UK COLLEGE of HOLISTIC TRAINING
Distance learning for personal & professional development

UK counsellors and psychotherapists have been concerned for some time about the prospect of statutory (government) regulation of the talking therapies. Many accredited members of the most prestigious professional societies viewed government regulation as interference with professional freedoms.  Members of other therapy societies, many of which accept distance learning training routes for part or all of the required training, wondered whether they might find themselves unable to practise. The uncertainty also made it difficult for  would-be students of distance colleges like ours to decide whether to enrol for our Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy, even though distance learning was the only practical way they could hope to qualify due to work, time and financial commitments.

Now the situation has changed and, in the face of an overwhelming professional outcry against statutory control, plans for regulation have been shelved and it is likely they will be abandoned by the next government as unworkable. The UK is set to continue its valued traditional freedom of practice for the talking therapies, allowing independent and self-employed practitioners from many training routes to continue working at their chosen vocation.

The Health Professions Council, who were working towards statutory regulation, revealed recently that they were bombarded with over 1000 responses from within the professions, many critical of their plans. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy has torn the proposals apart, and reported that many BACP members have joined the anti-regulation pressure group, the Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy www.allianceforcandp.org . 

The Shadow Health Minister, Ann Milton MP, held a meeting of professional stakeholders at which the extent of disapproval of regulation was plain. After this, on 9^th November, the HPC announced that regulation will be significantly delayed, and there is speculation that if the Conservatives form the next government, statutory regulation plans will be softened if they are pursued at all.  Another blow to government plans was the recent election of Professor Andrew Samuels as Chair of the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (the other “big” professional body alongside the BACP) on an anti-regulation manifesto.  

We acknowledge the newsletter of the Counselling Society (issue 10/11/09)  www.counsellingsociety.com  as the source of the latest facts on the anti-regulation campaign reported here, though any errors and interpretations here are ours.

A member of the UKCHT team wrote to his local MP voicing professional objections to the plans, and in reply, received patronising platitudes about the need to protect the public, showing no understanding of the complexity of the issues involved but merely a sheep-like acceptance of the HPC’s proposals. So much for listening to the concerns of constituents.

The receding of any prospect of tough controls gives a new lease of life to our distance Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy, which was originally approved by the Counselling Society www.counsellingsociety.com under our old name of Kadmon Academy. Graduates of the course can apply to join the Counselling Society and work towards Accredited status through a combination of our DCP course and other courses they have already taken or may take in the future.

Graduates of any of our counselling courses can also apply to join Counselling, the registered charity www.counselling.ltd.uk (a different organisation from The Counselling Society) and become “CCC Registered” counsellors. (This option is only for UK residents).

Here are the web links to our counselling-related courses:

Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy
Certificate in Counselling Skills
Certificate in Skilled Helper Counselling and Coaching Skills
Certificate in Child and Adolescent Counselling Skills

Counsellors and other talking therapy practitioners may also be interested in the following professional development courses:

Diploma in Stress Management and Relaxation
Diploma in Abnormal Psychology
Diploma in Holistic Life Coaching  
Diploma in Positive Psychology   
Diploma in Psychiatric Disorders Awareness
Diploma in Psychoanalytic Social Studies 

Diploma in Psychology 
Advanced Diploma in Bereavement Counselling and Thanatology  

Certificate in Anorexia and Bulimia Awareness
Certificate in Cognitive Self-Therapy

Certificate in Skilled Helper Counselling and Coaching Skills
Certificate in Child and Adolescent Counselling Skills

Certificate in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness
Certificate in Dissociative Disorders Awareness
Certificate in Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness

Certificate in Psychiatric Drugs Awareness