preventative mental health strategy must include early, relational support from trained counsellors & psychotherapists. ## What the Society will do next In the months ahead, the Society will continue our work in advocating for the the role of counselling & psychotherapy within national and local mental health planning. Following this Budget, our next steps will include: - engaging with Mayoral Combined Authorities and local leaders to highlight how counselling & psychotherapy can be built into Local Growth Fund plans - speaking with our organisational members to understand how fiscal changes may affect their funding, services, and sustainability, and how we can support them - seeking clarity on the role of talking therapies within the new neighbourhood health centres, and advocating for counsellors & psychotherapists to be included from the outset - continuing to meet with MPs, peers, and civil servants to press for a national strategy for preventative, relational mental health support - gathering insights from members about how the Budget is affecting practice on the ground, so our advocacy reflects real-world experience - if you have any thoughts or concerns about this, please do email our Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy, Meg, on --- # NCPS Response: Conversion Practices Draft Bill News Policies Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 26th June 2026 On the 25th of June 2026, the Government announced a new Policy Paper, ‘Conversion Practices Draft Bill’, introducing new offences to the carrying out of abusive conversion practices. The Society welcomes the Government’s commitment to introducing legislation to ban abusive conversion practices targeting LGBTQ+ people and supports measures that protect people from coercive attempts to change or suppress their sexual orientation or gender identity; practices that have been rightly associated with significant harm. We will carefully review the draft legislation and engage constructively with Government throughout the process as it develops to ensure the Bill remains fit for purpose and that the broader impacts across the LGBTQ+ community are considered. Our priority is legislation that protects people from harm while preserving access to ethical therapeutic support, supported by clear guidance for practitioners. You can find out more about the draft Bill here: If Members have any questions or comments about the Bill, please let us know at --- # NCPS Response to the Mental Health Commitments in the 10 Year Health Plan for England Blog Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 4th July 2025 The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) welcomes the ambition behind [*Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England*](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/686639056569be0acf74db89/fit-for-the-future-10-year-health-plan-for-england-executive-summary.pdf), and the recognition that *meaningful* reform is urgently needed. There is much to applaud in the ambition to create a more integrated, accessible, and prevention-focused health and care system, particularly in relation to mental health. The plan rightly acknowledges that the NHS must move away from a reactive model and towards a preventative model, built around our communities, which is something we've been calling for for a long time now. Mental health does feature throughout the document, and it’s encouraging to see commitments aimed at improving access and outcomes, particularly for children and young people. From a critical perspective, the Plan unfortunately still reflects a narrow, predominantly clinical, view of mental health. It risks overlooking the full spectrum of therapeutic support available and undervaluing the role of counselling & psychotherapy. In our view, this is a missed opportunity to rebalance the system towards earlier, more relational interventions that could reduce pressure on acute services and better support people’s long-term wellbeing. As the government looks to reimagine the NHS, it must also reimagine mental health care by embedding therapeutic choice, relationship-based support, and local provision at the heart of the new model. Digital delivery will absolutely be a vital tool in the sustainability of the service into the future, but it mustn't be the only tool in the toolkit. We do welcome the Plan’s expansion of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, although we'd like to see the adoption of Barnardo's MHST+ model as the rollout continues. We're also encouraged by the proposed Young Futures Hubs, and the inclusion of mental health as a priority for the National Quality Board. When it comes to our concerns, however, the Plan envisions an NHS where support is available digitally and “instantly”, with the NHS App offering a ‘doctor in your pocket’ and continuous monitoring tools that allow clinicians to intervene proactively. While digital access increases convenience and reach, we're concerned about the implications of this approach for mental health services, particularly the concept of 24/7 virtual therapists and therapeutic chatbots. Continuous access to virtual therapy or chatbot-style interventions can blur the boundaries of the therapeutic relationship and lead to over-reliance, particularly among vulnerable clients. Effective therapy relies on trust, containment, and a structured, relational approach. A shift towards ‘always-on’ support may unintentionally undermine these foundations, especially if not delivered alongside clear guidance and ethical oversight. Technology can complement therapy, but it should not be assumed that all clients benefit equally from digital-first or 24/7 models. Any rollout of these services must be underpinned by ethical safeguards, co-design with clients/patients, and an understanding of the relational nature of effective therapy. We're also concerned that the plan does not reference the Accredited Registers programme, which already provides a quality-assured workforce of trained, supervised, and ethically accountable counsellors & psychotherapists. This is especially urgent given the long waiting lists, growing demand for relational forms of support, and widespread workforce challenges across statutory mental health services. Counsellors and psychotherapists registered on Accredited Registers are already delivering effective, evidence-based support across education, primary care, workplace wellbeing, voluntary sector provision, and private practice, and they're ready to be mobilised *today*. We're pleased to see the plan prioritise the mental health needs of children and young people, including recognition that “almost half of all mental health conditions develop before the age of 18” and that schools must be central to the solution. Commitments to embed mental health support into education, expand early intervention, and increase specialist capacity are going to be key for our collective futures. Without sufficient investment in counselling & psychotherapy within these settings, however, there's a risk that plans will stall. Schools and colleges need sustained, embedded access to relational support, but what we're potentially looking at is more of the same: short-term programmes, low-intensity therapeutic interventions, and now digital triage tools. We also note that while the Young Futures Hubs concept is promising, the delivery model must ensure that counselling is a core part of that and not just an add-on. In addition to the above, we are concerned that the Plan continues to frame mental health largely in terms of clinical, statutory provision, without sufficient recognition of the broader ecosystem of support, which includes counselling & psychotherapy. There's no clear commitment to increasing access to talking therapies, despite well-documented waiting lists and drop-out rates within NHS Talking Therapies. The Plan’s ambition to shift care from hospital to community must include substantial investment in counselling & psychotherapy outside of crisis settings. There's also limited reference to therapeutic relationships, despite strong evidence that the relationship between client and therapist is a key factor in positive outcomes. A system focused heavily on digital triage, AI, and apps risks deprioritising human connection, particularly for those whose distress arises from trauma, neglect, or complex relational histories. And finally, there remains a lack of support for choice of therapeutic approach or practitioner, which is vital for patient/client engagement, particularly among those who’ve previously disengaged from NHS mental health services or don’t meet thresholds for diagnosis-led treatment. ## Recommendations As plans move into delivery, we urge DHSC and the NHS to ensure that Accredited Register practitioners are included in workforce planning, commissioning, and implementation of local models. This includes ensuring that counsellors & psychotherapists on Accredited Registers are eligible to deliver commissioned mental health support, including through schools, primary care, and community hubs; creating clear and consistent pathways for clients to access relational, talking-based support outside the NHS Talking Therapies model, and recognising the unique, relational expertise of counsellors & psychotherapists and protecting time-limited funding from being diverted solely to digital or pharmacological solutions. In summary: 1. **Expand choice and access to counselling & psychotherapy** by investing in diverse models of talking therapy, including relational and non-medical approaches. One size does not fit all, especially when it comes to mental health support. 2. **Recognise and promote the role of the Accredited Registers programme**, ensuring clients/patients can access safe, ethical support outside of statutory provision, including the funding of a public health campaign to improve awareness of how to find a safe, appropriately qualified therapist, helping people make informed decisions outside of clinical referral pathways. 3. **Embed counselling & psychotherapy in neighbourhood health centres**, making it easy for people to self-refer to local, community-based therapists, especially in areas with long waiting times for NHS Talking Therapies. 4. **Ensure Young Futures Hubs are inclusive of counsellors & psychotherapists at the outset** 5. **Prioritise practitioner wellbeing**, recognising that many therapists, especially in the voluntary and community sectors, work under increasing financial and emotional pressure without clear inclusion in workforce planning or funding models --- # NCPS's submission to the independent prevalence review into mental health conditions Publications Research & Campaigns Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 25th March 2026 Professor Fonagy's [review into the factors driving rising rates of mental health conditions in the UK](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-into-mental-health-conditions-adhd-and-autism-terms-of-reference/independent-review-into-mental-health-conditions-adhd-and-autism-terms-of-reference) is one of the most significant pieces of policy work in our profession right now. We submitted our response last week, and we wanted to share a bit about what we said. You can [read our response in full here](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Submission-to-the-Prevalence-Review.pdf). The review is trying to understand why prevalence of mental health conditions, as well as autism and ADHD, is rising. It's important to note here that we aren't making any comment on autism and ADHD diagnosis, as that is outside of the remit of the Society, and not something the data and information our members share with us gives us answers to. The submission draws heavily on data from our [Annual Member Surveys](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Member-Survey-Report-NCPS-2025.pdf). 70% of practitioners are routinely seeing clients who couldn't access timely NHS support, and nearly four in five have seen clients who completed NHS Talking Therapies and still needed further help. We also drew on independent research, NHS data, and a sizeable body of clinical evidence to support the arguments our members' experience points toward. Our perspective is, in short, that we think we're addressing people's needs, but we're doing so inside a system that isn't designed therapeutically. It's designed medically and therefore prescriptively, and on top of that, it's beset by lengthy waiting lists, with no choice of who you work with or how, and with no information about the large volumes of unmet need invisible to the data that shapes commissioning decisions (i.e. no clarity about the degree to which businesses, private practitioners, and the charity and voluntary sector, are supporting the mental health of those for whom the NHS service does not work). So, we're not really addressing most people's needs at all, which means things are getting worse as few people are genuinely getting better. Rising prevalence therefore partly reflects real increases in distress, but it also reflects people not getting support early enough, not getting the right kind of support, and falling through the gaps of a system that wasn't designed with them in mind. ## What does our submission cover? The submission covers five main areas. On waiting lists, we raised how the NHS Talking Therapies six-week access standard measures time to a first appointment, but the average wait between first and second sessions, where treatment actually begins, is, on average, over 62 days. Our member data shows that 85% of counsellors working in private practice can see a new client within two weeks, so we make the long-standing point that by better engaging the counselling & psychotherapy workforce, we could do a great deal to reduce waiting times for people. On relational support, we made the case that the counselling & psychotherapy workforce is already functioning as both a pressure valve and a continuation service for statutory provision: absorbing clients who can't access NHS support, and clients who've completed it but didn't get what they needed from it. This is largely invisible to national data, which means prevalence figures are structurally undercounting ongoing need. We'd like to work with NHS England and the review team to start changing that. On medicalisation, we argued that requiring people to frame their difficulties in clinical terms in order to access support is itself a barrier, which impacts men, young people, and people from racially minoritised communities the most. Many of the issues our members work with every day (grief, trauma, life transitions, identity, relationship issues) don't map neatly onto diagnostic categories, but that doesn't make them less real, less impactful for people's lives, or less deserving of skilled support. On the stepped care model, the evidence is increasingly clear that starting everyone at the lowest intensity of intervention and stepping them up through sequential failure is neither efficient nor effective. Over 60% of IAPT referrals in 2019/20 didn't complete treatment. Of those who did, around 60% didn't achieve clinical recovery. The therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of outcome across all modalities, and stepped care does not prioritise it, and also routinely disrupts it. On digitalisation, we raise serious concerns about deploying AI chatbots as frontline mental health interventions, particularly for children and young people. There is a risk of *digital disengagement*, with people becoming disillusioned and dropping out of AI-mediated support, and then either going without help or moving to private practitioners who aren't captured in any national dataset. That would make the prevalence picture look better than it is, not because need has reduced, but because we've stopped counting part of it. ## **What we're hoping changes** The current system is entrenched, and we're realistic about that. However, it's also failing by its own metrics, and this review gives us a genuine opportunity to ask bigger questions and look to see how we could make something that truly works for as many people as possible. A move towards neighbourhood and community-based health services creates some opportunities to change things, and we already know that community models work best when they're built around relationships and continuity, which is precisely what counsellors and psychotherapists are trained to provide. There's a strong case for embedding this workforce into community health structures properly, as a core part of how support is delivered. More broadly, we need to move away from manualised, process-centred therapy as the default. CBT works for many people, and many of our members offer it, but it's one approach among many, and it's also, frankly, the approach most easily automated; the only thing you can't automate away is the neurological, physiological, non-verbal work that is a core part of relational therapy. As AI becomes more capable, we can envisage CBT-only practitioners being largely replaced in the NHS with AI tools, however there will always be a place for those who are trained to work across the therapeutic spectrum, at depth, with a range of issues and intensities. We're also calling for patients to have a choice of modality and of practitioner, as well as better data collection that actually reflects where and how mental health need is being met across the whole system, and a commissioning framework that reflects what the evidence actually says about what makes therapy work, rather than what's easiest to manualise and measure. ## **Read the submission** The full submission is available [here](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/NCPS-Submission-to-the-Prevalence-Review.pdf). If you have thoughts on what we've put forward, or want to share your own experience of the issues we've raised, we'd be glad to hear from you. And when the next Annual Member Survey lands in your inbox, which will be soon, please do fill it in! As you can see, it does genuinely shape what we say, and supports us when advocating for you and the profession more broadly. --- # Neuro-affirming practice: what counsellors and psychotherapists need to know when working with autistic clients and those with attention differences Blog Equality, Diversity & Inclusion By Guest Blog 9th September 2026 ***With thanks to our Neurodiversity Ambassador, Dr Claire Thompson, for this article.*** ## Why this matters now More people than ever are seeking therapy as autistic people, people with attention differences, or both. Some arrive with a formal diagnosis, whilst others are exploring what these terms might mean for them. Many have spent years being misunderstood, excluded or told that the way they think, feel and communicate is wrong. Autistic people and people with attention differences experience significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression, trauma and overwhelm than the general population. These difficulties are strongly linked to social acceptance and the quality of support available, rather than to neurodivergence itself (Pantazakos and Vanaken, 2023). Counsellors and psychotherapists are well placed to offer meaningful support. Doing so requires more than good intentions, however. It requires us to examine our assumptions, adapt our practice and learn from the people we work with. ## What do we mean by neurodivergence? Neurodivergence is a socio-political and inclusive term for people whose bodyminds differ from predominant or typical norms. It is not a clinical label or diagnosis. Instead, it recognises that human cognitive, sensory, communicative and embodied variation is natural and valid. Neurodivergence can include: - **Innate neurodivergence**, including autism, attention differences, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and Tourette syndrome. - **Acquired neurodivergence**, which may develop following brain injury, stroke or another neurological event. - **Mental health-related neurodivergence**, involving cognitive, emotional or sensory processing differences shaped by experiences such as complex trauma, anxiety, depression, psychosis or dissociation. - **Other forms of neurodivergence**, including changes associated with medication, substance use or other external factors. This blog focuses on autism and attention differences, including people who identify with both. These neurotypes are frequently encountered in counselling settings and often co-occur. Both groups also experience significant mental health disparities (Kroll et al., 2024; Pantazakos and Vanaken, 2023). ## Late diagnosis and the search for answers Many clients arrive in therapy without a formal diagnosis or certainty about whether they are autistic, have attention differences or both. Some have spent years sensing that their experiences do not fit the explanations they have been given. Others may have encountered the language of neurodivergence online, through a friend or through their child’s assessment, and be tentatively applying it to themselves for the first time. Clients may describe chronic exhaustion from masking, a lifetime of social confusion, difficulty sustaining attention, sensory overwhelm or repeated burnout that has not responded to the strategies they have tried. The therapist’s role is not to diagnose or rule out. It is to hold these questions with curiosity, normalise the client’s experience and support them in making sense of their history. Diagnostic pathways can be long, inconsistently available and shaped by historical biases. Women, people of colour, people assigned female at birth and people who do not present with stereotypical traits have often been under-identified. Some clients will not have access to formal assessment, whilst others may choose not to pursue one. Therapy should not depend on a diagnostic label in order to validate a client’s experience or justify adapting the therapeutic approach. Where a client’s account suggests that neuro-affirming adjustments may be helpful, those adjustments can be explored without requiring diagnostic certainty. ## Difference, not pathology A central shift in practice is to stop treating autism and attention differences as problems to be fixed. Autistic and attention-different ways of being are valid forms of human variation, not symptoms that should automatically be reduced or eliminated. When an autistic client finds social situations exhausting, or a person with attention differences struggles to sustain attention on tasks that do not interest them, this is not necessarily evidence that something is wrong with the person. It may reflect a mismatch between their needs and an environment designed around neurotypical expectations (BAAT, 2024). This principle also applies to communication. Autistic people and people with attention differences may process information, express emotion and communicate meaning in ways that differ from what counsellors expect. These differences do not indicate a lack of understanding or emotional depth. Milton’s (2012) concept of the ‘double empathy problem’ is useful here. Mutual understanding between people with different neurotypes is a two-way process. When communication breaks down, it is more accurate to consider whether there is a mismatch between communication styles than to assume that the client is deficient. The therapist therefore has a responsibility to create a space that can accommodate different ways of communicating and expressing emotion. A client’s presentation should not automatically be interpreted as detachment, avoidance or limited insight simply because it does not resemble a neurotypical expression of feeling. ## Cultural humility and the therapeutic relationship Cultural humility offers a useful framework for neuro-affirming practice. Developed by Tervalon and Murray-Garcia (1998), it places responsibility on the professional to reflect continually on power imbalances and take action to address them. Hook et al. (2017) extend this principle to the therapeutic relationship by arguing that therapists should move away from an expert stance and recognise the client as the authority on their own experience. Pliskin and Crehan (2024) describe this in relation to neurodivergent clients as ‘neurocultural competence and humility’. This involves questioning anti-autistic bias and developing methods that respond to each client rather than applying a fixed model. In practice, this means working through co-inquiry. Collaborate with the client to explore meaning, identify useful forms of support and develop goals that reflect their priorities. Many neurodivergent clients have spent years being told what to do, how to behave and what counts as normal. Therapy should provide an environment in which they can participate in shaping the work. ## Language matters The language used in therapy, documentation and professional discussion affects how clients are understood. The NICE corporate style guide identifies ‘autistic people’ as an important exception to its general preference for person-first language. This reflects evidence that identity-first language is preferred by the majority of the autistic community (NICE, n.d.). In practice: - Ask about the client’s preference and follow it consistently. Some autistic people prefer ‘person with autism’, whilst others prefer ‘autistic person’. People with attention differences may use terms such as ‘ADHDer’, ‘person with ADHD’ or other language. - When no preference has been stated, identity-first language such as ‘autistic people’ and ‘people with attention differences’ may be appropriate. - Avoid pathologising or reductive terms such as ‘suffers from autism’, ‘low-functioning’, ‘high-functioning’ and ‘normal’. - Describe the person’s experiences, strengths, differences and support needs directly. - Use affirming language in case discussions, supervision, clinical notes and reports. The language in a client’s file can influence how other professionals understand and support them. There is less consensus about preferred terminology for attention differences than there is within the autistic community. The safest approach is to ask, listen and follow the client’s lead. ### Adjusting your way of working Neuro-affirming counselling is not a separate therapeutic modality. It is an adaptation of existing practice, informed by an understanding of how autistic clients and clients with attention differences may experience communication, sensory information, time, attention and relationships. ### Communication Adapt spoken communication to the client’s processing style. This may involve shorter sentences, concrete language, written summaries, visual supports or less reliance on spoken exchange. Some clients need additional processing time before responding. Others may experience auditory overload when there are competing sounds. Communication preferences may also change according to energy, emotional state or sensory environment. Helpful adjustments include: - Pausing comfortably after asking a question and recognising silence as processing time. - Offering written or visual alternatives to spoken reflection. - Checking the client’s preferred communication mode and revisiting it when necessary. - Recognising that communication styles may shift within and across sessions. - Avoiding the assumption that limited spoken communication indicates limited understanding. Spoken communication is one mode among many. Therapy should be shaped around the client’s ways of communicating, rather than requiring the client to adapt to a speaking-centred model (Jones et al., 2024). ### Environment Consider the sensory qualities of the therapy space, including lighting, noise, textures, temperature and visual complexity. Invite clients to identify what helps them feel comfortable and able to engage. Some clients may benefit from fidget tools, movement breaks or the option to sit in a different position. Others may prefer a structured and predictable environment. Avoid assuming that offering more choice is always more empowering. For clients who experience executive function differences or decision fatigue, too many options can increase cognitive load. A considered selection of choices can preserve autonomy without becoming overwhelming. ### Structure and flexibility Provide clear boundaries and a predictable session rhythm whilst remaining responsive to the client’s needs. Some clients benefit from knowing what will happen in each session. Others need space to change direction when their priorities or capacity shift. Communicate the structure clearly and collaborate with the client to develop routines that support regulation. Predictability and flexibility are not opposites. Both can be offered when the therapist is transparent about the framework and willing to adapt it. ### Neurodivergent identity Therapy can provide space for clients to explore, understand and develop a positive neurodivergent identity. This may include processing the impact of masking, late diagnosis, stigma and previous experiences of being pathologised. Masking involves suppressing or concealing innate behaviours in order to meet neurotypical expectations. It is common among autistic people and people with attention differences, and can contribute to exhaustion, burnout, shutdown and a diminished sense of self. Some clients have masked for years or decades and may not yet have the language, confidence or safety to stop. Do not pressure clients to unmask. Instead, create conditions in which greater authenticity becomes possible. Remain attentive to signs of burnout, shutdown and overwhelm, including when they emerge during therapy, and adapt the pace or demands of the work accordingly. ### Anti-oppressive practice Examining how ableism shapes clinical practice is essential. Therapeutic models, diagnostic systems and professional frameworks have often been developed from a neurotypical standpoint and may contain assumptions about communication, emotional expression, productivity and appropriate behaviour (Peters, 2023). Neurodivergence also intersects with race, gender, sexuality, class, culture, age and other forms of disability. These intersections influence how clients experience their identity, access assessment and support, and encounter therapy. Neuro-affirming practice therefore extends beyond individual sessions. It includes advocating within services and organisations for accessible environments, affirming language and systems in which neurodivergent people are understood and valued. ## Ongoing learning Becoming neurodiversity-affirming is not a one-off training exercise. It requires continuing self-reflection, unlearning and engagement with developing understandings of neurodivergence. Supervision should include space to examine assumptions about what constitutes healthy or adaptive behaviour, including how the therapist’s own neurotype may shape their perceptions (Pantazakos, 2023). Bowers and Widdowson (2023) identify three common risks when working with neurodivergent clients: imposing neurotypical relational expectations, failing to recognise the impact of accumulated shame and interpreting neurodivergent communication through a neurotypical lens. Active learning should include training, professional literature and lived-experience accounts from neurodivergent people. Learning from neurodivergent therapists, researchers and communities is not supplementary to practice. It is part of the foundation of ethical and responsive work. ## Final thoughts Neurodivergent clients deserve therapy that supports them to thrive without treating their fundamental ways of being as problems to be corrected. A neuro-affirming approach is collaborative, flexible, respectful and willing to question the assumptions built into conventional practice. For counsellors and psychotherapists, this means listening carefully, adapting communication and environments, recognising the effects of masking and stigma, and remaining open to learning. It also means understanding that affirming practice is not an optional extra for neurodivergent clients. It is part of providing safe, accessible and effective therapy. ## References BAAT (2024) ‘Neurodiversity and art therapy’, *InSight*, Autumn 2024. Available at: (Accessed: 11 July 2026). Bowers, C. and Widdowson, M. (2023) ‘Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy with Clients who are Neurodivergent: Experiences and Practice Recommendations’, *International Journal of Transactional Analysis Research & Practice*, 14(1), pp. 32–54. Hook, J.N., Davis, D.E., DeBlaere, C. and Owen, J. (2017) *Cultural humility: Engaging diverse identities in therapy*. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/0000037-000. Jones, F.M., Hamilton, J. and Kargas, N. (2024) ‘Accessibility and affirmation in counselling: An exploration into neurodivergent clients’ experiences’, *Counselling and Psychotherapy Research*, 24(2), pp. 418–428. doi:10.1002/capr.12742. Kroll, E. et al. (2024) ‘The positive impact of identity-affirming mental health treatment for neurodivergent individuals’, *Frontiers in Psychology*, 15. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1403129. Milton, D. (2012) ‘On the ontological status of autism: The “double empathy problem”’, *Disability & Society*, 27(6), pp. 883–887. doi:10.1080/09687599.2012.710008. National Autistic Society (2023) *Guidance for the media*. Available at: (Accessed: 11 July 2026). NICE (n.d.) *Talking about people: NICE style guide*. Available at: (Accessed: 11 July 2026). Pantazakos, T. (2023) ‘Neurodiversity and psychotherapy: Connections and ways forward’, *Counselling and Psychotherapy Research*, 23(4), pp. 1019–1028. doi:10.1002/capr.12675. Pantazakos, T. and Vanaken, G.-J. (2023) ‘Addressing the autism mental health crisis: The potential of phenomenology in neurodiversity-affirming clinical practices’, *Frontiers in Psychology*, 14. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225152. Peters, A. (2023) *The DIVERSE model: 7 principles of neurodivergent affirming practice*. Available at: (Accessed: 11 July 2026). Pliskin, A.E. and Crehan, E.T. (2024) ‘Moving toward neurodiversity-affirming integrated psychotherapy with autistic clients’, *Journal of Psychotherapy Integration*, 34(3), pp. 338–350. doi:10.1037/int0000340. Tervalon, M. and Murray-Garcia, J. (1998) ‘Cultural humility versus cultural competence: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education’, *Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved*, 9(2), pp. 117–125. --- # Neurodivergent clients and the terror of PMDD Blog Health & Wellbeing Mental Health By Guest Blog 8th May 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Ruth Morgan, for this blog.*** Perhaps you often find yourself with a client who has had a sudden and extreme deterioration in their welfare? We are all trained to contain these moments, to both risk assess and support our client’s regulation through the largest waves of emotion, or processing of trauma. We might find ourselves working with grounding tools or looking for triggers or patterns and helping our client to spot these. All of this can help, yet sometimes the most obvious patterns go totally unnoticed or misunderstood. I certainly don’t recall very much about hormones in my training. Maybe it came up in supervision, where the emphasis was on how a client might have encountered the medical or societal misogynies of their distress being down to ‘women’s troubles’. Although it has become clearer to me that for many of my late-diagnosed neurodivergent clients, there is an additional psychological burden placed by hormones each month in ways that need understanding. Their distress is not always caused by hormones alone, but is at its most intense in cyclical patterns that can inform better understanding. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is listed in the DSM and you may have clients arrive with a diagnosis already. The symptoms are in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and ease off once menstruation begins. They include intense anxiety, cognitive disruption, and affect instability. In Neurodivergent clients such symptoms can be experienced with deep intensity, and the client may not know what is happening to them or why. PMDD impacts a small proportion of the whole population at a diagnostic level, but like many conditions more people will experience significant premenstrual distress just below the diagnostic thresholds. Recent research is also informing our understanding of the intersection with neurodivergence. People with ADHD have been shown more likely to experience severe mood change pre-menstrually, and in the autistic population there is a marked increase in sensory intensity and likelihood of shutdown in the luteal phase. This research is something I have seen in real life in my therapy room. Clients whose nervous systems are already managing sensory overwhelm and challenging emotional and relational experiences find themselves knocked totally sideways with cyclical regularity. In that overlap things can simply be too disorientating. My clients don’t come to me with language from a diagnostic manual, but they do speak of distress that feels like a ‘switch’ or that feels sudden like being under a ‘tidal wave’. They feel they lose touch with their sense of self. When the self feels so suddenly altered and then a few days later a mysterious return occurs it becomes something which a client seeks to make sense of. One client noticed this pattern, and what was the most worrying for her was the sudden onset of the change. It combined with the internalised narrative of being ‘too much’ and ‘overdramatic’ to become a terrifying and tortured experience. She had an app which tracked her cycle and over time what had felt totally unpredictable, took on a new meaning. The total psychological sense of collapse might have a physiological element, and that was of comfort to my client as well as giving her the information she needed to talk to her GP about, prompting changes to her antidepressant medication. She felt like she had regained agency over something which had felt so mysterious and paralysing. For some of my clients, the shift around the menstrual cycle includes deep moments of hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Naming all this takes a great deal of care, and I found myself on such occasions caught between validating the depth of feeling whilst trying to help my client hold onto the transient nature of the experience. Having now seen several clients with a PMDD diagnosis, or those who have sought assessment for it during therapy, I have some awareness that tracking cycles in some way might be a supportive element. If a client dips with regularity every 4 weeks or so then, a conversation with a client could be of great value if it is handled with care. You may find yourself cautious about these conversations in your work. Rightly so, in my view, as so many clients have had their distress minimised or attributed to their hormones as a veil for dismissiveness. The last thing I wanted to do as a therapist was restrict meaning making around the body. Yet, with my neurodivergent clients these risks were ever present. For my client group sensitivity has been too-often treated as an excess, they’ve heard calls for them to be ‘more resilient’ as code for being tougher in the face of extreme hardship, and too often their emotional landscape has been framed as dysfunctional. Well, in such a context, to suggest hormonal influences on mood, if not well handled, could echo these earlier relational harms. So, as well as identifying if there is a risk that PMDD may be present, I also needed to find the clinical confidence in how to go about speaking about it. Finding that my neurodivergent clients often prefer clarity over implicit meaning has shaped the particular ways in which I might approach a subject. To be able to hold curiosity together is the first good indicator that the counselling relationship is ready to explore difficult questions. Holding in my mind a bio-psycho-social understanding to help maintain curiosity about how a client is experiencing themselves and the world around them informs my approach. I introduce open questions around patterns such as ‘are there times when this feels more intense?’ or ‘sometimes there are elements of suffering that combine from the body, the mind and our social situation – can we explore all three?. Taking this layered look is intended to reduce shame. It also appeals to people that they can use a framework of body, mind and social as a bit of a tick list to use as a tool for understanding contributory factors when something is challenging them outside of therapy. You can have these conversations in other ways, depending on your counselling style. If your client is interested in family history, why not ask about how hormones were understood in their family, were they spoken about at all, and how were they experienced? What has previously been experienced as an internal turbulence can start to take a more flexible shape, as something which fluctuates, and is an interplay between body and mind. You can open a space for exploring on a practical level what kind of support and structures might be helpful to get the client through the toughest days. Is it a change in medication? Is it a change in self-care plans? Is it about conversations with those around them or their employer? One astute person noticed how the time blindness of neurodivergence meant that they ‘always’ felt like the worst symptoms were present. The noticing of patterns that changed and keeping a track of them created the safety of knowing it was neither permanent nor the same every month. For clients who have started to explore any patterns in their cycles I have seen few down sides. They may not have difficult symptoms and just become more aware of the times in the month that feel especially generative, creative or when they feel most ready to socialise. At the other extreme, they may have a better understanding of what it is that is combining to create terrifying experiences, and in such recognition, you can help your client to begin to find relief. ***Ruth Morgan:*** [*www.ruthmorgan.co.uk*](http://www.ruthmorgan.co.uk/) [*ruth@ruthmorgan.co.uk*](mailto:ruth@ruthmorgan.co.uk) ***References:*** *American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edn). Washington, DC: APA.* *Broughton, T., Lambert, E., Wertz, J., & Agnew-Blais, J. (2025). Increased risk of provisional premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) among females with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): cross-sectional survey study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 226(6), 410-417.* *Ellis, R., Williams, G., Caemawr, S., Craine, M., Holloway, W., Williams, K., ... & Grant, A. (2025). Menstruation and Autism: A Qualitative Systematic Review. Autism in Adulthood.* *Reilly, T. J., Patel, S., Unachukwu, I. C., Knox, C. L., Wilson, C. A., Craig, M. C., ... & Cullen, A. E. (2024). The prevalence of premenstrual dysphoric disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 349, 534-540.* --- # NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan: Read the NCPS Submission Blog Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Meg Moss 28th November 2025 The Society submitted our response to the [NHS 10-Year Workforce Plan](https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/10-year-workforce-plan) early November, pulling together a wide range of research, real-world examples, and reflections from across our membership gained through our annual member surveys and direct input from members. For years now, since the introduction of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) model (now NHS Talking Therapies), national policy has leaned towards protocol-driven, highly standardised, process-based mental health support. These interventions have their place, of course, but by focusing on process we’ve missed what’s really important: the relational depth, the attunement and co-regulation, that comes from sitting with someone in a genuinely therapeutic relationship. Our submission to the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) encourages the Government to take a wider view, in line with their three shifts: hospital to community, analogue to digital, and sickness to prevention. We’ve set out how counsellors & psychotherapists already deliver relational support across community settings, schools, primary care, and voluntary services. Many are, as we know, already acting as a first point of contact for people who might otherwise end up waiting months for help or presenting in crisis. With over 60,000 practitioners on Accredited Registers, there is a national workforce ready to step in and reduce pressure on GPs, A&E departments, and specialist services simply by being more visible and more consistently integrated into local pathways. We also spoke about the growing role of digital tools, and the need for these to be used thoughtfully. Technology can absolutely widen access and make life easier for practitioners and administrators within the NHS, but only if it strengthens the relational element of the work rather than standing in for it. We highlighted the importance of safeguarding, accountability, and oversight when it comes to AI mental health support, and shared the principles set out in our own [relational safeguards framework](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Principles-for-Relational-Safeguards-in-AI-Mental-Health-Tools.pdf). In terms of the prevention shift, we already know that when people access relational support early, whether through their GP, a school counsellor, or a local hub, they’re more likely to stay well and less likely to need crisis interventions later on. There’s strong evidence showing the long-term social and economic value of early intervention, and again we encouraged the NHS to make use of the workforce that’s already trained and ready to help. Throughout the submission, in each section, we emphasised the importance of choice. People benefit when they can work with a therapist who feels like the right fit for them: someone who they feel understands their world and their way of communicating. That sense of connection can be transformational, and commissioning models should reflect that truth rather than treating mental health support as a single, interchangeable product – prescribing one person to another to ‘treat’ an issue with mental or emotional health is akin to giving every person who goes to their GP with a physical ailment paracetamol, or perhaps worse – a random drug that may or may not actually work with what’s going on for them. Our hope is that the NHS 10-Year Workforce Plan changes how mental health support is understood and delivered across the country. Relational work is the foundation of good mental health care, and the evidence has shown this again and again, and we need to design services based on our understanding of this principle. If you’d like to read our submissions in full, you can do so here: [10 Year Workforce Plan: Section 1](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/10-Year-Workforce-Plan-Section-1-Evidence.pdf) [10 Year Workforce Plan: Section 2](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/10-Year-Workforce-Plan-Section-2-Modelling-Assumptions.pdf) --- # NHS staff to train teachers, school nurses, and GPs to spot eating disorders News Children, young people & families Mental Health By Meg Moss 21st January 2026 The NHS has overhauled eating disorder services in response to rising demand with the number of children and young people treated rising two fifths since the pandemic (from 8,034 in 2019/20, to 11,174 in 2024/25). New [NHS guidance](https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/eating-disorder-services-for-children-and-young-people-national-guidance/) published today goes a step further and clamps down on the use of BMI thresholds to assess whether someone needs eating disorder treatment, with staff reminded not to use the out-dated practice. NHS clinicians will instead use a range of factors to assess young people with more focus on behaviour changes and family concerns rather than relying on rigid measures. Online training will also be provided to teachers, GPs, and school nurses to ensure they are aware of signs and how they can refer a child for NHS support, backed by the charity Beat and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Every local area in England now has a specialist eating disorder service for children and young people, compared to a handful of areas a decade ago. Children are now seen and offered treatment within 3 weeks of a referral, on average, for conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders, thanks to the expansion of NHS services. The NHS has ramped up the support on offer close to people’s home as part of the 10 Year Health Plan, so young people are given treatment earlier before they become seriously unwell and require hospital treatment. **Dr Adrian James, National Medical Director for Mental Health and Neurodiversity at NHS England, said:** “NHS staff have worked incredibly hard to transform eating disorder services over the last decade, but we are determined to ensure no child is left to suffer in silence. “We know the significant pressures young people are experiencing which can be exacerbated by social media bombarding them with content that does not always show realistic body images. “And we’re seeing the impact of that with growing numbers of young people turning to the NHS for eating disorder support, but it’s vital that everyone knows how to access this treatment which is why we will be offering training to teachers, GPs and school nurses to spot the signs and refer children for specialist help faster. “So, if you or anyone you know is in need of support please contact your GP”. Today’s new guidance was co-produced by a variety of stakeholders, including bodies like Beat and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, in the first major overhaul of Children and young people with an eating disorder guidance since 2015. **Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs at Beat, said:** “Demand for eating disorder services has risen steeply since the pandemic and we know that access to these services can vary widely depending on location. The publication of this new guidance is an encouraging step in the right direction, helping to ensure equitable access to eating disorder treatment across the country. “We worked closely with NHS England during the drafting process and will do all we can to support its implementation. We’re pleased by the focus upon issues we’ve long been campaigning on, including early intervention, addressing inequalities in care, access to intensive community and day treatment options, and support for families and carers. It’s particularly positive that avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) has been included – now, it’s crucial that all NHS integrated care boards respond by developing a dedicated and evidence-based care pathway. “Moving forward, the government must not allow this guidance to be left in limbo and ensures it is implemented promptly. We need the right staffing for this to work, and so recruiting and keeping staff should be a key priority. It’s imperative that funds are made available nationally and locally to deliver on this ambitious guidance and begin to tackle the growing crisis in eating disorder services”. **Dr Ashish Kumar, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Eating Disorders Faculty, said:** “We welcome this guidance which has the potential to reduce waiting times and improve care for children and young people who have anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders. These conditions can be extremely serious and even life-threatening when left untreated, so it is imperative that we are bold in our efforts to innovate the support that is available. “Community eating disorder services should use this guidance to establish day care and outreach initiatives that can prevent young people from becoming unwell and help others recover more quickly. We also need new care pathways for patients with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder who often struggle to access treatment. “This guidance provides a blueprint through which frontline eating disorder services can work with GPs, paediatricians, neurodiversity pathways, schools, colleges and intellectual disability services to better meet the needs of children and young people. We hope integrated care boards will seize this opportunity and support services to implement these national commissioning guidelines as soon as possible with the appropriate resources and funding”. ## Further information - Local integrated care boards are responsible for commissioning eating disorder services, with service commissioning depending on the relevant population size. - NHS England is following [National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng69/chapter/Recommendations#identification-and-assessment) on the recognition and treatment of eating disorders. - There are 93 community teams and 54 inpatient teams for children and young people in England. There are community eating disorder services (CEDS) under every local integrated care board. - Patients will be referred to eating disorder services through a variety of places. This will include: - self-referrals from children and young people - education settings, for example, school nurses or mental health support teams - primary care, including GP practices - acute and mental health inpatient settings - crisis teams - home treatment teams - paediatric teams - children and young people’s mental health teams - voluntary, community and social enterprises settings - social care - other local health and well-being provisions, including weight management services. - Training will be made for staff in health, social care, education, charities, and community settings who may encounter children and young people with eating disorders. NHS England has commissioned [free digital training programmes](https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/training-for-professionals/trainingforiprofessionals/) developed with Beat and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. - The number of children and young people starting treatment for eating disorders has increased since the pandemic, from 8,034 in 2019/20, to 11,174 in 2024/25, an increase of almost 40%. This has impacted performance against the Children and young people with an eating disorder access and waiting time standard which states that 95% of routine referrals should begin treatment within 4 weeks, and 95% of urgent referrals should begin treatment within 1 week. - Additional investment of £54 million per year since 2023/24 has enhanced the capacity and capability of community eating disorder teams to better meet the rising demand, and in the rolling quarter September 2025 to November 2025, Mental Health Services Data Set data shows that performance against the target for both routine and urgent referrals has improved, increasing to 78.4% (384/490) of urgent and 81.7% (2,145/2,625) of routine cases starting treatment within 1 and 4 weeks respectively. The guidance published today will further support integrated care boards and providers to better meet the needs of children and young people through timely access to care and support. - The Royal College of Psychiatrists and NHS England have published their first audit of eating disorder services in England, which includes latest figures on waiting times. - Free e-learning resources are available online: - [SPOT – online training for schools](https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/training-for-professionals/training-for-education-professionals/training-for-schools-spot/) (Beat) - [MindEd – online learning](https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/minded) (Royal College of Psychiatrists) --- # No Child Left Behind: Why every child needs access to the right kind of support for them Blog By Meg Moss 14th September 2025 **As the school bells ring again to signal the start of a new academic year, for many children and young people in the UK, this doesn't symbolise the anticipated return to a familiar routine. Instead, it highlights a significant challenge they are confronting: the struggle with their mental and emotional health.