The National Counselling And Psychotherapy Society

We play an important role within the profession of counselling in the UK and in May 2013 the Society was one of the first organisations to gain Accredited Register status with the Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register programme. Our belief is that counselling (and related therapies) should be seen as a vocation (not just a job but a worthy occupation) and that the relationship between counsellor and client is important for the outcome of therapy. We support and promote counselling and counsellors, offering a wide variety of benefits to our members and training providers. We have also created and published online CPD courses to support healthcare providers and those in public-facing roles. As an Accredited Register holder we meet the robust and exacting standards set by the Professional Standards Authority with particular emphasis on public safety and assuring that the best interests of the clients are protected. The National Counselling Society believes that all Accredited Registers should be seen as equal. To this end, we were instrumental in gaining recognition within the NHS for all Accredited Registers. NHS Choices information list Accredited Registers to reflect what should be equality of choice for all clients and patients. In addition, NHS Employers has added content encouraging the use and detailing the benefits of Accredited Registers, and the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme recognises the NCS alongside other Registers. We’re also very pleased that, again as a result of our efforts, Health Education England has amended the information on the NHS Health Careers website also to be in line with the aforementioned changes on NHS Choices and NHS employers sites, and promote inclusive hiring practices We are a not for profit organisation and the high standards of our Accredited Register are externally verified by the Professional Standards Authority. The organisation is bound by appropriate rules of governance including a constitution, codes of ethics, and a complaints procedure.