British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy is the professional association for members of the counselling professions in the UK.

We exist for one simple reason - counselling changes lives.

Christmas may still be a couple of weeks away, but the pressure is already building with parties, planning, prep and the...
10/12/2025

Christmas may still be a couple of weeks away, but the pressure is already building with parties, planning, prep and the never-ending to-do list. For many, it’s exciting - but it can also be exhausting. 😵‍💫

When everything feels like go, go, go, it’s easy to hit burnout before the celebrations even begin. Feeling drained? Overwhelmed? Like you’re running on festive fumes? You’re not alone.

That’s why we asked our members to share their best tips for staying calm, grounded and energised through the festive period so you can enjoy the moments that really matter.

Do you have your own go-to tip for avoiding festive burnout? 🤔 We’d love to hear it.

Latest jobs in December!Members can see the latest counselling and psychotherapy vacancies on our Jobs Board 🙌 Find out ...
09/12/2025

Latest jobs in December!

Members can see the latest counselling and psychotherapy vacancies on our Jobs Board 🙌

Find out more here ➡️ https://orlo.uk/NK2EZ

Grief can make everything feel different, affecting your thoughts, your body, and even the sense of who you are.Your mem...
06/12/2025

Grief can make everything feel different, affecting your thoughts, your body, and even the sense of who you are.

Your memory may slip, your sleep or appetite can change, your mood may feel unpredictable, your chest can ache with the weight of loss, and you might feel strangely lost, as though a part of you went with the person who died.

This Grief Awareness Week, our member Julia Samuel shares tips on how you can support yourself as you navigate the emotional, physical and psychological impact of grief.

Read more 👉 https://orlo.uk/hgBHR

Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s announcement of an independent review into mental health demand and support is an impor...
05/12/2025

Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s announcement of an independent review into mental health demand and support is an important opportunity to prompt action to improve the nation’s mental health. It must be based on solid evidence.

We will contribute to the review and will ensure that the voices of the counselling and psychotherapy sector and those with lived experience are at the heart of our submission.

The review follows comments by Streeting earlier this year that mental health conditions were being ‘over-diagnosed’. He’s now said it’s important that the rise in diagnoses is better understood.

"We were hugely concerned by these 'over-diagnosis' comments and angered by Minister Stephen Kinnock’s inaccurate statement earlier this year that an ‘unregulated private sector' of therapists was contributing to an ‘overdiagnosis' of mental health conditions. This review should provide real answers – and put these ill-judged comments to bed," says Dr Lisa Morrison, our Director of Professional Standards, Policy and Research.

This week, we've supported Stuart Andrew MP to table some parliamentary questions about the scope of the review, the current evidence available about diagnosis rates and opportunities for the mental health sector to contribute to the work. We're awaiting answers to these from the Department for Health and Social Care.

Read our full response to the announcement about the the review: https://orlo.uk/vooLx

05/12/2025

There’s a particular kind of heartbreak in seeing a friend or family member grieving and wishing you knew the right way to support them.

Many of us have felt that quiet uncertainty. Wanting to help, but not knowing where to start.

This Grief Awareness Week, our former Vice President Julia Samuel shares some practical tips on how you can gently support someone navigating grief. 💜

Is there a case for statutory regulation of therapy?That was the question posed by today’s second session of the Commiss...
02/12/2025

Is there a case for statutory regulation of therapy?

That was the question posed by today’s second session of the Commission for the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy.

The online event reflected the range of views on this debate from those with lived experience of therapy, practising therapists and our members, and representatives of professional bodies and other relevant organisations, including the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) and the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union (PCU) .

It covered the current regulatory mechanisms for the professions in protecting clients, explored alternative models, highlighted the nuances of the arguments for and against regulation, and the impact this issue has on clients, therapists and the profession.

In the UK, anyone can say they’re a therapist without having registration or membership of a professional body. There’s no statutory regulation of therapy here.

However, the PSA’s accredited registers programme does exist – a voluntary scheme which accredits registers of healthcare professional bodies, so members of the public can be confident when choosing practitioners.

We always advise anyone seeking therapy to check the therapist is a member of a professional body that has a Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accredited register – such as BACP. This means they’re seeing a therapist who’s highly qualified and committed to high professional and ethical standards. It also means if they want to make a complaint there’s a process and support available.

There’s been increased interested in the topic of regulation of therapy from politicians and the media over the past year, although the government has said it has no plans to regulate therapy. If the government was to consider the introduction of regulation, we’d want to be involved in this to ensure it worked for therapists and clients.

