An official register of counsellors and therapists is urgently needed to prevent vulnerable people being exploited, according to the Irish Association for Counselling and Therapy. At the association's national conference its spokeswoman, Ms Margot Sheehy, said anyone could put a plaque up outside a door and say they were a counsellor. "They could just do one workshop and call themselves whatever they want."
Ms Karen McCarthy, the association's development manager, said a statutory register of accredited counsellors was needed. The Department of Health had failed to introduce an agreed standard. Those who were registered with the association, she said, must have completed a certified course.
The association operates an information line for people who want to be referred to counsellors registered with it. Its phone number is (01) 230-0061.
The Minister for Health, Mr Cowen, told the conference he was aware of the need for support and co-operation between the statutory and non-statutory health service sectors. The role of counselling had seen great change in Ireland over the past two decades.
"The ability of people to cope with life is a crucial factor influencing their health, particularly their mental health," he said. Counselling services provided an important support structure in helping people recover from a wide variety of distressing situations and ailments.
Dr Tony Humphreys, a clinical psychologist and author, said taboos surrounding therapy still existed. Counsellors needed to communicate with parents and teachers about what counselling had to offer families and schools.
"We need to help them to be confident to raise emotional problems of children and themselves, to make it just as acceptable to have emotional problems as physical ones." Attitudes had changed in recent years in urban areas, but there were still many taboos in rural Ireland. "There is a feeling that if you have an emotional problem it means being `psych'."
Dr Humphreys said everyone could do with some counselling. "We all need an opportunity to reflect where we are, what we're at. It is hard to get that from a friend, colleague or partner as they are all to busy."