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The Division of Counselling Psychology (DCoP) of The British Psychological Society
is the organisation devoted to furthering the development of counselling psychology,
both as a body of knowledge and skills and as a profession.
Counselling psychology has existed as a field of practice for quite some time.
The Society, through establishing the Diploma in Counselling Psychology, has recognised
the requirements for professional qualifications in this field. This route allows
candidates to register as Chartered Psychologists exclusively on the basis of
counselling psychology qualifications. Consequently, in March 1994, the Membership
of The Society voted in favour of the Special Group in Counselling Psychology
being redesignated "The Division of Counselling Psychology".
Historically, Counselling Psychology has developed as a branch of professional
psychological practice strongly influenced by human science research as well as
principal psychotherapeutic traditions. Its relationship with mainstream academic
psychology has been mutually challenging because Counselling Psychology has drawn
upon and developed phenomenological models of practice and enquiry which have
been at odds with the dominant conceptions of scientific psychology. Fruitful
relationships have also been established with other counselling and psychotherapeutic
practices which have evolved outside the framework of academic psychology.
Counselling Psychology acknowledges these valued and continuing relationships
whilst claiming its place within mainstream professional psychological practice.
It continues to develop models of practice and research which marry the scientific
demand for rigorous empirical enquiry with a firm value base grounded in the primacy
of the counselling/psychotherapeutic relationship.
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