What's included
For over 30 years, the BACP Research Conference has been a place where researchers and practitioners come together to exchange ideas on important research findings, presented in open discussion with constructive critical debate and helpful dialogue. The conference fosters a climate where all are welcome to share learning and network with other delegates.
This year’s conference will showcase cutting edge research relevant to counselling, psychotherapy and coaching practice and policy development. There'll be, a particular emphasis on multidisciplinary research which involves disciplines or fields within mental health more broadly. The conference theme will explore how research can support social justice through multidisciplinary working, collaboration and the involvement of people with lived experience.
This year’s event is co-hosted with the University of East London (UEL).
Event aims
The main aims of this conference are to:
- provide a platform for researchers within counselling and psychotherapy to disseminate high-quality, peer-reviewed research specifically within counselling and psychotherapy
- actively support and engage early career researchers by offering opportunities to present their work, gain exposure to diverse research, and deepen their understanding of current developments in the field
- develop professional connections that can lead to long-term, collaborative research initiatives—recognising the conference as a catalyst for innovation and partnerships
- enhance the accessibility and visibility of research outputs for wider audiences, including those unable to attend, who can access the content through the on-demand service
- set and uphold a benchmark of excellence in research, in alignment with our organisational strategy and commitment to raising standards of professional practice
- contribute to the evolution of counselling and psychotherapy on a global scale by promoting strategic dialogue, and research that informs the future direction of the profession
Booking options
In-person bookings
Attend in person on Friday 15 May and/or Saturday 16 May 2026, to access all keynotes and workshops across six strands. Network with attendees, presenters, and BACP staff. Lunch and refreshments included.
Additionally, there’s a free-to-attend full programme of pre-conference activity on Thursday 14 May 2026, 2pm-6pm, to be held in person at the University of East London, 1 Salway Rd, London E15 1NF. This additional event is open to all, but will primarily be of interest to trainees, newly-qualified practitioners and early career researchers. The programme will include a panel discussion featuring eminent researchers in the field, a choice of workshops about practice-related research and a showcase of student research projects in progress. Everyone's welcome, whether you are able to join the main conference or not.
Conference attendance bursaries
Following the success of last year’s bursaries, we're delighted to be able to expand the number and range of bursaries to support attendance at conference in 2026.
This year we're offering up to 30 Early Career Researcher bursaries to enable early career researchers to present their work in-person at conference. Those who indicated interest and eligibility when submitting abstracts will be informed of the application procedure when notified of the outcome from peer review.
Additionally, we're offering up to 20 Increasing Access to Research bursaries to support people to join conference in person who would otherwise not be able to attend.
Each bursary will cover the attendance fee for both days of the in-person conference, and a maximum of £200 towards travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses. We also recognise that some bursary applicants with accessibility needs may require additional financial support to be able to attend, please let us know if this is the case. We'll assess applications on a case-by-case basis and may make additional financial support available in circumstances where we’re able to do so.
Finally, we're also offering a small number of bursaries to support People with Lived Experience to attend conference to participate in presentation of research and in discussions. For full details of eligibility criteria and application process, please see the information on our research web page.
The deadline to apply for conference attendance bursaries closes on Friday 20 February 2026.
Programme
Registration will begin at 9am with the event starting promptly at 9.30am on both Friday 15 and Saturday 16 May 2026.
Keynote Speaker: Why does research matter? presented by Professor Rachel Tribe.
This keynote will explore the real-world value of research for those working in psychological and therapeutic services and for those we work with. The presentation will take a critical look at the arguments for and against engaging in research, unpacking the barriers that often prevent psychotherapists from getting involved and identifying practical ways to overcome them.
Beyond the challenges, the presentation will highlight the opportunities that research creates not only for psychotherapists, but also for clients/ service users, service providers, managers, civil society organisations, the NHS, within service provision and in society as a whole. The presentation will also reflect on the ethical and professional responsibilities that underpin all research activity, including how issues of social justice and discrimination can shape both our methods and our outcomes.
Keynote speaker: The ECID Project in Barcelona: implementation and evaluation of a multidisciplinary mental health intervention with high-risk adolescents, presented by Mark Dangerfield
This keynote will describe the development and implementation of the ECID Project (Equipo Clínico de Intervención a Domicilio - Home Intervention Clinical Team) in Barcelona, an in-home, mentalization-based treatment (MBT) multidisciplinary mental health team working with extremely high-risk, non-help-seeking adolescents who are at risk of social exclusion.
The ECID Project is part of the Mental Health NHS clinical services in Barcelona, and it was conceived as an adaptation of the AMBIT (Adaptive Mentalization-Based Integrative Treatment) model, designed to enhance coordination and reflective practice within the team and across the professional networks involved in the care of these young people.
Drawing on clinical vignettes and team experience, the presentation will illustrate how the AMBIT principles have been integrated into everyday clinical practice. The presentation will include preliminary results from an ongoing research project evaluating the ECID intervention, that support the effectiveness of the approach in improving engagement and producing a clinically meaningful reduction in symptom severity and improvement in functioning after 12 months.
View the BACP International Research Conference 2026 programme.
Abstract booklet
View the BACP International Research Conference abstract booklet 2026 (PDF).
Key information
What’s included
Your booking includes:
- up to 11 hours of CPD presentations including quality research presented by experts in their field
- a CPD certificate download
- selected presentation slides
- access to the on-demand service
- lunch and refreshments for in-person delegates
- networking with peers and colleagues
Key event information
The pre-conference workshop on Thursday 14 May 2026 will be at the University of East London, 1 Salway Rd, London E15 1NF between 2pm and 6pm.
The conference on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 May 2026 will be held in The Marble Arch by Thistle hotel, Bryanston St, London, W1H 7EH on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 May 2026.
Joining instructions and the event link will be sent to the email linked to your BACP account 48 hours before the event.
On-demand
Access to the on-demand service, for three months after the event, is included in your booking. The service can be accessed an unlimited number of times, 24 hours a day.
The on-demand service will be available from Friday 22 May 2026 until Friday 21 August 2026.
The on-demand service will be human transcribed to ensure accuracy.