Professional Registration
The Birkbeck Counselling Association is accredited by the BPC (British Psychoanalytic Council) as a Member Institution (MI) along with other professional associations embodying training, research and academic thinking within psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy.
As an MI, the BCA is the management body legally incorporated under company laws and has its Articles of Association. BCA shares compatible aims and ethos with a primary function to maintain high standards of professional training with the BPC, other MIs and key therapy organisations such as the BACP.
BCA accept applications for BPC registration and acts as ‘gatekeeper’ for individual BCA members who wish to apply for BPC registration as Psychodynamic Counsellors. Whilst registered with BPC, a BCA member must remain an active, subscription paid member to ensure their ongoing registration with the BPC. There is an agreed process for suitably qualified and experienced BCA members to register with the BPC as psychodynamic counsellors. Details of the application process are outlined within the BPC guidance sections.
Currently BCA members may join the BACP register by meeting BACP’s requirements for this. This situation remains unchanged, but BCA members who meet BPC’s requirements now also have the option of joining the BPC register as Psychodynamic Counsellors if they prefer (or they may choose to join both registers).
The MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy (previously called MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling) and the MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling and Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents (previously called MSc in Psychodynamic Counselling with Children and Adolescents) have been BACP accredited courses for some time. They are now also accredited BPC trainings. The Foundation Degree in Psychodynamic Counselling and CBT is accredited with BACP but not with BPC.
The application process by which BCA members can join the BPC register has been agreed between BCA and BPC. Further information is available on our BPC registration web page.
Applications to join the BACP register are handled directly by BACP rather than by the BCA as it is an individual registration process rather than an organisational one. See the BACP website for further information.