** Mental health issues among children and young people have been escalating at an alarming rate. According to NHS figures, referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) witnessed a staggering 76% increase since 2019. However, what is more concerning is the grim reality that support for these young minds is far from sufficient. **The waiting lists stretch on for what seems like an eternity, putting their futures on a perilous trajectory while simultaneously straining the country’s health, care, and education systems.** At the other end, the low intensity mental health provision offered by many Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) and Children's Wellbeing Practitioners (CWPs) is not able to meet the needs of those children experiencing a reaction to trauma, or self-harming, or struggling with disordered eating. This is where the NCPS's [Access to Counselling For Every Child](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/access-to-counselling-cyp) campaign becomes pivotal. It calls for a radical overhaul in how we approach young people's mental health by emphasising child-led care that should be accessible in all schools, primary care settings, and through remote platforms for those who need it. The concept of child-led mental health care isn’t just another academic abstraction. It acknowledges **the agency of young people in managing their mental health and aims to provide them with the tools and resources necessary to do so**. This approach is incredibly relevant for a crucial group often labelled the 'Missing Middle': children who have issues too complex for intervention by CWPs/MHSTs but are not considered severe enough for CAMHS services. This gap in care can have devastating repercussions. The ‘Missing Middle’ can often feel abandoned by a system that doesn’t know where to place them. Frustration mounts for both the child and their caregivers as they get stuck in a maze of referrals and consultations, while the actual issue continues to escalate, untreated. This may lead to a young person needing to access crisis services who may not have reached that point had they had the right support at the right time. The flexibility of the campaign's proposal—to extend remote mental health services—should not be overlooked. This is particularly relevant for groups like children in care, those unable to attend school for physical, emotional, or mental health reasons, and those in Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities**. A lack of geographical constraints ensures that these vulnerable groups can maintain continuity in care; something that is vital for building relationships based on trust and, therefore, for effective mental health support.** As we push for a comprehensive strategy to address the mental health of young people in the UK, it’s essential that this doesn’t become a mere section in a broader plan for physical health conditions. Mental health needs its spotlight, its investment, and - most critically - a strategy that is nuanced and empathetic to the complex emotional worlds of children and young people. It’s time for the government to pay heed. For many children, the return to school is fraught with emotional complexities that can't be addressed solely within the confines of the current offering mental health support. By embracing the tenets of our [Access to Counselling For Every Child](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/access-to-counselling-cyp) campaign, we can provide young people with the support they need, when they need it, and where they need it. And it's not just about safeguarding their mental health; it's about investing in the future of our society. --- # Overthinking: Living in the Mind, Longing for Peace Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 12th January 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Ilkay Alici, for this article.*** There is a kind of tiredness that has nothing to do with sleep. It comes from living too much in your own head. From circling the same thoughts, revisiting what cannot be changed, preparing for what may never come. It is the weight of invisible conversations, quiet worries, and a mind that will not switch off. Overthinking is not loud. It is a silent pressure that never lets go. It looks like stillness but feels like chaos. It sounds like “I am just tired” but means “I am overwhelmed by everything I cannot say out loud.” Many people who overthink do not realise they are doing it. To them, it feels normal like they are just being careful, thoughtful and responsible. But slowly, this mental noise begins to take over. It becomes harder to make decisions. Harder to stay in the moment. Harder to connect with what you actually feel beneath the thoughts. And here is the quiet truth. Overthinking is not a personality trait. It is a response to fear, to uncertainty and often to past hurt. It comes from the need to feel safe in a world that has not always felt kind. When your heart has known pain or disappointment, the mind steps in to protect you. It begins to prepare for what might go wrong, playing out every possibility, imagining each outcome, hoping that being ready will prevent more hurt. But this kind of safety is only temporary. And the cost is often your peace. Over time, this constant mental effort begins to take its toll. It might start quietly; difficulty sleeping, replaying conversations, hesitating before every decision, seeking reassurance more than usual. Slowly, it becomes harder to trust yourself. You pull back without meaning to. You start to doubt your instincts, delay choices, avoid risks. The more you think, the more disconnected you feel. It becomes harder to be present, harder to feel settled in your own body. You are physically here but part of you is always elsewhere; scanning for danger, replaying the past, trying to stay one step ahead. What once felt like protection begins to feel like a barrier. Yet not every thought needs solving. When the mind never rests, you start to forget what rest even feels like. **Please ask yourself, gently, what is my mind trying to protect me from?** The answer may not come quickly but in time you may begin to sense what is underneath the noise. Perhaps it is the fear of making the wrong decision. The fear of being misunderstood. The fear of being let down once more. These are not irrational fears. They are echoes of old wounds that never had the chance to heal properly. They are familiar feelings wearing new clothes. But not every thought that feels urgent is telling the truth. Some just want to keep you safe by keeping you alert. And while your mind may be working hard, what you may truly need is not another thought but a deeper breath. **So what can be done when your mind keeps moving faster than your breath? How do you begin to soften a mind that has learned to survive through constant thought?** The answer is not to silence the mind, but to sit with it. To notice the moment when thought starts to gather speed. And instead of rushing to calm it down, to slow yourself first. Not with force, but with kindness. Not to control what you think, but to understand what you feel. Instead of rushing to solve the thought, try noticing what your body is holding. A clenched jaw. A shallow breath. A tightening in the chest. These are not just physical reactions. They are signs that your mind is not the only part of you carrying tension. Your body remembers, too. It holds what your thoughts cannot put into words. Returning to your body is not about avoiding your thoughts but about creating a steadier place from which to meet them. You can anchor yourself with something simple: a slow breath, the ground beneath your feet, the rhythm of your steps, the stillness of a room. These are not solutions but doorways. They invite you back into presence, reminding you that you do not need to live entirely in your head to feel safe. There will be days when your thoughts feel like a storm and your instinct is to control them. But you are not failing because you cannot quiet your mind. You are not weak for feeling overwhelmed. You are human, and you are carrying more than most people can see. And in those moments, when everything feels too much, it can help to return to something softer. There are gentler ways to live. Not by forcing yourself to think less, but by learning to listen differently. Listening not just to the noise, but to the quiet beneath it. To the part of you that is not asking to be fixed, only felt. **Let this be your reminder…** You are not lost in your thoughts. You are still here, beneath them, beside them, beyond them. And you are allowed to rest. Peace is not the absence of thought. It is the presence of trust. Trust in your ability to cope. Trust in the quiet wisdom within you. Trust that not everything in life needs to be solved. Some things only need to be felt. Some moments are meant to be lived, just as they are. You do not need to solve everything… You do not have to keep doing more… You are already doing the best you can with what you have… And sometimes, that is more than enough… --- # Postnatal Depression In Men Blog Children, young people & families Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 1st August 2025 Postnatal Depression is a horrible thing, which can turn what should be a happy (if tiring!) time for a family into a living nightmare. Over the last few years, awareness about postnatal depression has risen a lot as attitudes about mental illness have changed and women who would once have been too ashamed or frightened to speak out have shared their stories. We now know that rates of postnatal depression are a lot higher than ever previously believed, and likely to be higher even than modern statistics suggest (sadly, symptoms of postnatal depression are still often dismissed as being part and parcel of the stress and exhaustion a new baby brings in their wake). However, if postnatal depression remains under-reported in women, it’s chronically under-reported in men. Yes, men. Men can suffer from postnatal depression too! [Evidence shows](https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-023-05966-y) that at least 8 and 13% of new fathers suffer from postnatal depression, increasing to 50% if the mother is also experiencing PPD. And these are just the men we know about. Again, the true percentage is likely to be far, far higher than this. And it’s just as serious a condition for fathers as it is for mothers ## **How do men get postnatal depression?** People are sometimes confused as to how and why fathers can get postnatal depression. After all, they say, surely postnatal depression in mothers is partly down to hormone fluctuations? Men do not experience the same hormonal rollercoaster that their female partners do during pregnancy, so how can men come down with postnatal depression? Well, in fact, fathers do often experience hormonal changes following the birth of a new baby. Hormones such as testosterone, cortisol, vasopressin, and prolactin can all fluctuate considerably in response to the arrival on the scene of a new baby. Just as in women, this can result in quite drastic mood imbalances for the new father. It’s also worth noting that, while there is a hormonal element to postnatal depression, hormones are far from the only factor involved. Other contributory factors include (but are not limited to): - Past history of mental health problems - A lack of support - Fatigue - Birth trauma - The physical and emotional upheavals caused by a new arrival - Emotionally taxing events (bereavement or job stress, for example) - Low self-esteem and/or general feelings of inadequacy All of these factors can affect fathers just as much as they can affect mothers (even birth trauma – the stress of witnessing a loved partner go through a traumatic birth and the helplessness many men feel in such situations can have a severe impact). So, the short answer to the question ‘How do men get postnatal depression?’ is: exactly the same way that women do. ## **What are the symptoms of postnatal depression in men?** The symptoms of postnatal depression in fathers vary, and are often mistaken for the simple stress and fatigue brought on by a new baby. However, some signs to look out for include: - Low energy - Low motivation - Irritability, frustration, angry outbursts and the like - Persistent low mood - Loss of interest in things which the sufferer would normally find fulfilling - General feelings of apathy - Difficulty bonding with the baby - Conflict within the relationship - Poor parenting (for example, refusing to do feeds, change nappies, play with the baby etc) - Social withdrawal - Problems with concentrating and/or thinking clearly - Trouble sleeping - Changes in appetite All of these can occur as a result of sleepless nights and general baby pressures, but should never reach a point at which they are making the new parents’ life an absolute misery. If the low moods, exhaustion, and troubling emotions are starting to feel relentless, it may well be time to seek help from a professional. ## **Are all new fathers at risk of postnatal depression?** Nobody can say for certain which fathers will and which will not suffer from postnatal depression. It can strike out of the blue. However, some factors are known to raise a man’s risk of postnatal depression: - A partner also suffering from postnatal depression - Previous history of mental illness - Financial pressures - Not being in a relationship with the child’s mother - Being under the age of 25 - Substance abuse issues - Problems getting the baby to sleep at night - Feelings of being unsupported by partners and/or family and friends ## **Why is it important to be aware of postnatal depression in fathers?** Male mental health issues in general tend to be under-reported by both sufferers and society at large. Gendered ideas about what is (and is not) ‘manly’ lead to a lot of men suffering in silence, scared that speaking out will make them seem vulnerable and weak. New fathers are no different from anyone else in this regard. In fact, fatherhood can pile on a whole new set of gendered pressures. Now, the man is expected to be the powerful provider for and protector of his new family unit. Buying into this stereotype has the double effect of bringing greater stress and making it harder to seek help. It’s important that we break this silence and raise awareness about postnatal depression in fathers, because this condition can have serious consequences if left untreated. Fathers with postnatal depression can struggle to form a positive relationship with their child, and the repercussions of this can last for the rest of their lives. Marital and partner relationships can also break down. Not to mention the inherent risks to the sufferer which depression brings with it. ## **Can you treat postnatal depression in dads?** Yes! Absolutely. Postnatal depression in fathers is treated in the same way as it is in mothers. A doctor may prescribe antidepressant medications, which have proven extremely helpful for many. Talking therapies (perhaps undertaken as a family) can also have a hugely positive impact on the condition. We would encourage any new parent to seek help if they are struggling. Finding an accredited counsellor who can help you to work through what you're experiencing is a fantastic step to take. However, just reaching out to family and friends can have a much bigger impact than you might expect. Whatever you do – don’t suffer in silence. --- # Press release: First blueprint to make AI mental health tools safe for users Blog Mental Health By Meg Moss 2nd October 2025 The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) has published the UK’s first *relational safeguards* for AI mental health tools, warning that, without clear boundaries, chatbots and apps risk causing serious harm, particularly to children and young people. You can find the full [Principles for Relational Safeguards in AI Mental Health Tools resource here](https://ncps.com/assets/uploads/docs/cs/Principles-for-Relational-Safeguards-in-AI-Mental-Health-Tools.pdf). ### **A crisis in demand & the lure of AI** In 2023-24, [3,790,826 people were in contact with NHS mental health](https://www.england.nhs.uk/2024/10/englands-nhs-mental-health-services-treat-record-3-8-million-people-last-year), learning disability and autism services: an increase of nearly 40% since before the pandemic. At the same time, NHS data suggests [16,522 people have now waited over 18 months for mental health treatment](https://www.rethink.org/news-and-stories/media-centre/2025/02/new-analysis-of-nhs-data-on-mental-health-waiting-times). This is more than eight times the number of people waiting that long for elective physical health interventions. With pressure on services high, many are turning to digital tools (there are between [10,000 and 20,000 mental health apps](https://www.apa.org/monitor/2021/01/trends-mental-health-apps) currently available globally), yet the evidence base for many apps is weak. There are a [number of](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12360667/) [recent research](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40474-025-00328-z) [papers outlining the risks](https://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(25)00049-6/fulltext) of AI 'Therapy' bots, for example, and little out there to support efficacy, especially in the longer term. Similarly, [a review of Large Language Models in mental health](https://mental.jmir.org/2024/1/e57400) cautioned they should *not* be considered substitutes for professional support, citing concerns about reliability, ethics, 'black box' decision-making, and overreliance. Many mental health apps *do* operate without full transparency or safety mechanisms, though. For example, [a systematic review](https://mental.jmir.org/2020/6/e16525) found that more than 55% of apps claiming they offered some kind of therapeutic service referenced an evidence-based framework, but only a small fraction had published efficacy evidence. Practically speaking, people don't tend to use these apps for long, either: one study estimated [only 3% of users continue using a mental health app after 30 days](https://humanfactors.jmir.org/2022/1/e30766). ### **Safeguarding the future** The NCPS blueprint sets out six clear principles for safe AI use in mental health: AI interventions must be time-bound, supportive not directive, adjunctive to therapy (not a replacement), transparent about their limits, user-autonomous, and safeguarded with clear escalation to human help. > *“People are already using AI to help with their mental health, and we're seeing the negative effects of that starting to show. These safeguards are about making sure that these apps, chatbots, and services are created thoughtfully and ethically in a way that will genuinely help people,” said Meg Moss, Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy at NCPS. “AI can help with a great many things, but it can never replace the safety, trust, and human connection that only people can provide”.* AI can offer psychoeducation, journaling prompts, or general advice, but it lacks the relational depth (trust, reciprocity, attunement) that forms the basis of effective therapy. ### **Evidence from therapy** Counselling [research consistently shows](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283232744_The_great_psychotherapy_debate_The_evidence_for_what_makes_psychotherapy_work_Second_edition) that the *therapeutic relationship* (the bond of trust and collaboration between client and therapist) is the strongest predictor of positive outcomes, more so than any specific method or technique. Recent academic commentaries echo this concern. Stanford University researchers have [warned that therapy chatbots may fall short of real therapy](https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.18412) and in some cases risk reinforcing stigma or harmful outcomes. A new paper, [*Technological folie à deux*](https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.19218), highlights worrying feedback loops where chatbots and users can enter unhealthy cycles that exacerbate delusional thinking or dependency. ### **Call to action** > *“If AI is going to play a role in mental health, it must be based on the robust therapeutic principles that have kept people safe for decades, and it mustn't be at the cost of those important, human relationships that anchor us to both who we are and who we could be. There's a lot of money and hype in the AI mental health space, and we should be careful to stay circumspect, especially where mental health is concerned,” Moss said.* There is no regulation of AI or digital mental health support tools, which means they do not need to adhere to any ethical frameworks, codes of conduct, safeguarding guidelines or similar. The Online Safety Act, which some people believe can provide a source of accountability to tech companies involved in the creation of AI mental health tools, was never designed to deal with these issues. It regulates harmful content on platforms, not the safety of therapeutic conduct. Without a dedicated regulatory framework, people remain unprotected, and the only way forward is bespoke regulation and an ethical framework, based upon these principles and others such as data protection, that treats these tools with the same seriousness as other forms of healthcare intervention. The NCPS safeguards have already been shared with major organisations and charities, including NHS Talking Therapies. The Society is calling on developers, policymakers, and funders to adopt these principles as a baseline for safe and ethical innovation in digital mental health. ### **Ends** **Notes to editors** - NCPS represents over 18,500 counsellors & psychotherapists across the UK. NCPS holds an Accredited Register under the Professional Standards Authority (PSA), the same independent regulator that oversees statutory bodies such as the GMC and NMC. - NCPS’s relational safeguards are the first of their kind in the UK. They have been developed in response to the rapid rollout of AI tools in mental health contexts, and are based on decades of therapeutic research. - The six relational safeguards are: Time-Bound, Supportive, Adjunctive, Transparent, User-Autonomous, and Safeguarded **Contact** Meg Moss Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy | 07989 753 693 --- # Website Privacy Policy Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 ## Members' data is stored by the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) within the provisions of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). For reference, we hold the following information about you: - Given/First Name - Surname/Family Name - Gender (optional, and only if supplied) - Home Address - Email Address - Practice Address (if provided) - Telephone numbers (home, mobile, and practice) - Details related to your practice status (i.e. whether you are practising or not practising) - Information about any criminal record or offences (if applicable) - How you heard about us - Where you undertook your training - Your bank details/BACS reference details for the purposes of administering membership payments - Unspent criminal record details (if relevant) - Qualification and training details - Information about cancelling your membership (if relevant) - Information about your benefits/retirement status (if relevant) - Your contact/marketing preferences - Information about the fees you pay to us The NCPS uses cloud technology, not based on our premises, to store and manage the data we hold, and to provide services such as event management, newsletters, and other emails. Members' data is held in a secure UK datacentre which is protected by perimeter, building and data floor key card + combination entry, access control, recording, monitoring, CCTV, and 24/7 security patrols. Any services we use to manage events and send emails adhere to GDPR requirements. The NCPS may use your contact data to communicate with you direct for important information related to your membership and course provision and to advise you of new products and services, or work and placement opportunities. You may opt out of receiving communications from the NCPS at any time via the Members’ Area of the website, email, telephone, or post. We do not sell your data, nor do we use it for any purpose other than to provide membership services and keep an online Register of counsellors (where applicable). If you need to make a change to the information we hold about you, you can do this at any time via the Members’ Area of the website, email, telephone, or post. If you want us to delete the information we hold about you then please do let us know in writing, and we will do so to the furthest extent possible allowing that we may need to retain some information about you to ensure that we are compliant with any legal requirements, or for the purposes of public safety or our own internal complaints processes. Personal information which you share with the NCPS as part of your membership applications or course processes - for example, personal disclosures as part of your personal development or as part of therapeutic training – are treated in the strictest confidence. This means that the NCPS will not disclose any such materials unless required by a Court Order or unless such materials provide evidence of criminality, or potential or actual harm to yourself, another person, or to NCPS staff. If your application for Membership is referred to our Professional Standards Committee, full details of your application will be made available to the Committee, many of whom are not directly employed by the Society. Committee members have signed a strict confidentiality agreement with the Society, and all data for review is shared on encrypted, password-protected software. In the event that a complaint is made against you, and the complaint is escalated to an Assessment Panel or Independent Panel Hearing, details of the complaint that has been made against you and documentation relevant to the case that has been provided either by yourself or the complainant will be made available to panel members. Panel members have signed a strict confidentiality agreement with the Society, and all data for review is shared on encrypted, password-protected software. Information you provide to the NCPS as part of your membership application or course process will be retained in accordance with the GDPR and destroyed a certain amount of time after your course or membership lapses. --- # Protecting the Adoption Support Fund and Therapy for Adopted Children By Meg Moss 2nd September 2025 This week, Parliament will debate the future of the Adoption Support Fund (ASGSF). The Society has submitted evidence to the debate, emphasising the importance of protecting this vital lifeline for adopted children and their families. The Adoption Support Fund was created to provide therapeutic support for children who have experienced significant trauma before entering care. For many families, it has been nothing short of transformational. One adoptive parent told us: > *The therapy that my son was able to access through the ASGSF was transformational. He went from a young person who experienced significant dysregulation, difficult peer relationships and exclusions from school, to being able to identify his feelings and find ways of managing those feelings effectively. He became successful at school and developed a more positive sense of self.* > > *It allowed me, as his parent to effectively use therapeutic parenting to support him through a very difficult period of his life and ongoing.* > > *The trauma he experienced can not be underestimated and the impact throughout his life will be notable. The therapy helped in the moment but also into his future.* > > *The reality is that the type of therapy needed is expensive but vital. It will not fix the trauma experienced, without the funding many of the most vulnerable children in our society will not be able to access therapy. This will inevitably impact their future relationships and life choices.* Stories like this demonstrate exactly why the fund matters. Over 70% of adopted children experienced abuse or neglect before entering care. These early experiences of trauma can leave deep and lasting marks: things like difficulties with trust, heightened anxiety, emotional dysregulation, or challenges in forming healthy relationships. Without the right support, these challenges often play out in school, at home, and later in adult life, leading to exclusion, breakdown of placements, and long-term mental health struggles. Therapy offers something irreplaceable: a safe, consistent, and compassionate relationship where children can begin to process what has happened to them. Relational therapies equip children with lifelong skills in managing emotions, understanding themselves, and building positive attachments; they don’t just reduce distress in the moment. For many adopted children, this is the first time they’ve been able to experience a relationship that is truly safe, reliable, and attuned to their needs. Cuts to the fund risk creating a two-tier system. Families with financial means may be able to pay privately for counselling and specialist trauma therapies, but for many this is simply not an option. Therapy is expensive, often hundreds of pounds per month, and is far out of reach for families already stretched by the costs of raising children with additional needs. This means that the children who most need support (those who have already experienced neglect, abuse, or instability) are the very ones who will lose out. Without the ASGSF, their trauma goes unaddressed, widening the gap between children who can access therapy and those who cannot. It entrenches disadvantage, leaving vulnerable children even further behind their peers in school, in relationships, and in life. Creating such a divide is both unfair and harmful. Denying children access to relational, human support at the point they need it most risks compounding the very inequalities the care and adoption system is supposed to redress. Instead of levelling the playing field, we would be pushing the most disadvantaged children further to the margins. The NCPS has also warned against replacing relational, human-based therapy with cheaper, digital alternatives. While these options may look efficient on paper, promising scalability and lower upfront costs, they cannot provide what traumatised children need most: the consistent presence of a safe, caring adult. We heal from our trauma through connection, trust, and warmth. Embodied, emotional, relational safety. For a child who has experienced neglect, abuse, or instability, the act of sitting with a trusted therapist is itself reparative. It models safety, empathy, and reliability in a way that no algorithm or app can reproduce. Growing concerns about depersonalisation and AI-psychosis add to the list of significant risks if we continue to lower the bar on what makes a reasonable, acceptable mental health support intervention. Decades of evidence in counselling & psychotherapy show that the therapeutic relationship itself is the strongest predictor of positive outcomes. Much more important than the model or technique used. Removing that human element risks leaving children feeling unseen, unheard, and unsupported. Replacing relational therapies with digital substitutes could cause real harm by offering a hollow imitation of care, and that's even before we understand whether or not it 'works'. The case for protecting the ASGSF is clear, and the NCPS is urging MPs to use this debate to protect and ringfence funding for the Adoption Support Fund. --- # Complaints: Publication Policy for Non-Registrant Members By Brogan 12th September 2025 The Society’s complaints procedures seek to be open, transparent and proportionate. Sanctions issued by either the Assessment Panel or by the Independent Complaints Panel following a complaint's hearing will be published on the Society’s website. Should a member be issued an Interim Suspension Order (ISO) during a complaint investigation the ISO the Non-Registrant member 's name and date of issue of ISO will be placed on the Professional Conduct Notices section of the Society’s website. The publication of such decisions provides information about the standards expected of members; assists clients to make informed choices and helps to maintain public confidence in The Society. We aim to strike a balance and consider the rights of both clients and members and take account of the risk of any harm that may arise from the disclosure or non-disclosure of information. Details of sanctions will appear as an outline of the case and will be placed on the ‘Professional Conduct Notices’ section of the website. A note of the complaint will be added to the member’s file. Upon completion of the sanction, the Society will change the entry on the Professional Conduct Notice page to reflect that the sanction has been met. The Society will display the “Sanction Met” on the outline of the case under the Outcomes of Complaints section for a further period of 6 months after completion of the sanction. The members’ file will be updated. If a sanction is not met, the Society will change the information on the Professional Conduct Notices page to reflect that “Sanction Not Met”. This will be published on the Society website for a period of five years. In cases where a member is removed from the Society membership or accepts Voluntary Removal following a panel hearing, the published decision will remain on the website for a period of five years. If there is no sanction, then no information will be published on the Society’s website. --- # Recognising the Emotional Needs of Foster Carers and Adoptive Parents Blog Children, young people & families Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 17th June 2026 ***With thanks to our Recognised Counselling Service, The Wellbeing Therapy Hut, and to Jess Farazmand, for writing this article.*** When we talk about children in care, fostering and adoption, our focus quite rightly centres on the needs of the child. We consider their experiences of loss, trauma, disrupted attachment and the challenges they may face as they grow and develop. However, there is another group whose emotional wellbeing is equally important and whose needs can sometimes be overlooked: the foster carers and adoptive parents who open their homes and hearts to these children. Fostering and adoption can be incredibly rewarding. They offer children the opportunity to experience safety, stability, belonging and love. Yet alongside these positives comes a level of emotional complexity that is often underestimated by those outside the fostering and adoption community. Many children entering foster care or adoptive families have experienced significant adversity before arriving in their new homes. They may have learned that adults are unreliable, that relationships are temporary, or that trust is something to be approached with caution. These experiences do not simply disappear when a child enters a loving and supportive environment. As a result, foster carers and adoptive parents often find themselves navigating behaviours that can be confusing, challenging and emotionally demanding. They may encounter rejection, anger, emotional withdrawal or testing behaviours, even when they are doing everything they can to provide a nurturing and stable home. This can be particularly difficult because these behaviours are often not a reflection of the quality of care being provided. Instead, they may be a child's way of expressing fear, uncertainty or past experiences of loss and instability. In my work with families, one of the most important messages I share is that healing happens through relationships, but relationships require support. Foster carers and adoptive parents are frequently asked to provide an extraordinary level of emotional availability. They are helping children regulate overwhelming feelings, make sense of difficult experiences and build trust in adults, often whilst managing their own emotions and responsibilities. The reality is that this can be exhausting. Many carers describe feelings of self-doubt, guilt or frustration when progress feels slow. Others experience isolation, particularly when friends or family members do not fully understand the unique challenges involved in caring for a child who has experienced trauma. This is why support for carers is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Counselling, peer support groups, reflective spaces, training and strong professional networks can all play an important role in helping carers feel understood and supported. When carers have a safe space to explore their own feelings, they are often better able to maintain the patience, empathy and consistency that children need. There is also growing recognition of the importance of therapeutic parenting approaches. These approaches encourage adults to look beyond behaviour and consider what a child may be communicating through their actions. Rather than asking, "What's wrong with this child?" we begin to ask, "What has happened to this child?" and "What does this child need from me right now?" This shift in perspective can be transformative for both children and carers. At a wider level, there is a need for continued investment in accessible mental health support, joined-up services and early intervention. Foster carers and adoptive parents should not have to reach a crisis point before receiving help. Equally, children should not face lengthy waits for specialist support when difficulties first emerge. When support is available early, families are often better able to navigate challenges together, reducing the risk of placement disruption and improving outcomes for everyone involved. Despite the challenges, I am continually inspired by the resilience, commitment and compassion shown by foster carers and adoptive parents. They undertake some of the most important work in our society, often quietly and without recognition. Behind every child who begins to feel safe, develops trust or starts to believe in their own worth, there is usually an adult who has remained present through the uncertainty, the setbacks and the difficult days. As counsellors and psychotherapists, we have an important role to play not only in supporting children who have experienced trauma but also in supporting the adults who care for them. By helping carers feel heard, valued and emotionally resourced, we strengthen the very relationships that enable healing to take place. Because when we support the supporters, we ultimately support the children too. ***Author Biography*** *Jess Farazmand is a counsellor, clinical supervisor and the founder of The Wellbeing Therapy Hut, an award-winning counselling service supporting children, young people, adults, couples and families across Surrey and beyond. Passionate about making mental health support accessible, Jess leads a team committed to providing high-quality, affordable counselling and early intervention services within the community. The Wellbeing Therapy Hut was proud to receive the Commitment to Community Award at the Epsom & Ewell Business Awards in recognition of its work supporting local residents and promoting mental wellbeing.* --- # Registration Application Review Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 The Society is required to ensure that successful applicants to our Accredited Register, and to grades within the Register, meet the relevant criteria and standards. We operate an assessment process with an appropriately trained team in a fair and transparent manner, drawing where required on a significant amount of expertise. Where an applicant has not provided the required evidence for registration, we give them every opportunity to provide it, and when an application is unsuccessful, we can explain the remaining requirements that would be needed for the application to proceed. We recognise that not all applicants will have followed a standard route and so, for complex applications, we provide an assessment by our Senior Review Team; where for example, the applicant has studied overseas or has followed an atypical route to professional practice. We recognise that, not only should any applicant have the right to have an unsuccessful application reviewed; but that also no assessment process is perfect, and that review gives us the opportunity to correct any errors and create learning points to improve the process. The Application Review Policy is as follows: ## 1. The Assessment Team The Society’s Assessment Team is drawn from suitably-trained colleagues within our Membership Services Department. It processes all incoming applications for registration in the first instance. The team has the authority to reject an application where basic standard, objective criteria for registration have not been evidenced by the applicant. An example of this would be where the applicant provides no evidence of having done a face-to-face counselling training but had studied entirely online. The Assessment Team can, at its sole discretion, refer any application for review by the Society’s Senior Review Team. It can do this, for example, where the qualification evidenced by the applicant is unknown to the Assessment Team. If an application is rejected, an applicant can request a review of the Assessment Team’s decision, provided they request this within 14 days of receipt of said decision. The review will be conducted by the Society’s Senior Review Team. ## 2. The Senior Review Team The Society’s Senior Review Team consists of two or more people, one of which is normally a senior professional therapist, with a high level of experience in application assessment. It processes applications referred by the Assessment Team, complex applications, and applications failed by the Assessment Team where the applicant has requested a review. The Senior Review Team has the authority to make decisions on complex applications; to ask for further and additional clarification from applicants, and to reject an application where criteria for registration, including qualitative or complex criteria, have not been evidenced by the applicant. It will provide the applicant with the reason for its decision. An applicant can request an appeal of the Senior Review Team’s decision, provided they request this within 14 days receipt of said decision. The appeal will be sent to the next available meeting of the Society’s Professional Standards Committee. ## 3. The Professional Standards Committee The Professional Standards Committee consists of highly experienced and qualified professionals who hold regular committee meetings and have the responsibility to uphold the Society’s standards. The Professional Standards Committee hears appeals of the Senior Review Team’s decision where the application is unsuccessful, and the applicant wishes to appeal. The Professional Standards Committee will examine the evidence provided by the applicant and the Senior Review Team’s decision. They may at their discretion seek further evidence from either party. A majority decision of the Professional Standards Committee will be taken by vote on each application appeal. In the event of a tie, the Chair of the meeting shall have the casting vote. The decision of the Professional Standards Committee on any application shall be final and binding on the Society and applicant. There are no further rights of review or appeal. On an annual basis the Society’s Independent Assessor may sample decisions made by the Professional Standards Committee for their annual report. --- # Restoration to the Register Policies Policies By Brogan 12th September 2025 A former registrant who has been removed from the Society's Register following the outcome of a disciplinary hearing may apply to rejoin the Register. Applications for re-joining should be made in writing to the Registrar who will in turn refer the matter to the Professional Standards Committee. An application for restoration cannot be made until five years have elapsed since the removal, except in circumstances where, as part of the original complaints process, a Society panel varied this condition. In addition, a former Registrant may not make more than one application for restoration in any twelve months. If a former Registrant makes two applications for restoration which are refused the Professional Standards Committee may also direct that the applicant’s right to make further application is suspended indefinitely - this is known as a “Barring Order”. In applying for restoration to the Register the burden of proof is on the applicant to prove that they are suitable to be returned to the Register. The Professional Standards Committee will have sight of the original complaint file before considering the application. At its sole discretion, the Committee may require the applicant to attend an interview. Possible outcomes of Application for Restoration are: - The application is successful and registration is unconditionally restored - The application is successful and registration is restored, but with conditions on registration - The application is conditionally successful, subject to either a further re-assessment, further conditions prior to registration, or both - The application is unsuccessful and the applicant is not restored to the Register --- # Retirement Policy Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 A Registrant of the Society who wishes to retire can opt to become a lifetime non-Registrant Member of the Society, to continue to receive the Counselling Matters magazine, updates, and invitations to Society events, and remain part of our community. By agreeing to this policy you will be given lifetime non-Registrant membership with the Society. - "Registrant" refers to Accredited Registrants, Accredited Professional Registrants or Senior Accredited members - “Retiring” registrants are those who have ceased to practise - Retiring Registrants who participate in this scheme agree to be bound by the NCPS’s Code of Ethics - Retiring Registrants will notify the Society at any time should their status change, for example, should they start to practise again (part-time practice, voluntary practice, and private practice are all included in this) - Retiring members must not use the NCPS logo or advertise that they are a member --- # Safe Enough to Be Seen: What Men Teach Me About Being Human Blog Mental Health By Guest Blog 7th November 2025 **With thanks to our member, Martin Bartlett, for this blog. Martin Bartlett - Integrative Therapist (MNCPS Acc.)