Why I’m Leaving the BACP (and Why That Actually Serves My Clients)
This hasn’t been a knee-jerk decision. It’s been a slow, thoughtful, slightly uncomfortable one. The kind you sit with, chew over, run the numbers on, and then finally say: this no longer makes sense.
We’re often taught, especially during training, almost conditioned, that as counsellors we have to be with the BACP. That it’s the gold standard. That without it, we’re somehow less legitimate. But here’s the truth that doesn’t get said loudly enough:
The BACP is not a governing body.
It’s a membership organisation.
A members’ club.
I’ve completed my CPCAB Level 2, 3 and 4. I have a counselling degree. I’ve invested in numerous additional qualifications and ongoing CPD. I continue to train, learn, reflect, and develop because I take my work, and my client….seriously. None of that disappears because I choose not to renew one particular membership.
What has become very clear is the cost. Financially, emotionally, and ethically.
When I actually sat down and worked it out, I’ve paid the BACP far more than I’ve ever gained from them. Over £300 a year, every year. And in return? I don’t receive referrals from them. I don’t feel represented. I don’t feel consulted. And increasingly, I don’t feel aligned.
That £300 doesn’t come from nowhere. It comes from a small business run by a self-employed therapist in a brutal economic climate. It impacts my expenditure. And I’d far rather use that money to offer another concession place, fund more CPD, or buy creative interventions that directly benefit the people I work with.
Because here’s the thing: my practice is full.
I’m continuously booked.
My referrals come from word of mouth, recommendations, and real human connection.
That tells me something important is already working.
What really sealed this decision, though, was values.
The recent lipstick campaign felt completely disconnected from the realities of mental health. Spending members’ money on a campaign telling women over 50 to “put lipstick on and it will be okay” landed badly for me, professionally and personally. I work daily with people who have spent their entire lives masking, performing, shrinking, pretending they’re fine when they’re not. The idea that more masking is the message? That’s not something I can stand behind.
Mental health is not lipstick.
Healing is not presentation.
Authenticity matters.
Men’s mental health matters. LGBTQ+ mental health matters. Young peoples mental health matters. Children’s mental health matters. Everyone matters. And running a campaign in one shopping centre, in one part of the country, while claiming national representation doesn’t sit right with me.
There were other moments too. Seeing how unhelpful the organisation deals with situations and communication is sobering. Experiencing the framework as woolly at times, and the organisation as distant and hard to access, reinforced what I’d already been feeling.
In contrast, I’m also with the NCPS, and I prefer their ethos, inclusivity, and values. And they feel human. A helpful person answers the phone. There’s clarity. There’s accessibility. There’s alignment.
I’m also a fan of unions, and we have one in this profession, so I’ll be joining that too. Because collective support, clear advocacy, and practitioner protection matter.
Running a therapy business is hard. Being self-employed is hard. We constantly have to reassess, rethink, and make decisions that are sustainable, not just financially, but ethically and emotionally too.
Right now, this is the right decision for me.
And ultimately, it’s a decision that serves my clients.
Not every therapist will agree. That’s okay. Just like not every counsellor is right for every client. I believe deeply in the relationship, in integrity, and in practising in a way that feels honest and congruent.
This choice does exactly that.
And I’m at peace with it.
Stay safe, stay connected and take gentle care
Louise x
