The Launch of the Australian National Hypnotherapy Register (ANHR)

HypnosisAustralia, May 2009

By Dr Tracie O'Keefe DCH, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Psychotherapist & Counsellor
Editorial Director of HypnosisAustralia Online.

The 12 month-delay in launching this joint PACFA and ACA National Register has led many therapists to have reservations about its applicability to the health funds. Certainly when the project for a national register for counsellors and psychotherapists, between the two organisations was fielded in 2008 therapists were hopeful their clients would be eligible for health fund rebates. Now they are beginning to wonder if the health funds will actually give refunds for their services.

We spoke to Dr Colin Benjamin, CEO of PACFA:

HA: What is the situation with ARCAP?

CB: "It is now up and running as a company under The Company Act. The sole owner is presently PACFA and we own all the shares. It is likely to be operating as a joint venture with the ACA from 1. July. This will comply with the new Health Insurance Act of 2008 that comes into force and covers counsellors and psychotherapists on 1 July 2009."

HA: What has been the delay?

CB: PACFA did not want to issues shares to the ACA unless it became an association like PACFA. At the moment it is solely owned by Simon Clark who is transferring it into becoming an association. When ACA is an association then PACFA will issue half the shares to make it a joint 50% each national organisation.

HA: When will the web site be up and running?

CB: We can't do it until 1 July but I am hoping all those things will come together on the same day.

HA: When will the combined register of PACFA and ACA be available to the public?

CB: At the moment there are no plans to do that because the venture is to hold a national singular register the health funds can consult. This is to ensure the ARCAP-registered therapists can be recognised as proficient and professionally trained, supervised, engaging in ongoing education, and eligible nationally for health fund recognition.

HA: Where will ARCAP be based?

CB: The headquarters will initially be at PACFA but most likely rotation will be between PACFA and ACA as each takes turn at putting forward a president.

HA: What are ARCAPS's first joint tasks?

CB: There are three tasks:

1. Confirming the transfer of the PACFA and ACA registers to the ARCAP register. Remember that will not mean all members of member organisations that are members of ACA and PACFA. Not all the practitioners of those organisations will be on both association's registers since some have not met the standards required or applied for registration.

2.Establishing the ARCAP trademarks.

3. Promulgation to the public of protected titles. Those who are on the ARCAP register can use the title and logo for ARCAP counsellors or psychotherapists. We will not be registering hypnotherapists. If they have met the standards required and come through a member organisation, completed the hours or training and supervision then hypnotherapists will be able to use the designation counsellor or psychotherapist, even though they have no certification in counselling or psychotherapy. ARCAP does not recognise hypnotherapists. The title of hypnotherapist is not registered, only counsellors or psychotherapists. Hypnotherapists will be seen as counsellors or psychotherapists who do hypnotherapy.

HA: Is ARCAP now speaking to government on practitioner issues rather the two organisations singularly?

CB: No, because ARCAP is purely to make a national register for facilitating the authentication of therapists for the health funds. Both PACFA and ACA will continue to carry out their own lobbying separately on issues such as GST and Medicare rebates for therapists' clients.

We also spoke to Philip Armstrong, CEO of ACA

HA: How is the forming of ACA as an association going to affect your organisation?

PA: ACA did not have to change its structure to go into ARCAP. It started its restructure over 12 ago to become an incorporated body through the Associations Act.

HA: Do you think you will make the 1 July deadline for having the ARCAP up and running with the joint register from PACFA and ACA?

PA: Probably not on schedule because ARCAP was not signed off by PACFA until after the original date had been agreed on. ARCAP is not dependant on the ACA restructure. ARCAP has to come into being before ACA completes its restructure. ARCAP has to be signed off before the ACA completes its restructure. There are several dates when ARCAP was supposed to be up and running but those dates seem to have come and gone. I don't know if it will be up by 1 July when the health fund laws change.

HA: What is exciting about the ARCAP venture for ACA members?

PA: I think what is exciting about the whole venture is that industry will have one register nationally so government employees, private health funds and so on can consult one register. I acknowledge that it may not cover the gap between
1 July and that time, and some hypnotherapists from both ACA and PACFA may lose their health fund rebate eligibility. We are hoping to approach all health funds for rebates for counsellors and psychotherapists.

HA: What do you think the limitations of the project are?

PA: I don't think there are any. I think it meets the industry needs very well.

HA: How will ARCAP affect the prospects for your members at ACA?

PA: It will increase the prospects of ACA members and their potential to practise and help us with our lobbying to government for Medicare rebates. I believe it will evolve beyond even that. The constitution of ARCAP does not say it is designed to limit its activities to strictly health fund business. From my perspective it should adopt a joint position to all Australians who need to consult ARCAP.

The change in health fund laws will be a bitter-sweet pill for hypnotherapists who appear on the PACFA, ACA and soon to be ARCAP registers. The sweet part is that from 1 July they may still be recognised for health fund rebates. The bitter part, however, will be that it is not their hypnotherapy that will be recognised by ARCAP but only the hypnosis administered by proxy as a counsellor or psychotherapist. However, it now appears that ARCAP may not even be operating by that time.

©HypnosisAustralia, May 2009