** He said something like, *everyone assumes I’m fine - and that’s part of the problem.* The sentence has echoed through many sessions since. Men often arrive carrying the quiet weight of holding everything together. They don’t come because they’ve failed, but because they’ve run out of room to keep succeeding. What brings them isn’t collapse but depletion - the strain of staying composed, competent, in control. The harder they work to be strong, the more alone they feel. Over the years I’ve come to see that much of men’s suffering isn’t weakness at all - it’s separation: from feeling, from support, from the parts of themselves that still want warmth. Therapy becomes a rehearsal of another kind of strength, one rooted in relationship, not performance. **Responsibility as Control** Many of the men I meet have learned to measure their worth through usefulness. One said something like, he doesn’t feel lonely when he’s busy. Another noticed how his internal drive looked down on the idea of needing help. Responsibility has become identity; doing is the only acceptable way of being. In the room, it shows up as neat stories, quick analysis, problem-solving before contact. My task is to stay with the pace of their breath, not their sentences, to let responsibility soften into responsiveness. Slowly, they start to discover that being met is not the same as being managed. **Vulnerability Behind the Armour** Anger and control often walk in first. For some, irritation is safer than hurt; sarcasm is easier than honesty. One man once compared himself to a wolf - wary, protective, easily provoked, yet secretly lonely. Another began to sense that behind every argument was a question about staying. When I meet the edge with curiosity instead of caution, anger begins to show its function. Beneath it is grief, for safety never learned, for tenderness long postponed. It’s not resistance I’m meeting, it’s a nervous system trying to protect itself. **The Difficulty of Receiving Care** A quiet turning point in much of this work is the moment a man starts to tolerate being cared for. One reflected that having needs felt like weakness. Another, who could offer endless encouragement to friends, admitted he found it almost impossible to accept it for himself. We practise in small ways: a pause that’s allowed to last; a compliment that isn’t deflected; a silence that isn’t filled. At first it feels exposing, then strangely relieving. When care is no longer something to fend off, the body begins to loosen. Therapy becomes not an achievement but a resting place. **The Absence - and Return - of Softness** For some, warmth has been a threat for most of their lives. One man described choosing to go “*cold*” at eleven, after years of ridicule and rejection. Another noticed that power always felt safer than care; he loved “*power over fear*.” Softness, for them, wasn’t weakness, it was unpractised. Our work was to help it return. Softness here doesn’t mean losing boundaries; it’s structure made gentle. It’s the breath that steadies rather than braces. As one man put it, he realised kindness wasn’t an excuse, it was the ground he needed to stand on. **Roles, Meaning, and “Menness”** When the armour eases, the deeper questions appear. Who am I if I’m not the one who keeps everything upright? What kind of man do I want to be? One began to wonder if life could be more balanced - not all work, not all relationships, but a rhythm that allowed him to belong in more than one place. Another found a quiet freedom in changing four words: from *I am depressed* to *I have depression*. It gave him a little air, a sense that feeling low didn’t erase the rest of him. And another, carrying a father’s violence and a religion that prized purity over presence, began to ask if he could live differently, strong without hardening, faithful without fear. These moments reveal *menness* not as a fixed identity but as an unfolding process: learning to inhabit strength without suppression, sensitivity without shame. **When Relief Appears** Progress rarely arrives as insight; it arrives as physiology. Sleep improves. Breathing deepens. Shoulders drop. One man noticed that his “withdrawn” days were no longer failures, just signals of what needed care. Another managed to cry privately for the first time, not from despair, but from permission. These small signs are how belonging re-enters the body. **What They Teach Me** Working with men has changed how I understand steadiness. It isn’t control; it’s connection. Strength isn’t what holds us apart, but what lets us stay in contact long enough for change to happen. In the end, what every man teaches me, in his own language, is the same quiet truth: we all need to know it’s safe enough to be seen. --- # Safeguarding and Confidentiality Policy Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 ## Guidance for counsellors in confidentiality and safeguarding vulnerable adults and children The NCPS Code of Ethics gives the following guidance to all registrants about client confidentiality: *“Confidentiality, Maintenance of Records and Recording of Sessions”* *All Practitioners undertake to:* *Maintain strict confidentiality within the client/counsellor relationship, always provided that such confidentiality is neither inconsistent with the therapist’s own safety or the safety of the client, the client’s family members or other members of the public nor in contravention of any legal action (i.e. criminal, coroner or civil court cases where a court order is made demanding disclosure) or legal requirement (e.g. Children’s Acts).”* In this document, we give further details about: 1. Confidentiality within the client therapist relationship 2. The Law 3. The rights of the client 4. The duties of the therapist – exceptions to confidentiality ### A) Confidentiality within the client therapist relationship Confidentiality is considered to be one of the foundations of the therapeutic relationship. Clients may share/disclose personal information with a therapist and they will feel more confident to do this if they are reassured that their personal information will be discussed and recorded in confidence. There are ethical and legal frameworks about the protection of sensitive information and there are also legal and ethical frameworks for the protection of the public and individuals. There may be occasions when there is a perceived conflict between the professional and moral duty of confidentiality and the need to disclose information that is considered to be in the public interest or individual protection. ### B) The Law Legal rights to confidentiality are enforceable by legal orders e.g. injunctions or actions for breach of contract, damages, orders for compensation. Common law (decisions made by the courts) which imposes a duty of confidentiality where information is disclosed in confidence or in circumstances where a reasonable person ought to know that the information ought to be confidential. Statutory provisions (e.g. GDPR, Human Rights Act 1998 Article 8 – right to private life Contracts i.e. between: Therapist and client and/or Therapist and agency These rights are enforceable by a complaints procedure and investigation process, disciplinary proceedings, and in the case of actions by public bodies, possibly legal action for judicial review of administrative or other actions challenged. For someone with a complaint about an issue relating to confidentiality, these procedures often involve less financial risk than court proceedings and sometimes the outcomes from a disciplinary hearing are more likely to prevent a repetition by the therapist. ### C) The rights of the client At the outset of therapy it is the responsibility of the therapist to explain to the client (and ensure they understand) about confidentiality: - To know the extent and limitations of the confidentiality - To be told the circumstances in which the therapist may wish to breach confidentiality - To have a clear therapeutic contract with terms which they fully understand, accept and support - To know who will make, keep and have access to their notes and records, how they will be kept, for how long they will be retained and for what purposes they may be retained/destroyed/disclosed - To be informed of circumstances when the therapist may have to or is about to breach their confidentiality (unless there are defensible reasons why this cannot be the case, in cases of certain child protection or mental incapacity) - To know how, why and to whom information will be given by the therapist - To know the importance of and/or see what is being said about the client if that client so wishes ### D) When should confidentiality be broken? #### Crime A counsellor cannot be legally bound to confidentiality about a crime. Courts have concluded that it is defensible to breach confidence, in good faith, in order to assist the prevention or detection of a crime. However, there is no general duty to report crime except in specific circumstances. There is also no general obligation to answer police questions about a client. A polite refusal on the grounds of confidentiality is sufficient if this is considered appropriate, but deliberately giving misleading information is likely to constitute an offence. There is specific home office guidance for counsellors working with addicts or offenders - #### Prevention of serious harm to the client or to others The Department of Health offers the following guidance on what counts as serious crime. ‘Murder, manslaughter, rape, treason, kidnapping, child abuse or other cases where individuals have suffered serious harm may all warrant breaching confidentiality. Serious harm to the security of the state or to public order and crimes that involve substantial financial gain and loss will generally fall within this category.' #### Statutory obligations to disclose The Terrorism Act 2000 makes it a criminal offence for a person to fail to disclose, without reasonable excuse, any information which they either know or believe might help prevent another person carrying out an act of terrorism or might help in bringing a terrorist to justice in the UK. #### Court orders A court may order disclosure, or order the therapist to attend court and to bring notes and records with them. Refusal to answer the questions of the court may constitute contempt of the court. Therapists may be asked to produce a report for court relating to work with a client. Consent should be obtained direct from the client wherever possible and in writing. Clients may ask to see the reports written about them, and in accordance with the legislation on Human Rights, GDPR, Freedom of Information clients should have access to their reports in the same way as records, unless there is a cogent reason in their interest or that of the public not to do so. #### Requirements to produce counselling records Family courts dealing with child protection cases have different rules of evidence from other civil and criminal courts. They may order the production of documents including personal medical reports which would otherwise have been protected from disclosure. The police acting on behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service and usually with the written consent of the client, may seek access to therapy and counselling notes. This is most likely to happen if they contain reports of allegations of rape or sexual abuse. #### Disclosures to enhance the quality of service provided Technically, it may constitute a breach of confidence when counsellors discuss cases in counselling supervision, training and research. #### Child protection A ‘child’ is defined as a person under the age of eighteen. The Children's Act 1989 (CA 1989) in conjunction with subsequent legislation including the Children's Act 2004, places a statutory duty on health, education and other services to co-operate with local authorities in child protection. There is a statutory duty to work together, including information sharing, in conducting initial investigations of children who may be in need or subject to abuse. Further information at [Every Child Matters.](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Every-child-matters.pdf) Therapists working with children and young people should have supervision with a person suitably qualified and experienced in child protection matters. If there is a concern that a child may be at risk of serious harm and the therapist does not have consent from the child or from a person with parental responsibility for the child to make a referral, then the therapist will have to decide whether to make a referral anyway, without consent. Those working within government, organisational or agency settings should already have policies and procedures in place to follow. For those that work independently, this is a matter for supervision, and where necessary for expert professional advice on child protection law and practice, which should be available from the legal department of the local authority, the department of social services, or specialist lawyers. #### Clients at risk of suicide or serious self-harm Responding appropriately to suicidal clients creates one of the most challenging situations encountered by counsellors. As there is no general duty to rescue in British law, counsellors need to be explicit about reserving the power to breach confidentiality for a suicidal adult client. To do so without explicit agreement may constitute an actionable breach of confidence. A therapist who knows that a client is likely to harm themself or others but who will not give consent for referral must carefully consider the ethics of going against the client’s known wishes and also the possible consequences for their client of either referral or non-referral. Discuss with the client if appropriate, and ideally also discuss in supervision these issues: - What has the client given me permission to do? - Does that permission include referral? - If I refer, what is likely to happen? - If I do not refer, what is likely to happen? - Do the likely consequences of non-referral include serious harm to the client or others? - Are the likely consequences preventable? - Is there anything I (or anyone else) can do to prevent serious harm? - What steps would need to be taken? - How could the client be helped to accept the proposed action? - Does my client have the mental capacity to give explicit informed consent at this moment in time? - If the client does not have mental capacity, then what are my professional responsibilities to the client and in the public interest? - If the client has mental capacity, but does not consent to my proposed action (e.g. referral to a GP), what is my legal situation if I go ahead and do it anyway? Counsellors’ professional responsibility requires that they must act within the area of their personal expertise, and should consider their own limitations. The implication of this is that when they reach the limits of their expertise, consideration should be given to referral on with the client’s consent. If the client does not consent to referral on and if the client or others may be at risk of harm, the therapist should address the issues listed above in supervision and with their professional organisation and/or other professional advice. If a client consents to referral on or to a change in the confidentiality agreed with them at the outset of the work with their therapist, then there is little likelihood of any ground for legal or other action against the therapist if the actions then taken are with the full knowledge and consent of the client. If possible, obtain the client’s explicit consent. Implicit or implied consent may be relied upon by the therapist, but it can be nebulous and is rather more difficult to prove. In the event of a complaint or legal action, both therapist and client are best protected by a therapeutic contract with terms including explicit consent, which are evidenced in writing. #### Mental capacity and consent Mental capacity is a legal concept of a person’s ability to make rational, informed decisions. It is presumed in law that adults and children over the age of sixteen have the mental capacity and legal power to give or withhold consent in medical and health care matters. #### Children and young people under the age of eighteen Therapists working with children and young people will need to have valid consent to enter into the therapeutic contract. ‘Parental responsibility’ is the legal basis for making decisions about a child, including consent for therapeutic treatment with the exception of those who are Gillick competent *(ref* [*https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Capacity-Consent\_and-Confidentiality\_2025.pdf*](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/Capacity-Consent_and-Confidentiality_2025.pdf)*)* It is advisable to take all issues of potential breach of confidentiality to supervision, whenever possible, and to discuss them fully and openly with the supervisor. **If you require specific legal advice then you should contact your insurance company as they will have access to qualified legal advisors** --- # SCoPEd Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 ### On this page you can access our archive of bulletins and news relating to the topic of SCoPEd. ### If you have any questions, please email scoped@ncps.com. We are excited to announce a major milestone in our ongoing commitment to advancing professional standards in the counselling and psychotherapy profession. As part of our evolution, the partners who developed the Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework now have a new partnership name. We are also launching a new website designed to provide greater transparency and accessibility for all our stakeholders, along with an updated version of the SCoPEd framework. A new policy and strategic engagement group has also been established within the partnership to develop policies, foster strategic relationships and facilitate communication and collaboration with key stakeholders. **A new name for the partnership** The SCoPEd partnership has now been renamed to the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB). As collaborative working beyond the SCoPEd framework has started to emerge, the partnership has recognised the need for a name that reflects the collective work of the six partners, extending beyond the SCoPEd framework. This is particularly important as we plan for future strategies and initiatives. The SCoPEd framework itself will retain its title. **New website: A central hub for the PCPB** We are launching a website for the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy to provide greater visibility and transparency into our work for all our stakeholders, which includes partner members and registrants, clients, the public, training organisations and service commissioners. This platform will offer a central place for updates on the SCoPEd framework and future PCPB initiatives. Key benefits of the new website include: - Providing a central place for all information about the PCPB and the SCoPEd framework. - Providing updates from the partnership while linking to individual partner websites for specific member information. - A user-friendly platform that makes it easier for the public, clients, service users, registrants and members to engage with the partnership’s work. As PCPB initiatives continue to grow and evolve, the website will expand to reflect these developments and provide updates. Current collaborative initiatives are: - Updating the SCoPEd framework - Compiling a unified demographic data set of therapists registered with PCPB partners to better understand the profession - Engagement and advocacy for greater recognition and understanding of counselling and psychotherapy, including with government, the public and other stakeholders - NHS Pathways pilot: Five of the six PCPB partners (excluding HGI) are collaborating with NHS Talking Therapies to provide fully funded postgraduate psychotherapeutic training within NHS services - Creating guidance on working with sexual orientation and gender identity: Five of the six partners (excluding HGI) are working on this. This work is also being carried out with the Association of Child Psychotherapists. Visit our new website here: [PCPB.org.uk](https://u46079287.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.w3phbXi9oyWcFg-2BiWMOJxnxPORLxQFSvzEjeCxlzDEUFBY6zeAA781l2P0s9-2BYP6DqELX8Jmf5-2BaRXCrypmPOwD0O3mVKgmicRuFtbloN2TO-2FJROZXg2RlsPw2ink5XbYDhsbllL9rvlxDItbCuE21W6-2BdS6sdcC4LyUWh1o3ThgIiXQhQfytEz1IBkUF7-2F1cywsdgSZDwa8iZgOUbr-2F-2FNUnFwvi3FUqW7e8xc9Cqy0vkexdJ-2Bc2k82Zxxc0kv-2BAS-2Fz1R3MwCIxIJRKfU79bbcj2ar1XLadlQymVBMFZ1z5hg7pwHNEzxtC-2FeOy8hir-2BDhiqLnwPvnWsJAUVPb6xgRL2NCJUWTTaVzGNvJR-2BoFs6y8alUhgS4uf2qYv0xDoj2AGFet41yd8TBc4j8au76TVdqN-2FhVHrOLsqgR4AgiLODg0cpUA0Tcrh0j4jp91izneRMRmK3pJo3xVNZ2kw8madyXNFFc5u0MyNyY5rpMOwhFhOo9yhsbRPpX2EnRN7Vi8qEGTzIL0M2PVBAabPp45faKfIMOAiDQ-2BRK52PSqdU6SuqPmnCfDbe-2BNjxc85WjoQLwn-2FoL8QkWD6GAuMSJlGf0oVNI-2BqENj-2BO4Colt-2Bs-2BwyRXrMWdxzGJB7WkW4rZo0lhFgSrneH1fG3p10HotT39TEASWHmabakZAhAQK23vdoK2lcA6GkC1xeRv-2Fs2bTwwp2_yQ1cmgU5cV9tdY3-2BBiTdmuXFMTmvXSs6H9oHcDmpwx7RsHtp8jQUzmpVivZXAeEIDBlMW1HPKwPT4jZxrKPOn6PDlndM8glYjoUFTMoSgy-2FerE5YKiIahAY3Td-2FBwPf0RxzLfSOg-2B8TZw4vOKIE1rWqyni3GE5tCQc-2B5usteBPpVjgGwmg2Aqjhj8bSkKeo6KLZknkf4WZCq-2BxF9s7sUOLkK2BJvc-2Bg3O8TYeJM6wwefJBG5h0QNl310oHXCSOpDKrF8KQNe5A5CdrqcQC-2FVLoFEVWZ7N01po3V-2F-2F01ltMLLAgpTK5ZWl9CBAqVmdiC6Cv01yb6C6TwfmLpT96tnhX6RnGk-2B0u4noo-2B4YIAwE0E-3D) PCPB partners will also continue to communicate directly with their members or registrants through their respective communication channels. **Framework updates** Alongside our new partnership name we are pleased to introduce an updated version of the SCoPEd framework. While the updates are minor, they are significant in refining and improving how we support professionals in the field. Key updates include: - Revised membership categories: Following the adoption of the January 2022 framework, we’ve adjusted membership categories, along with specific timelines for transition during this period. - Competency amendments: We’ve revised the wording in competency 2.8 C to remove the term "high risk," in line with the latest research and NICE Guideline NG225. Evidence now shows that stratifying risk levels (low, medium, high) is ineffective in predicting future suicide or repetition of self-harm. - Governance changes: As highlighted in our February 2024 update, we’ve made key changes to the governance of the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies to ensure more effective management and oversight moving forward. It’s important to note that in the future, our framework will undergo a major revision process approximately every five years, based on consultation with stakeholders, input from experts in the field and the lived experiences of service users. The updated January 2022 framework (amended in 2025) and associated documents, including the methodology from January 2022, are available on our new website. [View the updated framework](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-Framework-January-2022-amended-2025_2025-04-15-123859.pdf) **Policy and strategic engagement group** A policy and strategic engagement group has been established to support the partnership in developing its policies and strategic relationships as we continue to collaborate. The group includes representatives from each of the partner organisations and will work closely with the partnership’s other governance groups, which includes the CEO Board, Delivery Board, Clinical Group and the Communications Group. **Looking ahead** Independent chair of the PCPB Paul Buckley said: “As a partnership, our focus is to ensure that the counselling and psychotherapy profession is better understood, valued, and trusted by clients, service users, patients, employers, commissioners and society as a whole. By working together, we can achieve this shared goal. “We are dedicated to addressing key issues such as equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within the profession, with initiatives to enhance data collection and promote greater diversity across the sector. Furthermore, we are strengthening our collaboration with government bodies and the NHS to expand the recognition of counselling and psychotherapy in mental health services. “At the same time, we remain committed to assuring those seeking therapy do so by choosing a therapist who is a member of one of the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies, so that they can trust that strong systems that are in place to ensure public protection and support.” You can *view or download* the January 2022 version of the SCoPEd framework using the links below. [SCoPEd Framework January 2022 - (amended 2025)](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-Framework-January-2022-amended-2025_2025-04-15-123859.pdf) The six SCoPEd partners are providing this update on the important work currently underway with regards to the SCoPEd framework implementation, governance and impact assessment. The scope of practice and education for the counselling and psychotherapy professions, known as SCoPEd, is a partnership which has developed a competence framework that maps the core competences and practice standards for counsellors and psychotherapists working with adults. It was adopted in February 2023 by the following six organisations who all hold Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accredited registers: - Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC) - British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) - British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) - National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) - Human Givens Institute (HGI) - UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Our shared vision is for the profession of counselling and psychotherapy to be better understood, valued and trusted by clients, patients, employers, commissioners and society. The SCoPEd framework can be viewed on our[website](https://ncps.lon1.digitaloceanspaces.com/files/SCoPEd-Framework-January-2022-amended-2025_2025-04-15-123859.pdf). **Implementation** As announced in February 2023, the SCoPEd framework has now been adopted by all six partners and activity to implement the framework across all the partners has started. This includes: - work so all partners’ membership categories are fully aligned to the standards of the SCoPEd framework by early 2026 - agreed mechanisms to enable movement of membership categories and SCoPEd columns, where appropriate and if members and registrants wish to. It’s important both these are in place to ensure equivalence of the SCoPEd column standards across partners’ membership categories. The SCoPEd framework maps the minimum standards required for each of the columns and it’s important to note that some partners may have additional criteria which they require to be met. The framework will be implemented using the column titles A, B and C. In the future, the partnership may consider changing these titles, but work on the titles would not be about identifying or creating protected titles. It would be about ensuring consistency and reducing confusion across the profession. **Impact assessment** Since announcing the adoption of the SCoPEd framework, partners have been reviewing and developing work from the impact assessment report recommendations. To recap, the impact assessment: - was conducted by an independent company in 2022 - comprised of interviews with various stakeholders including clients and patients, practitioners, trainers, awarding bodies, employers and commissioners, membership body staff, and the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) - took into account a variety of viewpoints, including critical voices from those within counselling and psychotherapy, some of whom were contacted due to their specific skills and experience, including professional networking and campaign groups - involved statistical consideration of some of the data held by partners and data in the public domain. The impact assessment report, available to view [here](https://www.bpc.org.uk/download/8155/Final-Report-on-the-Impact-Assessment-of-the-SCoPEd-Framework-December-2022.pdf), prompted reflection on how the governance of SCoPEd has been structured whilst developing the framework. This has led to a decision to re-structure the governance in recognition that the framework is now adopted by all partners and the focus needs to be on implementation. More information on the new structure is detailed below. Two of the key pieces of work, identified by the impact assessment, that the new governance structure is focused on delivering are: - development of a minimum data set for prospective collection and publication by the partnership, to include demographic data on the make-up of the profession and using the protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act 2010 as a guiding framework - work to enhance communications and engagement, such as establishing a partner website and a stakeholder engagement group. The partnership will issue updates on these pieces of work as they progress. **Governance** To support the implementation phase of the SCoPEd framework, the partners have collectively agreed to restructure the governance of the SCoPEd partnership to better meet the needs of the current work. There are four SCoPEd governance groups; the CEO Board, Delivery Group, Clinical Group and Communications Group which replace the previous groups (the SCoPEd Oversight Committee, the Technical Group, and Expert Reference Group) with immediate effect. **CEO Board** The CEO Board provides strategic leadership. It is made up of all the partner CEOs and is independently chaired. Experts by Experience (EbEs), Delivery Group members and the chairs of the Communications and Clinical Groups may also attend to offer advice and input. **Delivery Group** The Delivery Group includes a chair, a project manager and communications lead. With the exception of the chair, all members are from partner organisations. The Delivery Group is tasked with moving forward the actions agreed by the CEO Board. **Clinical Group** The Clinical Group’s main purpose is to help maintain the standards of the framework and provide advice on any future updates or amendments. It includes representatives from each of the partner organisations. **Communications Group** The Communications Group includes representatives from each of the partner organisations and is responsible for developing a joint partner communications strategy and delivering communications in relation to the SCoPEd framework, along with any associated future workstreams. This new structure will enable the partners to continue their work regarding the SCoPEd framework, as well as other workstreams, including the NHS Pathways project, a pilot programme accredited by five of the SCoPEd partners to provide fully funded training for psychotherapeutic counselling within the NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression services. More information about these groups is available in the appendix. **Next Steps** Alongside the work already described above the partnership will also: - consider a programme of work to raise public awareness of the SCoPEd framework - work with stakeholders to advance the professions of counselling and psychotherapy - continue to strengthen already established links with our partners in the NHS. We’re looking forward to continuing to collaborate on this hugely important initiative and will be providing members and other key stakeholders with regular updates on our work in the future. If you have any questions, please contact your membership organisation via their usual channels. **SCoPEd partner CEOs** Kathy Spooner, ACC Phil James, BACP Greg Ross-Sampson, BPC Malcom Hanson, HGI Jyles Robillard-Day, NPCS Jon Levett, UKCP Dear Member, As you will be aware, in February our members voted to adopt the SCoPEd framework. We are now writing to you to provide an update on our implementation plan. By the end of the implementation period all membership categories will be mapped to the SCoPEd framework. During this process we will be updating our website and applications forms so that they match the SCoPEd framework. Our implementation plan has three clear stages: **Stage 1: Preparation (now – January 2024)** We are now preparing for the transition period. This work includes: - Agreeing mechanisms with our partners to allow members to move between the columns whilst the work is being finalised for full implementation. - Creating application forms to reflect the transition process. This will be shared with members in September. - Liaising with our accredited training providers to gather information about what they need to fully align to SCoPEd Column A, if they are not already. - We will temporarily close our Senior Accredited Professional Registrant scheme on 1st May 2023 and our Professional Accredited Registrant scheme on 30th September 2023. Both of these will re-open for applications using the transitions mechanisms on 2nd January 2024. **Stage 2: Transition (January 2024 – January 2026)** - During the transition period members will be able to move membership categories using the new temporary mechanisms. These mechanisms will allow our members to evidence the training, skills and experience needed for each membership category. - The transition mechanisms and procedures will be published in September 2023. **Stage 3: Integration (January 2026 – onwards)** - Entry requirements for all NCS membership categories will be fully aligned to SCoPEd. Accredited Registrant will align to column A, Accredited Professional Registrant to Column B and Senior Accredited Professional Registrant to column C. - New schemes and routes, mapped to SCoPEd, will open, offering our members a number of different ways to move membership category. - New accreditation routes will reflect training and experience gained through practice and CPD. **How does this affect "Specialist Registers"?** By the end of the 2023, the Society will have active additional Accredited Registers (known as specialist registers) in: Person Centred Experiential Therapy Children and Young Persons' Counselling Relationship Therapy Psychosexual Therapy The additional registers will be open to all members who are on the Society's main Accredited Register, and therefore access to additional registers will require at least the membership grade of Accredited Registrant. Members of all registrant grades can apply to join additional registers, and transition between SCoPEd columns is not affected. The specialist registers themselves are not part of SCoPEd, but function as additional badging where members have additional experience and training in particular areas of work or modalities. We will continue to keep you updated throughout this process. We will also continue consulting with members around SCoPEd, so that we can continue to give a voice to those who have concerns about the framework and the process. If you have any questions please email The SCoPEd Group had a “SOC” meeting recently which involves the chief executives of the group’s partners and its Independent Chair. The next meeting is in May. We thought it would be useful for you to understand the next steps in the development of SCoPEd and to give a preliminary indication of when the vote is likely to happen. Our goal is to hold our vote when we have all the information needed for our members to make a fully informed decision. We want to be able to understand the final shape of the project and hold a vote with the confidence that there would only be minor changes (if any) after the vote took place. **There are three remaining issues and areas of work which we feel will get us closer to that point:** 1\. **The Impact Assessment.** The discussion for that should occur in May with the Assessment beginning once an external expert has been appointed. We will keep everyone informed of that, and how you can contribute to the assessment. 2\. **Agreement on titles if possible**. The intention of the project is smooth integration into the existing way the different organisations use membership grades. In practice we are already confident that if SCoPEd is adopted there will be little noticeable change to Accredited Registrant and Accredited Professional Registrant grades. Much of the change would be in the background, for example, working with Accredited Training Schools to ensure that their training explicitly maps to the competency framework. 3\. **Agreeing mechanisms for transitioning up the columns.** This will be looking at what is taken into account in terms of qualifications, experience and so forth for a member to be able to move from Column A to B to C if they wish to do so, and how this relates to membership grades. **Once we have clarity on the above issues, we will execute the following timetable:** - We’ll write to members ensuring that you have the most up to date and relevant information - We’ll notify members of the vote date. The vote will be conducted via an appropriate third party electoral system - We’ll hold a “last call” for members who feel we have not provided information either for or against the project, collate any such information and circulate it to the membership at large - We’ll give members a final opportunity to ask questions which we will answer - We’ll run the vote allowing sufficient time for all to vote and using multiple communications channels to ensure members don’t miss out - We’ll announce the result and explain next steps **Who can vote?** To be guaranteed a vote, you will have to be a either a Registrant member or Student member in good standing by the *Eligibility Date.* **What's the Eligibility Date?** Our Membership Services Team normally needs a certain amount of time, which varies throughout the year based on application volume, to assess a membership application. Therefore anyone that wishes to become a member and exercise a right to vote in this ballot would need to allow several weeks between their application and the ballot date to be guaranteed a vote. We anticipate this being eight weeks before the ballot but this could change. This will mean that we cannot guarantee anyone applying to join the Society a vote if their application is submitted under eight weeks beforehand. While we'll try to process their application, we can't guarantee it. Anyone applying under eight weeks before the vote will be informed of this. We'll continue to keep you informed. As ever, please do continue to send questions or comment to . Dear Member, We’re writing to inform you that the SCoPEd Group, which you’ve supported us being a part of, has today released the next iteration of the project, which you can view below. Working together with other organisations on this project has been an informative and interesting journey. At all stages we have sought to represent our members’ interests as expressed to us, either via online surveys or in individual communication. Please rest assured that we have raised your interests and concerns at every group meeting. Dialogue between the partner organisations has been challenging – naturally so given different starting points, values and principles - but also respectful and engaging. If we were to highlight some areas in which we feel we have contributed to positive change in the latest document, this would be in the areas of the academic nature of the project, the emphasis on the therapeutic relationship, and in other areas of wording and clarification. We were aware that you, our members, had raised concerns about separating people into groups based upon academic competencies, and so we raised issues where the previous iteration embedded academic rather than therapeutic points of differentiation. We were conscious of wanting to refocus on the therapeutic relationship and ensuring that the document reflected that. We also challenged some elements of the columns where language wasn’t helping, and, for example, looked at some issues reserved for “higher” columns where we felt were competencies shared by all. The other group partners also had their own issues and points of view, and the current document is of course, the result of a group effort conducted in what we feel has been a constructive spirit. We wish to reiterate, of course, that our members are the ones to weigh up carefully the benefits of adopting or rejecting SCoPEd. What is clearly emerging now is that, if adopted, the three SCoPEd Columns would be mapped onto existing membership grades with relative ease. We anticipate that the only one of our current grades likely to be significantly affected is that of Senior Accredited Registrant. We will provide further information about this as soon as it is known. Our other membership grades are already so closely aligned to Columns A and B that we would not anticipate any significant adjustments for existing registrants. We should also state that the gateways between the different grades, once developed, could provide a smoother and easier to understand upgrade path for registrants than our current processes. This said, it is important that we acknowledge the significant proportion of our membership which does object to SCoPEd, and should our membership vote to accept SCoPEd, we will explore every avenue to ensure that those dissenting from the project continue to have a voice and that we explore alternative ways of offering milestone recognition for practice, e.g., through experience based acknowledgments if our members want this. The remaining issue is one of titles. As members are aware, the original draft of SCoPEd mooted the titles Counsellor, Advanced Counsellor, and Psychotherapist. This resulted in some considerable concern and these titles were removed from the second iteration of the project (shortly before we joined the SCoPEd group). It is fair to say there is of course a difference of opinion between the view of psychotherapy which, pointing to its training routes and job roles, sees it as different from counselling, with more in-depth work and deeper training; and the view which sees counselling and psychotherapy as interchangeable umbrella terms. The SCoPEd group will, we hope, reach a joint view on this and again, you, our members will have a vote on whether to adopt SCoPEd. Of course we welcome any comments and questions on this iteration to . Best wishes, The National Counselling Society We’re pleased to announce that the latest version of the ground-breaking SCoPEd framework has been published today (02/02/2022). This January 2022 version of the framework is the first to be developed jointly by our six Professional Standards Authority-accredited counselling and psychotherapy organisations. Together, we represent over 75,000 counsellors and psychotherapists. We’d like to thank all the members, registrants, partners and staff who have contributed to its development. This latest framework version reflects our better mutual understanding and a closer working alliance, underlined by our shared passion and priority of protecting the public. It has been a real pleasure to collaborate with one another, and we are bound powerfully by our joint commitment to promoting the skills and competences of all our members and registrants, at a time of acute societal need. We are already seeing the positive impact on how the counselling and psychotherapy profession is perceived, with significant engagement at this early stage from bodies such as the NHS and Health Education England. The publication of the January 2022 framework marks the delivery of our phase one work on SCoPEd – a joint commitment to map the current reality of the core training, practice and competence requirements. The framework is written at a high level, is not modality specific, and it is about working with adults over the age of 18, and not about working with children or young people. We are now moving on to phase two of our collective work. This means working towards the potential adoption of the framework by each partner organisation, and in due course we will also populate the framework with titles, gateways and much more. We want to achieve a basic high-level recognition of the rigour and standards of counselling and psychotherapy as a whole. This is because we are still at an early stage in making sure policymakers, commissioners and the public have a fundamental grasp of our profession. As we enter phase two, we have jointly committed to: - continuing to develop the framework to provide essential information to clients, patients and service users to make informed choices about the support they seek - conducting an impact assessment of the SCoPEd framework - creating a shared set of principles – based around fairness, inclusion and transparency – for implementing the framework - working towards agreed shared ‘column titles’ which are not included in this version - agreeing transparent and evidence-based mechanisms for members and registrants to progress between the columns of the framework as they develop their training, skills, knowledge and experience throughout their professional journey The expansion of the SCoPEd partnership to embrace new organisations, and the excellent working relationships we have formed, have made a very positive impact on the framework, and have further emphasised the need for it, its purpose, and its benefits. We are looking forward to moving ahead collectively on this phase two activity in the coming weeks and months. **What are the key changes in this version of the framework?** There have been a number of significant updates and improvements made to the content and the language of the framework since the previous version was published in July 2020. These have been made as a result of: - *feedback from members, registrants and stakeholders on the previous version* - *input from all new and existing partners and the independent experts by experience recruited to support and review the development of the framework* - greater emphasis on the role of the therapeutic relationship and the qualities of the therapist - further focus on equality, diversity and inclusion as a theme embedded and integrated throughout the framework - additional standards relating to online and phone therapy - more consistent use of language that is inclusive and more accessible to a wider audience - the addition of a glossary of terms The key changes include: **Who are the SCoPEd partners?** The partner organisations collaborating on SCoPEd are: - Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) - British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) - British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) - Human Givens Institute (HGI) - National Counselling Society (NCS) - UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Collectively, the SCoPEd partners represent over 75,000 counsellors and psychotherapists from a diverse range of backgrounds, approaches, philosophies and professional training. The SCoPEd Oversight Committee (SOC) is the governance body for the framework. The SOC was established when ACC, ACP (Association of Child Psychotherapists), HGI and NCS joined the original SCoPEd partners BACP, BPC and UKCP in November 2020. It meets regularly to oversee, guide and scrutinise the work of SCoPEd. It includes the six Chief Executives of the participating partners, three independent experts by experience and Independent Chair Paul Buckley who was appointed in spring 2021. As the next iteration of the SCoPEd framework is due to be published early next year, we would like to update you on how the project has progressed and the next steps that will be taken. ### **Publishing the framework** Work on the SCoPEd framework is ongoing. The next iteration will be published in early 2022 and will be the first to include the contributions and collaborations from the experts by experience (EbEs) and the new partners. Publication was anticipated to be in December 2021, however moving it to early 2022 will ensure that the updates are finalised across the partners and that the framework design meets accessibility requirements. ### **Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)** Following the collaboration on the latest iteration of the framework, ACP have reviewed their role in the partnership and will be continuing in the capacity of observer to support the ongoing work of the SCoPEd partnership. Dr Nick Waggett, Chief Executive, ACP said: *‘ACP joined SCoPEd as we believe in collaborating with other counselling and psychotherapy bodies to improve standards, protect the public and increase understanding of our profession. We have decided to step aside from the current process as we now recognise that a framework focussed on work with adults is not able to sufficiently represent the specialist training and practice of ACP registered Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists. As such, continuing with the process would not have met our aims. We have appreciated the opportunity to work with fellow accredited registers on this important project.’