Psychotherapy bodies are warning that new minimum training standards set by the regulator will be “dangerous” for patients.

The Health and Social Care Professionals Council CORU put forward new regulations in July, looking to tackle the issue of fake or ill-trained therapists.

However, the industry’s two main bodies - the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP) along with the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP) - have expressed concerns relating to the lack of mandatory personal therapy training sessions.

Chair of the ICP Belinda Moller said that "this is the equivalent to a newly qualified doctor being asked to do intricate surgery.”

“Currently, we have all these standards in place with high standards of personal therapy that every psychotherapist has to undergo,” she told Newstalk Breakfast.

“You would not want someone you love to go into therapy with a therapist who has never actually experienced personal therapy themselves.

“The important part of it is that the trained psychotherapists in the future – not currently – are fully and properly equipped with these core competencies and capacities to be able to look after clients.

“To be able to have the quality circle that is provided with close clinical supervision with a qualified supervisor when they are confronted with challenges, with concerns, with suicide threats."

A distressed man receives psychotherapy, Alamy

In a statement, CORU highlighted that all current industry standards are voluntary, and there is “no mandatory education, no code of practice and no minimum standards of clinical experience” for Irish psychotherapists.

However, Ms Moller said that the proposed minimum regulations will bring future Irish therapists “out of line with the current standards of training and practices” across the UK and EU.

“We are very, very afraid, disappointed and shocked that this will result in improperly trained psychotherapists,” she said.

“Without having the experience of personal therapy and close clinical supervision in their training and weaving it into their practice, which are stalwarts for the whole of a career.

“Personal therapy and close clinical supervision are essential capacity building competencies and practices that safeguard the client.”

CORU response

CORU said in a statement that the organisation is “aware of the views expressed by the Irish Council for Psychotherapy.”

“It is common for professional bodies to feel uncertain and reluctant when faced with the transition from self-governance to regulation by an independent statutory body,” a spokesperson said.

“It is understandable that the loss of control over professional standards and potential loss of revenue from this transition may cause unease.

“However, CORU is a highly experienced regulator having introduced regulation to 12 professions and overseeing the work of 32,000 people each day.

“We will actively support the profession on this essential transition.”

CORU reiterated that “statutory regulation will protect people by creating standards where currently none exist.”

Main image: Man talking and waving hands in psychotherapy session with psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, therapist or life coach. (Tero Vesalainen / Alamy Stock Photo)