BBC Radio 4’s The Therapy Business programme has highlighted some of the most important issues within our profession.

Prompted by journalist Jordan Dunbar’s personal experience of therapy, the documentary explored what happens when clients are unhappy with their therapy, the complaints processes available to them, the current accredited register system, and the issue of statutory regulation.

We were pleased to contribute to the programme, broadcast on 24 September.

Our Chief Professional Standards Officer Fiona Ballantine Dykes was interviewed and stressed the importance of members of the public choosing a therapist from an accredited register and the high professional standards of our members.

She also outlined our own complaints and conduct processes, the independence of panel members who make decisions, and the support we put in place for members of the public who submit a complaint against a therapist.

The documentary said that not everybody is keeping count of the figures for complaints against therapists.

We do record these figures and submitted the most recent statistics to the BBC, which came from our latest report to the Professional Standards Authority.

We believe it’s important that our voice is heard on these issues; for our members, for the profession and for us as an organisation.

These are topics we shouldn’t shy away from discussing, but instead look at what we can do to ensure measures of public protection are as robust as possible and that our members are supported to maintain the highest professional standards.

We know that discussions about the concept of statutory regulation will continue, within the profession and outside of it.

As Fiona said on the programme: “Our position is to work within whatever framework is currently the one offered and, at the moment, that is the accredited register scheme. We would support anything that helps to raise standards and to protect the public and to make sure that people on our register are meeting the highest possible standards.”

We’re interested in being involved in any work to develop statutory regulation to ensure it protects the public and maintains the highest standards within the profession.

And we’re looking at how we can open up further conversations on the subjects with our members.

Fiona added on the programme: “We would see it as our responsibility to play an active role in that discussion and to bring our members with us on any discussion around it.”

Listen to the programme on BBC Sounds