* ### **Psychological Professions Network conference** The SCoPEd partners\* have been invited to present at the Psychological Professions Week conference in November as part of the ‘Improving career pathways in psychological professions’ session. BACP will deliver a presentation on behalf of the SCoPEd partners and the event will also include a panel debate. ### **Next steps** The partners continue to collaborate on finalising the next iteration, and the details of all changes will be communicated when the framework is published. \*SCoPEd partners: *Association of Christian Counsellors, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, British Psychoanalytic Council, Human Givens Institute, National Counselling Society, and United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy* Since April 2018 the Society has raised fundamental questions about SCoPEd and we referred in August 2020 to the issues with its Second Iteration. You can find all previous letters in this Important News section of the website. In August we also stated that the collaborating partners appeared willing to consider including the wider profession and that together with 4 other Accredited Register holders, as previously stated, we invited concrete proposals for this. We are now in the position to update our members on further developments. The originating partners of SCoPEd have offered the NCS, together with the ACP, ACC, PTUK and Human Givens Institute, the possibility of participation in the project. The details of what this participation will mean are still being finalised and we await the outcome of discussions on various issues such as governance. While remaining aware of the widespread opposition to SCoPEd as expressed by a large number of our members, the Society is willing to participate in the project subject to our full understanding of exactly what that will entail, and also, importantly, subject to our members' final approval of the outcome. While we will attempt to influence and engage with SCoPEd in as positive way as possible, and to achieve as much positive change as possible, things remain unclear on a number of issues- for example, as to whether the widening of other Accredited Registers' participation in SCoPEd will allow for retrospective change to the current form of the project. Whereas the Society agrees with the concept of common standards, it remains to be seen in which direction this project will evolve, and what impact the wider inclusion of five further Accredited Register partners will have on its final shape. We continue to note particularly for example the concerns raised by the person centred community and remain concerned about the direction of travel that the project in its current form sets out for person centred counselling. We are seeking to safeguard this vital aspect of the counselling profession to ensure that any eventually agreed standards fully respect, understand and protect person-centred counselling. It is vital that common standards do not lead to a homogenisation or diminution of modalities in the future. We are also engaged in the end result of the “scope” of SCoPEd. The project's rationale has been presented as largely about certain aspects of the workplace and specifically about ensuring counsellors and psychotherapists can integrate properly into the wider NHS "psychological professions" workforce. If a shared set of standards can indeed increase work opportunities for our members then the Society is duty bound to explore this and report to you, our members, on any potential benefits. However, fundamental questions remain about whether SCoPEd should simply be a mechanism for these specific workplace issues - such as for example "workplace certification", rather than a total overhaul of our membership grades or even further, as previously suggested, a fundamental change in the use of core titles such as "counsellor" and "psychotherapist." All these issues remain to be explored and you will have a say. Our acceptance of participation in this project is primarily motivated by the need to ensure our members’ future unrestricted access to all aspects of employment opportunity - something you have asked us to view as the highest priority. We acknowledge that, with or without our participation, SCoPEd is likely to impact employer choices in the long term and it is our responsibility to protect our members’ rights and opportunities to work now and in the future. The NCS did not create SCoPEd. However, If explicitly shared standards lead to further opening of opportunities for our members then you have the right to make a decision on whether the Society adopts these standards when we are in full possession of the facts. The question of whether the eventual benefits of the NCS adopting SCoPEd in some form outweigh the arguments against such an adoption is for you, our members, to decide. We promise to ensure that all our members' views are heard and that our members understand all the arguments before making your decision. In the meantime we will engage with this project in good faith alongside both the originating and new Accredited Register partners, and keep you informed on a regular basis as and when progress is made. In commenting on the first iteration of the SCoPEd project, whose claim to “set common standards for the profession” has been made by its three collaborating partners, the NCS in April 2018 made two key points: - There were serious issues with a project apparently subscribing to hierarchical differentiations in our profession based upon three tiers of professional (counsellor, advanced counsellor and psychotherapist) which were assigned distinct competencies or “abilities”. Our member survey in 2018 revealed an admixture of competencies across the three potential tiers which did not match with the proposed standards. And: - The exclusion of Accredited Register holders and other stakeholders from any meaningful participation in this project, rendered it incapable fulfilling its stated aim of setting profession-wide standards. Our conclusion was that any attempt to set standards for the profession must be accomplished by the profession, failing which SCoPEd is an internal exercise for those who wish to participate – albeit an exercise with, no doubt, far reaching consequences. We have been asked by many members to comment on the second iteration of SCoPEd. We can confirm that we have been contacted by both UKCP and BACP to talk about SCoPEd and have had several informal discussions with BACP. These discussions have been mutually respectful while differences have been acknowledged. On 21st July, the collaborating partners held an online meeting at which ourselves and other Accredited Register holders were present to discuss SCoPEd. We were invited to comment on the specifics of the second iteration. We were concerned that this meeting was called only a few days after the second iteration was reached. We wish to place these concerns on record, particularly the lack of time to consult with colleagues or members. However, we do recognise the meeting as a sincere attempt at engagement by the collaborating partners. A representative of the Professional Standards Authority was present in an observer capacity, and has also agreed to attend a meeting of the [Partners for Counselling and Psychotherapy](https://www.partnersforcounsellingandpsychotherapy.co.uk/) which will discuss a wider range of views. During this meeting, we declined to comment on the details of the second iteration of SCoPEd when invited. This is because we do not see our role, or any benefit to our members, in being consulted in a context of exclusion. Other Accredited Registers present agreed. We reiterated our position that SCoPEd is, at present, an internal matter for the three author organisations, albeit with widespread impact. If they wish to set standards “for the profession” then we believe that the correct method for this is, eventually, via the AR programme with participation from other stakeholder groups. Such standards could then, in principle, be adopted with the consent of the profession as a whole. We continue to invite the SCoPEd authors to take the leap of faith required to include the wider profession. The collaborating partners now appear willing to consider this and this was discussed in the online meeting. Accordingly we and 3 other registers have jointly written to the collaborating partners asking for concrete proposals on this by the end of September, with the intention of establishing and adopting a structure for an inclusive approach by the New Year. Our members have widespread concerns about SCoPEd and it is helpful now to frame some of these in view of the second iteration. The main questions raised by our members are as follows: 1. **How can we understand “Therapist A B and C” without context?** Titles have been removed and we are left with “Therapist A, B and C.” However, BACP have confirmed that titles will be added back later in a form to be agreed by the 3 organisations. However, without understanding the intentions of mapping the three “tiers” onto membership grades or titles like “psychotherapist” it is impossible to gauge the effects of the project. Fundamental to SCoPEd would be a prior understanding of what this actually means for registrants, accredited counsellors, psychotherapists etc. What grades will these tiers connect with? What titles? What work? It is impossible to arrive at an informed view of the impact of SCoPEd without this understanding. 2. **Will there be an evidence based Impact Assessment?** SCoPEd requires an Impact Assessment before implementation. Issues of power, work and social capital remain unaddressed. We note introduction of “gateways” which will enable therapists to progress from A to C. This feels like progress from the first iteration. But how much will this cost in practice in time and money? Who will be able to afford it? What jobs apply to which levels? Will this make getting work at Tier A easier or harder? How will this impact remuneration? Will it actually deflate wages? Is getting from Tier A to Tier B cheaper, easier and quicker than moving from “Registrant” to “Accredited” – or more expensive and harder? What about membership fees? Will the pressure to volunteer increase or decrease? It is normal practice in regulation to require an evidence based impact assessment to fully understand the impact of proposed changes on professionals before those changes can take place. This is especially important because it impacts human rights such as the right to work and have a professional life. Regulatory changes, even voluntary ones, must demonstrate that any impact on those subjected to it is proportionate to their rights and livelihoods. 3. **Will SCoPEd have unintended consequences for ethical practice?**. For example, how do complaints processes and Codes of Practice fit in with SCoPEd? Does a Tier A therapist reported for using a Tier B ability (e.g. addresses “unconscious processes” cf 3.6.a) risk sanctions for attempting to work “beyond their capacity”? Can a Tier A therapist use a Tier B ability, or would they face sanctions? If this scenario was an ethical breach, SCoPEd in its second iteration could appear restrictive to, and unreflective of, lived practice. If it is not an ethical breach, then we acknowledge that all these abilities are in fact mixed in each individual practitioner, then how are the different tiers of practice to be meaningfully assessed or mapped onto ethical frameworks? 4. **How can we support SCoPEd without a clear end goal?** What are the fundamental benefits for the profession (rather than the benefits accruing to the collaborating bodies by agreeing a mutual recognition scheme)? If it is jobs then which jobs? NHS workforce? If it helps with regulation, then how? What model of regulation is envisaged? 5. **Why aren’t standards set via the AR programme instead?** Why not just work truly collaboratively to agree common standards within the only common framework that has ever been set up for this profession? 6. **How can we understand “abilities” or competencies without context?** A Tier A therapist can “undertake team work”, but not have an “active role” in a team or express a professional opinion. (cf 1.12.) What’s the context here? A private clinic? A hospital setting ? A college? Private practice? Without context the current language appears to be distilled and decontextualized and, as has been noted, could actually cause offence (“you can’t express an opinion because you’re Tier A”). What’s the context of these abilities? Would language such as “service levels” make more sense? Or language about professional journeys? There is a need here for better communication of context and intention. 7. **Why does SCoPEd appear not to be modality neutral – particularly in regards to person-centred counselling?** How would a person centred counsellor progress to Tier C when many of the abilities are framed in a manner which person centred counselling simply does not use? Do you have to change modality to access higher tiers? How are all modalities to be safeguarded? 8. **How can SCoPEd account for individual practitioner experience?** Practitioners are individuals. As our previous members’ survey showed, members from all Scoped iteration 1 tiers professed and admixture of abilities across the range of mapping columns which Scoped provides. How is individuality and individual development taken into account? In reality, what happens to practitioners who can do 100% of column 1, 40% of column 2 and 30% of column 3? How does that work? How does Scoped provide for individual differences and acknowledge that the wide variety of individual practitioner experience which may not be easily reflected in their training? The above represents a sample of our members’ most often repeated key concerns. The Society will continue to engage with the Collaborating Partners and our members on all of the above. We will continue to signpost all aspects of the SCoPEd debate to our members. August 6th 2020 Letter to BACP, UKCP and BPC Re: SCOPED To Whom it May Concern; The National Counselling Society has now concluded a consultation with our members on competencies within counselling and psychotherapy. Full details can be found HERE on our website. Members were asked a series of questions on proposed competencies for the profession based upon the framework established by the Scoped consultation. Members were asked to consider which competencies should be reserved to “advanced counsellors” which we defined as those having received our Professional Accredited grade (or equivalent) and/or for psychotherapists. We sought to establish how our membership at large views their actual competencies to practice in specific areas. Our methodology was to list those competencies which your draft SCOPED document reserved to advanced counsellors and/or psychotherapists, and ask our members to express their professional judgement as to whether these competencies should be so reserved. Our members’ professional judgement as to the competencies which actually apply in counselling and psychotherapy do not support the draft Scoped document. On the contrary, in essence as our consultation demonstrates, the competencies reserved by that document for psychotherapists or advanced counsellors are actually, on the examination of professional counsellors’ actual lived experience, competencies which hold true for qualified counsellors also. Our members’ view is that the differentiation of these competencies into three purported levels is contrary to how the profession actually works. We invite you to reproduce our consultation exercise with your own members to take their detailed views on the draft competencies on a question by question basis. In addition, it is worth alluding to our many members’ who have stated that this kind of competency framework has no resonance with their practice or modality. We recognise this and reconfirm that our conducting this exercise was not the prelude to adopting such framework. The Society takes instruction from our members on matters of policy, and we view our consultation with them as instructive in this regard. On instruction from our members, therefore, the Society does not believe there is an evidential basis for distinguishing three tiers of professional competencies along the lines of “qualified counsellors, “advanced counsellors” and “psychotherapists”. Our members confirm that, irrespective of professional title or membership grade, that they are able to demonstrate competencies across a framework without generally reserving those competencies. The Society therefore considers that your draft competency framework creates artificial distinctions not reflective of practice or training, and clearly contrary to the expert evidence already set before the HCPC by BACP in 2009. The Society reconfirms its position that while we would welcome common standards across the profession, this can and should be achieved through the Accredited Registers programme, reaching common agreement amongst all Register holders and other important stakeholders, in full consultation with members and trainers, that can be communicated to the Professional Standards Authority. It is only through such an inclusive approach that any “public confusion” would be fully addressed and the maturity of the profession be communicated to the wider world. Accordingly we invite you to participate in a new, inclusive approach to set out common standards agreeable to all. Yours sincerely Vicky Parkinson CEO National Counselling Society We have received a response to our further request of an inclusive approach to SCoPEd project. Unfortunately, we are disappointed to see that it seems the collaboration are unwilling to discuss with the wider profession, we shall continue to monitor developments and of course provide updates ourselves. 11th June 2018 Dear Vicky, Thank you very much for your email setting out your further concerns about the SCoPEd project. As you know this project evolved from work already being undertaken as part of the collaborative work between BACP, BPC and UKCP. Our three organisations have been working together for some years as part of a formal collaboration – the CCPP. This project is one of several things we are working on together. ScoPEd is not creating anything new – it is an evidence-based research project mapping existing competences and professional standards. So, the project will set out what already exists. We hope that in the future a wide range of bodies will find the generic competence framework useful. Thank you for getting in touch. We appreciate your feedback. Yours sincerely, **Gary Fereday** **Chief Executive BPC** (signed on behalf of the SCoPEd Steering Group) Following our open letter (which can be found further down this page), we have now received a response from the SCoPEd collaboration. Dear Vicky Thank you for your letter which was discussed at our Steering Group meeting on 25 April. We are pleased to hear that you recognise what an important piece of work this is but it is not exactly as you state. The project evolved organically from the collaborative discussions between our three professional bodies over the last few years and is specifically to map the current landscape, expressed in evidence-based generic competencies and then to identify any gaps or areas where further clarification is needed using the Roth and Pilling methodology. It is not about developing standards. We have researched the evidence comprehensively and systematically, and continue to do so, in order to ensure that a complete a picture as possible is drawn. Once the Expert Reference Group has completed its work there will be a consultation with practitioners and external stakeholders. Although the exact form of the consultation has yet to be decided, it will be presenting the work done so far and asking for feedback and input on any further gaps or omissions. Yours sincerely **Gary Fereday** **Chief Executive BPC** (signed on behalf of the SCoPEd Steering Group) The response concerns ourselves and we are very surprised that the response letter claims that the SCoPEd project is not intended to set standards for the profession. It specifically states on both BACP and UKCP websites that 'BACP, BPC, UKCP are jointly working on a groundbreaking project to set out the training requirements and practice standards for counselling and psychotherapy', in the very first sentence, as well as the below statements; 'There was complete agreement between BACP, BPC, and UKCP that a proactive leadership role was needed in the development of generic standards for the counselling and psychotherapy professions.' and 'The project is systematically mapping existing competencies, standards, training and practice requirements within counselling and psychotherapy.' Clearly, the publically stated view of two of the scoped collaborators is that this project is seen by them as a fundamental attempt to "set standards for the profession" without prior consultation or consent with the profession at large. Accordingly, we have renewed our request in our previous letter for an end to the non-inclusive, ringfenced and top down approach to professional standards, and call upon the collaboration to engage with us and all other interested parties within the profession, to move the profession forwards to an inclusive and democratic approach based upon the good of all. You may have seen the recent announcement by BACP, UKCP and BPC working on a project to set out the training requirements and practice standards for counselling and psychotherapy. They write; *‘Counselling and psychotherapy are not statutorily regulated. Professional bodies can apply for their own registers to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) under its Accredited Registers programme.* *The PSA sets standards for organisations that hold a register in a health or social care profession, and the focus of their programme is public protection.* *The PSA-accredited registers in the field of counselling and psychotherapy each has its own distinct standards of training and practice. There are also no agreed common entry or training requirements to enter the field.* *This causes confusion for the public, for clients/patients, for employers and commissioners of services about what training and experience to expect when employing a counsellor or psychotherapist.* *There is also confusion amongst those who are considering training in this field as there are disparate standards, with a wide range of courses available at differing academic levels geared to different client groups and professional roles, and sitting within different qualifications frameworks’* Whilst we agree there need to be minimum standards for any registrant working with the public, we are concerned that there has been no consultation or discussion amongst fellow Accredited Register holders, training providers, organisations or importantly its members – despite the collaboration being near completion on their project. We wanted to make you aware we have responded with the below open letter. We shall also be in contact soon with training providers and members to further discuss this important issue. We welcome any training providers and organisations to add their details in support, members or not. Please do contact the office, details will be updated in due course. **Re : SCoPEd project** We write to you concerning your stated intention to develop “generic standards for the counselling and psychotherapy professions”. You write that “the PSA-accredited registers in the field of counselling and psychotherapy each has its own distinct standards of training and practice. There are also no agreed common entry or training requirements to enter the field. This causes confusion for the public, for clients/patients, for employers and commissioners of services about what training and experience to expect when employing a counsellor or psychotherapist.” Our view is that any project to set common standards should be fully inclusive from the outset, with full and equal participation by all Accredited Register holders in talking therapies, alongside other stakeholders such as the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union, Alliance for Counselling & Psychotherapy, Awarding Bodies and training organisations. It will, surely, only cause further “public, client and employer confusion” for three of the current Accredited Register holders to agree their own new set of standards without reference to the AR programme, especially when NHS guidelines are now focussed on recommending the programme as the one supported by Government. In addition, we feel that any new setting of standards should be done with full democratic participation by the memberships of stakeholder organisations, using a member-led approach, rather than a top-down approach. Without these safeguards in place, the SCoPEd project will not succeed in setting standards for the profession, but rather, will be an internal exercise conducted on behalf of particular organisations for their own ends, conducted to the exclusion of many. You are of course, welcome to set standards for yourselves – but not to claim that these should be imposed on, or represent, the profession as a whole, without having equal participation and full support from the wider profession. We are also concerned that the project could lead to further homogenisation, over -regulation, and further control mechanisms being applied by professional associations on their members. Instead, we would seek to enshrine equality, diversity and the heart of counselling and psychotherapy in any further attempts to define standards. A mechanistic, technical and manualised understanding of therapeutic work can never do justice to the reality of how we practice. We believe a pluralistic approach respectful of diversity, variety and individual client choice is fundamentally important, whilst of course maintaining standards and public safety. We are also concerned that, unless handled sensitively, any such project could easily lend itself to takeover by a corporatist style of regulation where the profession risks fundamental change with no benefit to counsellors, psychotherapists, or their clients. Do we really want even more prescriptions and controls on practice than there are now? You speak of the need to avoid “public confusion”. We are not aware of any great public confusion. In the employed sector, counselling in any case has been to some extent bypassed by IAPT where a very limited number of approaches are used in a very prescribed way. This has led over time to a fundamental under valuing of counselling and psychotherapy in its richness and diversity. What we are aware of is the public wishing to preserve choice with access to therapy in a timely manner – to select the practitioner and approach that is right for them; to be able to see value in the therapeutic relationship above and beyond issues of professionalisation. We are also aware that counsellors and psychotherapists seek to preserve choice and diversity, and feel that there already exist robust and appropriate standards which allow a place for individuality, creativity and vocation alongside public protection and good practice. These can be fine tuned by the profession as a whole. There are already existing standards and reference points including the QAA Benchmark Statement on Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, the Regulated Qualifications Framework, Skills for Health National Occupational Standards and the UCL CORE competence frameworks which are not “owned” by any one professional body. These, together with the standards adopted by individual professional bodies, are surely sufficient. While any organisations are, of course, welcome to collaborate and devise their own standards, what is concerning is that, at the very time that the Accredited Register programme has begun to flourish and allow all register holders to meet, cooperate, and learn to improve standards and governance with the assistance of the Authority, your collaboration threatens to ringfence your own memberships from the wider Accredited Register community, not to mention missed opportunities for equal participation from other stakeholders. The chance to set standards as part of, rather than taken away from, the Accredited Register scheme would have far greater benefits for the entire profession. We support minimum standards for the profession – if they are, indeed, created by the profession as a whole. The risk of setting standards in a vacuum is that it is seen as an internal political exercise. This risks greater confusion – not less. Kind Regards Vicky Parkinson CEO With support of - Jeffery Thomas and Monika Jephcott, PTUK Tony Ruddle on behalf of Association of Christian Counsellors Dominic Davies, Pink Therapy Andrew Samuels, Former Chair, UKCP. Professor of Analytical Psychology, University of Essex Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy Psychotherapy and Counselling Union Professor Michael Jacobs Gail Evans, Programme Director at The Academy: SPACE Leigh Smith, Heartwood Director Karl Gregory, Severn Talking Therapy Kathy Raffles, Kathy Raffles Counselling Services Marie Easden, Chrysalis Courses Nathalie Asmall, BACP Accredited and Iron Mill College tutor Professor Stephen Joseph, University of Nottingham Dr David Murphy, University of Nottingham Dr Sue Price, University of Nottingham Lindsay Cooper, Assistant Professor of Counselling, Course Leader BA (Hons) Humanistic Counselling Practice University of Nottingham Dr Katy Wakelin, University of Nottingham Laura Davies , University of Nottingham Dr Laura Monk, University of Nottingham Janet Tolan Lesley Wilson Heather Kapelko Sheila McCarthy-Dodd Jane Pendlebury Kris Black MBACP, UKCP CSTD, IAP, MISA, LLB (Hons) Denise Gregory MBACP (Accred) Phil Turner MBACP (Accred) Amanda Young Dip Counselling LouAnne Lachman MBACP (Accred) --- # Self-care and the Art of Turning Inwards Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 6th January 2026 **With thanks to our member, Sadhbh Courtney, for this article.** As the seasons change, turning inward is an art of balancing your inner world with external natural cycles. Autumn and winter are times for release, relaxation and introspection. Nesting during the winter months is one intentional behaviour that can be healing. Changing the lighting to warmer tones and making quiet areas in your home for introspection describes the Danish concept of “hygge”. In essence, when we rest, we create a cocoon that supports the crucial processes of emotional processing and profound rest. This signals to the nervous system that it is safe to switch from “doing” to “being”, offering a psychological safety net against the unpredictability of the external environment. Perhaps making the habit of introducing a digital detox gives your brain time to recover from a condition of continual overstimulation. This intentional unplugging may create the necessary quietness for authentic introspection. A simple place to start would be to establish clear digital boundaries. For myself, I started small, with “screen free Wednesday evenings”. This simple practice of committing my full presence and attention to my family felt extremely refreshing. Allowing yourself the space to truly tune in to both physical and emotional needs without the distraction of screens develops a deeper level of listening and presence. Avoiding the temptation to ignore signals that your body gives you daily, perhaps even something as simple as “I am hungry”. During our frantic daily lives and lists of “to do’s” we often override these prompts due to work deadlines, stress, family demands or simply because it has become a bad habit of ignoring our inner world. Scheduling protected time for ‘being’ as opposed to ‘doing’ helps develop authenticity and self-reflection skills, which are vital for counsellors in training. Discovering a self-care practice that works for you, whether that be mindfulness, meditation or nature bathing is essential. Connecting and nurturing your authentic self enables an exploration of values and emotions. As Rumi says, “we welcome them all”. An adventure of self-discovery, introspection and relaxation. Curating a place of rest, resting just as you are. Filling up your cup so that you can return to the world in the service of others. --- # Self-Worth: The Quiet Question of “Am I Enough?” Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 29th April 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Ilkay Alici, for this blog.*** ### **When “Enough” Never Quite Feels Enough** There is a question many people carry quietly within them often without putting it into words. ***Am I enough?*** It does not always appear directly. Sometimes it hides behind comparison. Behind the need to do more, to be better, to prove something that cannot quite be defined. It shows up in how harshly you speak to yourself after a mistake or how easily you hold yourself back from speaking or being seen. You may look capable from the outside. You may be someone others rely on, someone who holds things together, someone who appears confident and steady. Yet inside, there can still be a quiet uncertainty. A sense that what you are is not quite enough as it is. And so, without even realising it, you begin to measure your worth through everything you do, rather than simply who you are. ### **How Self-Worth Begins to Shift** Self-worth is not something we are simply born with and carry unchanged. It is shaped, slowly and often quietly, through our experiences. Through the words we heard growing up. Through the expectations placed upon us. Through moments where we felt seen and valued and moments where we felt overlooked or not quite accepted as we were. Sometimes, within these experiences, love itself felt conditional, given more freely when we were doing well, achieving more, being easier, quieter, stronger… And over time, these experiences begin to shape what we believe we are worth. Slowly, this begins to settle into something more internal. *A quiet belief that worth must be earned. That being who you are is not enough on its own. That you must become something more in order to be fully accepted.* These beliefs do not always feel like beliefs. They feel like truth. ### **The Hidden Cost of Constantly Proving Yourself** Living with this quiet sense of not being enough can be exhausting in ways that are not always visible. You may find yourself overthinking simple decisions. Replaying conversations. Questioning whether you said the right thing. Trying to meet expectations that are not always spoken but deeply felt. You might give more than you have, hoping it will be enough. You might hold yourself to standards you would never expect from anyone else. You might struggle to rest because resting feels undeserved. And even when you achieve something, the feeling does not quite stay. There is often a new standard, a new expectation, a new place to reach. The finish line keeps moving. ### **A Different Understanding of “Enough”** Perhaps self-worth is not something you need to build from nothing. Perhaps it is something that has always been there, but has been covered over by expectations, comparisons and experiences that made you question it. When you begin to gently explore this question, “Am I enough?”, you may start to notice something deeper. This is not only about self-esteem or confidence. It is about safety. The need to feel accepted. The need to feel secure in who you are. The need to feel that you are allowed to exist without constantly proving your value. Being “enough” does not mean being perfect. It does not mean never making mistakes. It does not mean always knowing what to do. It means allowing yourself to exist as you are without constantly needing to justify your place. It means recognising that your value is not something you have to earn again and again. ### **Beginning to Relate to Yourself Differently** Changing your sense of self-worth does not begin by forcing yourself to think positively or trying to believe something that does not feel true. It tends to begin more quietly than that, in the way you start to notice how you speak to yourself. The tone of your inner voice, the expectations you place on yourself, and how quickly your mind can become critical when things do not go as planned. Instead of moving past these moments, you might pause and pay a little more attention to what is happening. You may begin to notice how easily you judge yourself, how quickly you question your value, and how often your sense of worth becomes tied to how well you have done, what you have achieved, or what you feel you should have done differently. And as this awareness begins to grow, even in small ways, something can start to shift. Not because everything suddenly changes, but because you may no longer fully believe every thought that comes up. There can be a little more space, a little more distance, and within that space, the possibility of responding to yourself in a different way. Change does not happen all at once. It unfolds in small shifts, in pausing instead of reacting, in noticing instead of judging, and in allowing yourself to be human without immediately turning it into a reason to feel not enough. A little more understanding. A little less pressure. A little more room to simply be. ### **A Gentle Place to Land** If this question, “Am I enough?”, has been with you for a long time, you are not alone. Many people carry it, quietly and deeply. And perhaps the answer is not something you need to find all at once. Perhaps it begins here. Not with certainty but with a different kind of relationship with yourself. One where you do not rush to judge. One where you allow space for imperfection. One where you begin, slowly, to treat yourself with the same understanding you offer to others. You may not feel it every day. But there can be moments, even small ones, where you begin to sense it. That you do not need to become someone else. That you do not need to do more. That who you are, in this moment, is already worthy of care, of respect and of kindness. And perhaps, over time, that quiet question begins to soften. Ilkay Alici, MSc Psychology --- # Suffering in Silence: It’s Time to Talk about Male Mental Health Blog Mental Health By Guest Blog 21st October 2025 **With thanks to our member, Carl Argent, for this blog.** We tell boys to ‘man up’, to be strong and not to cry. It’s a hard world out there and you have to be hard to survive. Isn’t that the message most boys receive from their upbringing? The messaging is relentless from the playground to the boardroom: strength, we are told as men, is about showing an emotionless face to the world and putting up. The stereotype also tells us that vulnerability is weakness and mental health as a concept means shame to many men. What is the real cost of this bottling up and silence? It’s a price paid by some with their lives. Suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 50. Let that sink in for a moment. It’s not car accidents or even cancer, but suicide. There is a silent epidemic raging behind closed doors. It is time to break the silence… **Some key terms explained** Two very misunderstood concepts today are mental health and what it means to be a man or male. Mental health as a term is not something that is exclusive to the male sex or gender. It affects women as much as men but I believe the key difference is how it is viewed by each sex and gender. Men in general are much more prone to developing mental health concerns because of the stereotype of a strong man that demands that men do not talk about it, or seek help for it. Mental health is perhaps incorrectly separated from what we consider human health which adds to the confusion. When I consider my health, I am already considering how I feel inside as well as outside. For me mental health is a term that doesn’t need to be defined so strongly, we perhaps just need more emphasis on the fact health incorporates it too. Back to the point. Mental health is simply a state of wellbeing (which again echoes biopsychosocial health – bodily health, psychological health and also social health) that enables individuals to cope with the stresses of life, to realise their skills, talents and abilities, and to have the capacity to learn and work. It’s not just what is happening on one’s mind that affects this overall sense of living well because all sorts of other factors that sit in the social and biological spheres can affect this too. How we interact with our community, in social media, with our friends and family are all social factors that can affect our mental health. Our fear of disease and bodily health also contributes because it can shut us down when we see it going wrong. Finally, how we feel from a mental and emotional perspective only really represents one third of what mental health includes. Moreover, mental health is a basic human right, which means we all have the right to bodily health, to express and seek help for how we feel, and to connect with other human-beings in whichever context is right for us. The other key term is man, or specifically what it means to be a man, not precluding gender in this context. Trans men have as much right to the information here as biological males because the concerns around mental health are as real and present in society. However, am I going to provide another stereotype of what a man is? No, absolutely not! Why? Being a man is a personal experience and there is one single single definition of what it means to be a man when considering the full spectrum of the psychosocial model (encompassing aspects from the body, psychology and society). But what I will do is offer a counter-definition of what a man is not. In short and plain terms, a man is not somebody who does not have emotions, is not somebody who is more or less worthy or important in life or society than women: both sexes and genders are equal. A man is not somebody who needs to be physically strong, with big arms and a six pack to show off his physical prowess or strength. This viewpoint often comes from gym bro culture, and might happen for two reasons. First, some men might feel pressured to adhere to restrictive social media norms around physical appearance and masculinity. In fact over a third of men under 35 define a man as “being physically strong”. This comes from social media and is not representative of society in general. Maybe there are some jobs where physical strength comes in handy but it does not, and should not define what a man is. Second, it might be a way for some men to vent the frustration and anger that comes from the pressure of attaining hyper-masculinity. Vulnerability is not a weakness. Showing one’s vulnerability through crying, displaying sadness, love, gratitude or seeking help is okay and welcomed. The hyper-masculine stereotype is dangerous and not real. It is a social pressure that has been with us for an eternity and is maintained by social media, pushed down from one generation to the next. **Wearing an iron mask** The pressure on men to conform to a traditional, narrow definition of masculinity is immense. This “man box”, as it’s often called, dictates that men must be self-sufficient, tough, and in control of themselves at all times. Showing emotion? That’s off-limits. Asking for help? That’s seen as a failure. This relentless pressure forces men to wear a mask of invulnerability. They might be battling anxiety, depression, trauma, or overwhelming stress, but on the outside, they project an image of being “fine.” This performance is exhausting and, ultimately, isolating. It creates a profound disconnect between who a man truly is and the persona he feels compelled to maintain. **How struggling with mental health might look** It’s a common misconception that mental health struggles always look like sadness and tears. In men, the signs can be more subtle or present in unexpected ways. Because anger is often seen as a more “acceptable” male emotion, depression can manifest as irritability, aggression, or hostility. There are other signs as well: Changes in behaviour that either leads to more impulsive risk-taking such as reckless driving, gambling or taking drugs, or becoming more withdrawn and isolated. Unexplained headaches, digestive issues and chronic pain often reveal bottling up emotional pain in men. Overworking, spending excessive time on hobbies and increased reliance on alcohol and/or drugs are all forms of escapism. Perhaps the most dangerous symptom of modern manhood is a reduction in interest at work, for hobbies or social activities. This can lead to a lack of direction and feeling there is no purpose or meaning to life, that we have no role to play in the world. So, all the partners, wives, spouses, daughters and especially Dads out there, look out for the men in your life. **Let’s redefine what strength means** The first step is to redefine the social norms and stereotypes about what strength means. True strength requires courage, and it is not the type of courage that means we get into fights or defend our property. It is the kind of courage, the strength of courage to be vulnerable, to admit you are not okay, and to reach out for help. The power of social media? On the face of it, social media offers an alternative to the toxic stereotype of what it means to be a man, particularly within Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012). Gen Z creators have gone a way to destigmatise male mental health via platforms like TikTok, where social influencers now talk openly about anxiety, ADHD, trauma and depression. This has begun to make conversations about mental health more open. This is particularly helpful for young men who exist in the social media ecosystem – their desires and even their identity exists there. This allows young men to find their ‘tribe’, likeminded individuals who share common interests. Does little for the majority of men though and it is riddled with conflicting pressures and paradoxes. If Gen Z is lifting the rocks from mental health, it is also exposed to images of what men should look like, perfect bodies, lavish holidays and effortless success and wealth. Doesn’t this requirement to measure up and compare oneself to that kind if lifestyle and way of being simply outweigh the good being done by highlighting the plight of men’s mental health. After all, what you see on TikTok is not real, it’s part of a curated digital reality. I noticed this early on when Facebook started to take off. I noticed that people I knew where only sharing the curated highlights of their lives, leaving out the bad bits. This reliance on digital reality makes people compare themselves against an unobtainable model. Not to mention toxic subculture that exists within social media such as the “Manosphere”, reduced attention spans, and an algorithmic rabbit hole of misinformation and what cannot be achieved in the real world. This all leads to a lack of authenticity and burnout. **How we can all help each other** If you have concerns that a man or young man in your life is suffering in silence, try starting with an open-ended question like one of these: “You don’t seem yourself lately. Are you okay?” “How have things really been lately?” (adding really signals that you are interested beyond the characteristic response of “fine”. “What has been taking up most of your headspace these days?” “How are you sleeping?” (changing sleep patterns offer signify something deeper like stress, anxiety or depression). “I’m heading out for a walk, would you like to join me?” “Is there anything I can do to take the load off you? I’m happy to give you a hand with looking after the kids, or cooking, or something else”. Let’s start now to dismantle the stigma and the paradoxes that exist in the digital world that social media exists in. Let’s check in on our mates, brothers, dad and sons using our human connection. Let’s begin to create a world where no man has to suffer in silence. It really is time to talk. --- # Supporting an urgent review of NICE guidance on anxiety Campaigns Mental Health Research & Campaigns By Meg Moss 28th January 2026 The Society supports the sector-wide campaign, led by the [UK Council for Psychotherapy](https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/policy-and-research/public-policy/nice-anxiety-guideline-campaign/), calling for an urgent and comprehensive update to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder in adults. We have been signatories to this campaign from the outset and have also submitted our own evidence directly to NICE in support of a full review. The current guideline, first published in 2011, has not kept pace with developments in clinical practice, service delivery, or the growing body of evidence around what helps people experiencing anxiety. In practice, this has narrowed the support available to people seeking help and reinforced a one-size-fits-all approach that does not reflect the diversity of need. Despite anxiety being one of the most common reasons people seek counselling, the existing guidance effectively limits NHS provision to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and applied relaxation. This restricts both access and choice, and sidelines approaches that work relationally, do not require diagnosis, and are often better suited to people with complex, contextual, or long-standing difficulties. ## How does the campaign fit into the Society's broader work? This campaign closely aligns with the Society’s [**Direct Access to Counselling**](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/direct-access-to-counselling) campaign, which calls for people to be able to access counselling & psychotherapy without unnecessary clinical gatekeeping or diagnostic thresholds. Our Direct Access work has consistently highlighted that: - counselling does not require a diagnosis to be effective - early, relational support can prevent difficulties from escalating - restricting provision to a narrow set of modalities increases waiting times and disengagement - client choice improves outcomes, engagement, and trust Outdated NICE guidance plays a significant role in shaping commissioning decisions and service design. When that guidance recognises only a limited range of therapies, it becomes harder for systems to make proportionate use of the existing counselling workforce, including practitioners registered on Accredited Registers. > “We’re really grateful to the UKCP for driving this campaign forward. The need to update the NICE anxiety guideline is something we’ve felt strongly about for a long time, and it’s encouraging to see such broad support across the mental health sector. > > Guidance like this shapes how services are designed, what gets commissioned, and ultimately whether people can access the kind of support that works for them. In this situation, it is unintentionally, but unfortunately, narrowing options and reinforcing unnecessary barriers. > > We’re hopeful this review will lead to a change that brings the NICE guidance more in line with current evidence and lived experience. The reality is that therapy works best when people have choice, can access support early, and don’t need a diagnosis just to be heard, and more than anything I would love to see that reflected in our public sector services.” Meg Moss, Head of Public Affairs & Advocacy ## What is the campaign calling for? It's calling on NICE to update the guideline so that it aligns with other revised NICE guidance and reflects current diagnostic frameworks; addresses barriers to access for marginalised and underserved communities; expands the range of recognised talking therapies for anxiety, enabling meaningful client choice, and considers a broader evidence base, including long-term outcomes, follow-up studies, and service user experience. More than 30 organisations across the mental health sector have signed [a joint position statement](https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/media/yg0hiv0m/nice-anxiety-guideline-campaign-joint-position-statement.pdf) calling for the guideline to be reviewed. From the Society’s perspective, this is about ensuring guidance reflects how counselling & psychotherapy actually work in practice: relationally, flexibly, and in ways that support autonomy rather than medicalisation. ## What happens next? Campaign partners are continuing to gather organisational signatories and are now building cross-party parliamentary support. A joint letter from organisations and a separate cross-party letter from policymakers will be submitted to NICE in the spring. Members can also write to their MP about this, using the template letter provided by UKCP. You can find the link to do so here: [UKCP NICE Anxiety Guideline Campaign](https://www.psychotherapy.org.uk/policy-and-research/public-policy/nice-anxiety-guideline-campaign/) --- # The advantages and disadvantages of online counselling Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing Politics, Government & Current Affairs By Guest Blog 14th January 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Dr. Lara Tarocco, for this blog.