statutory regulation of 'psychological therapists' (psychotherapists and counsellors)

moan

The long-awaited statutory regulation is slowly but surely nearing us. If you look at the requisites for a professional recognition, it strongly discriminates between those currently in training and those who have been in the profession with antiquity ('grandparenting' category). It appears to me, that while seemingly fair on surface, this creates a significant employability gap for those currently in training, as according to what is outlined, they would have to spend many years before some recognition is accorded to them professionally. If there were at least some intermediary category that would grant some provisional status to a trainee, but this does not seem to be the case.

With all my due respect towards the older generation of professionals working in the field for many years, I do not see how this bureaucratically imposed generation gap is going to encourage young people into the profession, given that they would not be fully employable any time soon. Again, all this creates is a legal generation gap that would prevent current trainees accessing full recognition anytime soon. Particularly given that the quality of training has dramatically improved over the years on this island. What academic training used to be and what it is now, is beyond comparison: many a teacher would agree with that.

Penalising younger generation like this is not a great way forward. It'll generate new elitism and will de-motivate many.

Let me quote from the joint submission paper:

1. requisites for a PSYCHOTHERAPIST:

Baseline qualification and experience for registration as psychotherapist:
Minimum four years of training in specific psychotherapy modality at master’s level (1,400 hours) to include, for example:
1. 250 hours/sessions personal psychotherapeutic experience
2. 500 – 800 hours theory or methodology
3. 300 – 600 hours/sessions supervised clinical practice with clients/patients
4. 150 hours/sessions supervision
5. Clinical placement in a mental health or psycho-social setting.

Criteria for grandparenting practicing psychotherapists
Academic:
M.A. / post Graduate or equivalent psychotherapy training
Experiential:
1. 250 hours/sessions of personal psychotherapeutic experience and/or other modality-appropriate reflective process
2. 500 hours/sessions (minimum) of supervised client work in professional practice for not less than five years.
3. 150 hours/sessions of supervision – ratio 1:10
4. Membership of a recognised professional psychotherapy body* and subscribe to their code of ethics and practice.
* such bodies must be existence for a minimum of four years

__

2. requisites for a COUNSELLOR:

Baseline qualification and experience for registration as Counsellor:
Minimum 4 years training in specific counselling and psychotherapy modality Minimum 1250 hours to include

1 600 hours of academic training including theory over minimum of 4 years
2 400 hours of supervised clinical practice with clients/patients during training
3 100 hours supervision (Supervision ratio 1:4)
4 150 hours Personal development experience to include minimum of 100 hours of personal psychological therapy
Leading to a degree or recognised accredited equivalent in Counselling

(Training body responsible for undergraduate)

Criteria for grandparenting practicing Counsellors:

1. Membership of a recognised professional counselling body* and subscribe to their code of ethics and practice.
2. 500 hours (minimum) of supervised client work in professional practice for not less than five years.
3. 50 hours of supervision – ratio 1:10
4. Evidence of Continuing Professional development

* such bodies must be existence for a minimum of four years

JuliusCaesar

If you do a forum search, you'll see quite a few threads on the subject. Here's a fairly long and detailled one.

As for

The long-awaited statutory regulation is slowly but surely nearing us.

I won't be holding my breath. Is psychotherapy even on the CORU list?

moan

thanks for that. i had seen that thread, by the way: thought a little fresh update would be great, hence my posting a new one.

I think what the Govt initially wanted was for all the various psychotherapy bodies to draw some sort of proposal together. I think that was the reason why Coru wasn't considered just as yet, given that too many various organisations with way too conflicting interests represent the field, too much disparity.

Such proposal paper has been submitted, thus it is for the Govt to give it a final consideration. I doubt Coru recognition would be a major problem, once everybody knows where they stand regulations-wise.

Perhaps, making the regulations so strict was a way of showing the Govt that we care. Problem with that is, it sets an unrealistic training goal: how many trainees would be willing to spend an average of 10 years of their lives before they can even be called 'counsellor' (not full 'psychotherapist'). This privileges those who are already in the system, giving them an inmense advantage over those who are still in training.

JuliusCaesar

Everyone please stay on topic - I've had to move about 5 posts on a completely different subject to a new thread. This thread is about Statutory Registration.
JC

JuliusCaesar

moan wrote: »

I think that was the reason why Coru wasn't considered just as yet, given that too many various organisations with way too conflicting interests represent the field, too much disparity.

Coru will be the regulating body.

It'll be a long time before counsellors will be statutorily regulated. Even the EU is staying away from this minefield.

For example, CBT therapists across Europe are affiliated with EACBT and not the European Council for Psychotherapy.

moan

well my hope is that in the meantime programmes can b upgraded so as to take those guidelines into consideration.

i mean for a moment no single masters programme offers 500-800 hrs theory/methodology (since a big majority of masters in psychotherapy on this island are part-time anyway)...

i was clearly freaking out when reading that...