Chartered membership reflects the highest standard of psychological knowledge and expertise. It demonstrates a commitment to professional development and high ethical standards of practice, teaching and research (BPS, 2012).
If you are looking to access therapy, you might feel a bit confused about who to see. With terms such as ‘Counsellors’, ‘Therapists’, ‘CBT practitioners’, ‘Psychologists’ and ‘Psychotherapists’ all commonly being used, the choice can feel overwhelming. However, with a Psychologist, you can guarantee training at a high level, robust clinical practice and generally a significant level of experience.
Counselling Psychology
Counselling Psychology integrates research with psychological theory and therapeutic practice in order to provide a scientific evidence base to the therapy. Throughout their training, Counselling Psychologists develop an enhanced self-awareness. This enables the therapist to attend to the relational dynamics within the therapeutic relationship which offer a further perspective to draw on. Counselling Psychologists understand medical diagnosis, but also aim to develop a formulation which is specific to the individual’s presentation in order to promote psychological functioning and well-being. Chartered Counselling Psychologists now train for a minimum of six years in order to deliver interventions with a high level of competence. As a Practitioner Psychologist there are generic standards of proficiency that a healthcare professional must be adhered to, alongside profession specific standards (see professional registration).
For more information you can visit the British Psychological Society’s Division of Counselling Psychology website
Gloucestershire CBT & Psychology Limited 