We've been reviewing our Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2018 and as part of the review our first consultation (2023 to 2024) was designed to understand where clarity and changes were needed in terms of the purpose, content and structure of the Ethical Framework.

Thank you to all members who took the time to feedback during our first and second consultation and shared your thoughts with us, your voices have helped to shape our new Ethical Framework draft. 

We want to ensure the new Ethical Framework works for you, so the second consultation focused on what you may need to use it in your practice, any barriers to implementation and what additional resources we can provide to support you in being able to effectively use the new Ethical Framework. 

New draft Ethical Framework documents 

*Please note this is not the final version of the new Ethical Framework. This will be published in Autumn 2026.* 

Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2025 (Word)
Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2025 (PDF) 
Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions 2025 FAQs (Word)

Update on Ethical Framework review (EFR) 

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Ethical Framework review second consultation process which closed on Saturday 31 January 2026. We’re really grateful for all your feedback, suggestions and the range of views shared.  

The EFR team are now analysing all the feedback and consultation data preparing to share this with all members in the coming months. We’ll also be working on the final version of the Ethical Framework and creating some supplementary resources to support you. 

We’ll continue to update this page to include details of the data from the second consultation as they emerge and will be keeping you up to date through regular member communications.  

When did the second consultation close? 

The second consultation closed on Saturday 31 January 2026. This was the final consultation as part of the Ethical Framework review. All data and feedback will be analysed and shared. You can still view our Ethical Framework review webinar via our ‘on-demand’ service, until Wednesday 25 February 2025 - Implementing the new Ethical Framework draft 2025: Why, how and what? - BACP - British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy. 

What happens next

The second consultation helped us understand how the changes to the Ethical Framework might affect practitioners, supervisors, trainee counsellors, training courses, and services. All feedback gathered during this stage will be carefully reviewed in the coming months and used to shape the final version of the Ethical Framework, along with supporting materials and Good Practice in Action (GPiA) resources. These will help members confidently apply the updated Ethical Framework in their work. 

We’re committed to making the Ethical Framework available in a variety of accessible formats. The final version will be published by Autumn 2026, and it'll become mandatory three months after publication and launch.  

Reports

These reports are all the data and feedback we collected during the first consultation and since beginning the Ethical Framework review, which has helped to inform the draft. Reports from the second consultation will be shared in due course. 

1. Historical data report
1.(S) Historical data report executive summary
2. Literature review of contemporary ethical issues for counselling practitioners report 2018 to 2024
2.(S) Literature review of contemporary ethical issues for counselling practitioners report 2018 to 2024 executive summary
3. Public perception survey report 2023 
4. Public perception survey report 2024 
5. Get help with counselling public feedback report
6. Focus group data report 
6.(S) Focus group data report executive summary
7. Organisational member courses and services consultation report
8. Organisational member courses and services day informal feedback report 2023 
9. Complex ethical queries (EFIG) historical data amendment for March 23 to March 24 report
10. Informal feedback report
11. Ethics service data report January 2023 to March 2025
12. Member survey, quantitative data report
12.(S) Member survey, quantitative data report executive summary
13. Member survey qualitative data report
14. Email and social media feedback report
15. Good practice in action resources feedback report
16. Member survey report addendum
17. Professional conduct data report
18. Artificial intelligence and technology in therapy member survey report
18.(S) Artificial intelligence and technology in therapy member survey report executive summary
19. Good practice in action resources survey report
20. Analysis process of consultation data report

Professor Andrew Reeves and Myira Khan introduce the new Ethical Framework draft. Watch as they discuss the development of the new Ethical Framework draft, how they intend to use it and how it'll work for practitioners.