So it’s vital we’re having conversations like today’s session to ensure a range of voices and evidence is taken into account.

Today’s event was the second of four evidence-gathering roundtable sessions for the Commission for the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy that will result in a report of recommendations, developed by the co-Chairs in partnership with the PCPB, that will be released next year.

Find out more about the commission 👉 https://orlo.uk/EHapy

With Christmas around the corner, many of us are thinking about family, and all the emotions that come with it 🎄 For som...
28/11/2025

With Christmas around the corner, many of us are thinking about family, and all the emotions that come with it 🎄

For some, the season brings comfort and togetherness. For others, it highlights the distance or unresolved feelings that have grown over time, especially when relationships with adult children feel fragile.

The festive period can make the hope of reconnecting feel stronger, but it can also make the first step feel overwhelming. If you’re navigating that mix of longing, uncertainty, and caution, you’re far from alone.

Our members have shared gentle, practical tips to help parents take small, meaningful steps toward rebuilding relationships with their adult children this festive season.

Read more here 👉 https://orlo.uk/L7Urp

We welcome the Government’s announcement of investment in hundreds of new Neighbourhood Health Centres - a positive step...
27/11/2025

We welcome the Government’s announcement of investment in hundreds of new Neighbourhood Health Centres - a positive step towards accessible, community-based healthcare that can has the potential to help people access mental health support earlier.

However, as Martin Bell, our Head of Policy and Public Affairs, notes: “For this to succeed, we urge the Government to include qualified counsellors and psychotherapists working alongside other health professionals.”

We also welcome the confirmation of an independent review into young people, health and work. Young people aged 16–34 with mental health conditions are 4.7 times more likely to be economically inactive, and the review provides an important opportunity to address this and ensure young people have targeted, early support.

But the Chancellor’s Budget once again missed the chance to introduce targeted measures for mental health - despite growing demand and the clear economic and social benefits.

We will continue to advocate for increased investment in counselling and psychotherapy across the NHS, education, the third sector, and workplaces to meet rising need and support sustainable health and employment outcomes.

For full story – https://orlo.uk/NKrbC

Why do therapists have a contract with their clients?Contracting is key to a successful therapeutic relationship. It’s s...
25/11/2025

Why do therapists have a contract with their clients?

Contracting is key to a successful therapeutic relationship. It’s so your therapist can clearly state what they offer, and so you can understand what you will receive, and how things will work.

A clear contract provides the frame in which you feel safe enough to proceed with therapy and within which the real work of counselling and psychotherapy can take place. You and your therapist can discuss the contract, and you can ask any questions so anything that’s unclear to you can be explained before you sign.

Sometimes a contract may need to change part way through therapy. Your therapist will discuss this with you so you can agree (or not) to the changes.

What should a contract include?

You have the right to know:

🟪 Time, length and location of the counselling sessions

🟪 Fees and terms of payment

🟪 Number of sessions (and whether this is fixed or open-ended)

🟪 Cancellation and record-keeping policies, and how you can make a complaint

Your therapist should also tell you about:

🟪 Their qualifications and the theoretical approach underlying their counselling process, i.e. how they will work with you in terms you can understand

🟪 Goals (by clarifying your goals, your therapist knows if they’re competent to provide the therapeutic service you require or if not, will refer you on)

🟪 Confidentiality and any limitations or exceptions

🟪 Contact outside therapy sessions – i.e. if it is OK for you to contact the therapist and under what circumstances

🟪 Their supervision and what that means

Find out more about contracts here 👉 https://orlo.uk/a6hBN

How is social media shaping the minds of young people, for better or worse? 📱 Our Children, Young People & Families Conf...
24/11/2025

How is social media shaping the minds of young people, for better or worse? 📱

Our Children, Young People & Families Conference 2026 has the theme ‘Likes, lives & layers: unpacking the digital impact on young minds'.

The event will explore how social media, algorithms, and influencer culture are impacting mental health, identity, relationships, and everyday experiences for children and young people.

Join thought-provoking discussions, hear practical insights from practitioners, and gain strategies to support young people using trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and systemic approaches.

You’ll leave with tools to navigate online risks, understand the wider social influences shaping young lives, and apply best practice in your work.

It takes place on Saturday 7 March 2026 in London and online.

The event will take place on Saturday 7 March 2026 in London and online ➡️ https://orlo.uk/WxI8x

Address

BACP House, 15 Street John's Business Park
Lutterworth
LE174HB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441455883300

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