*** The rise of online counselling, as an hungover of the lockdowns during the Pandemic, has transformed the therapeutic landscape, offering new possibilities for accessibility, flexibility, and connection. At the same time, it introduces unique challenges that require thoughtful consideration from both practitioners and clients. I offer online counselling and believe that understanding the strengths and limitations of this modality helps ensure that therapy remains safe, effective, and attuned to individual needs. **Advantages of Online Counselling** One of the most significant benefits of online counselling is its *accessibility*. Clients can attend sessions from their homes, workplaces, or any private space, eliminating the need for travel. This is particularly valuable for clients with mobility issues, chronic illness, caregiving responsibilities, or demanding schedules. For therapists, reduced travel time and increased scheduling flexibility can support a more sustainable workload. Also, it makes access to therapy easier for those who can’t drive and live in rural or remote areas. Meeting from *a familiar environment* can help clients feel more relaxed and open. For some, the traditional therapy room may feel intimidating or clinical; online sessions can reduce this barrier. This enhanced sense of comfort can be especially beneficial for trauma survivors, neurodivergent clients, or those who experience social anxiety. Continuity of care is also easier with online counselling when clients or therapists *relocate or travel*. I find that, when working with clients who may present unpredictable or aggressive behaviour, online sessions offer *an additional layer of physical safety*. Clients, too, may feel safer discussing sensitive topics from their own space, where they have greater control over their environment. As a counsellor who uses creativity and therapeutic drawing (especially with trauma clients), I *integrate digital tools* in my sessions, such as screensharing and digital drawing tools: in my experience, they can enrich the therapeutic process. **Disadvantages of Online Counselling** A major limitation of online therapy is the *reduced access to subtle non‑verbal cues*. Micro‑expressions, shifts in posture, breathing patterns, and other embodied signals may be harder to observe through a screen. This can make attunement to clients more effortful, particularly with clients who mask distress or dissociate. Clients may *struggle to find a quiet, private space for sessions*. Interruptions from family members, pets, or household noise can disrupt the therapeutic flow. I often observed clients joining sessions from cars or other environments that can limit emotional depth or safety. In such cases it is essential maintaining space boundaries and making sure that clients attend the session in a space that can support privacy and, therefore, confidentiality. Counselling online can often come with *common technical challenges*, such as connection instability, audio delays, and device issues that can interrupt sessions and affect the emotional rhythm of therapy. A modicum of technical savvy is necessary on both parties (therapist and client) to conduct online sessions and, in my opinion, this can be a bit of an hindrance for those who are reluctant towards technology; at the same time, this is the perfect opportunity for counsellors to expand their knowledge through dedicated CPD training. Supporting clients through intense emotional states, such as panic, dissociation, or suicidal ideation, can be more challenging online, as therapists might have *limited ability to intervene directly if a client becomes unsafe*. For this reason, I in my experience clear safety planning, knowledge of the client’s location, and strong crisis protocols and ready support from a supervisor are essential. The *informality of home environments can blur the frame of the therapeutic space*. Clients may attend sessions while multitasking, lying in bed, or surrounded by distractions. Therapists may also find it harder to maintain separation between work and personal life when sessions take place from home. The solution to this problem is, again, making sure that boundaries are firmly in place: counsellors must have a separate area, such as an office, to work from, with a door that they can close when work is finished and it’s time to go back to private life. At the same time, therapist need to make sure that clients give themselves the benefit of privacy of an environment that is quiet and has no distractions. In other words, both clients and therapist are expected to behave remotely the same way as they would if they were in person. In‑person therapy offers a depth of co‑regulation and embodied presence that can be difficult to replicate online. For some clients, the physical space of the therapy room provides *empathy, containment and grounding that a virtual setting cannot fully replace*. In conclusion, online counselling opens doors for clients who might otherwise struggle to engage in traditional therapy and provides therapists with new tools and opportunities. At the same time, it requires careful attention to boundaries, safety, and attunement between client and therapist. While acknowledging that it is not the right fit for everyone, in my opinion, when approached thoughtfully, online therapy can be just as effective and meaningful as in‑person work, and, on balance of pros and cons, is a tremendous vehicle to extend the reach of counselling and psychotherapy to as many clients as possible. --- # The Complicated Mix of Autism ADHD and Eczema Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 11th September 2025 **With thanks to our member, Madeleine Ayling PNCPS(Accred) (**[**https://blackcatcounselling.co.uk/**](https://blackcatcounselling.co.uk/)**), for this blog.** Did you know that there are links between ADHD, autism and eczema? I am a late-diagnosed autistic counsellor with ADHD and I have had eczema since I was a baby. Many of my clients are autistic and/or have ADHD, and I have heard so many similarities to my own story from those clients who have also had eczema. Eczema is so common but is rarely spoken about in the counselling world, and it is important that clients’ experiences of living with eczema while being autistic and having ADHD are understood. According to the National Eczema Society, eczema affects 1 in 5 children and 1 in 10 adults. It is a dry, itchy skin condition that can affect people of all ages, on many different parts of the body. The skin can become red and inflamed, can crack and bleed and is prone to infections. Some people have small patches of eczema limited to one part of the body, for others it may be widespread, and this can change over their lifetime. The severity of eczema can change rapidly, getting worse during flares often with unpredictable triggers. The link between childhood eczema and ADHD has been studied for over 30 years, with the risk of developing ADHD symptoms doubling for children with eczema (Loo *et al.,* 2022). There is also a link between eczema and autism - children with atopic conditions show more severe autism symptoms, and this increases for those with eczema compared to those with asthma and hayfever (Jameson et al., 2022). Autistic people often also have ADHD and vice versa - studies show 22-83% of autistic children also have ADHD, and 30-65% of children with ADHD are also autistic (Ronald et al., 2008; [Sokolova](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28255761/)et al[., 2017](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28255761/)). Adults with eczema have a high chance of also living with anxiety and depression, are almost 50% more likely to have OCD, and those with mild and moderate eczema have a higher risk of suicide (Wan et al., 2024). This means that clients with ADHD, autism and eczema may also be struggling with a long list of mental health problems. Eczema often has a significant effect on a client’s life, and for autistic people and those with ADHD, this can be especially complex. For autistic people, the sensory impact of having to apply creams and lotions can be overwhelming, and the itchiness of the eczema can lead to feeling overstimulated. Clothing that was previously “safe” can become unwearable if it aggravates or sticks to patches of eczema, and soothing items such as weighted blankets can be too hot - a potential trigger for eczema flares. Scratching and skin picking can become self-stimulating repetitive behaviours (“stims”) and can also be linked to body focussed repetitive behaviours such as dermatillomania which can develop with eczema. The impulsivity often related to ADHD can make it much harder for eczema sufferers to stop scratching, resulting in increased skin damage. The itchiness affects focus, which may lead to problems at school or work. Eczema can also be extremely challenging when combined with executive functioning difficulties - treatment often relies on consistency such as keeping to a schedule of how many times a week to apply ointment. For severe eczema, there can be a significant amount of medical admin such as chasing GP appointments, attending hospital several times a week for phototherapy, keeping track of blood tests. Medication for ADHD can help some and hinder others - it can help with self-care routines and lowering the urge to scratch, but can also lead to dehydration which can trigger eczema flares. Sleep is often a problem for people with eczema due to the itchiness, and lack of sleep can trigger a flare-up. Unfortunately sleep problems are also common for autistic people and those with ADHD, which means finding suitable strategies can be more complex than for neurotypical people. Emotional dysregulation is often a feature of autism and ADHD. Intense emotional experiences can lead to picking and scratching as soothing mechanisms which damage the skin, causing pain and distress despite temporary relief. Anxiety and stress often increase the severity of eczema, and eczema in itself often causes stress, due to the pain, itching and all-too-frequent childhood bullying and social isolation, compounding that already often experienced by neurodivergent people. **References** Jameson, C., Boulton, K. A., Silove, N., and Guastella, A. J. (2022). ‘Eczema and related atopic diseases are associated with increased symptom severity in children with autism spectrum disorder.’, *Translational psychiatry*, 12(1). Loo, E. X. L., Ooi, D. S. Q., Ong, M., Ta, L. D. H., Lau, H. X., Tay, M. J. Y., Yap, Q. V., Chan, Y. H., Tham, E. H., Goh, A. E. N., Van Bever, H., Teoh, O. H., Eriksson, J. G., Chong, Y. S., Gluckman, P., Yap, F. K. P., Karnani, N., Xu, J., Tan, K. M. L., Tan, K. H., Lee, B. W., Kramer, M., Shek, L., Meaney, M. J. and Broekman, B. F. P. (2022). ‘Associations Between Eczema and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Children.’, *Frontiers in pediatrics*, 10:837741. National Eczema Society (no date) *Who we are*. Available at: (Accessed: 20 August 2025). Ronald, A., Simonoff, E., Kuntsi, J., Asherson, P. and Plomin, R. (2008). ‘Evidence for overlapping genetic influences on autistic and ADHD behaviours in a community twin sample.’, *Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines*, 49, pp.535-542. Sokolova, E., Sluiter-Oerlemans, A., Rommelse, N. N., Groot, P., Hartman, C., Glennon, J., Claassen, T., Heskes, T. and Buitelaar, J. (2017). ‘A Causal and Mediation Analysis of the Comorbidity Between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)’, *Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders*, 47(6), pp.1595–1604. Wan, J., Wang, S., Shin, D. B., Syed, M.N., Abuabara, K., Lemeshow, A. R. and Gelfand, J. M. (2024). ‘Neuropsychiatric disorders in adults with atopic dermatitis: A population-based cohort study’, *J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol*, 38, pp.543–548. *Updated September 2025* --- # The Countertransference of Parenting: Inside the World of an Adoptive Counsellor Blog Children, young people & families By Guest Blog 16th July 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Dr. Lara Tarocco, for this article.*** Living at the intersection of adoptive parenthood and professional counselling provides a unique, deeply moving perspective on trauma, attachment, and systemic healing. Stepping into the therapy room after managing a complex attachment crisis at home triggers a profound collision of two worlds. Despite extensive preparation courses, nothing prepared me for the raw impact of bringing home an unknown child and learning to love him. I had to face post-adoption depression, maternal ambivalence, and my child’s acute trauma. Merging this intimate lived experience with psychological expertise sheds light on the deep systemic gaps, innovative practices, and clinical nuances involved in supporting care-experienced individuals. ## Local Gaps and Systemic Pressures The support landscape for looked-after and adopted children faces severe challenges, often leaving vulnerable families isolated at critical moments. A glaring local gap is the administration of the Adoption Support Fund (ASF). While invaluable, its bureaucratic hurdles create unnecessary delays. Families wait months for approvals while children remain in active, distressing crises. Furthermore, a distinct postcode lottery dictates availability; some regions boast specialised support teams, while neighbouring areas offer little more than basic social work signposting. Worse still is the relational breakdown between struggling families and local authorities. In my experience, statutory post-adoption support was of no use. When adoptive parents hit a wall, a terrifying question arises: *Would you trust social services not to take the child back, or blame you, if you told them you were struggling?* Because of this fear, parents often hide their pain. Unless an adoptive family has a peer network, they can end up finding themselves entirely alone in a painful tangle of complex emotions. ## CAMHS Thresholds and Systemic Rigidities Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are chronically overwhelmed, pushing intervention thresholds exceptionally high. A child frequently needs to be in a state of acute risk before triggering an assessment. Even when accepted, certain clinical models often fail looked-after children. Standard, time-limited cognitive interventions like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) frequently prove ineffective for deep-rooted developmental trauma and attachment injuries. These conditions require long-term, relationally driven therapies and when a service structure demands linear progress within six to eight sessions, it fundamentally misunderstands the cyclical nature of trauma recovery. ## The Reality of Attachment: "What do you mean, 'my son'?" When our little boy was first placed with us, well-meaning people would constantly ask, "How nice is it to have your new son?" I would smile blankly while my mind screamed: *What do you mean "my son"? Who? That baby who just arrived who I do not even know?* The word "son" was empty of meaning. When I tried to force it out, I produced nothing but a pathetic, choked babble. Over time, I realised a simple clinical and human truth: love does not come with an on-off switch. Bringing home a child is simply the act of planting a slow-growing seed. To manage my anxiety, I initiated a practical intervention: I started calling him "my child." It was a simple linguistic shift, but it worked wonders. "My" was true because he lived in my house. "Child" was an undeniable fact. While "my son" implied an emotional bond I did not yet feel, "my child" reflected a reality easy for my mind to accept. Once I lifted the crushing burden of forced sentiment, the pressure dissipated, the bond naturally formed, and love blossomed. Experiencing this completely transformed how I work with families. ## What Good Joined-Up Care Looks Like When services understand this slow, fragile attachment process, the positive impact is profound. Multi-agency hubs that co-locate social workers, educational psychologists, and specialised therapists make a genuine difference. Programmes utilising the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) framework or the Theraplay model provide a unified language of safety. When the therapist, social worker, and school staff all speak the language of PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy), the child's nervous system receives a consistent message of safety. In practice, excellent joined-up care looks like a cohesive ecosystem. A school does not simply view a child’s dysregulation as bad behaviour. Instead, teachers collaborate directly with the therapist to implement a personalised sensory diet. This integration ensures the child experiences consistent safety, bridging the gap between home, school, and therapy. ## Partnering with Families and Caring for the Carer Working therapeutically with adoptive families requires moving away from the "expert vs. parent" dynamic. The primary clinical challenge here is secondary traumatic stress and "blocked care." When parents face prolonged developmental trauma behaviours—such as chronic rejection or physical aggression—their own nervous systems enter a chronic state of threat. This defensive state temporarily diminishes a parent's capacity for empathy, leading to severe feelings of shame, failure, and deep isolation. Practitioners must recognise that a dysregulated parent cannot regulate a dysregulated child. True therapeutic success occurs when practitioners treat carers as expert partners. Shifting away from behavioural modification strategies—like reward charts, which often trigger shame in traumatised children—and moving toward relational safety yields remarkable outcomes. ## Working with Care-Experienced Adults The impact of early life adversity does not vanish at age eighteen. Working with care-experienced adults requires an evolved, highly adaptable clinical approach, utilising techniques such as: - Therapeutic Drawing: bypassing the logical, verbal parts of the brain to access, externalise, and process emotions and memories that are too difficult or painful to put into words. - Somatic and Body-Based Therapies: Releasing trauma trapped in the nervous system when verbal processing falls short. - Person Centred Therapy (PCT): offering adoption-experienced individuals a rare space of unconditional acceptance to explore their identity and heal from systemic or relational rejection. The most rewarding element of this work is helping clients reframe their coping mechanisms—such as hyper-independence or dissociation—as brilliant, life-saving survival strategies. However, challenges remain complex. Many adults struggle with intense structural dissociation, pre-verbal trauma, and a deep-seated systemic mistrust born from years of dealing with failing services. Clients frequently test boundaries to see if the therapist will abandon or reject them. Holding that space firmly and safely is the core work of the therapeutic relationship. ### Who is the Author? Dr. Lara Tarocco is a Psychotherapist and a Neurographica® Specialist with an interest in supporting trauma healing through a combination of Therapeutic Counselling and creativity. She has a lived experience as an adoptive mother of a child with Developmental Trauma and has worked extensively with individuals seeking to heal trauma. She combines professional expertise with a compassionate, person-centred philosophy, making her work accessible and inspiring to people from all walks of life. Her new book ***“NeuroArt colouring book: Heal your trauma”*** is a supportive guide to healing trauma through drawing is available on Amazon. Dr. Tarocco offers therapeutic sessions in person at her retreat in Surrey, UK and worldwide online. She also offers **ADHD or Autism Pre-assessment screening** that provide a fast, cost-effective way to determine whether a formal, diagnostic assessment is clinically necessary. For information, contact her today on info@drlaratarocco-psychotherapist.com. --- # The F word – Funding: more offensive in some circles than the actual F word By Guest Blog 1st August 2025 **With thanks to NCPS Ambassador, Jocelyn Anderson, CEO West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre for this article.** Having read the theme for this month’s newsletter, I spent some time wondering if I could write a coherent blog or whether it would deteriorate into a rant about one of the banes of my life. Funding for sexual violence services is notoriously difficult, and funding for our specialist therapy and counselling services is even harder to come by. Sexual violence (SV) is not a popular cause, it is not something that people want to think about, and, unlike domestic abuse, there are no obligations on statutory agencies to commission services. I have been working in the specialist SV sector for over 20 years now and fundraising has never been an easy task. Fundraising in this sector is hard graft with lots of setbacks and disappointment. Every now and then there is a little ray of sunshine (aka cash), a small celebration and then on to the next application/tender. A cost-of-living crisis and government funding cuts only makes a hard job harder; this year has already seen the closure of another two Rape Crisis centres. Not all charities are funded or impacted in the same way, the reduction in donations and personal giving does not really impact on us – very few people donate directly but some hospices and air ambulances, for example, are reporting huge decreases. It is not the same for all Charities, some like the Donkey Sanctuary have huge amounts of reserves (estimated around £38m) to draw upon whilst others like our local Age Concern are facing imminent closure. I often wonder whether a survey of giving to charity could be used as a reflective piece on society’s priorities. Over the years, I have compared and contrasted funding activities with other services – trying to find something that will work for SV. Collection boxes seemed like a positive move, as they have proved very lucrative for Hospices and children’s charities. Their boxes are proudly displayed on counters whilst ours, unfortunately, tend to be relegated to being behind the till so as not to cause offence. The question of what works, I think, is rooted in how popular your cause is and/or if you can find a funder that agrees with you. Most fundraising seminars will focus on the personal connection and to some extent this can be an excellent source of funding but again, the people that you are connecting with need to be invested in and comfortable with your cause. It is very different for a sponsor to stand up and say why they are supporting a cancer charity than why they are supporting an SV one. Grant making organisations have priorities and often very strict criteria of what they will and wont fund. Some will have a focus on supporting smaller charities and it is certainly the case that as you get bigger, less options are available – Lloyds Bank foundation for example, caps at an income of 1 million. Some you can only apply to by invitation, and some have very long-drawn-out processes – it does not necessarily correlate that the size of the application increases with the size of the funding available. I once completed a 48-page application for a local authority grant only to find that the maximum grant was £10k (don’t judge me, I was young, naïve and we needed the money), we were awarded £2k (I was young, less naïve, disappointed and still needed the money). Some funders operate a two (or three) stage process, you submit an initial idea and then submit more information as you progress through – this is my favourite one. This process lets you know early on if the fund is oversubscribed, if it is not what they are looking for, or if you are in with a chance. I am also very fond of funders who want to fund what you are doing, what you know and can prove works – so many are only interested in the new ‘shiny bright’ project – innovation over stability. I have a particular soft spot for those funders who fund core costs and the entirety of a project. Small to medium sized charities generally cost projects on a full-cost recovery model, meaning that costs such as mileage, IT, training, insurances, and premises are budgeted within the role which can, unfortunately make our bids look higher than the bigger players who have so many more staff to apportion costs to. Whilst we welcome all discussion/challenges around our budgeting, a funder saying that they do not want to cover back-office costs or only a proportion of the post is less than helpful. How do you get the rest of the money? Some doors however will remain closed even if a commissioner or funder is whole heartedly on board and supportive, unless your project fully meets the criteria or has a KPI attached, there is little room for manoeuvre – we used to say that there was a ‘should, could, would’ process for commissioning. The ‘should’ is what they must fund, the ‘could’ is the discretionary area and the ‘would’ is often the category that we fall into – I would fund you if I had the money. I have lost count of the times I have been told at the start, middle and end of a meeting that ‘there is no money’ – mention the F word and the meeting is practically over. Data collection – also known as the search for the mythical data set that will satisfy all funders from one report. If I sound a little frustrated within this section, it is because I am. I am in favour of data, I want people to know what we are doing, what we are achieving but I also want to know that if it has taken over a fortnight to prepare a report, that the report has been useful, that the information is being used to inform strategy, process and decision making. Sometimes I fantasise about funders just handing over the cash and leaving us to get on with delivering service but then if they are handing over money, they need to know how and where it is being spent – they quite rightly need to know that it is making a difference. I like quantitative data, it is the numbers bit – how many referrals in, how many out etc – it is relatively easy but can also be relatively useless. It lacks the ‘so what?’ element – in 23/24 we had over 3700 new referrals – so what? All it shows is that we are busy, it may show how many people are on the waiting list, but it lacks the context to explain why, it does not show the quality of the work. It is also frustrating when different funders require the same information in, for example, different age bands and you end up running the same report several times. Outcomes are another area where the data could be utilised so much better – many progressive outcomes (monitoring change over time) are subjective and reliant either on professional opinion or how the client is feeling at that time. The timing and context are important – many services ask for feedback from clients at pre-planned times for example a client who has just received a ‘not guilty’ verdict in court will be feeling very different to one who has seen a sentence handed down. Often outcomes are set by funders and meaningless for the actual survivor, for me, real outcomes are one that survivors want to achieve, ones that are important for them. Co-creation is a real bonus here but sadly does not often translate back into monitoring reports. Sometimes, saying goodbye and ending therapy is too much for some people and final sessions are not completed. With a therapist head on, I think it is sad, but respected, when clients do not want to have a last goodbye – the organisational head considers that it can play havoc with the outcomes monitoring. Surveys are currently all the rage with funders – do you do an anonymous end of service questionnaire? We do and have tried many formats, online, paper, follow up calls but I would suggest that success is dependent upon the client group. Our feedback from clients is excellent – should the need arise 100% of counselling clients (who responded) would recommend our services to a family member or friend. And at the risk of sounding like a well-known cat food advert, what if only eight out of ten replies? For me, it is all about the context and the conversation – the relationship with the funder. Sometimes you can be lucky enough to find funders who will meet with you, who want to understand the services you are providing and if you are really lucky, they will do it for more than one year at a time. However, the fact remains that we provide a first-class mental health service that should be funded properly, constantly scratting around for money is wearing and does a huge disservice to the quality of the therapy that our team provide. The SV sector, much like many others lacks stability of funding – it is often short term – maybe one or two years which prevents forward planning and the constant search for new funding streams detracts from operational development. Demand for service constantly outstrips supply and so many services, my own included are making cutbacks, redundancies and fighting to survive. I do genuinely believe that the wheel will turn, priorities will change, and more funding will become available in the near future. Perhaps then, we can try and put some fun into fundraising. --- # The Importance of Counselling Supervision Blog Careers & Professional Development Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 21st February 2018 ### **What is Supervision in Counselling?** Supervision in counselling is a formal, collaborative process where a counsellor regularly meets with a more experienced practitioner, known as the supervisor, to discuss their work. The supervisor provides guidance, support, and feedback, ensuring that the counsellor maintains ethical standards and effective practices. Supervision is required for all counsellors who are on the Accredited Register and is essential for the counsellor's professional development. ### **Why is Supervision in Counselling Important?** Supervision plays a critical role in ensuring that counsellors deliver safe, ethical, and competent services. It allows counsellors to “check in” with a senior practitioner to: **Maintain Ethical Boundaries**: Supervision ensures that counsellors stay within professional and ethical limits, which protects both the client and the counsellor. **Gain Knowledge and Skills**: Through regular supervision, counsellors can deepen their theoretical understanding and improve their practical skills. Supervisors offer valuable insights from their own experiences. **Receive Emotional Support**: Counselling can be emotionally demanding, and supervision provides a space where counsellors can talk through their own feelings and experiences, preventing burnout and promoting self-care. ### **Benefits of Supervision in Counselling** **Professional Development**: Supervision helps counsellors develop their knowledge and skills. Whether working with specific groups, such as children or trauma survivors, counsellors benefit from the expertise of their supervisors, who guide them in handling complex cases. **Accountability**: Supervisors ensure that counsellors remain accountable for their actions and decisions, which is crucial for maintaining client trust and upholding the standards of the profession. **Crisis Management**: During supervision, counsellors can discuss concerns and receive advice on handling difficult situations. Supervisors also provide clear guidelines on what steps to take during crises or emergencies. **Self-Care**: Counselling can take a toll on mental health, and supervision offers a safe space for counsellors to process their experiences and emotions, which helps to prevent burnout. ### **Guidelines for Supervision in Counselling** The National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) recommends that counsellors in full-time practice receive at least 1.5 hours of supervision per month. However, the amount of supervision required may vary based on the counsellor's experience, the type of work being done, or the client group they work with. This should be discussed with the supervisor and adjusted accordingly. ### **Keeping Records of Supervision** It is advisable for counsellors to maintain an up-to-date record of their supervision hours. This documentation may be required during audits, when applying for upgrades to registrant levels, or when seeking counselling placements or jobs. ### **Finding a Supervisor** The NCPS provides a directory of qualified supervisors via the Counselling Directory, where counsellors can search for supervisors based on their specific needs, including options for reduced fees for trainee counsellors. For further guidance on supervision, counsellors can refer to the NCPS Code of Ethics or access additional resources in the members' area of the NCPS website. --- # The Lighthouse in the Storm: Redefining Masculinity Through the Lens of Lived Experience Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 12th November 2025 ***With thanks to our member, Liam Zamudio, for this article.*** ***Liam Zamudio is a husband, father of two, Probation Practitioner, Hypnotherapist, and trainee Psychotherapeutic Counsellor based in South Wales. His work and writing focus on emotional awareness, masculinity, and personal growth through reflection and resilience.*** When I first walked through the gates of a prison as a young officer, I was still finding my footing in the world. I came from a turbulent childhood, familiar with chaos but naïve to the many ways people learn to survive it. Very quickly, the environment demanded that I grow up. Inside those walls, male emotion existed under a microscope. Everything was intensified: desperation, rage, grief, and pride. I witnessed suicide, both attempted and tragically successful. I saw self-harm and mutilation, violent outbursts, and sudden, tear-soaked remorse. It was a crash course in the extremes of human distress and in the cost of unprocessed emotion. At first, I did what most people in that environment do; I adapted. I learned to survive by keeping my guard high and my empathy low. Authority became armour. I was conditioned to respond to behaviour rather than understand it; to contain and control rather than connect. In a world where strength meant suppression, empathy was seen as a liability. Looking back, I can see how easy it was to lose sight of the human being behind the behaviour when all you were trained to see was risk and control. But something in me resisted. Over years spent in two different prisons, and later in practice with the Probation Service, my understanding of people, and of myself, began to change. I found myself watching closely, noticing tone, body language, and the flicker in a man’s eyes before he erupted. I began to recognise that every outburst, every act of defiance or aggression, was also a form of communication. It said, *I don’t know how else to be heard.* Beneath the violence, I saw hurt. Beneath the hostility, shame. What I had once seen as “problem behaviour” became, in time, a map of unmet need. That was the beginning of my shift from control to connection. I started to understand that empathy, far from being weakness, was the key to surviving that environment with my integrity intact. My naturally empathic nature, which I had once tried to hide, became the lens through which I made sense of the world. Life outside the gates brought its own lessons. Marriage and fatherhood gave my understanding of masculinity a new shape entirely. My children have been my greatest teachers. They’ve shown me that real strength isn’t in control, but in presence. It’s in sitting on the floor at a tea party with teddies one day and setting healthy boundaries the next. It’s the quiet consistency of being there, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My wife and I work hard to raise our children to understand that love and discipline, creativity and resilience, are not opposites but partners. Through them, I see reflected the kind of masculinity I want to embody: grounded, loving, capable, and kind. Beginning my journey into psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and counselling has been transformative in ways I never expected. Through reflective journaling and personal therapy with an incredible person-centred counsellor, I have confronted my own history: trauma, attachment wounds, and emotional baggage that had lingered for years. The process of self-reflection has stripped away layers of armour I didn’t know I still wore. It allowed me to turn my empathic capacity outward again; to use it in service of others, rather than as a shield for myself. Working with clients, particularly men, has shown me just how urgently we need to reclaim the idea of masculinity as something valuable, not shameful. There’s no question that toxic expressions of masculinity exist, and I’ve witnessed them at their worst. But the conversation has become unbalanced. Too often, we speak about masculinity as if it is inherently dangerous, when in truth, it is simply misunderstood. Masculinity, like femininity, carries both shadow and light. The problem is not masculinity itself; it is disconnection from it, distortion of it, or the absence of healthy male role models to show what it can look like. In therapy, we have an opportunity, and I would argue, a responsibility, to model positive masculinity. For some female clients, this may mean providing a corrective emotional experience: a safe encounter with a male presence that is calm, grounded, and non-threatening. For male clients, it can mean demonstrating that vulnerability and strength can coexist; that emotional expression does not erode identity but enriches it. Healthy masculinity is quiet confidence, emotional fluency, protective energy channelled through compassion, and the courage to stay present even when things get uncomfortable. The wider social narrative around men is often laced with contradiction. Men are told to open up, yet judged when they do. They are asked to be emotionally intelligent, yet mocked for sensitivity. They are encouraged to lead, then criticised for taking up space. These mixed messages create paralysis and confusion. I see men in my practice who feel lost between outdated ideals of dominance and a cultural suspicion of masculinity itself. Therapy offers them something different: a space to integrate the two, to find a way of being that is powerful and peaceful. I believe masculinity needs to be reclaimed as a positive cultural force. When it is healthy, it protects, provides, nurtures, and builds. It sets boundaries with compassion, takes responsibility without ego, and recognises that true leadership begins with self-knowledge. Healthy masculinity is what stands up for what is right, not for the sake of pride but for the sake of others. It is the steady hand in the storm, the presence that says, “You’re safe here.” Encouraging men to reconnect with this version of masculinity is essential, not only for their mental health but for society at large. When men are grounded, emotionally literate, and self-reflective, families are stronger, communities are safer, and children grow up with role models who embody balance rather than chaos. That is the ripple effect of good therapy. I often describe the role of a healthy man as being like a lighthouse. A lighthouse doesn’t chase ships or demand to be seen; it simply stands firm, anchored, illuminated, and unwavering. Its power lies not in control, but in constancy. That, to me, is the essence of positive masculinity: to be dependable, to shine light when others can’t find their way, and to weather the storm without becoming it. Through my work across prisons, probation, and now in counselling and hypnotherapy, I have witnessed both the fragility and the resilience of men. I have seen them at their breaking point and at their rebirth. I have seen that, given the right support, even those who have caused harm can rediscover empathy and purpose. Therapy provides the bridge from suppression to expression, from chaos to clarity. Masculinity, at its best, is not about control but about balance. It is not about being invulnerable, but about knowing when to hold firm and when to soften. It is strength in service of safety, not strength for its own sake. It is being physically robust through exercise and nutrition, emotionally aware through reflection and counselling, and spiritually present enough to love without fear. If we want to shift the narrative around men’s mental health, we must start by redefining what it means to be a man in the first place. Masculinity can and should be spoken of with pride. It can be a healing force, a guiding energy, and a vital part of what keeps society anchored. To every man reading this: you are allowed to feel, you are allowed to care, and you are allowed to lead with empathy while remaining strong. Be the lighthouse in the storm; steady, compassionate, and true. The world needs you to shine. --- # The Loneliness We Do Not Talk About Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 7th March 2025 **With thanks to our member Ilkay Alici for this article.** Loneliness is often imagined as an empty room, a quiet house, or the absence of people. However, loneliness is not just about being alone. It can manifest in a crowded cafe, in the middle of a conversation, or even while scrolling through endless messages on your phone. It is the ache of feeling unseen, the sense that no one truly understands you, and the exhaustion of continuously showing up in a world that does not seem to notice. In today’s world, loneliness has taken on a new form. We are more accessible than ever, always just a text away and constantly online, yet for many, the feeling of real connection seems increasingly out of reach. We can be surrounded by people and still feel profoundly alone. Perhaps the hardest part is admitting it. There is often a quiet shame associated with loneliness, as if struggling to connect means there is something wrong with us. But there is nothing wrong with you. Loneliness is a meaningful reminder of our essential human need to be seen, understood, and to truly belong. **The Loneliness of Wearing a Mask** Loneliness does not always come from being alone. Sometimes, it comes from feeling like you cannot fully be yourself. You might have people around you, but if you do not feel truly understood, the loneliness lingers. So much energy is spent filtering words, hiding struggles, and pretending everything is fine just to fit in. But what happens when you never let anyone see the real you? Being surrounded by people does not always prevent loneliness. Sometimes, you can feel even lonelier in a crowded room than when you are completely alone. If this sounds familiar, take a moment to think about who makes you feel safe to be yourself. If no one comes to mind, it does not mean you are alone. It simply means you have not yet found the right people. Real connection is not just about being surrounded by others. It is about being with those who truly see and appreciate you for who you are. **The Digital Illusion of Connection** Social media makes it seem like we are always connected. A like, a comment, or a quick message all give the impression of social interaction, but they do not replace real connection. You can share a post and receive a flood of responses, yet still feel unseen. When loneliness sets in, it’s natural to reach for your phone, searching for a connection that never quite satisfies. However, the real connection is not measured by notifications. It is found in conversations where you do not feel the need to hold back. It is in the comfort of someone remembering the little details about you. It is in sitting with someone in silence and not feeling the need to fill the air with words. If your loneliness feels strongest when you put your phone down, maybe it is time to focus on building the kind of interactions that do not need a screen to exist. **The Fear of Reaching Out** Loneliness thrives in silence. The more it lingers, the more it convinces you that no one notices. That voice in your head that whispers, “If they wanted to talk to me, they would,” is loneliness feeding itself. But the truth is, most people are caught up in their own thoughts, their own distractions, and their own hesitation to reach out first. Loneliness can feel like a heavy weight, but even the smallest step can begin to lift it. Sending a message, suggesting a coffee, or letting someone know how you are feeling may seem like little things, but they can open the door to a real connection. It is not always easy, but you are not alone in this. So many others are also hoping for a moment of connection, waiting for someone to reach out. Taking that first step might just be the beginning of something meaningful. **The Loneliness of Change** Life has a way of shifting, sometimes in ways we do not expect and bringing unexpected loneliness. Moving to a new city, leaving a job, or the end of a relationship can suddenly make the world feel unfamiliar. Even positive change, like growing as a person, can make it feel as though the people who once understood you no longer do. If you are feeling lost in this space, it does not mean you will always feel this way. Loneliness in transition is not a dead end, it is just the space between what was and what is yet to come. The people who are meant to be part of your life will make space for the version of you that you are becoming. And the ones who do not? Letting them go might just open the door for deeper, more fulfilling connections ahead. **A Final Thought: Loneliness Is Not Who You Are** Loneliness is a feeling, not a definition of who you are. It does not mean you are unworthy of connection or destined to be alone. It is simply a sign that you need and deserve meaningful relationships. If loneliness has been weighing on you, let this be a reminder. You are not invisible, and you are not forgotten. Even if it does not feel like it now, this feeling will not last forever. There are people out there who will see you, who will truly understand you, and who will accept and appreciate you just as you are. Keep your heart open because meaningful connections find us when we are truly ready to receive them. --- # The Myth of the Linear Path: Why Year 11 Pressure Fails Our Young People Blog Children, young people & families By Guest Blog 7th September 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Jade Casey, for this article.