Counselling in primary care in the context of the NHS quality agenda: the facts
by John Mellor Clark, published by BACP

In the last decade the provision of counselling in general practice has grown to such an extent that at least half the general practices in England have some form of counselling provision. In parallel, the three professional bodies representing counsellors in primary care have done much to raise standards and accountability of the profession in an environment committed to evidence based practice and the NHS Quality Agenda. In the research literature, however, confusion exists with regard to the professional profile of the counsellor working in primary care, and the potential effectiveness of counselling for common disorders such as depression and anxiety. The aim of this report is to untangle this confusion and then integrate this much clearer picture within the context of the NHS Quality Agenda. Intended audience: counsellors and psychotherapists working in primary care, general practitioners, mental health leads within PCG's, clinical psychologists, staff within community mental health trusts, clinical effectiveness managers, clinical governance facilitators, quality directors, PCG information managers, research workers and others.

Available from BACP Book Orders Department priced £8 (inc p&p), quote: ISBN 0 946181 81 0

Back to systematic reviews and publications