Psychotherapy and Counselling Union South East

26/04/2026

Please sign and share. Support Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust workers who have been threatened with the Trust breaking their contracts in order to impose one attacking their pay and conditions. Don't let them get away with it!

26/11/2025

PCU Joins the PCPB’s Commission into the Future of Therapy

The Psychotherapy and Counselling Union (PCU) has agreed to take part in the PCPB’s Commission into the Future of Therapy. This Commission brings together organisations across the profession to discuss how counselling and psychotherapy should develop over the coming years.

While we continue to hold concerns about transparency, governance, and the impact of frameworks such as SCOPED, we believe it is essential that working therapists and counsellors have a voice in any process that may shape the future of our profession. Joining the Commission ensures that our members’ experiences and perspectives are represented rather than decided for them.

A full explanation of our decision will be shared with PCU members soon.

🗓️ Member Discussion Meeting – 1st December

To ensure that our participation is guided by the views of our members, we will be hosting an online members’ discussion forum at 7pm on Monday 1 December. This will be the first in a series of meetings held ahead of each evidence session of the Commission.

All PCU members are invited to attend. Invitations have been sent out via email, but you can also email [email protected] to register.

If you are not yet a member but wish to take part in this conversation, we encourage you to join the PCU before 1st December so your voice can be included. Joining is quick and easy on our website https://pcunion.org.uk/join-pcu-live/

28/10/2025

"The philosophical lens of pluralism in counselling and psychotherapy has gained much traction over the last few years, informing thinking and shaping practice. In this wonderful text, Beichman undertakes a detailed and compelling account of its scope across therapy, philosophy, practice and broader social justice considerations. For anyone interested in a critical discussion of the key philosophical developments that underpin our work – and who wouldn’t be – this book brings much to the table and is highly recommended, for practitioners, academics, theorists and broader social scientists alike."

Andrew Reeves, Professor in Counselling Professions and Mental Health, University of Chester, UK, and Senior Accredited Counsellor/Psychotherapist and Coach

20/10/2025

We are pleased to share the details of The Art Therapy Un-Conference 2025, which may be of interest to our members - particularly those involved in art, music, drama, or movement therapy.

The Art Therapy Un-Conference 2025
📅 Saturday 1 November 2025, 10am–6pm
📍 Cooperationtown Hub, Haverstock Rd, London NW5 4RA (nearest station: Gospel Oak)

The TAT Un-Conference has been developed in response to exclusionary factors across the psychotherapy field, offering an accessible, democratic, and creative space for practitioners to come together.

Expect a full day of collaborative sessions and workshops - full details are here: https://tatcoop.substack.com/p/tat-un-conference-sessions-announced?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5e6e7d75-ec3b-4300-b7bc-18d6ffa7f993_1587x2245.png&open=false

You can book your tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/tat-un-conference/tickets

The venue is wheelchair accessible. For other accessibility needs, email [email protected].

Interested in connecting with other arts therapists?

PCU has an active Arts Therapies Network, bringing together members who use art, music, drama, movement, or other HCPC-regulated therapies in their practice. Arts therapies students are very welcome too. For more information please email [email protected]

Not yet a PCU member? Joining is quick and easy via our website - membership gives you access to the Arts Therapies Network and other opportunities to get involved.

17/10/2025

This session will feature a presentation, discussion, and Q & A session with Jay Beichman […]

11/10/2025

Join us next weekend for October's Walking in Community meet up🏞️💨

07/10/2025

Thu 9 Oct 6.00-7.00 pm - See you there! Pluralism and Therapy: Resisting One-Size Therapy - Live Book Launch Tickets, Thu, Oct 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite

Pluralism and Therapy: Resisting One-Size Therapy Live Book Launch with Jay Beichman

30/09/2025

Congratulations to Retail Trust for recognising the worth of its affiliate therapists and increasing session fees!

Shame on those - many - EAP providers which haven't increased what they pay us for years, despite the alarming increase in the cost of living. If some companies can pay reasonable fees and make a profit so can others.

Why this matters:

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) work has become an important source of income for therapists in recent years. However, session fees have stagnated over recent years and, in some cases, reduced, with some companies paying only £25 per session. Such low fees do not reflect the level of training, qualification, and experience that therapists bring to this area of work. Nor do they reflect the time spent on report writing, preparation, and administration that is an essential part of the therapist’s work.

That’s why PCU is campaigning for fairer fees and better conditions. We call on the purchasers of EAP services to add more weighting to the quality of service, and the pay and conditions of the workforce when they go out to tender.

Join the campaign

Are you a PCU member working with an EAP, either as an affiliate therapist or directly for a company? You’re warmly invited to our next PCU EAP Network & Campaign Meeting:

🗓️ Saturday 22nd November
🕝 2:30pm
📍 Zoom
For the link (or more info), please email: [email protected]

The campaign is for members only, but joining PCU is quick and easy via our website.