United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy

The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a professional association of psychotherapy organisations and practitioners in the United Kingdom.

The UKCP exists to "promote and maintain the profession of psychotherapy and the highest standards in the practice of psychotherapy throughout the United Kingdom, for the benefit of the public." Only psychotherapists or psycho therapeutic counselors who meet UKCP's training requirements and abide by its ethical guidelines are included in its online "Register of Psychotherapists". The UKCP was initially founded in the 1980s as the United Kingdom Standing Conference for Psychotherapy following the Foster Report (1971) and the Sieghart Report (1978), which recommended regulation of the psychotherapy field. It was formally inaugurated as a council in 1993. UKCP also represents the United Kingdom in the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) – a Vienna based umbrella organisation which sets standards for equivalence of training and practice throughout Europe.

UKCP elects its chair among its members. Term of office Office holder2023–present Christian Buckland 2022–2023 Jo Lucas (acting chair)2022–2022 Syed Azmatullah2016–2022 Martin Pollecoff2012–2016 Janet Weisz 2009–2012 Andrew Samuels 2007–2009 James Gray Antrican 2005–2007 Lisa Wake (now de Rijk) 2002–2004 James Pollard 2001–2002 Alan Thomson 1998–2001 Ann Casement 1995–1998 Digby Tantam 1993–1995 Emmy van Deurzen 1989–1993 Michael R. Pokorny (Chair of the UK Standing Conference for Psychotherapy)