*** Every spring, a familiar anxiety settles over Year 11 classrooms across the UK. Amidst the relentless drill of GCSE preparation, sixteen year olds are confronted with a question that carries an unfairly heavy burden,“What’s your plan?” In schools and homes around the country, young people are routinely expected to have their "ducks in a row." They are nudged to map out a clear trajectory, selecting A-Levels or vocational routes with an expectation that these choices define the rest of their lives. For many teens, this creates a profound, suffocating pressure. They are forced to construct a lifetime blueprint before they have even fully formed their own identity. As counsellors and mental health practitioners, we see the casualties of this high-stakes narrative every day. We sit across from adolescents paralysed by the fear of making the "wrong" choice, convinced that a single deviation means total failure, and adults, crippled by the blindness that comes with a change of heart or realisation that their plan has changed. As someone who navigated my twenties and enters my early thirties with a career path that looks nothing like the one I envisioned at 16, I can offer both clinical insight and lived experience: the linear life plan is a myth. The pressure inflicted on young people stems from a societal misunderstanding of developmental psychology and ageing. Western culture often views life through a rigid, milestone-driven framework; you study in your youth, build a career in your twenties, achieve stability in your thirties, and sail on through to retirement. When we are 16, our brain's prefrontal cortex is still significantly underdeveloped. The idea of "little so-and-so has wanted to be a nurse ever since they were ten" is inaccurate. Expecting a teenager to lock in a permanent life direction is developmentally premature. Yet, because we teach them that adulthood is a static destination rather than a continuous process, the fear of "getting it wrong" takes root early. I felt that exact fear acutely in my mid-twenties. Standing at a career crossroads, I was consumed by panic and hopelessness. The plan I had drafted as a teenager had collapsed under the weight of real-world life experience, personal growth, and shifting priorities. Looking around, I felt like someone who had missed the train, failed the script, and run out of time. What I failed to realise then, but see clearly now, is that changing your mind is not a failure of planning, it is a natural feature of human ageing and psychological development. If we want to relieve the pressure on today’s young people, we must look at what is happening at the other end of the demographic. Across higher education and corporate sectors, adults in their thirties, forties and fifties are walking back into classrooms, embarking on apprenticeships, and abandoning established careers to start from scratch. Mature students now make up a significant proportion of university intake, driven by a desire for personal fulfillment, mental stimulation, and changing demands. The concept of a "job for life" is obsolete. The modern workforce demands adaptability, prompting older adults to retrain in fields ranging from psychotherapy to software engineering. With life expectancy increasing, a career spans forty to fifty years. A person at age forty still has another few decades of active professional life ahead, more than enough time to master an entirely new discipline. When older adults return to education, they demonstrate something crucial - identity is dynamic, not static. The person you are at sixteen is not the person you will be at thirty or fifty (good god, imagine if we were?) Our values evolve, our circumstances shift, and our capacity to learn never truly expires. As therapists working with young people and adults at a crossroad, our role is not just to help them cope with stress, but to actively dismantle the harmful cultural stories that produce it. When a client sits in our room, overwhelmed by the expectation to have their entire life mapped out, we can offer a narrative rooted in the reality of human development: just normalise this pivot. Help young clients see that career paths are rarely straight lines and share stories of adults successfully changing directions in later life. Instead of asking "What do you want to be?", ask "What interests you right now?" Encouraging flexibility builds resilience whereas forcing rigid goals builds fragility. We need to remind them, and sometimes ourselves, that no career choice made at sixteen is permanent. A-Levels, college courses, and initial jobs are stepping stones, not quicksand. So as a message to the sixteen-year-olds terrified that they don't have it all figured out, you aren't supposed to. And to those of us in our twenties, thirties, and beyond who felt the same dread when our original plans crumbled, changing direction isn't falling behind, it's growing up. It’s time we pass that reassurance down to the generation coming up behind us. --- # The Power of Relationship: What Fostering and Counselling Looked-After Children Has Taught Me About Healing Blog Children, young people & families By Guest Blog 30th July 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Debora Gardner, for this blog.*** For nine years I was a foster carer. During that time, children and young people came into my home carrying experiences that no child should have to carry. Some arrived frightened, angry or withdrawn. Others appeared resilient on the surface but were struggling with losses and uncertainties that were difficult to put into words. Following my counselling training and final placement, I chose to focus my practice solely on working with looked-after children. The children I cared for and the experiences we shared continue to shape the counsellor I am today. My years as a foster carer deepened my understanding of trauma, attachment and loss, but perhaps more importantly, they deepened my empathy. Having lived alongside children whose lives had been shaped by instability and disrupted relationships, I learned that behaviour rarely tells the whole story. Beneath the anger, withdrawal, defiance or anxiety, there is often a child trying to make sense of experiences that have felt overwhelming, confusing or frightening. This understanding allows me to be fully present with the children I work with today. While I can never know exactly how a child experiences their world, I can sit alongside them with genuine curiosity and compassion. I can appreciate that they may be carrying questions, worries and losses that have been with them for many years. My role is not to judge or fix them, but to create a space where they feel safe enough to be heard, understood and accepted. One of the greatest privileges of working with looked-after children is witnessing the courage they demonstrate every day. Many have experienced multiple losses, disrupted attachments and broken trust. Yet despite this, they continue to hope, to connect and to search for safety in relationships. Trust, however, cannot be rushed. Many of the children I work with have learned through experience that adults do not always stay, promises are not always kept and relationships can disappear without warning. It is therefore understandable that they may approach counselling with caution. Children are often quick to recognise whether adults genuinely understand their experiences, and I have found that empathy, patience and consistency are often the foundations upon which trust begins to grow. Sometimes progress looks very different from what we expect. It may be a child returning for another session, sharing a feeling they have never expressed before, or allowing an adult to sit alongside them in a difficult moment. These small steps often represent significant achievements. My person-centred approach aligns naturally with this work. Many looked-after children spend much of their lives being assessed, discussed and written about. The therapeutic relationship offers something different. Through empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard, children can begin to experience themselves as more than a placement, a report or a list of behaviours. They can begin to experience themselves as valued individuals. My experience as a foster carer also gave me insight into the challenges faced by carers. Foster carers are often supporting children who have experienced significant trauma whilst navigating meetings, reports, contact arrangements and educational demands. The emotional labour involved is immense. One aspect of fostering that is rarely spoken about openly is the emotional impact when placements end unexpectedly. During my years as a foster carer, I experienced both the joy of seeing children flourish and the heartbreak of placements that did not work out as hoped. When this happens, the focus quite rightly remains on the child, but carers can be left carrying grief, loss and a profound sense of self-doubt. I found that professionals could sometimes unintentionally reinforce these feelings. There can be an unspoken suggestion that if a placement has ended, someone must have failed. Yet the reality is often far more complex. Some children arrive with needs that exceed what any individual placement can realistically provide. What I came to understand is that a placement ending does not necessarily mean it has failed. A child may have experienced safety, stability, acceptance or genuine care for the first time in their life. Those experiences matter, even if the placement itself was unable to continue. Another area I feel strongly about is life story work. Helping children understand their histories is essential. However, I have often seen children arrive with limited information about their pasts and unanswered questions about who they are and where they come from. I was also present on occasions when life story work appeared to become more of a task than a therapeutic process. Children were presented with painful information about their lives and expected to absorb it within a short period of time. Afterwards, they were often left emotionally overwhelmed, while foster carers were left supporting the aftermath. It was experiences like these that played a significant role in my decision to become a counsellor. I repeatedly witnessed painful experiences being uncovered and then left without sufficient emotional support or containment. Things would be picked up and then dropped again. I wanted a deeper understanding of trauma, attachment and emotional development so that I could better support children carrying these experiences. My counselling work has reinforced my belief that children need more than information about their past. They need opportunities to process what that information means to them. Understanding your story can be an important part of healing, but only when there is a safe and supportive relationship in which that story can be explored. If I could change one thing within the system, it would be to place relationships at the centre of every decision. Children need stability, consistency and emotional safety. They need adults who remain curious rather than reactive, who seek to understand rather than judge, and who recognise that behaviour is often communication. Working with looked-after children has transformed my understanding of trauma, resilience and healing. While I have witnessed the impact of profound adversity, I have also witnessed remarkable strength. Time and again, children have shown me that healing does not happen because someone has all the answers. Healing happens when a child feels seen, understood and accepted. Above all, this work has taught me that relationships matter. For many looked-after children, one consistent, compassionate relationship can make an enormous difference. Whether we are counsellors, foster carers, teachers or social workers, our willingness to truly see the child behind the behaviour may be one of the most powerful gifts we can offer. Every child I have worked with has taught me something about courage, resilience and the human capacity to keep hoping despite adversity. While I feel privileged to walk alongside them for part of their journey, I also feel deeply humbled by the trust they place in me. To be invited into a child's world, to hear their story, and to witness their growth and strength is something I never take for granted. It is both a privilege and a humbling experience to be part of that journey. --- # The Power of Validation: Supporting Identity and Agency in Early Stages Dementia Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 12th September 2025 **With thanks to our Accredited Registrant member, Jurgen Schwarz, for this article.** When someone first hears the words “early stages dementia,” the ground can feel as though it shifts beneath their feet. Daily routines that once felt simple may suddenly feel uncertain. Names, dates, or small details slip away, and with them, confidence can falter. Yet even in these moments of change, there is something powerful we as therapists can offer: validation. At its heart, validation is not about fixing or correcting. It is about listening, affirming, and reminding someone that who they are still matters deeply. ## **What Does Validation Mean?** Validation is more than a nod or a polite response. It’s the act of truly recognising a person’s feelings and experiences, even when they don’t quite align with our own perspective of reality. For someone living in the early stages of dementia, that recognition can feel like a lifeline. It says, “I see you. You matter. You are more than your diagnosis.” In those moments, dignity is restored, and a sense of self shines through. ## **Stories That Keep Identity Alive** One of the most beautiful ways to support identity is through stories. Everyone has a treasury of experiences that form who they are. When someone with dementia shares a memory, whether it’s about raising children, a career highlight, or a favourite holiday, listening with genuine interest affirms that their life continues to hold meaning. A story about a seaside trip, a cherished family meal, or a small victory at work becomes more than nostalgia, it becomes a reminder of identity that still endures, no matter what changes come. ## **A Real-Life Moment** I once had a therapy session with a gentleman in the early stages of dementia who was upset because he couldn’t remember the names of his colleagues from years ago. His voice shook as he said, “It’s like they’ve all disappeared, like I’ve lost them and myself too.” Instead of correcting or distracting him, I simply replied, “I can hear how painful that feels. Those people must have been very important to you.” His shoulders relaxed, and he began to tell me about the work they did together, laughing as he described old office jokes. He may not have recalled the names, but the essence of his identity, as a committed professional and a man with rich relationships, was alive in that moment. Validation didn’t erase the loss, but it opened the door for dignity and connection. ## **The Gift of Listening** There is something profoundly healing about being heard. In our conversations as counsellors and psychotherapists with people living with dementia, it’s not about correcting slips in memory or pointing out errors. Instead, it’s about leaning in and hearing the emotion beneath the words. If someone says, “I feel useless because I keep forgetting things,” a validating response might be: “That must feel so difficult. I can understand why you’d feel that way.” These words don’t take away the challenge, but they acknowledge the person’s reality, and that in itself can be a huge comfort. ## **Holding On to Agency** Validation isn’t only about feelings, it’s also about choice. Dementia doesn’t erase someone’s ability to make decisions. In fact, encouraging choice, whether it’s about what to eat, how to spend the day, or how to be supported in the future, reinforces agency. These decisions, however small, remind a person that they still have a voice. That sense of control, even in little things, strengthens dignity and counters the helplessness that dementia can bring. ## **Safety and Trust in Conversation** When people feel validated, they often open up and share more freely. This creates a safe space where honesty and vulnerability can stand alongside strength and resilience. In my own work with people diagnosed with mild to moderate dementia, and with carers of those living with dementia, I’ve witnessed how individuals with dementia sit a little taller when their words are received with respect rather than correction. In those moments, confidence grows, trust deepens, and what might otherwise feel like a clinical “session” transforms into a genuine human connection. ## **The Ripple Effect at Home** Validation doesn’t just belong in therapy rooms. Families and friends can bring it into everyday life. Something as simple as slowing down, listening without interruption, or acknowledging a loved one’s frustration can transform a conversation. These small acts ripple outward, strengthening bonds and creating a culture of compassion at home. Over time, validation becomes more than a technique, it becomes a way of relating that keeps dignity intact, no matter how things change. ## **In Closing** Dementia can feel daunting, both for our clients and ourselves, but it also offers opportunities for profound connection. Through validation, we affirm identity, honour agency, and uphold dignity. To be seen and heard is a universal human need. For those living with dementia, it is not just helpful, it is vital. When we choose validation, we give the gift of belonging, reminding each person that their story still matters, their choices still count, and their voice is still strong. --- # The Quiet Neglect Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 19th March 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Clare Scudds, for this article.*** ***This article explores subtle forms of neglect and their long-term effects on emotional wellbeing. While the discussion is reflective and non-graphic, some readers may find the themes emotionally challenging.*** When we hear the word “abuse”, we often think of the deliberate, destructive treatment too many are forced to endure, things like domestic violence, long-term bullying, rape or gaslighting. Many of my clients have not experienced any of these kinds of abuse, yet show similar symptoms of trauma. I believe that, for many, their trauma is not due to overtly abusive experiences, but due to the absence of positive things they needed, especially in their early years. This comes under the category of neglect, but, for these clients, it is often less obvious than what we may classically consider neglect. Maybe I’ll call it a quiet neglect. “I had somewhere to live, enough to eat, a family”, “I knew my parents loved me”, “Nothing really bad happened”..., but there were things missing that are essential for well-being and growth. For example, praise was not present or was based on academic or sporting achievement, not character and love; there were few to no opportunities to speak up, question, voice independent thoughts; emotions were dismissed, neither recognised nor validated; parents were often distracted by work, other children, chores, or friends; quality time for fun and connection was not sufficiently prioritised; healthy independence and anonymity were blocked; or many other good things that could have been, just weren’t. These clients often live with extreme anxiety, shame, or anger. They may not sleep well or eat well. They can have difficulty forming healthy relationships. They often struggle to focus, motivate themselves, or keep on top of life admin. They may live a life of hypervigilance and self-doubt. These are common symptoms of trauma and abuse. Is this abuse? I believe so. It is not just what happened to me and what was done to me, but what was not done for me and not available to me. Just because I may never utter the words “abuse” or “neglect” to my clients, it doesn’t mean it isn’t. A lack of provision for the needs of a dependent, often unintentional, often subtle. A quiet neglect. “I had everything I needed…” - did you really? Yes, air, water, food, shelter, are essential for us to survive, but without encouragement, validation, affirmation, understanding, connection, and safety to fail, are we really able to live as we were intended to? I believe we were given life not just to survive, but to thrive, to experience deep joy, satisfaction and contentment. When we have missed out on important elements in childhood, a fulfilling life can seem like an elusive fantasy. Working with clients in this category often means a gradual, supportive approach. I take my time to engage with their story, to delve into what was missing for them, how this impacted them and what strategies they found to manage. This may involve helping clients to recognise that it is natural to have these needs, not something weird, selfish or shameful. We can explore what ways they have found to meet or mitigate these needs as they have grown and matured, and, if there are still gaps, how they might be able to better meet these needs now. It is a precious work, requiring gentleness, safety, reassurance and validation from the counsellor, in order to help the clients develop this for themselves. This also provides the best atmosphere for challenging those old strategies and beliefs. I love seeing clients find acceptance for themselves and their needs and find a place where they can learn to thrive. Rather than being reactive, defensive or self-critical, clients develop self-compassion and are more able to respond in beneficial ways to their needs. Though it may not look dramatic or obvious to the outside observer, it is very real. A quiet neglect being healed through a quiet uprising. --- # The Space Between Us Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 6th May 2025 **With thanks to Ilkay Alici for this article**. There is a quiet kind of pain that comes from feeling alone in a relationship. You can share a home, a routine, even a life together and still feel like something is missing. The conversations feel shorter, the silences longer. You brush past each other in the hallway, sleep side by side and yet the emotional closeness that once felt effortless now seems out of reach. This kind of disconnection does not always arrive with noise or confrontation. Sometimes it slips in slowly, unnoticed, until one day you realise that even though you are together, you feel miles apart. ### **How It Begins** Couples often find themselves in this space not because they stopped loving each other, but because life happened. Work, children, family responsibilities, unspoken resentment, unhealed wounds. It all builds quietly. Words become filtered. Needs go unspoken. And over time, the version of yourself you present to your partner may begin to feel more like a performance than a genuine connection.You start to avoid certain topics, pretend everything is fine or wait for the right moment that never seems to come. Gradually, the space between you grows. Not just physically, but emotionally. ### **The Questions That Linger** What makes this distance so painful is the confusion that comes with it. You begin to ask yourself: how did we get here? Why can’t we talk the way we used to? Is it too late? And perhaps the hardest question of all — is there still a way back to each other?These questions are not signs of failure. They are signs that something still matters. They are often the quiet beginnings of change. ### **Disconnection Is Not the End** Relationships move through seasons. There are moments of deep closeness and moments of distance. Disconnection does not always mean the relationship is broken. Sometimes it is a signal, a call to pause and listen more carefully. Not just to each other, but to yourself.What do you need now that you did not before? What are you carrying in silence, hoping your partner will just notice? When did you last feel truly seen? ### **The Way Back** Rebuilding connection does not always begin with dramatic changes. Often it starts in the smallest and quietest ways. A different kind of question. A deeper kind of listening. A willingness to show up honestly, rather than perfectly.When couples begin to speak again, not just about daily tasks or practical plans, but about fears, longings and regrets, they create a different kind of space. One where healing becomes possible. One where love is not simply recovered, but reshaped into something more honest and more enduring. ### **Choosing to Begin Again** Love is not a straight line. It bends, it stretches and sometimes it breaks. But breaking does not always mean the end. It can also be the moment when something softer and more resilient begins to emerge. A kind of love that knows how to repair, how to apologise, how to begin again. Not because everything is simple, but because both people are willing to remain open, even when it is difficult. ### **If This Feels Familiar** If you are in a relationship that feels distant, please know this. It does not have to stay this way. Even when the silence feels deep, even when the gap feels wide, there is still room to reach for each other.You do not need to return to what once was. You can begin again. You can create something more open, more grounded and more alive. Love does not need to be perfect. It only needs two people willing to try again, with open hearts and a shared hope for what is still possible. If you would like to reach out to a qualified relationship counsellor you can search our specialist Accredited Register to find a counsellor who specialises in working with couples on our therapist directory here: [Search the Directory.](http://www.search-ncps.com/) --- # The Therapeutic Hour as a Sanctuary: Creating Safety and Continuity Amidst Change Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 4th June 2026 ***With thanks to our Accredited Registrant member,*** [***Jurgen Schwarz***](https://www.search-ncps.com/search/FindaTherapist/NCS19-08577) ***for this article.*** Living with dementia, whether as a person affected or as a caregiver, can be deeply disorienting. Routines fall apart, memory fades, life can feel unpredictable. Carers often face constant pressure, with little time to process their own emotions. In this setting, the therapeutic hour can turn into more than just a session. It can create a sense of sanctuary, where safety, continuity, and interpersonal connection are always present. As therapists, simply being there each week can provide a steady anchor for people with dementia and their carers. This article examines how a consistent, caring presence during the therapeutic hour can provide stability when life feels uncertain. ### Change as the constant: Dementia brings constant change. For those living with it, even familiar things can suddenly appear strange. They may forget who they are, where they are, or what has just happened. Daily moments can become confusing or upsetting. Carers also feel the strain as relationships change, roles change, and responsibilities grow. Grief is not simply a single event; it builds over time and is often overlooked. In this situation, the therapeutic hour offers something rare: a place where change pauses, where people are accepted as they are and where carers can briefly step away from their duties. The constant routine of time, space, and presence turns healing in on itself. ### The Therapist as a Stable Presence: A therapist’s role is more than just using techniques. In dementia care, just being present can be the greatest support. Having sessions at the same time and with the same person brings comfort. It shows clients that no matter how much things change, someone will be there for them. This steady presence creates trust, eases anxiety and provides a feeling of stability. Small details also matter. Speaking calmly, keeping a steady pace, and remaining attentive all help create a sense of security. Over time, these small signs of reliability become very important. For someone losing their memory, the therapist can become a steady presence, someone who stays when so much else feels uncertain. ### The Power of the Therapeutic Frame: The structure of therapy, with its clear beginning, middle and end, is a useful tool. Creating boundaries around time, space, and confidentiality helps create a safe space. For people with dementia, these routines can bring a sense of order and help them feel more oriented. The therapist helps keep things connected, both practically and emotionally, when clients may struggle to do so. Stories might be repeated, and memories may be broken, but the therapist’s steady presence shows clients that their experiences matter and helps bring a sense of order when they can’t find it themselves. ### Working with the Person with Dementia: Working with someone with dementia means changing how we think about therapy. Instead of trying to fix memory or concentrate on facts, it is more important to support the person’s feelings in the moment. Present often matters more than any technique. Listening carefully, responding gently, and meeting people where they are can offer deep comfort. Small moments of connection, such as sharing a laugh, remembering a detail, or sitting together in silence, can mean a lot. Progress may not always move in a straight line, but being understood and met with care again and again is healing in itself. ### Supporting Carers Caregivers often shoulder enormous responsibility. Caregivers carry a heavy burden, juggling daily tasks and emotional challenges. Therapy is one of the few places focused on them. Carers can talk about their frustrations, grief, guilt, or anger without being judged. They can also reflect on who they are outside of their caregiving role and be recognised as people with their own needs. The counsellor witnesses their journey, honours their struggles and provides consistent support. The therapeutic hour becomes a rare occasion to pause, breathe and be held, not for the sake of change, but simply for validation and emotional replenishment. ### Continuity as Healing Being consistent in therapy builds over time. Each week, the therapist’s presence reassures clients that some things stay the same. This stable rhythm brings comfort in chaotic times and offers a feeling of stability when things feel uncertain. Over time, this routine can help rebuild trust and a sense of safety that may have been lost outside therapy. Even small, repeated moments, such as acknowledging a concern, gently reflecting or sharing understanding, can become important for both clients and carers. These times may not solve the practical problems of dementia, but they provide a steady source of emotional comfort. ### Challenges for Therapists Helping people with dementia comes with its own set of challenges. Progress is not always easy to measure. Sessions can feel repetitive, emotionally tough, and sometimes sad or frustrating. Therapists may sometimes wonder if what they do is enough. Supervision, self-reflection and support from peers are all important. Noticing the quiet yet powerful effect of being consistently present can help therapists remember the value of their work, even when change seems small or slow. ### Encouragement to Therapists It’s easy to overlook how powerful it is to stay present. In dementia care, this steady presence can truly make a difference. The goal isn’t to fix or cure, but to walk alongside, witness, and offer a safe, steady relationship. Therapists can create spaces where people feel noticed, understood, and emotionally safe. These regular sessions might be the most stable and steady part of clients’ and carers’ lives. Just being there is incredibly valuable. ### Conclusion: The Quiet Impact of Staying When dementia brings unpredictability and change, the therapeutic hour becomes a quiet place of safety. It gives people with dementia and their carers a chance to feel stable, connected, and emotionally supported. As therapists, by being steady, attentive, and caring, we can offer real healing, the comfort of knowing that, even when life is chaotic, someone is always there for them. Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is to stay and not leave. ***You can read the rest of Jurgen's series on dementia here:*** [**Why I Believe Therapists Belong in the World of Dementia Care | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/why-i-believe-therapists-belong-in-the-world-of-dementia-care) [**The Power of Validation: Supporting Identity and Agency in… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/the-power-of-validation-supporting-identity-and-agency-in-early-stages-dementia) [**Walking Beside the Carer: How Therapists Can Alleviate the… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/walking-beside-the-carer-how-therapists-can-alleviate-the-hidden-grief) [**Adjusting the Frame: How to Work Therapeutically When… | NCPS**](https://ncps.com/our-voice/adjusting-the-frame-how-to-work-therapeutically-when-cognitive-capacity-shifts) --- # The Weight of Uncertainty: Living Without Clear Answers Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 26th August 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Ilkay Alici, for this article.*** There is something deeply unsettling in the space between what we know and what has yet to unfold. Life continues around you, conversations happen, days pass and ordinary things still need your attention. Yet part of your mind remains paused somewhere else, circling the same question and waiting for a sense of clarity that has not yet come. It is difficult to fully settle into the present when something within you is still searching for what comes next. *Perhaps everything will be fine. But what if it is not?* This is how uncertainty begins to take hold, not only through what is happening, but through everything that could happen. A medical result that has not yet come, a relationship that suddenly feels different, an unanswered message or a change at work can leave us trying to understand something that has not yet revealed itself. Nothing may have been confirmed, yet the mind begins to move ahead, imagining outcomes and preparing for situations that may never unfold in the way we expect. We may search for reassurance, return to the same thoughts or attempt to consider every possibility. Not because we believe we can control everything but because not knowing can disturb the sense of safety we are trying to hold on to. *Sometimes, the hardest part is not the outcome itself. It is living in the space before the answer arrives.* ## Why the Mind Searches for Answers As human beings, we naturally try to make sense of what we do not understand. The mind does not like an empty space, so it begins to fill it. It searches for clues, creates explanations and imagines what might happen next. Often, it does not fill that space with the outcome we are hoping for. It moves towards what could go wrong. A delayed response begins to feel like rejection. An unfamiliar sensation in the body becomes something serious. A change in someone’s behaviour becomes evidence that the relationship is no longer secure. This does not mean that we are negative, dramatic or unable to cope. It is one of the ways the mind tries to protect us. If it can imagine danger before it arrives, perhaps it can prepare us for it. If it considers every possibility, perhaps nothing will take us by surprise. The mind begins to believe that staying alert will keep us safe and that thinking a little longer might finally bring the certainty we are searching for. Even when there is no immediate danger, the body may remain tense and alert, as though it is still waiting for something to happen. This is why uncertainty can sometimes feel more difficult than receiving an answer, even when the answer itself may be painful. Once something is known, it has a shape. There is a reality to respond to and a direction in which we can begin to move. Uncertainty has no clear shape. It leaves the door open to many possible outcomes and the mind may begin carrying the emotional weight of all of them at once. ## When Protection Becomes Exhausting Thinking can easily become a way of trying to feel safe. We replay conversations, examine small details and imagine how we might respond to every possible outcome, believing there must be something we have missed. Beneath all this thinking is often the hope that if we can understand everything, we can prevent ourselves from being hurt, disappointed or caught unprepared. Yet the mind rarely finds the certainty it is searching for. One possibility leads to another, and even when an answer is found, the relief may not last for long. ***One question creates another. One answer is no longer enough.*** This is where protection begins to feel exhausting. We may repeatedly check messages, search for more information or ask for reassurance, only to find that the doubt soon returns in another form. The mind remains watchful, the body struggles to settle and more energy is spent preparing for what might happen than living with what is happening now. What began as an attempt to feel safe can slowly leave us mentally tired, disconnected from the present and less able to trust our own judgement. Recognising this cycle does not immediately remove the uncertainty, but it can help us understand why trying so hard to feel certain has begun to cost us so much. ## What Uncertainty Awakens in Us Not everyone experiences uncertainty in the same way. One person may be able to wait for an answer while another feels consumed by the same situation. This is not simply about being more or less resilient. Our relationship with uncertainty is often shaped by what we have learnt about safety and how much unpredictability we have already had to carry. Someone who grew up around inconsistency may have learnt to watch closely for changes in mood, behaviour or atmosphere, while later experiences of illness, loss, betrayal or sudden disruption can create the same need to remain alert. The present situation may be different, but uncertainty can awaken a deeply familiar need to scan, anticipate and remain one step ahead. ***What might uncertainty be quietly touching within you?*** Perhaps it brings the fear of making a mistake, memories of being let down or a belief that losing control means everything else will follow. It may also touch the part of your identity that has always needed to feel responsible, prepared or able to cope. When certainty is unavailable, you may begin to question not only the situation but yourself. These fears may not always be visible beneath the thinking, checking and planning, but they can give uncertainty much of its emotional power. ***Sometimes, the unknown feels heavy not because of what it holds, but because of what it awakens within us.*** ## Learning to Stay with the Unknown Learning to stay with uncertainty may begin by gently separating what we know, what remains unknown and what the mind is imagining. ***What do I know at this moment, and what is my mind trying to fill in?*** From there, it may be helpful to consider whether anything needs our attention now. There may be a conversation to have, an appointment to arrange or a decision that can be made with the information available. If there is nothing more we can do at that moment, repeatedly returning to the question may no longer be helping us prepare. It may simply be keeping us inside it. Sometimes, it may help to give the uncertainty a place without allowing it to take over every part of the day. Writing down what we know, what still needs attention and what cannot yet be answered can offer the mind somewhere to leave the question for a while. The uncertainty may still be present, but it does not have to occupy every moment. In those moments, the aim is not to force the uncertainty away, but to allow some of our attention to return to the life continuing around it. This might mean noticing the body, becoming absorbed in something that matters to us or sharing the uncertainty with someone we trust. We might also gently ask; ***“What would help me feel supported while I wait?”*** The answer may not provide certainty, but it can remind us that we do not have to put life on hold until certainty arrives. When this feels particularly difficult, counselling can offer space to understand what makes not knowing feel so unsettling and to explore ways of feeling more supported within it. The purpose is not to promise a particular outcome but to strengthen our trust in our ability to respond to whatever becomes known. ## A Final Note *You do not need to have every answer right now.* It is understandable to want certainty when something matters deeply. Your mind searches, prepares and tries to protect you from what it cannot yet see. Yet you do not have to live through every possible future before it arrives. Some answers take time and some parts of life may never offer the guarantees we would like them to give. In the meantime, you are still here. Your life is still happening. There are still moments to feel, people to connect with and choices you can make with what you know today. Not knowing does not mean you are lost. Feeling uncertain does not mean you are failing. It simply means you are standing in a part of life that has not revealed itself yet. Let this be your reminder… ***Uncertainty is not an empty space waiting to be filled, but simply a part of your story that has not yet found its words.*** --- # Therapy in a Digital World: Reflections on Online Practice, AI, and Neurodivergent Clinicians Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 14th January 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Dr Tanya Banfield, for this blog.*** **Beyond the Consulting Room** The past decade has brought extraordinary changes to how we practise as therapists. Since the pandemic especially, the walls of the traditional consulting room have become wonderfully porous, and our therapeutic landscape has stretched into new territory. As a Chartered Psychologist working with neurodivergent children, young people, and adults, I've watched this transformation unfold with both excitement and a healthy dose of caution. Digital practice isn't some optional extra anymore. It's woven through everything we do: assessments, interventions, supervision, how we see ourselves professionally, and increasingly, how our clients experience their own inner worlds. Video therapy has become routine, and now we're grappling with something altogether more complex: artificial intelligence. AI-driven chatbots and clinical support tools are appearing everywhere, and for those of us who are neurodivergent practitioners, these developments feel both promising and potentially overwhelming. What follows are my reflections on where we find ourselves now, standing at this fascinating intersection of digital life, AI, therapeutic work, and the wellbeing of everyone involved. I'm drawing on my clinical experience, the research that's emerging, and a neurodiversity-affirming lens that I hope resonates with many of you. **When Digital Life Helps (and When It Doesn't)** There's no question that moving therapy online has opened doors that were previously closed. For many of my clients, particularly autistic people, those with ADHD, social anxiety, chronic illness, or mobility challenges, online therapy has been genuinely liberating. The sensory overload of travelling to appointments disappears. The anticipatory stress melts away. Being able to connect from somewhere familiar, somewhere safe, makes all the difference to engagement and consistency. But it's not without its complications. The boundaries that once felt clear have become fuzzy. Clients sometimes struggle to separate therapeutic space from the rest of their digital lives—the social media scrolling, the gaming, the endless notifications. And honestly? We therapists aren't immune either. There's a peculiar erosion of containment that happens when emails and platform notifications creep into what used to be protected, reflective time. What I've learnt is that online work demands more from us, not less. We need to be intentional about pacing, explicit about boundaries, and genuinely conscious about how we transition into and out of our therapeutic roles. Without that awareness, both we and our clients risk ending up emotionally drained and cognitively overloaded. **Getting the Best from Digital Tools** When used thoughtfully, digital tools can genuinely enhance what we do. In my own practice, this looks like secure platforms for sessions and record-keeping, visual supports and shared documents for neurodivergent clients, psychoeducational resources that people can revisit whenever they need to, and occasionally, asynchronous check-ins when it's clinically appropriate. For neurodivergent therapists, there's an added dimension here. Digital tools can support our executive functioning in really helpful ways—structured scheduling systems, transcription tools for note-taking, or AI-assisted drafting of reports and resource summaries that don't require clinical judgement. The key, though, is that these tools should support our clinical thinking, never replace it. Digital efficiency is wonderful, but not if it comes at the expense of relational depth, ethical reflection, or the kind of individualised formulation that makes our work meaningful. **Looking After Ourselves Online** Here's something we don't talk about enough: therapist wellbeing isn't a luxury. It's an ethical necessity. Online work brings its own particular challenges—screen fatigue, reduced awareness of our own bodies, the difficulty of truly switching off. For neurodivergent clinicians, these risks can feel magnified. Many of us are already expending considerable energy on masking, sensory regulation, and managing the demands of our work. Protecting wellbeing online has become a deliberate practice for me. It means setting clear working hours and digital boundaries, using separate devices or profiles for professional work, taking regular screen breaks and using embodied grounding practices, ensuring supervision explicitly addresses digital fatigue, and consciously limiting exposure to distressing online content. Perhaps most importantly, we need to give ourselves permission to not be constantly available. Ethical practice requires sustainability. We can't pour from an empty cup, as the saying goes, and we certainly can't maintain the presence our clients need if we're perpetually exhausted. **Supporting Young People in Digital Spaces** Young people don't experience life as neatly divided into "online" and "offline" categories. Their friendships, identities, learning, and vulnerabilities are completely entwined with digital spaces. This is their reality, and our therapeutic work needs to meet them where they are. Rather than promoting unrealistic abstinence from technology, I've found it more helpful to focus on digital literacy and emotional regulation. This means exploring together how online interactions affect mood, self-esteem, and sleep patterns. It means supporting healthy boundaries around gaming, social media, and screen use without being preachy about it. It means addressing genuine risks like exploitation, cyberbullying, and misinformation, whilst helping parents move from surveillance to supported guidance. For neurodivergent young people particularly, online spaces can offer something precious: belonging and validation. But these same spaces can increase exposure to manipulation or unmoderated content. Our role is to empower young people as they navigate these realities, not to shame them. **The AI Question: Opportunities and Dilemmas** AI is already here, shaping our practice in ways that aren't always visible. Scheduling software, automated transcription, decision-support tools, and increasingly, conversational chatbots—all of these are becoming embedded in mental health ecosystems whether we've actively chosen them or not. Used ethically, AI offers genuine benefits. It can reduce the administrative burden that so many of us find draining. It can improve accessibility, particularly through text-based supports. For neurodivergent therapists, it can help with organisation and clarity. And it can offer psychoeducational scaffolding between sessions. Some clients find AI tools provide a non-judgemental space to rehearse language, reflect, or regulate emotions. But—and this is a significant but—AI raises serious ethical questions that we cannot afford to ignore. Data privacy and confidentiality remain genuine concerns. Algorithms can embed bias in ways that are difficult to detect. There's a real risk of over-reliance on something that mimics empathy without genuinely possessing it. And perhaps most troublingly, there's the danger that AI might be perceived, or even marketed, as a replacement for relational therapy. AI lacks moral reasoning. It hasn't lived experience. It cannot be held accountable in any meaningful way. It cannot hold risk, offer safeguarding, or engage in the kind of ethical reflexivity that underpins good practice. We must remain vigilant against the illusion of care that AI can sometimes produce. **What About AI Chatbots?** AI chatbots are developing rapidly, and their use among people seeking mental health support is rising. Young people especially are turning to them. My professional stance? Measured caution. These chatbots may offer immediate, low-level support. They might help people articulate their thoughts. They could reduce some of the barriers to seeking help. These aren't trivial benefits, and I don't dismiss them. But they must never be positioned as therapy. There's a real danger here, particularly for people who are lonely, neurodivergent, or marginalised. They may form attachments to systems that fundamentally cannot reciprocate responsibility or safeguard wellbeing. That's not theoretical—it's already happening. The future of AI in counselling needs to be guided by robust ethical frameworks, proper professional regulation, complete transparency about limitations, and ongoing research into psychological impact. Human relationships remain absolutely central to therapeutic change. AI may assist the journey, but it cannot and should not replace the relational core of what we do. **Holding the Balance** Digital life and AI are neither inherently harmful nor inherently beneficial. Their impact depends entirely on how thoughtfully, ethically, and relationally we integrate them into our practice. As clinicians, we're called to hold a balance. We need to embrace innovation whilst protecting what makes us human. We need to use tools without surrendering our judgement. And we need to support both our clients and ourselves to remain grounded in a world that's evolving at dizzying speed. For neurodivergent therapists, this balance requires particular attention. When used well, digital tools and AI can genuinely enhance accessibility, sustainability, and inclusion in our practice. When used uncritically, they risk amplifying overwhelm and causing ethical harm. Our task isn't to resist the digital future. That would be neither possible nor desirable. Instead, our task is to shape it with care, integrity, and compassion. That feels like work worth doing. **References** American Psychological Association. (2017). *Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct*. APA. BPS. (2021). *Guidelines on the use of digital technologies in psychological practice*. British Psychological Society. Carr, N. (2020). *The shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains*. W. W. Norton & Company. Floridi, L., & Cowls, J. (2019). A unified framework of five principles for AI in society. *Harvard Data Science Review*, 1(1). Kocsis, B. J., & Yellowlees, P. (2018). Telepsychotherapy and the therapeutic relationship. *Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare*, 24(5), 329–334. Milton, D. (2012). On the ontological status of autism: The 'double empathy problem'. *Disability & Society*, 27(6), 883–887. Rachamim, M., et al. (2023). Artificial intelligence in mental health care: A systematic review. *The Lancet Digital Health*, 5(6), e356–e366. --- # Timely mental health support: A moral and economic imperative, supported by science Campaigns By Meg Moss 14th September 2025 In a recent study by ieso Digital Health, conducted in partnership with Dorset Healthcare University NHS Trust and York Health Economics Consortium, data has emerged that lends robust support to something the Society has been campaigning on for some time now: the need for timely mental health intervention. According to this study, slashing treatment and waiting times for mental health services from 12 months to just three could lead to significant financial savings for the NHS, as well as vastly improved outcomes for millions of UK residents. This is great news for the NCPS's [Direct Access to Counselling Campaign](https://ncps.com/representing-you/campaigns/direct-access-to-counselling), which has long advocated for the measures that are being empirically endorsed here. The campaign aims to facilitate easier and quicker access to counselling services, sidestepping the long waiting times currently being experienced within the NHS Talking Therapies service. With over 60,000 accredited counsellors and psychotherapists available across the UK, the workforce to enact this change is already in place. The potential impact is hard to ignore: a projected annual saving of £600 million could be achieved by helping the estimated 7.1 million people who currently require, but are not accessing, NHS Talking Therapies. Ana Catarino, Director of Clinical Science at ieso, warns that this is likely just the tip of the iceberg. She states, "With one in six UK adults believed to have depression or anxiety, the savings could actually be in the hundreds of millions". For the NCPS, the study's findings come as a validation of a long-held stance—that timely and individualised mental health support is not merely a healthcare issue, but a societal imperative with significant economic ramifications. Long waiting lists don't just harm individual wellbeing; they also place undue strain on the health system as a whole. The compounding severity of untreated conditions creates a spiral of escalating treatment costs and complexity. The Direct Access to Counselling Campaign, bolstered by this new empirical support, offers a solution that aligns perfectly with Catarino’s assertion that "there is no one-size-fits-all approach in mental health". The NCPS has long contended that what works for some may not work for all, which is why its campaign promotes more variety in ways of working, acknowledging the varied needs of the people that are using the services. As mental health care gains increasing attention in a post-pandemic society, the ieso study serves as a timely, evidence-based affirmation of the NCPS’s long-standing efforts. It’s heartening to see independent research reflect what the Society has campaigned for: that quicker, more accessible mental healthcare isn't just good practice; it's an economic and moral necessity. --- # Trust: When Safety Begins to Fade Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 2nd July 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Ilkay Alici, for this article.