United Kingdom Council For Psychotherapy

The United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) is a national professional association of psychotherapy organizations and practictioners in the United Kingdom. According to the UKCP:

UKCP is 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. an exists to promote and maintain high standards in the practice of psychotherapy for the benefit of the public throughout the United Kingdom.

Only psychotherapists or psychotherapeutic counsellors who meet the training requirements of UKCP and abide by its ethical guidelines are included in the UKCP's online "Register of Psychotherapists". As of 2012 there were over 70 member organisations. They are grouped together in autonomous "Colleges" representing all the main traditions in the practice of psychotherapy. UKCP was established in 1993 and evolved into a national umbrella organisation for most major psychotherapeutic modalities.

The Council is run by a board of trustees elected by its members. A number of subcommittees, including the ethics committee and those committees responsible for UKCP's relations with other bodies such as the National Health Service (NHS) and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), report directly to the board of trustees.

UKCP represents the United Kingdom in the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP) based in Vienna, which sets standards for equivalence of training and practice throughout Europe. UKCP is the National Awarding Organisation (NAO) overseeing the award of the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) in the UK.