Offering a unique opportunity to showcase counselling and psychotherapy services or research projects to the wider professional community the awards are open to both members and non-members of BACP. They will be presented at the annual BACP awards evening on Monday 15 November 2010 at the Bloomsbury Hotel, Coram Street, London.

The three categories in which achievement will be rewarded in 2010 are:

• The Innovation in Counselling and Psychotherapy Award
• The Excellence in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice Award
• The Outstanding Research Project Award

Previous years' have seen an extremely high standard of entries/nominations, and a wide range of services and projects have been rewarded for their achievements.

2009 winners included the Welsh Assembly Government, who received the Innovation Award for their school-based counselling strategy. Relate were also Innovation Award winners for their Responsive Model, which was created to help increase the safety of adults who experience violence or abuse, and the children who witness it. Winner of the Excellence Award was the Milton Keynes Counselling Centre for their provision of counselling to the local population.

Also recognised last year was lecturer Mhairi Thurston who received the CPR New Researcher Prize for her work exploring the emotional impact of sight loss and the counselling needs and experiences of blind and partially sighted adults.

The closing date for submissions for the 2010 Awards is Friday 30 July. Further information and application forms can be obtained by contacting Sandra Balderson on 01455 206357 or awards@bacp.co.uk

For further information please contact: Alison Croft, BACP Press and Public Relations Manager, on 01455 883342 (office), 07989 416665 (mobile) or alison.croft@bacp.co.uk

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Date: Wednesday 19 May 2010