I’m Frustrated
Good morning all, those who tend to read my blogs with some regularity will know that today’s title means that I have seen something within the profession which has caused me to get irked. In my capacity as a teacher of therapists, I keep a close eye on developments in the professional structure of my world.
I have today come across a “new organisation for Psychotherapists” I do not intend to name this organisation in this post as I do not want to give it any publicity, but needless to say it concerns me. In the UK there are the big three psychotherapy organisations, The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and the British Psychoanlaytic Council (as matter of declaring an interest, I am a member of the first 2 and the first one for over 20 years). These bodies represent some, 53,000 members accredited, registered and those with an interest in psychotherapy. I think it is agreed that the vast majority of psychotherapists in the UK align themselves to these bodies.
The bit that I find frustrating is that there are clearly defined ways to become a psychotherapist. It is not appropriate for an individual or organisation to say, “I don’t like your requirements so I will call myself a psychotherapist anyway, oh and I will create an organisation to give my illegitimate claim legitimacy”. This is not unique to psychotherapy, the history of hypnotherapy is littered with organisations founded in a fit of peak where a person either disagrees with the organisation or in some cases has been expelled by an organisation only to create his own body 5 minutes later.
If we are professionals we must yield to professional standards, we can of course disagree, but that is not an excuse to leave and create your own organisation in your own image. Some in our profession need to put aside their own egos and work for the benefit of the profession as a whole not just their own narrow interests.
