March 2026: SF, Membership Number 00963087 , Registrant ID 397966

March 2026: Simon Fraser, Membership Number 00963087 , Registrant ID 397966

Outcome Details

Consensual Disposal


Reasons

1. Simon Fraser a BACP individual member since […], agrees to the following outcome of the investigation into a complaint of a failure to meet Professional Standards under reference PCP[…].


Background

2. The Referrer had weekly email therapy with the Member between August Year 1 and April Year 2.

The Referrer complains that on 3 April Year 2, as part of her therapy, she sent an email to the Member that included details of some of her experiences of […]. When the Member responded to this email on 5 April Year 2 he said that there were lots of things that filled him with anxiety, amongst which he detailed […]. He said that he would […].

Admissions

3. The Member makes the following admission which BACP accepts:

Allegation

1.1 By email to the Referrer dated 5 April Year 2 the Member disclosed to the Referrer his anxiety about:

(a) […],
(b) […],
(c) […]

Allegation 1.1 is an allegation of Professional Misconduct.

Mitigation

4. The Member puts forward the following in mitigation which has been taken into account by the IAC in deciding the appropriate outcome.

The anxiety the Member disclosed to the Referrer is a genuine source of anxiety for him; he accepts that he should have used a more neutral example of a situation that made him anxious. The Member accepts that he should not have used the words he used; his comments were not intended to be a sexualised remark, although with the benefit of hindsight he accepts that his comments could be unintentionally perceived in that way. His intention at the time was to demonstrate his anxiety in a vulnerable situation, and from his interactions with the Referrer the Member believed that she would appreciate his candour as she had asked for complete honesty and stated she did not want banal responses or his refusal to answer.

At the time the Member perceived that the Referrer was genuinely interested in the example he had given.

The Member certainly did not intend to cause any distress and he deeply regrets any upset he has caused the Referrer. The Member accepts that the words he used were not appropriate and he apologies for that error of judgement.

Conclusion

5. The issue identified and admitted by the Member amounts to breach of the professional standards reasonably expected of the Member having regard in particular to paragraphs 29, 33 a. and 48 of ‘Good Practice’ in the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2018 which state:

29: Our work with clients will be based on professional partnerships with them that aim to increase their wellbeing, capability and/or performance.

33: We will establish and maintain appropriate professional and personal boundaries in our relationships with clients by ensuring that:

a. these boundaries are consistent with the aims of working together and beneficial to the client

48: We will avoid any actions that will bring our profession into disrepute.

6. One of the aims of the Professional Conduct Procedure is to protect members of the public. The IAC in considering the appropriate outcome, including any sanction, for the admitted breach in this case have taken into account the interests of public protection and determined that it is reasonable and proportionate to conclude it on the terms set out below.

7. In relation to the findings above the IAC takes into account that the Member has provided:

(i) evidence of having undertaken a significant amount of CPD, including on the setting and maintaining of ethical boundaries,
(ii) an email from […], his supervisor, confirming that the Member has discussed this case in supervision

From its consideration of the above, the IAC is satisfied that the Member has undertaken sufficient relevant CPD such that it does not require the Member to undertake any further CPD as part of the sanction it imposes.

8. In relation to the findings above the IAC considers the following sanction to be appropriate.

To provide BACP within 4 weeks of entering into a Consensual Disposal Agreement a reflective piece addressing:

(a) what went wrong in this case acknowledging the point(s) where the wrong decision(s) was/were made,
(b) the learning from this case and from the CPD undertaken on the setting and maintaining of boundaries, and the use of supervision, demonstrating how this learning has been incorporated into practice, referencing the relevant parts of the Ethical Framework 2018,
(c) the impact of this conduct on BACP and the wider counselling professions.

9. The Member agrees that this Agreement will be published by the BACP in line with the Publication Policy.

10. The Member agrees that he will not act in any way inconsistent with this Agreement such as, for example, by denying the admissions in paragraph 3 above.

11. If the Member acts in a way which is inconsistent with this Agreement the matter will be referred to a sanction panel for consideration. Such a decision would be published.

(Where ellipses [ . . . ] are displayed, they indicate an omission of text)