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While a research base existed when I first trained in counselling and psychotherapy, I didn't know anything about it. Research did not feature in my training in any form, and we were certainly not encouraged to engage with evidence to support, challenge or understand practice. We were offered theory, were provided with opportunities to develop skills, and of course attended a practice placement in which we developed our competency as practitioners and collected training hours. We just knew what we did ‘worked' and did not feel the need to question that assumption.

The intervening years has seen a dramatic change in the context of counselling and psychotherapy delivery, including an acknowledgement that questioning assumptions about practice is an ethical imperative. Counselling and psychotherapy is now seen by many as a positive choice for responding to psychological distress, and national treatment guidelines cite the benefits of counselling and psychotherapy for a number of mental health presentations.

Practitioners too are undertaking their own research, whether as part of a training programme or their employment. The counselling and psychotherapy research base in the UK is flourishing, and an evidence-base is building that demonstrates the efficacy of talking therapies across the life span.

BACP have been prominent in that development. The annual research conference has provided a platform for established and novice researchers alike to share ideas and research outcomes, and the launch of Counselling and Psychotherapy Research journal ten years ago has contributed to the dissemination of reflexive, pluralistic and mixed-method research papers, as well as research commentaries and debates.

The last few years have seen the development and publication of a number of research information sheets, collected here together in one volume for the first time. The information sheets, written by experienced practitioners, researchers and academics, provide both the novice and the experienced researcher with an invaluable resource to inform and develop their own research process. From the beginning of the research journey, titles include How to Write a Research Proposal and Introduction to Conducting Qualitative Research; different methods include Undertaking Systematic Reviews in Counselling and Psychotherapy and Statistics in Counselling and Psychotherapy; while the final stage of the research process is explored in Using Measures, and Thinking About Outcomes and How to Write a Research Paper and Get it Published, for example.

These information sheets independently provide counselling and psychotherapy researchers with guidance that is both accessible and comprehensive. Brought together in this new Anthology they additionally become an invaluable resource. I recommend them highly and welcome their role in supporting high-quality research and in developing new researchers.

Dr Andrew Reeves, Editor, Counselling and Psychotherapy Research