Are counselling psychologists experiencing ‘a clinical apartheid’ within the NHS?

Abstract

Many qualified counselling psychologists working for the National Health Service (NHS) and counselling psychology trainees intending to seek posts within it, are frequently dismayed by what they perceive as ‘clinical apartheid’ or professional discrimination by their clinical psychologist colleagues.Anecdotal evidence appears to confirm that if counselling psychologists manage to obtain a permanent post on a Whitley or equivalent NHS scale it is usually in Primary Care involving almost exclusively direct client contact work. Consultancy and research opportunities are rarely incorporated into a counselling psychology post. Grades offered tend to be lower than those offered to clinical psychologists, reinforcing the belief of counselling psychologists that they are viewed as lacking in competence in comparison with their clinically trained colleagues. Some bemoan the reality that the post and grade offered do not reflect their academic learning, professional status and expertise. Many areas of the clinical psychology service (apart from rare exceptions) are almost always off-limits to counselling psychologists.In view of the perceived bias within clinical psychology departments, I informally interviewed 20 Chartered Counselling Psychologists in England and Wales. It is apparent that counselling psychologists employed in a community mental health team on spine point 33 (Whitley) or above is a very rare occurrence indeed. Therefore, the aim of my pilot study is to try to establish whether there is ‘clinical apartheid’ and if there is, on what pretext is it founded. Conclusions may be drawn that the current structure of counselling psychology needs to change if it is to develop and have parity with clinical psychology within the NHS.