Vulnerable clients need to know their counsellor is fit to practise
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| Counselling clients are vulnerable and might be in a state of distress. |
There are distinct differences between the challenges that life coaching clients and counselling clients face.
The focus of coaching tends to be on potential, so the client is already in a reasonably good place. They want to perform to their best or unleash hidden talents or chart a new career. They have, or their employer has, requested help to facilitate this process.
A counselling client, on the other hand, is often vulnerable. They are entering what they hope is a safe space where they can learn to navigate issues that are impeding their daily lives. They want to speak about such issues without fear of judgment. They want to be heard and metaphorically held.
As someone qualified and registered in both fields, the care of the client is important to me.
Some people reading this post might be surprised to learn that counselling is not regulated. Neither is life coaching, but, in most cases, the risk of psychological harm is less given the client's more positive state. Not so the counselling client, who might well be distressed and experiencing a range of mental wellbeing issues.
For this reason, I have observed with interest the momentum that has been gaining since the Guardian newspaper's front-page lead story – All psychotherapists in England must be regulated, experts say, after abuse claims rise (19 October 2024). This prompted a flurry of activity with professional bodies and counselling providers – large and small – articulating their standpoints.
Counselling can be transformative. Indeed, the strapline of my professional body, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), states: counselling changes lives.
To ensure this, qualified and registered practitioners are expected to uphold the high standards demanded of the ethical framework of their professional bodies. An added layer of client protection as well as promoting best practice, comes in the form of supervision which practitioners are required to engage in regularly.
The omission of counsellors and psychotherapists from statutory regulation will seem odd to some with the exceptions of art therapists, and art psychotherapists and drama and music therapists whose titles are protected and belong to regulated professions. Similarly, the range of psychologist roles are also regulated.
It is not widely known that anyone can set up as a counsellor or psychotherapist without a qualification. This can be upsetting for professionals who have spent years becoming competent and qualified.
Demand for mental wellbeing services is going in one direction – five million reported referrals in 2023, up by a third since 2019. Given those statistics, it's increasingly likely someone will encounter an unregulated therapist.
The BACP is prepared to consider statutory regulation if brought about in collaboration with all professional bodies.
Many leading names are demanding changes to the current system.
When the trainee counsellor qualifies to practise, the certificate they receive is more than a congratulatory piece of paper. It is a pledge to the client and the profession, a promise backed by the competences and a commitment to continuous improvement and to ethical standards.
It can be argued that the case for regulation is straightforward – to ensure that clients are protected and that the therapy they receive is both effective and safe for them.
This way, clients will know that their best interests are being served.