Petition against State regulation of psychological therapies

"The Government proposes to regulate psychological therapies through the Health Professions Council. Thousands of psychotherapists and counsellors working successfully in these fields would be barred from using their habitual and long-earned titles if the proposal to make ‘psychotherapist’ a protected title is approved.

Specifically, body-centred approaches, client-centred, humanistic and integrative psychotherapists rely on a model which emphasises self-actualisation and the intersubjective and relational nature of human development and experience.

These are not variants of the Department of Health preferred modalities, and often offer a more fundamental alternative to CBT and related outcome-focussed therapies, whose long-term effectiveness remains unproven.

The DH proposals have failed to make the case for regulation. There is no evidence of widespread client abuse. Current voluntary and professional arrangements already deal with client complaints and maintain professional competence in the field of psychotherapy"

started by Tim Brown – Deadline to sign up by: 25 October 2008 – Signatures: 220