UPCA is an organisational member (OM) and accrediting body of University Training Colleges (UTC). UTC is one of 10 United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) Colleges, all UKCP Registrants have to belong to a college.
The purpose of UPCA is to provide a route for its members to UKCP registration upon completion of a UPCA approved training programme. UPCA also seeks to protect the public through an ethical framework that all trainee therapists must adhere to. Also acting as a professional association UPCA monitors the standards of training of its approved courses and the standards of its members’ practice.
UPCA was founded in 1993 as the Universities Psychotherapy Association (UPA) with the object of furthering the development of psychotherapy training.
Since then the objectives and organisation of the association have evolved to encompass a greater focus on protecting the public in addition to its original aims.
UPCA is run by a governing body known as the Council. The objectives of UPCA are to:
- To protect the public by promoting safe and ethical psychotherapy and counselling practice amongst its members.
- To enhance and develop public confidence in members psychotherapy and counselling practice.
- To promote high standards of psychotherapeutic training and education.
- To provide a forum for the exploration of the common ground of psychotherapy and counselling.
- To develop the academic and research base of psychotherapy and counselling.
Council Members
Nancy Hakim Dowek
REPRESENTATIVE UTC
DProf Course Leader
NSPC
Foundation Course Leader
Existential Academy
Oktober Evennett
COUNCIL MEMBER
Co-Lead of the
Child & Adolescent
Psychotherapeutic Counselling Programme
Dwight Turner
CHAIR OF TRAINING & STANDARDS
Counselling and Psychotherapy Psychodynamic Course
Gary Winship
CHAIR OF RESEARCH
Associate Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences
