FG TD calls for counselling courses to be regulated

Fine Gael mental health spokesman warns of ‘dangerous’ eight-week training courses

“HIGHLY DANGEROUS” training courses for would-be counsellors are available in Ireland that offer training within eight weeks, a Fine Gael TD said at the weekend.

At an information day in the Mansion House, Dublin, organised by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Fine Gael spokesman on mental health, Dan Neville TD, called for the statutory regulation of the industry.

Mr Neville highlighted two training courses he had come across which offered diplomas in counselling through study over seven or eight weekends.

One of the courses was an advanced diploma in suicide studies; the other a diploma in practitioner skills for eating disorders.

“We know how dangerous it is to deal with such vulnerable people, but you can gain an advanced diploma in eight weekends . . . highly dangerous in my view,” he said.

Mr Neville’s own secretary had tested the system by applying for the course on eating disorders and had been accepted, although she had no experience of counselling. The course cost €3,000 for eight weekends of training.

“You know how complex eating disorders are, but in eight weekends you can counsel in it,” he said. “If that doesn’t demonstrate the need for regulation, I don’t know what will.”

Mr Neville said there was no control over who could become a counsellor: he himself could put a gold plate outside his door tomorrow and charge €80 an hour to offer marriage counselling or psychotherapy, and deal with very vulnerable people.

“I believe it is dangerous that unskilled and untrained people probe somebody’s delicate consciousness at a very difficult time for them,” he said.

The solution was to regulate the area under the existing Health Professions Regulation Act 2005, he said. He said he would be introducing a private members’ Bill shortly to add counselling practitioners to the Act and have them regulated in a proper manner.

More than 500 people attended the information day, organised to raise awareness of the benefits of counselling and psychotherapy.

Exhibitors included suicide bereavement charity Console, marriage guidance counsellors Accord, and Shine, which supports people affected by mental ill health.

Ray Henry, cathaoirleach of the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, which has 3,250 members, echoed the call for regulation at the conference on Saturday. He advised anyone considering seeking counselling to phone the association to check if the person was affiliated to it, or to check the association’s website to see if they were listed.

Mr Henry also advised anyone with a “sense of feeling different and feeling under pressure constantly with very little relief” to consider talking to a reputable person.

“Sometimes just talking to someone for an hour will be enough to keep you going and get you through,” he said.