Accreditation Reciprocity

Agreement between

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy and Irish Association For Counselling and Psychotherapy

This document lays out the specific heads of agreement between the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy and the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy on reciprocity between their respective accreditation schemes.

1. BACP and IACP will accept each other’s accreditation decisions with respect to individuals.
2. A counsellor with accreditation in country A but working in country B must take up the appropriate membership category of country B for reciprocity with respect to accreditation made under this agreement to apply.
3. When the counsellor is given reciprocal accreditation in this way, all the benefits normally associated with accredited status will be conferred.
4. The counsellor who is taking advantage of reciprocity on accreditation must conform to the Code of Ethics and Practice in the country in which they are working.
5. Similarly, the counsellor is expected to conform to the changes in expectation for practice which relate to the country in which they are working.
6. Where a complaint is to be made against a counsellor, this complaint must to go the Association of the country in which the work has been undertaken, and must relate to the ethical codes of that country.
7. Reciprocity applies equally in situations where a counsellor has been expelled from one of the Associations or where accredited membership has been suspended by one of the associations.
8. The agreement on reciprocity between the Associations shall be reviewed after an agreed period of three years in the first instance.