*** ## **The Quiet Presence of Trust** Trust lies at the heart of every relationship. It sits quietly in the background, often unnoticed, shaping the way we connect with others. We trust when we share something personal and believe it will be held with care. We trust when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, knowing that our feelings will not be used against us. We trust when we leave our heart in someone else's hands and believe they will treat it with honesty, care and respect. We trust when someone's words and actions feel consistent enough for us to relax and simply be ourselves. Perhaps this is why trust can be difficult to define. It is not only about honesty or reliability, although both matter. It is also about the feeling that we are emotionally safe with another person, that we do not have to constantly protect ourselves, second-guess what is being said or search for hidden meanings beneath every interaction. When trust is present, relationships tend to feel lighter. There is less need to monitor, question or control. We are able to bring more of ourselves into the relationship because we feel accepted, respected and secure. Because of this, trust is not usually built through grand gestures. More often, it develops quietly over time through consistency, honesty and the small moments that often go unnoticed. Moments where someone shows us, again and again, that they are who they say they are. And perhaps this is why trust matters so much. Not because it guarantees that we will never be hurt but because it allows us to feel safe enough to be open, connected and fully ourselves in the presence of another person. ## **When Trust Begins to Break** Trust often becomes most visible when it begins to break. A relationship may look the same from the outside, yet it no longer feels the same from within. Trust is rarely lost in a single moment. More often, it begins to shift through experiences that gradually alter the way we see a person or a relationship. A promise is not kept. Important details are left unsaid. Something comes to light that was never expected. Words and actions no longer seem to match in the way they once did. For some, it is one experience that changes everything. For others, it is a series of moments that slowly creates distance where closeness once existed. Whatever the cause, there often comes a point where certainty begins to fade and the relationship no longer feels quite as it once did. When trust begins to break, the emotional impact can be far greater than we expect. There may be sadness, anger, confusion or a deep sense of disappointment. Yet beneath these feelings there is often something more difficult to put into words. The loss of feeling secure in the relationship. The loss of being able to relax in the presence of the other person. The loss of believing that what you see, hear and feel can be taken at face value. What was once familiar begins to feel uncertain and what once felt safe may no longer offer the same sense of comfort. As these feelings settle in, many people find themselves responding in ways they do not always recognise. Conversations are replayed in the mind. Small details that once seemed insignificant suddenly feel important. Reassurance may be sought, yet rarely feels enough to fully quiet the unease. There can be a growing urge to look for certainty, to understand what happened or to protect against the possibility of being hurt again. And gradually, without intending to, a person may find themselves becoming more cautious, more watchful and less able to relax in the relationship than they once were. This is why broken trust can affect us so deeply. It is not only about what happened. It is about what changes afterwards. The questions that linger. The hesitation that was never there before. The awareness that a relationship can continue, yet no longer feel the same. And in that space between what was and what now is, many people find themselves trying to understand not only the relationship, but themselves. ## **The Doubt That Follows** One of the most difficult aspects of broken trust is that the questions do not always remain focused on the other person. Over time, they can begin to turn inward. You may find yourself wondering why you did not see the signs sooner, whether you missed something important or whether you ignored feelings that were trying to tell you something. Questions such as How did I not know? Can I trust my judgement? or What if it happens again? can become just as painful as the original experience. This is often where the impact of broken trust reaches beyond the relationship itself. It is no longer only about what another person did or did not do. It becomes intertwined with our sense of confidence in ourselves. The trust we had in our own perceptions, instincts and decisions may begin to feel less certain. What once felt clear can become clouded by doubt, making it difficult to know what to believe, who to trust and how to move forward. Yet it is important to remember that these reactions are not signs of weakness. They are often the mind's attempt to make sense of something that feels painful and unexpected. We search for answers because we want to feel safe again. We look back because we hope understanding the past might protect us from future hurt. But healing does not always come from finding every answer. Sometimes it begins with recognising that being hurt does not mean we have lost the ability to trust ourselves, even if that trust feels shaken for a while. ## **Can Trust Be Rebuilt?** After trust has been broken, many people find themselves asking the same question: Can I ever trust again? The answer is rarely simple. **Trust can sometimes be rebuilt but it rarely happens quickly.** It cannot be repaired through a single conversation, a heartfelt apology or a promise that things will be different from now on. When trust has been damaged, what has been lost is often more than confidence in another person. A sense of emotional safety has been shaken and safety is not restored through words alone. Rebuilding trust often begins with an honest acknowledgement of what has happened. Not minimising it. Not defending it. Not asking the other person to move on before they are ready. Where trust has been broken, accountability matters. So does consistency. The person who has been hurt often needs more than reassurance. They need to experience something different over time. They need to see that words and actions once again begin to align, not once or twice, but repeatedly. Because trust grows through experience and it is through experience that it is restored. At the same time, rebuilding trust is not only the responsibility of the person who broke it. The person who has been hurt also faces a difficult journey. There can be a temptation to seek certainty where certainty no longer exists, to look for guarantees that the pain will never happen again. Yet no relationship can offer absolute certainty. Slowly, there comes a point where trust involves a choice: not to ignore what happened but to remain open to the possibility that healing, change and repair are possible. This does not mean forgetting. It does not mean pretending the hurt did not matter. It means allowing trust to be rebuilt one experience at a time, at a pace that feels safe for both people. ## **A Gentle Place to End** Trust asks something of both people. For the person who has been hurt, it often takes courage to remain open to the possibility of healing. For the person who has broken that trust, it takes honesty, openness and patience to understand that trust cannot be demanded, rushed or repaired through words alone. Whether trust is ultimately rebuilt or not, moments like these often reveal something important about a relationship. Not how perfect it is, but how willing the people within it are to face discomfort, take responsibility and act with care when things become difficult. Because trust is not measured by how we behave when everything is going well. It is revealed in what we choose to do after it has been broken. --- # Understanding and Using Inclusive Language in Neurodiversity Blog Equality, Diversity & Inclusion By Guest Blog 11th November 2025 ***With thanks to our ambassador, Claire Thompson, for this article.*** This guide aims to educate and promote respectful communication about neurodiversity. The concept of Neurodiversity refers to the natural variation in human neurocognitive functioning (Walker, 2021). This guide will explore the core principles of the concept of neurodiversity, the importance of inclusive language, the historical context, and practical tips for fostering respectful communication. Language plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions and attitudes towards neurodiversity. Using inclusive language fosters respect and appreciation for neurodivergent individuals and helps create a more equitable society. Key topics: · The definition and origins of the concept of neurodiversity · Identity-first versus person-first language · Avoiding stigma and dehumanisation · Intersectionality and cultural sensitivity **What is Neurodiversity?** Neurodiversity as a concept, refers to the natural variation in human neurocognitive functioning. It acknowledges that there is no single "correct" way for brains to work; instead, it encompasses a wide range of neurological differences. Neurodiversity a movement can be seen as a civil rights movement advocating for equality and acceptance of minority groups (Walker, 2021). The neurodiversity movement challenges discrimination and pushes for socio-political change, it acknowledges that systemic barriers and societal structures often create challenges (Dwyer, 2022). **Origins of the Term Neurodiversity** The origins of the term and concept of neurodiversity are complex and have been attributed to multiple sources. While Judy Singer is often credited with coining the term, recent findings suggest the concept was developed collectively by autistic activists and members of the Independent Living email list in the mid-1990s (Botha et al., 2024). Earlier references to neurological diversity have been linked to activists like Harvey Blume (Grummt, 2024). **Neurotypical, Neurodivergent, Neurodiverse** A group is described as "neurodiverse" when its members exhibit a range of different neurocognitive functions. This means that within the group, individuals will have varying neurological makeups and cognitive styles. That can include a mix of people who are neurotypical (neurological functioning aligns with what society considers typical) and those who are neurodivergent (Walker, 2021). The key point is that "neurodiverse" refers to the group and the variation within it, not to any single individual. A classroom, a workplace, or a community can be described as neurodiverse if it includes both neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals (Grummt, 2024). Neurodivergent people are those whose experiences diverge from what is considered neurologically typical. Asasumasu (2015) is associated with coining this term with the intention of covering all forms of divergence, including autism, ADHD, epilepsy, cluster headaches, among others (the opposite of neurotypical). However, Botha et al., (2024) note: *“The body of theory that continued to grow through the 1990s and 2000s was also collectively developed in multiple places and dialogues rather than stemming from any single, coherent strand of literature. This includes Kassiane Asasumasu’s coining of ‘neurodivergent’ and ‘neurodivergence’”.* **Identity-First Language (IFL) vs. Person-First Language (PFL)** Identity-first language (IFL) refers to framing autism as an integral aspect of a person's identity, akin to gender, ethnicity, or culture, that autism cannot be separated from the individual and should not be considered stigmatising (Taboas et al., 2023). An example of IFL is phrasing like "autistic person", where the identity ("autistic") comes before the word "person". This contrasts with person-first language (PFL), which would be "person with autism”. The shift toward viewing neurodivergence as inherent to identity corresponds with the preferences of many in the neurodivergent community for identity-first terminology. It's important to acknowledge that language preferences can vary, some autistic individuals may still prefer to use PFL and their preference should be respected; however, the default, especially for non-autistic individuals, should be IFL. **Asperger's Syndrome** The term "Asperger's syndrome" is no longer used as an official diagnosis. Using the term Asperger’s is considered controversial due to Hans Asperger's history. In 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), eliminated Asperger's as a distinct diagnosis. What was previously diagnosed as Asperger's now falls under autism. Despite the change, some individuals who received an Asperger’s diagnosis still prefer to use the term. **Again, it is essential to ask individuals for their preferred language and respect their choice.** **The Importance of Language** Language is crucial in shaping the understanding and perception of neurodiversity and its related concepts because it influences societal views, individual self-perception, and the overall acceptance of neurodivergent individuals (Dwyer et al., 2022). Using respectful and accurate language helps to reduce stigma, promote inclusivity, and support the rights and well-being of neurodivergent people (Dwyer et al., 2022; Botha et al., 2023). **Avoiding Stigma and Dehumanisation** The term "autism spectrum disorder" (ASD) is rejected or viewed critically for several key reasons, primarily due to the shift towards the neurodiversity paradigm. Autistic individuals may view "disability" differently than non-autistic individuals, with some embracing it as part of their identity and others rejecting it (McLennan et al., 2025). Historically, medical-model terminology has been used in autism research and practice, often employing deficit-based language that focuses on impairments and disorders. Deficit-based language to avoid would be "suffers from," "afflicted with," "low-functioning." Functioning labels are often inaccurate and fail to capture the complexity of an individual's experience. For example, calling an individual low-functioning ignores their strengths, and calling an individual high-functioning ignores their challenges. Shifting towards more neutral or positive descriptors, such as "autistic traits" or "neurocognitive differences," can help counteract these negative effects. The term "spectrum" as used in "autism spectrum" is often misunderstood. Many people picture a single line running from "mild" to "severe," but this is not an accurate way to describe the variability within the autistic community. Rather, a more fitting metaphor is a colour wheel: each person has a unique profile or mix of autistic traits; they may be "more blue" (stronger in certain traits) and "less yellow" (less pronounced in others), but they still meet enough of the defining characteristics to be recognised as autistic. When referring to "mild" and "severe" autism, it's crucial to move beyond static, medicalised notions of severity and consider how both the environment and co-occurring conditions shape an individual's lived experience and support needs. **Environmental Context** The “severity” of autism is not just a fixed, inherent trait but is profoundly influenced by the individual's social, physical, and institutional environment (Waizbard-Bartov et al., 2023). For instance, an autistic person who experiences difficulties in a sensory-overloading environment (e.g., a noisy classroom) may be regarded as having “severe” autism due to observable distress or behavioural challenges. However, in a supportive, low-sensory, and understanding setting, the same individual may be able to function with fewer difficulties, appearing “mild” by comparison. Thus, the degree to which an individual’s autistic traits present as disabling depends heavily on whether environments are accommodating or challenging. **Co-occurring Conditions** Autism rarely exists in isolation; many autistic people have co-occurring conditions such as ADHD, intellectual disability, anxiety, depression, or physical health conditions (Bougeard et al., 2021; Lai et al., 2019; Micai et al., 2023). These can profoundly influence the expression and impact of their autistic traits. For example, someone who is autistic and has an intellectual disability may require more intensive support and encounter more barriers than someone who is autistic without additional disabilities—their needs are greater, not simply because of autism, but because of the sum of challenges from multiple diagnoses. **Challenging Ableism:** Language can reflect and perpetuate ableist ideologies. **Shaping Perceptions:** Positive or neutral language fosters acceptance, while disparaging language can reinforce negative stereotypes and discrimination. **Promoting Self-Identity and Acceptance:** Language influences an individual's self-concept and sense of identity. **Fostering Inclusion:** Neurodiversity-informed language challenges traditional views and promotes inclusivity in various settings, including education and the workplace. **Empowering the Neurodiversity Movement**: The neurodiversity movement seeks to advance the rights and welfare of neurodivergent people. Language plays a key role in this movement by framing neurocognitive differences as natural variations to be respected rather than disorders to be cured. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2016) recommend IFL. If you are unsure, using the language preferred by the majority in a specific context (e.g., an autistic-led organisation using IFL) is often a safe approach. **Intersectionality and Cultural Sensitivity** Neurodiversity intersects with other aspects of identity, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and class. These intersections can create unique experiences and needs. Cultural beliefs and social ideologies influence language use and perceptions of neurodiversity. What is considered respectful in one culture may not be in another. Be mindful of cultural differences and avoid making assumptions based on your own cultural background. The language used to describe neurodivergence has evolved significantly over time. Historically, stigmatising terms and pathologising language were common. Today, there's a growing movement toward more respectful and affirming language. Understanding this historical context can help us appreciate the progress that has been made and the work that still needs to be done. By using inclusive language and respecting individual preferences, we can foster a more equitable and accepting society for all. **References** Asasumasu,K. (2015) PSA from the actual coiner of “neurodivergent”. *Tumblr.* Available from: \[Accessed Aug 6, 2025\]. Botha, M., Chapman, R., Giwa Onaiwu, M., Kapp, S.K., Stannard Ashley, A. and Walker, N. (2024) The neurodiversity concept was developed collectively: An overdue correction on the origins of neurodiversity theory. *Autism,* 28 (6), 1591–1594. Botha, M., Hanlon, J. and Williams, G.L. (2023) Does Language Matter? Identity-First Versus Person-First Language Use in Autism Research: A Response to Vivanti. *Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders,* 53 (2), 870–878. Bougeard, C., Picarel-Blanchot, F., Schmid, R., Campbell, R. and Buitelaar, J. (2021) Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Co-morbidities in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review. *Frontiers in Psychiatry,* olume 12 - 2021 Dwyer, P. (2022) The neurodiversity approach (es): What are they and what do they mean for researchers? *Human development,* 66 (2), 73–92. Dwyer, P., Ryan, J.G., Williams, Z.J. and Gassner, D.L. (2022) First Do No Harm: Suggestions Regarding Respectful Autism Language. *Pediatrics,* 149 (Suppl 4), e2020049437N. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020–049437N. Grummt, M. (2024) Sociocultural perspectives on neurodiversity—An analysis, interpretation and synthesis of the basic terms, discourses and theoretical positions. *Sociology Compass,* 18 (8), e13249. Lai, M., Kassee, C., Besney, R., Bonato, S., Hull, L., Mandy, W., Szatmari, P. and Ameis, S.H. (2019) Prevalence of co-occurring mental health diagnoses in the autism population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. *The Lancet Psychiatry,* 6 (10), 819–829. Micai, M., Fatta, L.M., Gila, L., Caruso, A., Salvitti, T., Fulceri, F., Ciaramella, A., D'Amico, R., Del Giovane, C., Bertelli, M., Romano, G., Schünemann, H.J. and Scattoni, M.L. (2023) Prevalence of co-occurring conditions in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. *Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews,* 155 105436. NICE (2016) *Talking about people | NICE style guide | Guidance | NICE.* Available from: \[Accessed Aug 8, 2025\]. Taboas, A., Doepke, K. and Zimmerman, C. (2023) Preferences for identity-first versus person-first language in a US sample of autism stakeholders. *Autism,* 27 (2), 565–570. Waizbard-Bartov, E., Fein, D., Lord, C. and Amaral, D.G. (2023) Autism severity and its relationship to disability. *Autism research: official journal of the International Society for Autism Research,* 16 (4), 685–696. Walker, N. (2021) What is neurodiversity. *Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities,* --- # Understanding poor therapy experiences for autistic people Blog Equality, Diversity & Inclusion By Guest Blog 11th September 2025 **With thanks to our member, Mark Redwood, for this blog.** Saying I am a neurodivergent therapist, is one of those statements which seems to say a lot, without actually revealing very much. One neurodivergent ‘feature’ I have is being blind to social hierarchies, having only a vague idea of how to behave in them. On one occasion I managed to upset a team, because I failed to ask one of the more senior staff about their holiday. ## **The ‘unwritten rules’** This is where everyone except you got the guide book on social rules. These rules are like trying to walk across constantly shifting sands, they change at a moment’s notice with little to no notice or reason, you were ‘just supposed to know’, and if you ask, the reasons you are given often make little sense. I heard the ‘unwritten rules’ described as ‘shibboleths’ once, a seemingly mundane word or phrase which when spoken reveals which social group people belong to. A significant proportion of time in therapy can be spent decoding these ‘shibboleths’. I am fortunate, in that I have a number of neurodivergent friendly models which can explain much neurotypical social behaviour. ## **A lack of empathy?** Not understanding the ‘unwritten rules’ which guide social expectations is a common experience for autistic people, and is a factor behind the so-called ‘deficit in social reciprocation’, a key diagnostic criteria. On a related note, you may have read that autistic people can ‘lack empathy’. This idea comes from research led by Simon Baron-Cohen (1985) which showed that autistic children lacked a ‘theory of mind’. If you aren’t familiar with this concept, it’s the ability to understand another’s mind from their perspective, so you can predict how they will behave. Simon Baron-Cohen hypothesised that it was this lack of a ‘theory of mind’ which was behind autistic social difficulties When I first have a sense that someone might be neurodivergent, I will typically ask them if they have any neurodivergent friends, and the usual answer is yes. The commonest reason given is that they feel more “accepted and understood” by other neurodivergent people. Perhaps like me, you are having a ‘hang on a minute’ moment. Aren’t autistic people supposed to find understanding other people difficult? There’s more. One of the common things autistic and neurodivergent clients talk about is being constantly “misread, and misunderstood” by… ...neurotypical people. So wait, this neurotypical ‘theory of mind’ which on the one hand excels at decoding ‘shibboleths’ is somewhat rubbish at understanding autistic people. You would be right if you were wondering that there might be a big and important part of the story missing, Damian Milton (2012), who is autistic himself, calls this ‘missing story’ the ‘**double empathy problem**’. He proposes that autistic people do not in fact lack empathy, rather autistic empathy works very differently to neurotypical empathy. When you understand it this way, it now makes sense why two people with very different empathy systems would have a hard time understanding each other. It’s a double problem because it swings both ways. However, what Damian Milton says about our side of the problem, isn’t very comforting, “When \[neurotypical\] ‘empathy’ is applied toward an ‘autistic person’ however, it is ***often wildly inaccurate*** in its measure.” (2012, emphasis added by author). I personally found reading that in an academic paper shocking. Not just sometimes, but often, and not just a bit wrong, but wildly wrong. Does that mean, as a profession, we are ‘often wildly inaccurate’ about our autistic clients? ## **Double empathy in the therapy room** Damian Milton (2012) argues that there is a “growing complacency around \[…\] what ‘good autism practice’ entails, for me this is an ongoing imperfect process of interaction and should never be seen as a given”. For my neurodivergent specialist colleagues and I, a typical client is someone who has tried several other therapists with limited success before coming to one of us. This seems to be borne out by surveys, such as the one by the Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh (AMASE, 2018), which revealed 52% had an overall negative experience of mental health services, while 42% said they weren’t understood or listened to, which included one person whose practitioner missed they were suicidal. To me, this looks like a problem of inaccurate empathy leading to autistic people being ‘misread and misunderstood’. ## **An imbalance of power** Damian Milton adds a further nuance to the double empathy problem, when he notes it isn’t experienced equally by both sides. An example is when someone is describing something they have experienced. A typical autistic empathic response is to demonstrate understanding by describing a similar situation that happened to them, which is often misinterpreted, usually as selfishness or wanting to turn the subject onto themselves. What this creates is a break in the social connection, which Damian Milton describes as a ‘disjuncture’. On the neurotypical side it’s seen as a breach of a ‘social norm’, an implicitly agreed set of standards and expectations, while on the autistic side it is experienced as yet another potentially traumatising experience of ‘getting things wrong again’. I personally like to show empathy by example sharing too, but I know that the ‘correct’ response is to give the person space to freely express their feelings. However, a common reason to talk about feelings for my neurodivergent clients is to seek validation that their feeling or behaviour was ‘normal’. Allowing space to express feelings has the potential to feel unanchored, and risks deepening shame, while a carefully matched piece of example sharing can be a better and more accurate empathic response. Of course what determines which empathic response forms the social norm is the group holding the most social power, which generally is neurotypical people. My own professional journey was one of first encountering people who broke many of these ‘social norms’, and then finding I had to challenge many of my assumptions particularly around what I believed constituted ‘good therapy’. For instance I will typically put in more explanation, often using illustrative stories, with sessions sometimes being more like an ‘analysis of theory’ than an exploration of process. ## **Two different kinds of processing** One key difference between autistic and neurotypical people is the kind of processing that dominates, which I think helps explain this ‘double empathy problem’. Autistic, and many other neurodivergent people, primarily process from the **bottom-up**, where as neurotypical people primarily process from the **top-down**. This idea is not a singular theory, developed by one person, rather it has emerged as a framework derived from multiple sources to explain autistic experience. Starting with top-down processing. It’s called that because neurotypical brains are capable of processing lots of complex information to create rapid top-down global understandings. It’s like they are able to go straight to the conclusion without knowing exactly how they got there. Things like reading a room, knowing what to say or do in social situations, reading people’s emotions and motives, participating in back and forth group conversations, is relatively effortless. Neurotypical brains are like sponges for nuanced social rules, they seem to inhale them without ever being told what they are. If this all sounds a bit mysterious, it’s only that way because to me, it seems like some magical process, which I have to work very hard at to even get close to. I happen to know that those social rules are learned intuitively over time by trial and error, which also explains why explanations of how a neurotypical person knows something, often doesn’t make much sense to me, because understanding unconscious processes is usually a matter of guesswork. Neurotypical brains are generally tuned to understand other neurotypical minds, hence why they can be ‘wildly inaccurate’ when applied to autistic minds. Another factor which can contribute to this double empathy problem is that top-down big picture processes come with a feeling of ‘rightness’, which anchors any responses which follow. It thus limits the information which can be accommodated, and anything which is beyond this limit will typically get discarded. Being misread and then being disbelieved when you explain your side, is a common experience for autistic people. For example, try explaining that you weren’t just talking about yourself, you were in fact trying to empathise. This is not a conversational line which usually goes very well. Neurodivergent, and autistic people in particular, have fewer of these intuitive systems. Instead we are relying much more on conscious cognitive systems, and so are largely processing from the bottom-up. Now, I am not thinking through each thing I say in a live conversation, because my thinking is a bit too slow and clumsy for that. What I am actually doing is picking from pre-prepared ‘scripts’. So for example, I have dog-walking scripts, how-are-you scripts, and listening scripts. In my ‘downtime’ I then develop, amend and rehearse these scripts, and I am almost always processing something. If I have something emotionally very significant, then this process can become extremely intense; delivering just one 4 hour workshop can consume upwards of 50 hours developing, amending, and rehearsing the ‘scripts’ I will need. With these kinds of processing demands it’s no surprise many neurodivergent people struggle with burnout. A few weeks ago I went to a yoga laughter workshop. After the introductory outline, our trainer then began setting us group exercises. I was initially very uncomfortable, and if you had asked me, I would have said, “I don’t know what I am supposed to be doing”. When I used this phrase I didn’t mean I didn’t know how to physically do the exercises, what I meant was I didn’t know how to connect to the laughter. After our trainer had set the second exercise I realised they were both childhood games with some extra absurdity thrown in. So now I get it, I am laughing at how absurd this is, which is something I can do. Although it’s quite subtle, this is also an example of top-down verses bottom-up processing. The reason my colleagues seem not to be struggling with the exercises is because their top-down system is able to rapidly and unconsciously process the ‘unwritten rules’ of this game, whereas my bottom-up system has to consciously discover those ‘unwritten rules’ to arrive in a similar place. It’s important to say that my experience of bottom-up processing is just one example, and there is a lot of variation between different neurodivergent people, however there are some recognisable features which bottom-up processing will typically have. One is a strong focus on details, conclusions come later. As a consequence, not knowing and confusion can be common states. It’s generally a pattern matching type process, which is strongly cognitive and based on rules. It’s also not unusual for the person to be able to describe their process in detail, often producing long and complex reasoning chains. What I like about this way of thinking, is that it explains why communication difficulties can happen between neurodivergent and neurotypical people. It makes sense when you realise that if one group is coming at a problem from opposite directions, it’s not a given they are going to arrive at the same conclusion. ## **Bridging the gap** Like many people who realise they are neurodivergent later in life, I came with many inbuilt neurotypical assumptions, which I have had to unlearn. And even though I am a long way from that place, being neurodivergent doesn’t mean I automatically understand another’s internal world. Understanding ideas such as double empathy and processing differences, underpins my work, helping me bridge the gap between what can be very different worlds. **References** Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh. (2018) Too complicated to treat? Autistic people seeking mental health support in Scotland. Available at: (Accessed: 28th August 2025) Baron-Cohen, S., Leslie, A.M., Frith, U. (1985) ‘Does the autistic child have a “theory of mind”?\*’, Cognition, 21, pp 37-46. Milton, D. E. M. (2012) ‘On the ontological status of autism: The 'double empathy problem' ’, Disability & Society, 27(6), pp 1-5. *Updated September 2025* --- # Walking Beside the Carer: How Therapists Can Alleviate the Hidden Grief Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 8th January 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Jurgen Schwarz, for this article.*** Family carers often do some of the most meaningful yet demanding work anyone can face. They look after partners, parents, or other relatives who live with dementia, chronic illness or disability. On the surface, their role may appear practical: cooking meals, organising medication, arranging appointments and keeping the household running. But underneath these daily tasks lies something much deeper and harder to describe. It is the emotional labour that forms the true weight of caring, and it is this hidden burden that therapists can help to carry. Caring does not simply mean “helping someone”. It often means watching the person you love slowly change. This is particularly true when looking after people with dementia but also applies to people living with other illnesses. For many carers, this brings a quiet, persistent grief. They grieve the loss of the relationship as it once was, even while the person is still alive. This form of grief has no clear ending and no socially recognised rituals. There is no funeral gathering, no moment when people say “I’m sorry for your loss”. Instead, carers often feel that they must carry on, coping as best they can, while holding inside a mix of sadness, exhaustion, worry and sometimes guilt. The emotional labour of caring is constant. Carers must remain patient, even when they feel frustrated. They must remain strong, even when they feel like breaking down. They often put their own needs aside because there is simply no time or energy left. They may feel responsible for maintaining stability in the entire family, smoothing conflicts or explaining the illness to others. The carer becomes not only a helper but also a protector, mediator, organiser and sometimes even a shield from painful truths. This emotional juggling act drains their inner resources far more than most people realise. The challenge is that this labour happens quietly and often invisibly. Many carers say, “I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t expect the loneliness”. They miss the person they once knew: the partner who used to share decisions, the parent who once offered guidance, the sibling who once laughed with them. When personality changes, memory loss, or confusion appear, carers find themselves living with a version of their loved one that feels both familiar and unfamiliar. They may feel guilty for grieving this difference, or for feeling angry or resentful at times. Therapy can offer a safe place to explore these feelings honestly. In many families and cultures, women are often expected to be the ones who care for others. From a young age, girls are taught to be kind, helpful, and responsible, while boys are given more freedom. Films, books, religion, and family traditions often show women as the natural carers. When parents grow old, a partner becomes ill or children need extra support, it is usually the woman who steps in. This is particularly reflected in the number of carers who look after people with dementia. Over time, this can feel less like a choice and more like a duty. Giving so much without rest, thanks or support can leave women feeling tired, unseen and even resentful, even when they still love the people they care for. A therapist’s role is not to fix the situation or provide medical answers. Instead, the therapist walks beside the carer, offering presence, clarity and understanding. This companionship can be a lifeline. In therapy, carers have permission to speak the truth about their experience, something many feel they cannot do with family or friends. They can express fear, sadness, anger or hopelessness without being judged. This emotional honesty helps prevent the heavy internal pressure that builds when feelings are pushed aside. Therapists can also help carers recognise that the emotions they feel are not signs of failure. Many carers believe they must “cope better” or “be strong all the time”. Over time, this belief becomes a source of shame when they inevitably feel overwhelmed. Therapy helps them understand that exhaustion, frustration and grief are natural responses to an impossible situation. Naming these feelings brings relief. Instead of believing they are “not good enough,” carers begin to see that they are simply human. Another important part of therapy is helping carers balance their role with their own identity. Many become so absorbed in caring that they lose sight of their own needs, goals, friendships or health. A therapist can help the carer re-discover small pockets of time and space that belong only to them. This might be as simple as encouraging a brief daily walk, reconnecting with a hobby, or finding support groups that share similar experiences. These moments of self-care do not reduce their commitment. Instead, they strengthen their ability to continue. Relationships also change under the strain of caring. Partners may feel more like nurse and patient than a couple. Children may feel ignored or confused. Siblings can disagree about responsibilities or decisions. Therapy can offer a space to explore these relationship pressures. When carers understand their emotional reactions better, they can communicate more calmly with others and set boundaries without guilt. Even small improvements in communication can ease tension within the family. Therapists can also help carers prepare for the future. This does not mean predicting what will happen but supporting them emotionally as they face difficult decisions. Whether it concerns residential care, medical interventions or changes at home, these decisions often bring guilt, doubt and fear. A therapist can help the carer explore their values, reflect on the realistic limits of human endurance, and find clarity in complex situations. Feeling supported in these moments reduces emotional strain and helps prevent long-term regret. Importantly, therapy validates the carer’s grief. This is grief that renews itself in waves: the grief of watching abilities fade, of losing shared conversations, of watching a partner forget names or get confused. Therapists can help the carer understand that this grief is real and justified. When grief is acknowledged rather than hidden, it becomes easier to bear. Carers can also learn ways to hold onto meaningful moments and preserve their connection with the person they care for, even as the relationship changes. At its heart, therapy offers companionship on a difficult path. Carers do not need someone to “take over” their duties or offer unrealistic positivity. They need someone who listens, who holds their story without judgement, and who helps them stay emotionally grounded. When a therapist walks beside the carer, the burden feels lighter, not because the tasks disappear but because the carer no longer feels alone. Family caring is an act of deep love, but it is also an emotional marathon. Therapists can provide the support, understanding and emotional tools that help carers survive, and even grow through this journey. By recognising the hidden grief and emotional labour involved, therapy becomes not a luxury but a crucial source of relief and resilience for those who give so much of themselves every day. --- # What Lies Beneath: A Therapists Thoughts on Teenage Transitions and Turmoil Blog Children, young people & families By Guest Blog 28th April 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Chloe Borg, for this article.*** Have you ever felt as though you’re reliving the ‘terrible two’s’ all over? Feeling overwhelmed, helpless, unequipped and unsure on how best to respond? In my practice so far, it is becoming increasingly evident that teenagers are struggling to navigate their internal world not only emotionally, but physiologically too- like a washing machine of thoughts and feelings. In a world that is constantly consuming and trying to keep up with the next trend- not to mention the fast rise of AI for a quick solution, is it any wonder that many teenagers are feeling disconnected- not only from the people closest to them but from themselves? As time goes on, I cannot deny my own curiosity as to whether these struggles are purely psychological. I continue to be drawn to the intricate relationship between hormonal shifts and the gut and the importance of this on an individual’s well-being. It is fact that during adolescence, hormonal fluctuations are a natural part of the transition from child to teen yet the turmoil that accompanies this is less often considered. The gut- often referred to as the ‘second brain’- is significant in regulating mood, anxiety and emotional balance. I like to imagine the connection between the two like the tide. When the brain and body are in balance communicating effectively, they are smooth gentle waves and when the two are out of balance it’s like having two different tides moving in different directions at the same time resulting in unpredictable currents. Apply this to teens it can often leave them feeling as though they are trying to navigate something they have no control over with a backwards compass feeling more like a passenger of the ship rather than the captain. In practice recognising this helps to shift the narrative from ‘what is wrong with me?’ to ‘what might my body be trying to tell me?’ this simple change in narrative can help to alleviate so much frustration and hopelessness helping my clients to feel more in control of there ship again they begin to feel empowered and curious rather than confused and frustrated. When we begin to magnify what lies beneath, teenage turmoil starts to make more sense. Having an understanding even at a basic level of the relationship between hormones, the gut and emotional wellbeing helps us to acknowledge that teenagers are trying to manage something that is actually quite complex the more we unravel the messy ball of wool, reminding us to deepen and broaden our knowledge and therefore making room for us to respond from a place of empathy, compassion, warmth and curiosity. This will create a space where young people feel safe to be vulnerable and let us inside there world. The growing pressures of society on people in general today let alone young people can be damaging to someone’s perception of self, perhaps, then the question should not be focused on managing teenage behaviour, but how we as therapists, teachers, parents, professionals and members of society can think outside of the square peg round hole and think more along the lines of ‘what do I not yet understand?’ and ‘how can I support this person to get back in the captains seat?’ *www.chloebtherapy.com* --- # What Perimenopause Taught Me About Supporting Clients Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 1st May 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Louise Baverstock-Price, for this article.*** I felt like I was on autopilot, so unsure of who I was, just dragging myself through each day. My body was changing in ways I couldn’t control, I was gaining weight like never before, losing hair and anxiety had come out of nowhere. I was feeling less and less like myself every day, and I didn’t know why. Until I realised I was navigating perimenopause. Like many women, I was juggling a demanding career, family, and caregiving responsibilities, and these changes just added another layer of stress and self-consciousness. Whilst the physical changes were hard, and my normal go-to tools weren’t helping, it was the emotional impacts that were hard to fathom. Why was I so anxious? Why couldn’t I manage the stress levels I usually could? Why were my emotions so changeable? And then I realised I was navigating perimenopause – and that I was doing my best to ignore it. When it all got too much, I sought counselling, and this proved to be transformative for me. Talking to someone outside of my life helped me process what was happening, validate my experience, and regain a sense of balance and control. And then I educated myself on the topic I had chosen to ignore and felt that was irrelevant to me. Despite being a female I was in denial. ### **Transformative support** Now as a wellbeing coach and a therapist-in-training I am passionate about helping women to better understand the impact of hormonal transitions. And I’m also keen to show how having this knowledge as a counsellor, you can transform your own clients’ experience. When you truly appreciate how these changes can affect both the body and the mind, you can provide a higher level of support. You are able to validate their experience and guide them to strategies to help them feel more confident and in control. ### **The mental and physical impact of perimenopausal hormones** Perimenopause is the stage leading up to menopause (which is actually one day in a woman’s life, one year after her last period). During this time oestrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate unpredictably. These shifts can trigger a wide variety of symptoms (some 70+ have been recognised as peri-menopause related), and can affect physical, emotional, cognitive and social aspects of life. It can also last for up to 10 years so it’s important to try and understand what is happening. Some of the changes your clients may experience include: **Physical changes:** unexpected weight gain, shifts in body composition, hair thinning, skin changes, and other changes that may affect self-image and confidence. **Emotional shifts:** heightened sensitivity, irritability, low mood or sudden bouts of unexplained anxiety or rage. **Cognitive effects:** difficultly concentrating, forgetfulness or ‘brain fog’, or procrastination - all of which can affect work performance and daily decision making. **Energy fluctuations and fatigue:** feeling tired all the time, or issues with sleep. This can make it harder to juggle work, family, and other responsibilities. These symptoms can all collide at the same time and impact various areas of life. And that can have an impact on your client’s overall wellbeing. As a counsellor, when you can better recognise and understand the breadth and impact of these changes, you are in such a better place to understand, validate and support your client. ### **Practical ways you can SUPPORT your clients:** **S – Self-care:** Encourage your clients to maintain good routines, gentle daily movement, mindfulness and journalling. All of these will support their mood, energy and resilience. **U – Understanding:** Help them understand that physical and emotional changes are common and perfectly normal during this phase of life. This will help reduce any shame and allow them to feel that you understand. **P – Prioritise:** Guide your clients to reflect on their boundaries, current commitments and any competing demands. By exploring these they can prioritise what is important and regain a sense of control in their day-to-day life. **P – Professional Support:** Encourage them to seek support from experts, peer networks and others who can also provide validation and reassurance. This will also help with practical coping strategies and tools. **O – Offer:** Offer empathy and connection by listening actively, validating experiences and sharing where appropriate. This will also help to build trust and reduce any feelings of isolation they may be experiencing. **R – Recognise:** Recognise that hormonal transitions affect multiple aspects of life, and that you cannot be an expert in every topic. By working with other professionals where needed, you as a counsellor can learn yourself, but also provide a holistic approach for your client. **T – Tools:** Provide practical strategies and coping techniques that help clients manage symptoms. Some of these will be tools you already use outside of peri-menopausal clients, they don’t need to be specific. By supporting with tools you can help them maintain wellbeing and navigate this stage more confidently. My experience of perimenopause continues to teach me that hormonal changes can ripple through every part of life - my work, family and personal life have all felt the impact. At times it was overwhelming and I had to slow down and listen to my body and mind. Counselling was so transformative for me, and I feel that taking the time to understand and talk about what was going on was such a benefit for me. It gave me the space to process what was going on and understand how I was feeling. This continues to shape how I work with clients today. I understand first-hand how challenging it can be to navigate these changes, and I try to bring that empathy to every session. I was always someone who looked after myself, but this period reinforced the power of practical wellbeing strategies for me. From small self-care routines to reflection and support networks, anything that supports your mind and body can (and did) absolutely make a difference. As counsellors, we know that there will be times when things feel unsteady in life. But with the right support and tools it is possible to regain confidence, find balance and truly thrive again. I use my experience to help clients feel seen, understood and empowered. --- # What Suicidal Ideation Really Feels Like By Guest Blog 20th August 2025 **With thanks to our Organisational Member, Papyrus, for this blog.