Counselling and Psychotherapy Roots
Counselling and Psychotherapy is helping professions focussing on encouraging people to talk about their problems and implement change through this.
Their roots are diverse – there are links to psychology, education, religion and medicine, which makes for a very diverse set of professions and professionals.
There is some debate about similarities and differences between Counselling and Psychotherapy, which centre mostly round the level and duration of training, and the type of work undertaken with clients.
There is no universal agreement that they are indeed different professions, or just two words for the same occupation. If distinctions are to be made, usually Psychotherapy is seen as a more in-depth training (typically to master’s degree level) and working with clients on deep-seated rather than recent issues.
There are many theoretical models of Counselling, as well as integrations of these models and eclectic approaches.
The most well-known of these models are psychodynamic, person-centred, and cognitive-behavioural approaches.
Sigmund Freud – founder of psychoanalysis
Training Approaches
Evidence suggests that (once researcher allegiance effects are controlled for) there are no significant differences in effectiveness between approaches.
Most Counselling training is either within one theoretical framework, or integrates several of these into an integrative model, which can then vary in terms of its theoretical basis.
In addition to different theoretical models, there appear to be differences in the ‘level-ness’ of courses.
This results in it not always being clear whether a counsellor has a qualification at pre-tertiary undergraduate or postgraduate level.
Professionalisation of Counselling has also been complicated due to the great diversity in approaches, training and employment/voluntary work settings.
In addition, practitioner psychologists and some practitioners in allied health professions, such as art therapists, have become regulated by the HCPC, but Counselling and Psychotherapy are not.
Accreditation
There are currently two main bodies representing counsellors and psychotherapists – the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). They serve as both membership organisations as well as upholding standards for professionals, although this has no legal standing.
Despite (or maybe because of) the long-standing absence of statutory regulation, BACP and UKCP accreditation have become ‘industry standard’ over the past years. UKCP accredits courses, and by following one of those courses, the individual student becomes accredited by UKCP. The largest scheme, BACP accreditation, exists in two types: course accreditation and individual accreditation. Completing an accredited course does not confer automatic individual accreditation but makes the individual accreditation process less of an administrative burden.
Individual accreditation can be achieved by completing a course (accredited or not accredited, as long as core areas are covered) in addition to evidencing a minimum amount of client work that has to be accumulated post-training, and evidence of professional standing (assessed through the application process). For both schemes, courses can achieve accreditation by meeting certain standards of training. Courses generally must include minimum hours and standards of personal development, theory, ethical awareness and skills development.
