United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy

The UKCP exists to "promote and maintain the profession of psychotherapy and the highest standards in the practice of psychotherapy throughout the United Kingdom, for the benefit of the public."[1][2][3] Only psychotherapists or psycho-therapeutic counselors who meet UKCP's training requirements and abide by its ethical guidelines are included in its online "Register of Psychotherapists".

The UKCP was initially founded in the 1980s as the United Kingdom Standing Conference for Psychotherapy following the Foster Report (1971) and the Sieghart Report (1978), which recommended regulation of the psychotherapy field.[4] It was formally inaugurated as a council in 1993.

The UKCP has since evolved into a national umbrella organisation for most major psychotherapeutic modalities. As of 2012, there were more than 70 member organisations representing all the main traditions in the practice of psychotherapy.

The council is run by a board of trustees which is elected by the council's members. A number of subcommittees, including the ethics committee, report directly to the board of trustees.

UKCP also represents the United Kingdom in the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) – a Vienna-based umbrella organisation which sets standards for equivalence of training and practice throughout Europe — and is part of the National Awarding Organization (NAO) overseeing the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) award in the UK.

• To promote the art and science of psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling for the public benefit
• To promote research in psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling, and to disseminate the results of any such research
• To promote high standards of education, training and practice in psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling
• To promote the wider provision of psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling for all sections of the public

The UKCP's campaign work has included collaboration with NICE and the Health Professions Council. Campaigns have included:

• NICE under scrutiny
• NICE consultations
• Reparative therapy
• Services under threat
• Skills for Health[5]

Psychotherapy is unregulated in the UK. The UKCP is therefore not a regulator, but instead holds a voluntary Register of therapists. This echoes a range of other membership organisations that act as professional bodies for practicing therapists.

The UKCP delegates key functions to other organisations. This includes the accreditation and re-accreditation of its individual members being the responsibility of UKCP organizational members. Organizational members are independent organisations that pay a fee to join UKCP. Individual psychotherapists can join the UKCP register only following primary accreditation by one of these separate, independent organisations.[6] At present there is no way of registering directly with UKCP.

The UKCP does not run courses leading to UKCP accreditation; courses are provided by its organisational members. Some training organisations also accredit and will award Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) or give credit for previous training experience.

Candidates for registration who trained on a course that does not lead directly to membership need to seek accreditation by an accrediting organisation member.[7]

Despite the UKCP stating that "We exist to promote and maintain high standards of practice of psychotherapy and psychotherapeutic counselling for the benefit of the public throughout the United Kingdom", there have been numerous complaints and instances of UKCP registered therapists violating the rights of their clients, harming them psychologically, emotionally and sexually. Some of these instances have resulted in therapists escaping any concrete punishments for their actions and being allowed to continue practicing. One case involved the sexual abuse of a mentally ill client by a therapist registered with the Guild of Analytical Psychologists, a member organisation of the UKCP, with the therapist receiving a suspension only. A report carried out by unsafespaces.com found that one in four therapists continue to practice despite being struck off by member institutions.[8][9]

UKCP elects its chair among its members.

• Board of Trustees
• UKCP colleges
• UKCP committees
• Faculties and groups
• Members’ Forum
• Special interest groups

• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
• British Psychoanalytic Council
• College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT)

General:

• Mental health in the United Kingdom

• UKCP official website