tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518731414526924239.post3926746596043375780..comments2024-01-23T01:25:02.164+00:00Comments on Amanda Williamson Coaching and Counselling Service in Exeter, Devon: The Regulation Debate; The PSA's Accredited Registers versus Protected Titles by Guest Blogger Patrick KilleenAmanda Williamson (She/her)http://www.blogger.com/profile/14685203130859349559noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518731414526924239.post-34869875450887741752021-07-30T07:25:22.162+01:002021-07-30T07:25:22.162+01:00Interesting article, thank you. I am currently com...Interesting article, thank you. I am currently completing a top-up degree in Therapeutic Counselling and am one half of a debate around the regulation of counselling [and psychotherapy]. It is difficult finding academic based literature that is pro-regulation, if you know where such articles exist I would be grateful if you culd pass that on. Kind Regards.CAMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18371083797438550359noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518731414526924239.post-1282166655253677512015-07-15T11:20:54.115+01:002015-07-15T11:20:54.115+01:00Hello Roslyn
In response to your 3 questions:
1)...Hello Roslyn<br /><br />In response to your 3 questions:<br /><br />1) In their March report the PSA identified the need for more promotion of the register but they didn’t state any definite plans. You could email them directly and ask them what they intend to do, they’ve been forthcoming so far.<br /><br />2) The BACP has been strangely quiet about the Accredited Registers, what I find particularly worrying is how little some experienced counsellors know about them.<br /><br />3) The problem here is that the BACP has been using the word “accredited” idiosyncratically for years and it conflicts with the normal use, the Accredited Registers have just brought an existing issue to a head. <br /><br />The literal meaning of “accredit” is “vouch for”. The PSA vouches for the registers of governing bodies then the governing bodies use the registers to vouch for individual health and care professionals; so there is a simple chain. <br /><br />The thing that causes confusion is that you don’t have to be an Accredited Member of the BACP to be a member of the BACP whose competence as a counsellor the BACP accredits; simply putting counsellors on its register is an act of accreditation; so “Registered Members” are accredited members even though they aren’t “Accredited Members”. <br /><br />Among counsellors the phrase “accredited counsellor” is normally used to refer to accredited <b>experienced</b> counsellors; as opposed to newly qualified counsellors or established counsellors who haven’t had their experience accredited by a governing body. In the wider world “accredited counsellor” means simply a counsellor who some (hopefully reputable) body vouches for, regardless of post qualification experience.<br /><br />So far the BACP have tried getting a Royal Charter so that Accredited Membership could be rebranded Chartered Membership, but the other counselling and psychotherapy bodies have objected, and there’s been no recent mention of this plan so it’s probably not going to happen. I don’t know if they have a plan B.Patrick Killeenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05609298326690595735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2518731414526924239.post-79258678766504675672015-07-14T20:52:12.836+01:002015-07-14T20:52:12.836+01:00Useful article though it raises three particular i...Useful article though it raises three particular issues for me: what is PSA doing to raise the profile of its registers? What is BACP itself doing since it sounds as if there's a kind of policy limbo during 2015 because of the Strategic Review, which doesn't report till December? What has been done to clarify the distinction (important to a good number of us, I suspect) between accredited counsellors and being on an accredited register? They don't mean the same thing and the current situation perpetuates the confusion to the public. Roslyn Byfieldhttp://www.roslynbyfieldcounselling.co.uknoreply@blogger.com