Research-informed counselling and psychotherapy: A training and accreditation agenda

Abstract

Training and accreditation standards play a critical role in the development of a research-informed agenda. This commentary on Barkham et al. (Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 2024) discusses obstacles to fully integrating research into the training and standard agendas, and the potential role that the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) can play in helping to overcome such obstacles. Knowledge of research evidence is currently limited in training and accreditation standards for counselling and psychotherapy, and course tutors are often not familiar—or engaged—with research findings. In the development of professional standards (for instance, within SCoPEd), the BACP should work to ensure that research competencies are comprehensive, contemporary and explained in a granular manner. Further helpful developments might include an annual research-oriented conference for trainers and clinical supervisors, a journal dedicated to disseminating research and good practice in training and clinical supervision and/or a training/clinical supervision research network to coordinate activities in these area. BACP events—across all elements of the profession—should strive to address issues of research awareness and participation, and the use of research to inform practice. Critically, across all of these possibilities, BACP's Research Department, alone, cannot be left to support moves to a research-informed profession. Rather, an organisation-wide initiative is needed in which appreciation of the research evidence is at the heart of all aspects of the Association's work.