ARCAP
is born
HypnosisAustralia,
November 2008
By
Dr Tracie O'Keefe DCH, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist &
Counsellor
Editorial Director of HypnosisAustralia Online.
At the beginning
of January 2009 the Australian Register of Counsellors And Psychotherapists
(ARCAP) will be up and running representing the largest contingent of
counsellors and psychotherapists in Australia. The Psychotherapy and Counselling
Federation of Australia (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association
(ACA) have both finally come together and taken 50 percent interests in
ARCAP. It is unquestionably a turning point in the history of Australian
counselling and psychotherapy, a point after which the fragmented industry
reaches its Bar Mitzvah, and will be called upon to take responsibility
for its actions as an industry.
There will
be a huge amount of work to do to gather the strays in the profession
into the fold but in reality if such professionals are not part of the
process then they will eventually be unlikely to be seen as responsible
professionals by the other health professionals or the government. Whilst
it is true that anyone and their dog can call themselves a therapist in
law, the public in future will get more discerning in the way they shop
for such services. Making a living as a therapist is challenging for many
in the profession but the more qualified and recognised a professional
becomes, the more likely clients/patients will become attracted to their
practice.
The ARCAP
register will consist of the clinical registers currently being held by
PACFA and ACA. Member organisation of both parties will be encouraged
to get therapists to work toward appearing on the ARCAP register although
it is unclear whether eventually all therapists will have to train sufficiently
to move towards being on the register. The gold standard of graduating
toward the register will happen in a staged process.
1/ Firstly a student will need to be a student member of a member association
of either PACFA or ACA. Then when qualified they will have to become a
full member of that association.
2/ Secondly after sufficient validation the member association will need
to propose them to appear on the clinical register of either PACFA or
ACA.
3/ PACFA or ACA can then put the therapist forward to appear of the ARCAP
register.
4/ There is also one final step that is being proposed and that is holding
a register of recognised mental health professionals who are on the ARCAP
register.
The rudiments
of the process sounds cumbersome to begin with and may be streamlined
as the marriage between the two organisations progresses but to begin
with it is an agreeable and workable start to the union. The government
will at last be happy to talk to one united body representing the majority
of the qualified professionals in this field. In future in negotiating
for health fund rebates, Medicare rebates and GST-zero-rated status this
will be the body of which the government will take the most notice.
There are
two hypnotherapy associations involved with PACFA: the Association of
Solution Oriented Counsellors & Hypnotherapists of Australia (ASOCHA),
and the Australian Hypnotherapists Association (AHA). The Australian Society
of Clinical Hypnotherapists (ASCH) and the Professional Clinical Hypnotherapists
of Australia (PCHA) are also involved with the ACA. This would give the
opportunity for therapists from each of the four associations to go forward
to the ARCAP register if they were sufficiently qualified. The may call
themselves hypnotherapists but in reality they would appear on the register
as counsellors or psychotherapists practising hypnotherapy. Such a bitter-sweet
pill to swallow for those hypnotherapists.
©HypnosisAustralia,
November 2008
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