** It’s not always easy to talk about suicidal thoughts, let alone describe what it feels like to live with them. But if we’re going to prevent suicide, we need to understand it. Not just in theory, but through lived experience. One in four of us will experience suicidal thoughts in our lifetime. For many young people, those thoughts are isolating, frightening, and deeply misunderstood. When left unsupported, they can escalate, putting lives at risk. We believe suicide is preventable. And prevention starts with recognising what someone may be going through before it becomes a crisis. ### **Suicidal thoughts aren’t always what you expect** Many assume suicidal ideation always means imminent danger. But it exists on a spectrum. For some, it’s occasional thoughts of not wanting to be here. For others, it’s constant, overwhelming, and deeply distressing. These thoughts often ebb and flow, and even when someone seems “fine” on the outside, they may be silently struggling. In the UK, suicide is the biggest killer of people under 35. We lose five young lives to suicide every day. This is happening now, in our communities, schools, workplaces and homes. ### **What suicidal thoughts can feel like** Everyone’s experience is different, but here are some common emotional themes: **Feeling like a burden** “I thought everyone would be better off without me.” Suicidal thoughts can warp self-worth, making someone believe they’re a problem just by existing. **Emotional exhaustion** “I didn’t want to die. I just didn’t know how to live like this.” For many, suicide isn’t about wanting death, it’s about wanting to escape the pain. **Disconnection or numbness** “I wasn’t sad. I just felt… nothing.” This emotional void can be hard to recognise, and even harder to articulate. **Shame and silence** “I couldn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want them to think I was broken.” Stigma keeps too many people quiet. And silence only adds to the pain. **Feeling trapped** “It felt like nothing would ever get better.” When hope feels out of reach, the world can feel unbearably small. Suicidal thoughts don’t mean someone is selfish or broken. They mean they are in pain, and they need support. ### **How to help** - **Ask directly** If you’re worried about someone, ask: “Are you having thoughts of suicide?” It could be a life-saving conversation. - **Listen with compassion** You don’t need the perfect words. Just be present. Let them talk and feel heard. - **Reassure them they’re not alone** Let them know help is out there and that their life matters. - **Know where to turn** Our helpline, HOPELINE247, is here 24/7 for anyone under 35 struggling with thoughts of suicide, or anyone supporting them: Text ‘HOPE’ to 88247 Call 0800 068 4141 Email *Updated August 2025* --- # When Abuse Doesn’t End: Working with the Internal Aftermath of Harm Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 9th March 2026 ***Content note: This article contains discussion of abuse, trauma, and their psychological effects. The material is reflective and non-graphic but may still be distressing for some readers.*** ***With thanks to our member, Tina Stockwell, for this blog.*** Abuse is often understood as something that happens in relationship with another person. An event, a pattern, a history. In therapy, however, it quickly becomes clear that for many survivors, abuse does not end when the relationship ends, the perpetrator leaves, or the disclosure is finally spoken aloud. It continues internally, shaping how the person relates to themselves, others, and the world. Much of my work sits with this quieter, less visible aftermath. Clients may arrive years after the abuse has “stopped”, often unsure why they still feel unsafe, ashamed, hyper-vigilant, disconnected, or critical of themselves. They frequently describe a sense of being stuck, frustrated that insight alone has not brought relief. From the outside, life may appear stable. Internally, the threat remains. One of the most consistent patterns I see is the way abuse becomes internalised. Survivors often carry the perpetrator’s voice inside them: a running commentary of blame, minimisation, disbelief, or contempt. This internal voice can feel indistinguishable from their own thoughts. Clients may say, “I know logically it wasn’t my fault, but it still feels like it was”, or “I don’t know where their voice ends and mine begins”. In these moments, therapy is less about uncovering new information and more about gently disentangling what was learned for survival from what is actually true. Pacing is crucial here. Abuse involves a profound loss of control, so therapeutic work that moves too quickly, seeks catharsis, or prioritises “progress” can unintentionally echo the original harm. I am often attentive to how easily good intentions can slip into subtle pressure: to forgive, to process, to confront, to move on. For many survivors, safety is not built through intensity but through consistency, choice, and predictability. Language matters deeply in this work. Survivors are used to being told what happened to them, what it meant, and how they should feel about it. I try to hold descriptions lightly, offering possibilities rather than conclusions, and allowing clients to accept, reject, or reshape what is offered. This approach respects autonomy and helps rebuild a sense of authorship over their own story. It also reduces the risk of therapy becoming another place where power is unevenly held. Another common feature of abuse recovery is ambivalence. Clients may miss their abuser, feel loyalty towards them, or grieve what they hoped the relationship could have been. These feelings are often accompanied by deep shame and self-judgement. Creating space where such contradictions are allowed — without rushing to correct them — can be profoundly reparative. Survivors do not need their feelings to be fixed; they need them to be survivable. Working with abuse also requires ongoing attention to the therapist’s internal world. Sitting alongside accounts of harm, injustice, and betrayal inevitably stirs emotional responses. Over time, there can be a pull towards rescuing, over-protecting, or working harder than the client. Equally, there can be moments of frustration, helplessness, or fatigue. For me, regular supervision, clear boundaries, and honest self-reflection are essential safeguards — not only against burnout, but against inadvertently re-enacting dynamics of control or collapse. Self-care in this context is not just about rest or recovery between sessions. It is also about maintaining clarity: knowing when something belongs to the client, when it belongs to the work, and when it belongs to my own history or values. Abuse work demands humility. It asks us to tolerate not knowing, to sit with slow change, and to trust that safety built gradually is more enduring than insight gained quickly. Abuse is often spoken about in extremes: crisis or recovery, victim or survivor, harm or healing. In practice, it is far messier. Progress may look like a client noticing an internal voice and pausing before obeying it. It may look like choosing rest over self-punishment, or naming discomfort instead of dissociating from it. These shifts are easy to overlook, yet they represent meaningful reclamations of agency. As counsellors, we are privileged to witness these moments. Bringing abuse into the foreground of our professional conversations is not about re-traumatisation or exposure; it is about accuracy. Abuse is not rare, and its effects are not confined to the past. By attending carefully to how harm lives on internally, and by working in ways that prioritise safety, choice, and respect, we can support survivors not just to understand what happened to them, but to relate to themselves differently in its wake. --- # Whistleblowing Policy Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 This document gives advice for members who have seen or discover something within their professional lives that they believe falls into the following categories: - Criminal offences (this may include, for example, types of financial impropriety such as fraud) - Failure to comply with an obligation set out in law - Miscarriages of justice - Endangering of someone’s health and safety - Damage to the environment - Covering up wrongdoing in the above categories Whistleblowing is the commonly used term for making a disclosure, passing on information, concerning wrongdoing. Whistleblowing law (Employment Rights Act 1996) gives workers rights to take their employer to tribunal if they have been victimised at work or lost their job because they have ‘blown the whistle’. This makes it what is known as a ‘protected disclosure’. The concern that the employee is disclosing can have happened in the past, be happening currently, or could be something that they believe is likely to happen in the future. It is important to note that the wrongdoing disclosed must relate to an element of public safety as outlined in the bullet points above; it is not enough for it to be a personal matter for the individual disclosing, such as a disagreement, or any other personal grievance. These should be covered by a grievance policy, rather than under Whistleblowing Law. ### **Who should I blow the whistle to?** You can tell your employer, a regulator or regulatory body, a customer, an MP, the Civil Aviation Authority, the police, or the media: whichever is most appropriate. If you have witnessed wrongdoing that falls outside of your working environment, you should report to the police or the relevant authority. If the wrongdoing you have witnessed is related to or impacts upon your work, you should raise this with your employer or – in the event that the issue pertains to, for example, another therapist in private practice with whom you share an office – you should report to the police or other relevant authority, such as their professional body. For your disclosure to be protected by the law you must: - make the disclosure in good faith (which means with honest intent and without malice) - reasonably believe that the information is substantially true - reasonably believe you are making the disclosure to the right ‘prescribed person’ ### **Whistleblowing in an Organisation** The organisation you work in may have their own whistleblowing policy and procedures in place; this may be published in your handbook, on the organisation’s internal communication platform, or available via your line manager or HR department. You should follow the steps that they outline – reporting to the right person in the right way. This makes it a ‘protected disclosure’. ### **Whistleblowing in Private Practice** If you become aware of a serious issue related to those listed above whilst in private practice with another colleague, you can choose either to raise it with the police if it is a serious criminal matter, or with that person’s relevant regulatory body. In terms of Whistleblowing Law, the protection is there to stop you from being treated negatively by your employer if you disclose wrongdoing. While this applies if you are contracted to work for an agency, for example, it doesn't protect you from issues relating to other private practitioners or those from whom you rent premises, or others. ### **Anonymity** You have every right to make your disclosure anonymously, however it is worth bearing in mind that this may have an impact on the ability to fully investigate any wrongdoing. ### **What might I need to share?** If you are making a disclosure of wrongdoing, you may wish to keep a note of the following (maintaining confidentiality where necessary): - The time and date that the issue took place, and the time and date that you became aware of it (if different) - The place(s) in which the incident(s) occurred - The people involved - Anything said and by whom - Details of other people present You can find out more about Whistleblowing here: We also have a Safeguarding Policy here: [https://stage.ncps.com/our-voice/safeguarding-and-confidentiality](https://ncps.com/our-voice/safeguarding-and-confidentiality) References: [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment\_data/file/415175/bis-15-200-whistleblowing-guidance-for-employers-and-code-of-practice.pdf](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/415175/bis-15-200-whistleblowing-guidance-for-employers-and-code-of-practice.pdf) --- # Why Are We So Afraid of Being Bored? Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 18th August 2026 ***Thank you to our member, Anna Jackson, for this article.*** I’ll be honest, this is something I struggle with myself. The second there’s a gap, a queue, a red light, the kettle boiling, my hand is already moving towards my phone before I’ve even properly registered that I’m bored. I know I am not the only one. We’ve become really uncomfortable with empty moments. We fill them almost automatically. Scroll, check messages, put a podcast on, answer an email, watch something. There’s always something available and it’s usually screen related. But boredom isn’t actually the problem. It’s what boredom creates. It creates unstructured mental space. And when there’s no noise coming from the outside, you suddenly have a chance to notice what’s going on inside. Sometimes that’s uncomfortable. You might realise you’ve been quietly worrying about something you’ve been avoiding. Or that you’re lonely, or overwhelmed, or unhappy with a part of your life. You might start thinking about a decision you’ve been putting off. So what do we do? We reach for the phone. What’s interesting is how automatic it’s become. There’s often no conscious decision. Just a tiny flicker of discomfort, and then the screen. The phone gives us immediate stimulation, the discomfort vanishes, and it feels like relaxation. A lot of the time it’s just avoidance. Maybe it doesn’t stop us thinking, but more importantly it stops us feeling and processing the emotions of the day. Those quiet gaps are often where the feelings catch up with us. When we fill every one of them, the feelings never quite get the chance. Feelings are there to be experienced. They don’t go away. They build up. Our brains learn from repetition. If every small moment of boredom is followed by stimulation, we start teaching ourselves that boredom is something we can’t tolerate. That waiting needs to be filled. That silence needs interrupting. That uncomfortable feelings need dealing with straight away. I see this particularly clearly when working with OCD. Part of recovery is learning that you can have an intrusive thought or an uncomfortable feeling without immediately doing something to make it go away. Practising that with the smaller, everyday moments of discomfort can be surprisingly useful. With ADHD, boredom can feel especially hard because the brain is often looking for stimulation and a phone offers an almost endless supply of it. Again, it’s not that phones are evil or that people just need more willpower. It’s about gradually getting more comfortable with less stimulation. But this isn’t just an OCD or ADHD thing. It’s a human thing. We’re living in a world where stimulation is available almost every second of the day. We rarely have to wait for anything anymore. Curious about something? Instant search. Bored? Instant entertainment. Our brains weren’t designed for this. For most of our ancestry, long stretches of quiet and waiting were normal. The mind had time to settle, wander, and process. Constant, on demand stimulation is new. I wonder what we’re losing because of that. Some of our better thoughts arrive when we’re not trying to think. In the shower. Driving. Walking. Looking out of a window. Lying in bed before sleep. There’s something about letting the mind wander that gives it room to process things, make connections, and come up with ideas that might never appear when we’re constantly consuming. The magic lives in those quiet moments. So I’ve been experimenting with something very simple. Leaving my phone alone, not for a whole weekend or some dramatic detox. Just the small moments. Standing in a queue without checking anything. Waiting for the kettle without scrolling. Walking to the car without headphones. Sitting for five minutes without needing to be entertained. At first it feels oddly uncomfortable. And that’s exactly why I think it’s worth doing. The goal isn’t to suddenly love boredom. Nobody needs to find queuing peaceful. The goal is just to get a bit more comfortable with not immediately escaping it. Because even if we can’t see the harm in always resisting boredom, there is still harm. We’re training ourselves out of the ability to sit with ourselves. We’re losing the space where things quietly settle and rearrange. Being constantly occupied isn’t the same as being fulfilled. You can fill an entire day and still feel like you never really stopped. Perhaps stopping isn’t wasted time. Perhaps it’s part of how we actually process our lives. So the next time you reach for your phone because nothing’s happening, try waiting. Just for a moment. Let yourself be bored. Notice what your mind does when you stop giving it something to consume. You might be surprised by what comes up. And you might find that boredom was never something you needed to escape from in the first place. --- # Why do we Feel the Need to Explain Ourselves So Much? Blog Mental Health Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 24th June 2026 ***With thanks to our member, Carlos Monteiro, for this article.*** Probably one of the issues many of us face in our lives is the constant need to be seen and to explain ourselves to the world around us. It is a question that is both incredibly important and deeply challenging. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about this issue is: why do we try so hard to be seen? To attempt to answer that question, I find myself asking a deeper one: **When did this need to be seen begin?** More often than not, the answer takes us back to our childhood experiences. It is important to understand how we were raised as children because it allows us to better understand what may have been missing and how we adapted over the years. More importantly, it helps us develop compassion towards ourselves instead of diminishing ourselves through shame, guilt, depression, or self-criticism. The turning point is that we are now adults. We are no longer dependent on our parents. And by the way, I am not blaming parents. Most parents do the best they can to raise their children. However, as adults, we now have the autonomy to change. It is this possibility of change that I would like to explore with you, both as a human being and as a somatic-cognitive therapist. The problem with constantly trying to be seen by others and endlessly explaining ourselves is often linked to a lack of connection with our instincts and, more specifically, with our bodily reactions in those moments when we overexplain and try too hard to gain acceptance. First and foremost, we need to recognise when we are in that mode of trying to be seen and explaining ourselves excessively. If we do not know when and how it happens, it becomes very difficult to make any meaningful change. Notice the wording: *trying*, *overexplaining*, *overdoing*. These are words of excess. They suggest doing more than is naturally required. More importantly, they often point towards an internal conflict. And that, I believe, is where the real issue lies. By internal conflict, I mean that in certain situations what we show to the world through our words, body language, emotions, attitude, and energy is in conflict with what is happening inside us. I do not want to give the impression that there is something wrong with us. Quite the opposite. Most likely, this disconnect between our inner and outer worlds served an important purpose at some point in our lives. It may have been a coping mechanism that developed in response to the environment in which we grew up. After all, what could we do at three or five years old if our emotional needs were not fully met? We adapted. We coped. We did what we had to do. Let me give a practical example. Sometimes we meet people socially and leave the interaction feeling exhausted, drained, and depleted of energy. Often, we explain this by saying, "I am just an introvert, so it is normal to feel tired." Perhaps that is partly true. But I often wonder whether it has less to do with being introverted or extroverted and more to do with how much of ourselves we give away during those interactions. When we meet people, we can unconsciously enter a mode that says: *"I need approval. I need to belong. I need to be accepted, no matter what."* That is what many of us have trained ourselves to do. To belong at any cost. To become what is needed in order to fit in. Rather than simply being ourselves. I think being ourselves is one of the greatest challenges we face. Especially in a world that moves so quickly, where social media is constant and where face-to-face contact is increasingly replaced by screens. In my experience, becoming ourselves requires courage. At some point, we have to stop and pause. Yes — stop and pause. And then ask ourselves: *"Why did I try so hard to be seen in that moment?"* *"Why did I feel the need to explain myself so much?"* And perhaps an even deeper question: *"How do I begin to change this habit of constantly seeking acceptance?"* I believe the body can help us answer these questions. If we pay attention, the body often reveals what is happening before the mind fully understands it. We might notice tension in the forehead, jaw, neck, or shoulders. We may realise we are holding our breath, breathing shallowly, tightening our legs, twisting our body, or narrowing our vision. Perhaps you experience some of these reactions. Perhaps only a few. Perhaps all of them. The important thing is not to immediately try to change them, but to notice them. Gently. Be as gentle with yourself as you would be with a friend who needed your support. Then other questions may arise: *"Why all this tension?"* *"What purpose does it serve?"* *"What am I protecting myself from?"* Only you can answer those questions because you are the person who knows yourself best. You may discover that the answers revolve around people-pleasing, the need to belong, the fear of saying no, the fear of being judged, the fear of rejection, or the fear of ending up alone. But at what cost? That is the question I would like to leave you with. The cost can be losing our authenticity. Losing our integrity. Respecting others more than we respect ourselves. I understand. These are often old habits. As children, we may not have had a choice. We had to adapt. But today we are adults. Now, when I find myself in a situation that feels uncomfortable, I try to stop for a moment. Whether others like it or not. Whether they find it strange or not. I pause. Even if only for two seconds. And I ask myself: *"How am I right now?"* I ask that question as if I were speaking to a good friend. *"How are you doing, my friend?"* And if the answer is that I need more time to breathe, think, or simply settle myself, then so be it. I will try to give myself that time and space. Gently. Wishing you all the best. And a little more space for yourself. ***Carlos Monteiro is a Somatic-Cognitive Therapist based in London. More information can be found at*** [***www.carlosalexandre.co.uk***](https://linklock.titanhq.com/analyse?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.carlosalexandre.co.uk&data=eJxLtjWzSE1OsTQzszBINTdWS7HNSy4o1kvOz1XLta0yzHAKTYzKcsmzSFcrtk3OzytJTC5RNTFITizKyS9OzEmtSMxLKUoFKtcrzVYrsk1KLckASsONKLXNKCkpUDV2VDVyA6Ly8nI9rFoBwUAt5g%25%25)***.*** --- # Why I Believe Therapists Belong in the World of Dementia Care By Guest Blog 8th August 2025 **With thanks to our Accredited Registrant member,** [**Jurgen Schwarz**](https://www.search-ncps.com/search/FindaTherapist/NCS19-08577) **for this article.** When people hear the word dementia, they often imagine someone far along in the illness, confused, perhaps no longer able to speak or recognise their loved ones. That image can be scary, even for us as therapists. It might make us wonder, What could I possibly offer? But dementia doesn’t start that way. In the early stages, when someone has just been diagnosed or is starting to notice change, there’s still so much life, emotion, and awareness to be experienced. And there is so much room for us, as therapists, to help. I’ve worked with people living with mild dementia: this work is rich, moving, and deeply human. The people I meet are full of insight, emotion, and questions. They’re trying to make sense of what’s happening to them. They’re looking for ways to stay connected, to be heard, and to hold on to their sense of self. Therapy can give them a place to do that, a dedicated time and space where they are listened to unconditionally. This kind of presence goes beyond what some support organisations are able to offer, and it can be profoundly stabilising and affirming. I remember working with a man in his early seventies who came to therapy just a few months after being diagnosed. He was articulate and thoughtful, but fearful. His main worry? That he’d become a “burden” to his wife. Week by week, we explored that fear together. He spoke of his love for her, his memories of their shared life, and his wish to leave her with more than just worry. Through therapy, he found words for his sadness and his hopes, and began talking more openly with his wife. Therapy didn’t fix the diagnosis, but it gave him space to be himself again. And then there are the family carers, partners, children, siblings, who are suddenly trying to hold everything together. They often feel scared, helpless, and completely unseen. They need support too. Sometimes they just need someone to say, “Yes, this is hard. You’re not alone.” I supported a woman whose mother had recently been diagnosed. She was trying to balance work, family, and the growing emotional weight of being the main carer. She didn’t want to “make it about her,” but she was exhausted and scared. In therapy, she allowed herself to cry, really cry, for the first time since the diagnosis. And then she began to set boundaries, ask for help, feel a little less alone, and worked on being less in denial about the future. I often find that my role as someone with specialist dementia knowledge fades into the background. What really matters is being present, listening with care, and staying alongside someone in the unknown. These are the things that truly support people, and they're already part of what therapists do best. This blog series is for therapists who are curious, maybe a little unsure, but willing to consider working with people facing early dementia or their carers. I’ll share thoughts, experiences, and practical ideas, including how to communicate meaningfully and effectively with people at different stages of dementia I’ll try to be honest about the hard parts, and the beautiful moments too. If you’ve ever felt drawn to this work, or just wondered what it’s like, I hope this space encourages you to explore further. Written by Jurgen Schwarz - Updated 8th August 2025 If this article has inspired you to find out more about working with clients affected by dementia, you can expand your knowledge with [our CPD course](https://counsellingcpd.org/product/supporting-clients-affected-by-dementia/). NCPS Members receive discounts on our CPD courses, to find out more about these benefits head over to the Member Portal. --- # Working with Interpreters in Therapy Policy Policies Policies By Beth 1st September 2024 A three-way agreement involving a client, counsellor and interpreter in the context of therapy should be put in place. This agreement is crucial to ensure clear communication about confidentiality along with any relevant ethical considerations. The contract should include: **Confidentiality:** The contract should explicitly state that the interpreter is bound by confidentiality. The responsibility for maintaining confidentiality should be clearly outlined and shared among the client, counsellor, and interpreter. **Roles and Responsibilities:** The contract should clarify that the interpreter's role is to support the client purely with regards to language translation and not to act as a co-therapist. While respecting the interpreter's expertise, it should be made clear that the therapist assumes overall responsibility for the therapy. **Client Contact Outside Sessions:** The contract should address client contact outside therapy sessions, emphasising appropriate boundaries and communication channels. **Personal Relationships**: Interpreters should be discouraged from forming personal relationships with clients outside the counselling context to maintain professionalism and ethical boundaries. **Communication and Clarification:** Counsellors should ensure that clients and interpreters are aware that they can seek clarification if something is unclear during sessions or interactions. **Language Accessibility:** Any written information should be made available in the client's preferred language to enhance understanding and accessibility. **Payment and Financial Arrangements**: Clearly outline contractual obligations to the interpreter, including fees, and clarify that these are distinct from the counselling contract. In organisational settings, the responsibility to pay the interpreter rests with the service provider. Private practitioners should consider how to handle payment of fees, whether the interpreter will be arranged by the client or the counsellor, and be transparent about these arrangements with clients from the beginning. **Transparency in Fees:** Private practitioners should consider how to incorporate interpreting costs into counselling fees and should communicate this clearly and transparently with clients. In summary, the contract should serve as a comprehensive document that establishes clear expectations, responsibilities, and ethical guidelines for all parties involved in therapy where an interpreter is necessary --- # Working with Silence: The Power of Stillness in Men’s Therapy Blog Health & Wellbeing By Guest Blog 12th November 2025 ## With thanks to our member, Colin Preece, for this article. In a world that rarely stops talking, silence can feel uncomfortable. In therapy, it can feel even more so. When a client falls quiet, it’s easy to assume they’re resisting, disengaged, or unsure what to say next. But over the years, I’ve come to see silence—especially in therapy with men—as something far more meaningful. Silence isn’t empty. It’s full of information, emotion, and potential. For many men, silence is a language all its own. ## Masculinity and the Sound of Quiet Many men grow up learning that emotions are risky territory. From an early age, they’re told—often without words—that strength means self-control, independence, and composure. Expressing sadness, fear, or tenderness can feel like a betrayal of that code Research by Addis and Mahalik (2003) found that traditional masculine norms are a major barrier to help-seeking, shaping not only whether men come to therapy but how they behave once they’re there. Silence often becomes a shield—a way of staying safe in a space that demands emotional exposure Ron Levant’s (2011) “normative male alexithymia hypothesis” adds another layer. Many men, he argues, simply haven’t developed the emotional language to articulate their inner worlds. When words don’t exist—or feel forbidden—silence becomes the only available form of communication So, when a man falls quiet in the therapy room, it may not mean he’s avoiding something. It may mean he’s trying to find something—something he’s never been encouraged to name. ## A Moment of Stillness I remember working with a client I’ll call David. He came to therapy describing “low mood” and “burnout.” In our first session, he was polite, structured, and factual. But when I asked him how all this felt, he went completely silent. For nearly two minutes, the room was still. My instinct, early in my career, would have been to jump in—to ask another question or offer reassurance. But something told me to wait. After what felt like an age, David finally said quietly, “That’s the bit I can’t do.” That was the start of the real work. His silence wasn’t avoidance; it was communication. It was his way of saying, I want to connect, but I don’t know how. By staying present rather than filling the space, I gave him permission to stay with that struggle. Wampold (2015) reminds us that the quality of the therapeutic relationship predicts outcomes far more than any particular method or model. Holding silence without judgement demonstrates attunement and trustworthiness. It says: You don’t have to perform here. I can handle what you’re carrying—even the parts you can’t yet put into words. ## Holding, Not Filling Working with silence is one of the hardest—and most transformative—skills a therapist can develop. It asks us to sit with our own uncertainty and resist the pull to “fix.” Chris Corrie (2009) describes therapist presence as the ability to be fully with a client without needing to do anything. In silence, that presence becomes palpable. When a therapist stays calm and grounded, the room starts to feel safe enough for real introspection to happen. So I pay attention to my own body. I slow my breathing. I soften my gaze. I notice whether I’m leaning forward in anticipation or sitting back in patience. These tiny adjustments communicate volumes. Silence becomes shared space, not empty air. ## What Silence Means Not all silences mean the same thing. For some men, especially those from working-class or military backgrounds, silence can signify respect or composure. For others, it can reflect mistrust of authority, fear of judgement, or cultural norms around privacy. A Black British client once told me, “Where I’m from, you don’t air your business with strangers.” His silence wasn’t resistance—it was cultural wisdom. My job was to understand that silence, not to interpret it through my own assumptions. Research on intersectionality and men’s mental health (Mahalik et al., 2022) reminds us that there is no single way to “be a man.” Masculinity intersects with race, class, sexuality, and culture, shaping what silence represents. A culturally competent therapist listens not only to what is silent, but to why it might be. ## When Silence Becomes Speech When silence is respected rather than feared, it often becomes the bridge to language. Once a man feels he won’t be pushed, pitied, or pathologised, words start to appear naturally. Some of the most powerful breakthroughs I’ve witnessed have come after long, quiet stretches. A client might take a deep breath and finally say, “I’ve never told anyone this before…” Those moments don’t come from clever questions—they come from patience. A 2020 study by Seidler and colleagues found that men who felt “rushed to talk” in therapy were more likely to drop out. Those whose therapists allowed time and silence reported feeling respected and in control. The researchers concluded that patience supports men’s autonomy, countering the fear that therapy will strip them of agency. Holding silence, then, isn’t passive. It’s active faith in a client’s capacity to find his own words, in his own time. ## Listening with the Third Ear Carl Rogers once wrote that true empathy means entering the other’s world “as if it were your own, without losing the ‘as if’ quality.” In silence, that kind of listening becomes even more important. When words stop, I tune into other forms of communication—breath, posture, micro-expressions, subtle shifts in energy. Sometimes I’ll name what I notice: “It’s gone very quiet—what’s that like for you right now?” More often, I’ll simply stay with it, trusting that silence itself is doing the work. One client, a construction worker in his fifties, once said after a long pause, “That’s the first time in years I’ve just sat still without feeling like I should be doing something.” That moment of stillness was therapy. It gave him permission to rest, to stop striving. For men raised to measure worth by productivity, that can be revolutionary. ## What Silence Teaches the Therapist Silence also teaches us about ourselves—about our own relationship with masculinity, vulnerability, and presence. As a male therapist, I’ve sometimes felt that old internal pressure to be competent, empathic, and composed all at once. Sitting in silence can feel like failure, as if I’m not “doing enough.” But over time, I’ve realised that silence is where I learn the most. It reminds me that my role isn’t to have the answers but to be with whatever arises. In that way, silence reshapes my understanding of masculinity too. It asks me to embody patience, humility, and openness—qualities our culture doesn’t always celebrate in men, but which make all the difference in the therapy room. ## Stillness as Healing In a society that tells men to “man up,” keep moving, and stay in control, silence can be radical. It invites stillness, introspection, and vulnerability—the very qualities many men have been told to avoid. When we stop fearing silence in the therapy room, we create a space where men can start hearing themselves for the first time. Silence isn’t the absence of communication. It’s the birthplace of it. And sometimes, the quietest moments in therapy are the ones that echo the loudest long after the session ends. ## References Addis, M. E., & Mahalik, J. R. (2003). Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking. American Psychologist, 58(1), 5–14. Corrie, C. (2009). Therapist presence: Being and doing in the therapeutic encounter. Therapy Today, 20(5), 18–21. Levant, R. F. (2011).Research in the psychology of men and masculinity using the gender role strain paradigm as a framework. American Psychologist, 66(8), 765–776. Mahalik, J. R., et al. (2022). Intersectionality and men’s mental health: Expanding our understanding of masculinities. Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 23(1), 1–14. Seidler, Z. E., et al. (2020). Men’s dropout from mental health services: Results from a national survey of Australian men. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55(8), 1021–1030. Wampold, B. E. (2015). How important are the common factors in psychotherapy? An update. World Psychiatry, 14(3), 270–277. ## Author Bio Colin Preece is a counsellor, chartered psychologist and supervisor. He works in a wide range of areas his approach integrates humanistic and relational perspectives with a focus on presence, authenticity, and cultural awareness. --- # Young Minds Report: Deconstructing the System & Our Campaigns Blog By Meg Moss 14th September 2025 Young Minds have released a report titled Deconstructing the system: young people's voices on mental health, society and inequality. You can read their report here: Their report highlights five focus areas for change, being: - social structures and systems - mental health services - social inequality and discrimination - global issues - social pressures and attitudes The NCPS are gladdened to see that the second area of focus - mental health services - calls for a **"more accessible, stable and high-quality health system**", with the hope being that "**everyone who needs support can access better quality mental health support**". Young people are asking for, amongst other things, shorter waiting times and a wider range of treatment options, which is something the NCPS are specifically campaigning for through our Access to Counselling for Every Child campaign, as well as through our Direct Access to Counselling campaign. "Many young people expressed they want to see more treatment options beyond CBT, and would like to be able to access early intervention without any thresholds" The report also talks about young people's experiences with waiting times, noting that "**58% of young people said they were dissatisfied with how long they had to wait**", and "**59% reporting worsening mental health while waiting to be seen**". There are also huge differences for young people from marginalised communities: "For gay and Trans young people, there are bigger gaps in facing crisis and seeing a crisis team, with higher rates of suicide attempts and lower rates of crisis team contact. Mixed-race and other ethnicities also had high rates of suicide attempts, while Asian young people had low crisis team contact despite high suicide attempt rates." "Trans young people were more likely to wait longer for mental health support. 13% said they were still waiting after a year, compared to 8% of non-Trans young people." "Young Black people and those who preferred not to state their ethnicity were the most likely ethnic groups to be waiting more than a year for support." The report also calls for more culturally competent mental health services, with more sensitivity towards each person's culture and identity. Meg Moss, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at the NCPS, says "this report from YoungMinds is brimming with important and valuable information, and I hope that the Government will fully consider what young people are asking for. It's absolutely vital that we base our work around the needs of the people that are going to be accessing the services; otherwise, what's the point? I'm really pleased to see that there are calls for shorter waiting times and access to a wider range of treatment options. With a workforce of over 60,000 counsellors and psychotherapists across the UK, offering a hugely diverse range of modalities (or ways of working), we could absolutely solve those two problems almost overnight". --- # Young People Face "Postcode Lottery" In Child And Adolescent Mental Health Care Blog By Meg Moss 27th April 2023 [Young People Face "Postcode Lottery" In Child And Adolescent Mental Health Care](https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/young-people-face-postcode-lottery-child-adolescent-mental-health-care) PoliticsHome's [investigation into CAMHS](https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/young-people-face-postcode-lottery-child-adolescent-mental-health-care) reaffirms what those working within mental health provision for children and young people already know; that waiting lists are skyrocketing, and that the threshold children and young people need to reach in order to be offered support is eye-wateringly high. The National Counselling Society are calling on the Government and Commissioners to recognise the workforce available in counsellors and psychotherapists. With upwards of 60,000 practitioners on Accredited Registers across the UK, 82% of which have a waiting time to first appointment of 1-2 weeks, they could drastically cut waiting times for mental health support, and empower children and young people to engage more directly in their own care by giving them a choice of practitioner and a choice of the type of therapy that would work best for them. Our report, which also outlines our plan for direct access to counselling via Accredited Registers, has been included as evidence in the Public Accounts Committee inquiry on Progress Improving Mental Health Services, and we're hopeful that our recommendations will be fully considered. Meg Moss, Head of Policy & Public Affairs, notes that "there is a complete lack of joined-up thinking when it comes to mental health services, and especially services for children and young people. There is a huge and diverse workforce available to ameliorate the waiting list issue, and the issues around lack of choice and availability of different therapies. We know that early intervention is hugely beneficial when you look at someone's mental health story; we hear time and time again that if only they'd seen someone earlier on, they wouldn't have reached crisis point. We're letting our children and young people down right now, and even more so knowing that there's a way to improve things (by calling on the trained, ethical, insured, supervised practitioners around the whole of the UK) and doing nothing about it." --- # Our Voice [Featured ## NHS launches new guidance on registration requirements for psychological professions NHS England has published new guidance setting out the registration requirements for the psychological professions working in NHS commissioned services in… Read more](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ncps-responds-nhs-launches-new-guidance-on-registration-requirements-for-psychological-professions) [Blog ### Motherhood is complicated A year after becoming a mother, I found myself thinking about a question I had been asked countless times: “Are you loving being a mother?” It sounds like such…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/motherhood-is-complicated) [News ### NHS launches new guidance on registration requirements for psychological professions NHS England has published new guidance setting out the registration requirements for the psychological professions working in NHS commissioned services in…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ncps-responds-nhs-launches-new-guidance-on-registration-requirements-for-psychological-professions) [Blog ### The Weight of Uncertainty: Living Without Clear Answers This is how uncertainty begins to take hold, not only through what is happening, but through everything that could happen. Nothing may have been confirmed, yet…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/the-weight-of-uncertainty-living-without-clear-answers) [Blog ### Why Are We So Afraid of Being Bored? There’s always something available and it’s usually screen related. But boredom isn’t actually the problem. It’s what boredom creates. The phone gives us…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/why-are-we-so-afraid-of-being-bored) [Blog ### Countertransference in Dementia Work: What Comes Up for Us as Therapists? Therapeutic work with people affected by dementia can be very meaningful, but it also brings quiet challenges that frequently go unnoticed. Beyond our clinical…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/countertransference-in-dementia-work-what-comes-up-for-us-as-therapists) [Blog ### Looking Beyond Behaviour: Lessons from Care and Adoption When I first cared for my sister's children after they entered care, I didn't realise I was beginning a journey that would stay with me for the rest of my…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/looking-beyond-behaviour-lessons-from-care-and-adoption) [News ### Major expansion of community mental health support across England This week the government made a very welcome announcement of £343 million for 159 new NHS mental health facilities across England: 100 community mental health…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/ncps-responds-to-major-expansion-of-community-mental-health-support-across-england) [Blog ### The Power of Relationship: What Fostering and Counselling Looked-After Children Has Taught Me About Healing During that time, children and young people came into my home carrying experiences that no child should have to carry. Following my counselling training and…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/the-power-of-relationship-what-fostering-and-counselling-looked-after-children-has-taught-me-about-healing) [Blog ### The Countertransference of Parenting: Inside the World of an Adoptive Counsellor Living at the intersection of adoptive parenthood and professional counselling provides a unique, deeply moving perspective on trauma, attachment, and systemic…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/the-countertransference-of-parenting-inside-the-world-of-an-adoptive-counsellor) [Blog ### A different child each time When I worked at Place2Be, I’d get one referral for a child — and then, from the adults around them, I would hear about almost a different child each time. But…](https://ncps.com/our-voice/a-different-child-each-time) [Blog ### AuDHD, Perimenopause, and the Coping Mechanisms That Suddenly Don’t Work Three years ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and six months ago, I learned I was also autistic. 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