Research projects and priorities:

• The Research Department aims to raise research awareness within the BACP membership thus developing a research culture while contributing to the evidence base of counselling and psychotherapy. As a part of our remit to promote and commission research, we are producing a series of systematic reviews of the research evidence on a number of topics;
• We support primary research by peer reviewing protocols and contributing to/refereeing funding applications;
• We develop, produce, carry out and analyse internal surveys, looking at education, training and practice, with future regulation in mind;
• We lobby and provide feedback to consultations from government bodies, funding organisations, teaching institutions, etc in order to enhance counselling and psychotherapy research.

The Research Department also:

• Plans, arranges and co-ordinates the Annual BACP Research Conference;
• Produces publications, briefing papers and information sheets on research;
• Runs a research network with a new improved online directory;
• Supports both the Counselling and Psychotherapy Research Journal (CPR) and Therapy Today (formerly CPJ) published by BACP
• Manages the BACP Recognising Achievement Scheme in Counselling and Psychotherapy Research;
• Liaises with key external bodies to help shape matters of policy, activity and working methods related to research and funding;
• Runs a helpdesk for research enquiries for BACP members and from members of the public and organisations;
• Maintains and updates the research web pages with useful information.

The Research Committee:

The Research Committee is a non-executive committee that offers BACP a strategic role in formulating the priorities for the Research Department. It advises on a range of research matters and helps to shape research policy and activity.

Research Conference – Annual Event

The conference programmes reflect a wide range of interests and research methodologies giving delegates the opportunity to reflect upon practice, consider the relationship between theory and practice and improve their service. The conference also addresses the continued need for networking amongst therapists, as identified repeatedly from our evaluation of previous conferences. Follow the conference links at the top left of the page for up to date information on the next upcoming conference.

Abstracts from each previous conference since 1999 can be accessed via the conference links at the top left of the page or by clicking here.

Research Network:

The Research Department facilitates an online research network directory – open to all BACP members. This enables members with similar research interests to make direct contact with each other. The network is a benefit of membership and it is searchable using keywords of topic, names or towns. There are over 450 research network members with individual interests numbering over 950. The main categories in the BACP Research Directory include:

• Counsellor training and development
• Theoretical models
• Treatment modes
• Counselling setting
• Counselling specific client groups / populations
• Client concerns
• Medical and health concerns
• Counselling practice issues
• Counselling service providers
• Research, audit and evaluation
• Other

Members of the Research Network also have the use of a bulletin board ’talk group’ facility. This is a password-protected group and is available for network members only.

For details and joining forms for the BACP Online Research Network Please contact us:

If you have an enquiry on a research matter please contact Angela Couchman at the Research Department. You can either email research@bacp.co.uk or telephone: 01455 883318. If you are requesting research references on a specific topic we prefer these requests to be forwarded to us by email. We will be happy to receive your enquiry and will do our best to respond to any requests.