Psychotherapy and Counselling Union

The Psychotherapy and Counselling Union was created by practitioners for practitioners from a deep understanding and lived experience of the challenges those in the profession face. Providing support to members who encounter difficulties in their workplaces, whilst training or with Membership Bodies, (e.g., with client complaints). Both BACP and UKCP formally recognise that PCU is entitled to support members in complaints processes. PCU brings practitioners together and works to have voices of the profession heard through collective campaigning, to stand up for therapists and therapy. Encountering issues that as individuals we can feel powerless to influence in isolation, we have built and continue to build relationships with representative organisations and professional bodies and lobby those in positions of power to effect change. We take care to ensure our structures and processes are democratic, guided by our values of equity, diversity and inclusion, solidarity and the broadest representation possible. A Union that is led by its members, that works for its members, by its members. PCU provides opportunities for involvement, training (through our affiliation with GFTU), information and connection through branches, forums, campaigns and our democratic structures. Policy is made in collaboration with members at our AGM and in General Meetings. Any campaigning initiatives which happen in or on behalf of the PCU are open to discussion by the membership.