The consultation nears its deadline, much begins to happen

This just received via email from a colleague: This month’s Therapy Today contains the news that BACP is rejecting the HPC proposals on the grounds of amongst other things “the implicit medical model of the HPC’s generic and proposed psychotherapy SOP’s”, “the integrity of the process; there appears to be an underlying assumption of difference and hierarchy in the HPC and PLG”, “lack of evidence” in a number of areas, “HPC’s anomalous position with regard to setting academic threshold levels”, “lack of any consideration of the impact on the delivery of services”, and my favourite, creating: “a division in the therapeutic field that does not exist in the workplace. BACP believes this is in the interests of power and status rather than the public good”. Ouch. They also openly question the PLG chair’s capability to be unbiased given that she is already an HPC registered art therapist (see page 56).

I read the message just as I was leaving the house to cycle up to Kennington with a little package from the Alliance for Counselling and Psychotherapy against State regulation. I had been designated Hermes for the mission: to get the new book (Compliance? Ambivalence? Rejection?) into the consultation process before Friday’s deadline. The TT news put the wind in my wheels.

As I arrived at HPC HQ, I saw a DHL biker fiddling with his panniers on the pavement, and I wondered if he had just delivered the amazing Maresfield Report.

The young woman on the desk actually opened the door before I reached the top of the stairs, and (this really did surprise me) gave me a welcoming smile. (I have to admit that over the months she and I have rarely hit it off.)

I said that I had a gift for the Policy and Standards department, and could she call someone down to receive it from me.

She jumped to her feet and ran to the inner door, and yelled "Grace! Can you come back! There's another one!"

Grace duly returned, and took me into the little cubby-hole, recessed in reception, and I offered her my hand.

She had to remove the little blue rubber finger-stall that was stuck on the end of her finger, before greeting me in the accustomed way.

I told her I had a gift from my tribe to hers, and asked her if she was able to receive it with the dignity it deserved.

Just for a moment she dissolved into giggles before rallying to say she would try.

The letter enclosed in the envelope, and wrapped around the book said:

Enclosed please find our book containing essays and responses to your consultation request. Many of these submissions have also been sent individually. We hope that you recognise that this work represents a sustained and serious effort by a few who have drawn on the support of many un-named others. Those who signed the book represent many of those others.

It is a symbolic act that we make in giving you this gift, which we trust you to treat with the respect that it deserves.

The 103 signatures were collected at a conference in London yesterday, which was organised to consider taking up the position of principled non-compliance with the regulation as proposed by your process.

The conference drew around 220 people, about 90 of who are registrants with the UKCP and 130 with BACP (as well as those from other organisations).


The Alliance for Counselling & Psychotherapy against State Regulation.

info@allianceforcandp.org
www.allianceforcandp.org