Media coverage: August 2003
INDEX
31 August – The Independent on Sunday - It’s more emotional exploring than ‘Good Will Hunting’ - The Independent provides a definitive guide to ten of the leading counsellors and psychotherapists in Britain. Among the ten profiled are BACP Deputy Chief Executive Alan Jamieson, Governors Julia Samuel, Val Potter, BACP fellow Phillip Hodson, and Professional Conduct Committee member Tim Bond.
11 August – The Voice - ‘Is basketball ace Kobe Bryant a victim of his fame?’ - Fame and sex often make unhappy bedfellows – with stars often falling foul of the law over allegations of sexual indiscretion. Some allow stardom to go to their head, while others are unfairly targeted, say psychosexual experts, including BACP’s Phillip Hodson.
7 August – Daily Express - ‘Top-up fee Timebomb’ - ‘ More students are being driven to depression and even suicide by the fear of debt after being forced to pay tuition fees and to take out massive loans…’ A story on the top up fees debate which quotes heavily from the recent AUCC Annual Survey of Counselling in Further and Higher Education.
4 August - The Times - ‘Counsellors’ role’ - A letter from BACP’s Phillip Hodson in reply to an earlier article by Sir, Ross Clark which suggested that counsellors were “wringing their hands with anticipation” following David Blunkett’s proposal to add a surcharge to motoring fines to compensate victims of crime.
August – Primary Care Today - ‘Depression: treatment matters’ - Many scientific authorities believe a combination of approaches is the best option for most patients. However, BACP has concerns about the effects of anti-depressant medications and of the need to raise the profile of counselling and psychotherapy among GP’s and the central role it can play in treating depression.
August - Top Sante - ‘When you can’t trust your therapist’ - ‘Most therapists are hard-working professionals who adhere to a strict code of ethics – but the law doesn’t obligate them to do so.’ This story recounts one woman’s experience of sexual abuse by her therapist, and features comment from BACP on the need for statutory regulation of the talking therapies.