Titles

The title of ‘counsellor’ has been the subject of much contention in the UK, Australia and The United States.

In the USA, individual state legislatures have passed legislation defining the word counsellor as a title; as such it is only to be used by graduates from varying schools approved of by the government.

IVC and IMTTA have a philosophical and ethical disseverment to legislation which places legislativerestrictions upon commonly used words and in so doing change the definitions and meaning of the word.

“In the US, licensing is regulated at the state level, and it is illegal to offer services while physically within that state unless licensed by that state. If you are seeking face-to-face counselling in the

United States, it is essential that you verify whether your practitioner is licensed — not because licensing provides any guarantee about the quality of the service you will receive (it does not) — but because a counsellor offering services in the US without a license is breaking the law. This would indicate either that the counsellor is unaware of the laws regulating their profession, or that they are deliberately undertaking criminal activity; neither alternative is acceptable!

 Other countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom, do not regulate the profession by means of licensing; in the UK, there is no such thing as a ‘licensed practitioner’.

Notably, a recent 3-year study in Australia*, dubbed “the most comprehensive and diverse study ever to be undertaken on the regulation of the Counselling Profession”, concluded that consumer protection would best be served by not introducing governmental regulation over and above the existing self-regulation via relevant professional organisations.” ~

http://counsellingresource.com/therapy/aboutcouns/licensure/

The IMTTA is an accredited training provider with the International Institute of Complementary Therapists and the courses offered are accredited through the IICT (and several other industry associations). Offering the best possible level of industry protection and regulation.

The etymology of the word counsellor is derived from a Latin word ‘consillum’ meaning either ‘consultation or advice’. The common use of the word ‘counsel’ has come to mean it is usually understood as advice however, ‘consultation’ is the meaning taken in the context of Holistic Counselling. Holistic Consultant may be a clearer description.

In the UK there was a great debate with submissions contesting the legislative hijacking of the word ‘counsellor’ and pointing out the many differing uses of the word and the confusion defining the word by legislation would cause. Here is a link to one those submissions which gives an excellent overview of the debate and the counter argument to defining counsellor as a title.

“I do not believe that psychological counselling can legitimately lay claim to the notions of

counselling as it predominantly does.” ~ Schuster, 1999, p3. http://www.society-for-philosophy-inpractice.org/journal/pdf/10-1%20017%20Brown%20%20Meaning%20of%20Counsellor.pdf

* “Following is a Press Release (23 August 2006) from the Australian Counselling Association which provides the latest information regarding speculation surrounding regulation of the Counselling

Industry:

Victorian Government Says “No” to the Regulation of the Counselling Industry After 3-years research and investigation, the Victorian Department of Human Services brought to a conclusion the possibility of a regulated model for the Counselling Profession, in the State, and Nationally.

For years there have been spurious rumours that government would introduce standards for Counsellor Training and Practice. These rumours were often initiated for the political and/or commercial gain of those disseminating them.

Whilst government had no plan to establish standards of practice in Counselling, in 2003 it did initiate an investigation into how a model of self-regulation may be structured. This investigation was undertaken by an Industry Federation, Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation Australia (ACFA), and was funded by the Victorian Department of Human Services.

On August 23, 2006 at a meeting of key industry stakeholders and government, it was concluded that NO regulation of the Counselling Industry would occur.

The project was undertaken in the interest of consumer protection, with the core project aim to investigate if a model of self-regulation would better protect consumers of Counselling services. The project was the most comprehensive and diverse study ever to be undertaken on the regulation of the Counselling Profession. Conducted over 3-years, the project studied the standards of approximately 50 Professional Membership Organisations nationally, as well as many International Associations. The project reviewed Training Standards for Counsellors; Accountability of Practitioners; Protection of Consumers; Practitioner Ethics Standards; Governance of Counsellor Associations; Policies for Complaints, Conciliation and Appeals; Codes of Good Governance; and modes of regulation. After a thorough and inclusive process, it was concluded that no action or intervention by Government was required.

What does this mean to the Public, Counsellors, and the Counselling Industry?

The decision by the Victorian Department of Human Services concludes long standing speculation regarding Training and Practice Standards for the Counselling Profession. For many years Industry groups have alluded to government intervention and a change in Training Standards for Counsellors.

This information has often been […] misrepresented to the public at large, to clients of counsellors, and particularly to prospective students of Counselling.

The decision confirms the intent of Government regarding the Counselling Profession.

The decision unambiguously demonstrates the government has NO INTENTION of introducing standards to regulate the Training and Practice of Counsellors in the foreseeable future. The decision recognises the extensive work of the profession to date in establishing a quality self-managed, consumer driven model of regulation in a diverse industry.

So how will the decision affect stakeholders?

The decision has serious ramifications for stakeholders. Whether you’re a consumer, a prospective counsellor, or a practicing counsellor, the outcome of this decision has important consequences. We’ll briefly examine them below.

Consumers

One of the core aims in investigating a self-regulated model for the Counselling Profession was to ascertain whether consumers of Counselling services would be better protected under a regulated model. This is of paramount importance to governments and fundamentally directs their decisions, asthey are empowered by the public to implement policy in the interest of their safety. The nature of Counselling results in very few complaints being brought against Counsellors. Counselling, as opposed to Psychotherapy, is more about empowering clients to make their own decisions. Counsellors generally do not give advice, and do not deal with clinical issues. As such, the potential risk to clients from Counselling is extremely low. Implicit in the decision of the Victorian Department of Human Services not to regulate the Counselling Profession is that customers of Counselling are not at significant risk; and that the current market driven model of the profession adequately mitigates risk to the consumer.

Prospective Counsellors

The academic standard of Counsellors has for some time been an issue of discussion. What level of education is adequate for a Counsellor? As part of the investigation into a self-regulated model, Training Standards for Counsellors were considered. Currently, as the profession is not regulated, there is no minimum education standard for practice. Education and experiential standards are generally maintained through (non mandatory) membership with Industry Associations. The overwhelming majority of practicing counsellors maintain membership to an Industry Association. Membership provides them with professional affiliation; access to insurance; transparency of qualifications; a means for dealing with complaints; a Code of Good Practice; ongoing professional development and much more. The industry has therefore established Training Standard benchmarks by virtue of Association Membership Levels. These levels reflect qualifications, experience, supervision and commitment to ongoing development. The vast majority of Counsellors have a vocational level qualification, such as a Diploma in Counselling. The decision of the government not to regulate Counselling implicitly recognises the Training Standards established through existing Association structures.

Practicing Counsellors

Whilst the decision means that practicing counsellors need do nothing differently, it still has ramifications for them. Most importantly, it amplifies the need for Counsellors to get involved in their industry. Whilst the decision clearly recognises the excellent work the industry has done to self-manage, the status quo could only be attained through the active involvement of Counsellors with an interest in the political landscape of their industry.

Counsellors can define their industry through involvement in their Association/s. Associations have to date achieved an extraordinary amount. Whilst there is contention on some issues, as a whole, the industry, through self-governance has attained high and broadly accepted standards in the areas of Training, Ethics, and Complaints.”