Íø±¬ÃÅ

Do we have a global confidence crisis as a profession? That’s the question I asked myself during a recent International Association for Counselling (IAC) conference in Malta.

Conference attendees were discussing some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing our profession – AI, the proliferation of online therapy, working across borders, parity of esteem for the counselling professions, regulation matters, children’s mental health crisis and more.

Discussions with colleagues from other nations on anti-oppressive practise gave me a lot to think about in relation to how online therapy with international clients has shifted cultural boundaries and relational dimensions. This conversation prompted some interesting discussions with our international counterparts about professional standards across the globe.

Since attending the conference, we're now involved alongside IAC members in other nations in work to produce guidance on working across national borders. This is an important topic that Íø±¬ÃÅ has been developing internally and sharing withing the PCPB collaborative, and it is vital that this dialogue is extended to include partner organisations in other nations and continents.

At the event, I heard from colleagues in Ireland, Australia and Canada – all at various points in a journey towards regulation. I also found out more about work going on in Canada and New Zealand to support indigenous communities. But throughout all these relevant and varied conversations, it felt to me that the profession was suffering a self-esteem issue. A bit of a confidence crisis. There was a sense that came through that around the globe the counselling professions were feeling under-valued, that therapists were not receiving the job opportunities they deserve, that the continued development of AI is being met with antipathy, anxiety and even animosity.

There was an undertone that the public sometimes had a negative perception of unregulated therapy, and that Governments and employers did not necessarily take the profession seriously. We must challenge this notion – in the UK and around the world.

I know that as a UK association we are continuously working to address the perception, role and status of the counselling professions. From our work with the Partnership of Counselling and Psychotherapy Bodies (PCPB) , which is increasing in momentum, to our policy and public affairs work, some of which was mentioned in Parliament the other day, and our public relations activity, including this summer’s Positive steps campaign demonstrating how therapy can change new mums’ lives. These workstreams are just the tip of the iceberg. The work of the recently convened UK Commission for the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy will explore the state of the sector, whether the professions should be statutorily regulated, the evidence base for counselling and psychotherapy, and the future for the professions.

Our members deliver high-quality, ethical therapy, they’re bound by a robust ethical framework, they must meet high standards of practice, and they’ve all had to complete rigorous training before they even qualify and see their names on the Íø±¬ÃÅ register. That underpins everything we must be confident and assertive about, whether we’re talking to Government, employers or other stakeholders.

I feel privileged to represent our members and our profession on a global forum and to be able to highlight your skills and expertise to my international colleagues, as well as standing up for our members in my activities in the UK. And, yes, we are facing challenging issues that may knock our self-esteem as a profession – both nationally and internationally. But we must face them head on. We need to seize the opportunities they present, with confidence. We must be braver, stand up publicly for our values and emphasise and accentuate what the profession is offering. And we must remember we’re not alone in this. The adage ‘strength in numbers’ applies to our work with IAC and its professional body members from across the globe.

The roundtable discussion at the conference highlighted the importance of forward proactive collaboration to effect positive change for all associations and their memberships, and the people they support through therapy. Ultimately, collaborative action and influence will support increasing recognition of the counselling professions role as core providers of mental health and wellbeing services.

From my experience of the IAC Malta event, I’m left with a significant sense of possibilities for collaboration, learning and the advancement of the global counselling professions.

That sense of a confidence crisis? We’re already moving on from it.