These EABP Membership Criteria and Membership Conditionshave bee ccepted by the EABP General Assembly 2004 as a “working document” to be considered, possibly amended, and then voted on in their revised form at the next EABP General Assembly in 2006.
Rationale:
The current EABP Membership Criteria were developed over 15 years ago, before the European Association of Psychotherapy (EAP) was considered, and before many training courses in Body-Psychotherapy were fully established. Those schools that did exist were mostly based on the dissemination of the skills of the founder of the school within the context of body-oriented psychotherapy and did not constitute themselves as a professional training until later. The EABP Membership Criteria were thought to be the minimum criteria necessary (then) to call oneself a “Body-Psychotherapist” and they have served us well. (see Appendix 1)
Since then, psychotherapy training has undergone a radical process of becoming established in many countries as a post–graduate professional qualification (i.e. a relevant university first degree (or equivalent) is a necessary prerequisite. Body-Psychotherapy has been established as a legitimate psychotherapy “mainstream” within psychotherapy and needs to align its criteria.
Since its foundation, EABP has also evolved, and there are now a number of different categories of Membership, and several “Membership Conditions” have also been added, as needed. The 1999 EABP Training Standards and the development of The FORUM of Body-Psychotherapy Organizations has occured as well. Several countries now have a National Association for Body-Psychotherapy and these associations are now accepting EABP Members in their countries under the old criteria.
Within the EAP, European Training Standards have been established; the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) is now being awarded; and criteria for training and accreditation are also being considered for training schools. The European Parliament is also in the process of considering proposals for a directive about professional trainings and this may include psychotherapy.
More people, already trained in psychotherapy or clinical psychology, are wanting to include Body-Psychotherapy in their professional practice and are thus wanting additional training. Some training schools are beginning to consider “conversion courses” in Body-Psychotherapy.
So, in the light of all this, we now need to reconsider the EABP Membership Criteria & Conditions.
Process:
The revised EABP Membership Criteria & Conditions 2004 must be acceptable to both The EABP FORUM of Body-Psychotherapy Organizations and to the newly established EABP Council of National Associations & Committees as organizations and associations in both of these bodies will be implementing them: either by training people up to these standards, or by vetting applicants according to these standards.
It is hoped that the EABP Training Standards Committee and the EABP International Membership Committee will also have significant input into the development of these revised criteria, and input from other committees (such as Ethics Committee or the latent Professional Development Committee) will also be welcomed.
All these bodies should consider carefully the training standards of the EAP and the criteria for the ECP, because we would hope that there would be complete compatibility with these: i.e. an EABP Member could/would get the ECP without having to do anything else, and someone applying for the ECP having completed a training in Body-Psychotherapy could/would also become an EABP Member.
We should perhaps consider as well any relevant input from a similar accreditation process happening within the USABP or other Body-Psychotherapy accrediting organisations that might “affiliate”.
The EABP Board of Directors will oversee this process of revision.
The resulting new Membership Criteria and Conditions must be finally accepted by a General Meeting of EABP; either at the bi-annual General Assembly or at an Extraordinary General Meeting. It is envisaged that this whole process might be completed satisfactorily by the 2006 General Assembly.
REVISED EABP MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA:
1. There are currently a number of different categories of EABP Membership. These are:
Individual Full Members: Individuals who are fully trained, qualified and experienced and who can practice independently as a professional Body-Psychotherapist.
Candidate Members: Individuals who have largely finished training as a Body-Psychotherapist, but who have not yet fully completed the EABP Membership Criteria.
Associates: Individuals either still in training, or just with an interest, in Body-Psychotherapy and who would like to be associated with EABP.
Honorary Members: People acceptable as Full Members, who have been awarded an EABP Membership for life, free of charge, at an EABP General Meeting in recognition of their services to European Body-Psychotherapy.
Organisational Members: Organisations involved in Body-Psychotherapy; usually Training Organisations, Professional Associations, or European Organisations representing a modality of Body-Psychotherapy.
Affiliate Members (possibly to be accepted):
People, normally acceptable as EABP Full Members, but who are currently already accredited as a Body-Psychotherapist by another professional association in Body-Psychotherapy, with comparable standards, and who wish to maintain an afffiliation with EABP.
2. The (proposed) Criteria for an Accredited European Body-Psychotherapist and a Full Accredited Member of EABP, all parts of which must be fulfilled, are:
(i) (a) that they have successfully
completed a minimum 4-year training in Body-Psychotherapy at an established
Body-Psychotherapy training school, accredited by The FORUM, according to the
EABP Training Standards:
or
(b) that they have completed the equivalent of the above; such equivalence must be fully demonstrated by the applicant.
(ii) that the applicant’s Body-Psychotherapy
training course will have to have included at least all of the following
components of the European Certificate for Psychotherapy (ECP), or the
applicant may produce a copy of their awarded ECP (§ numbers refer to ECP
document):
§ 4.1 Length: The total duration of their
psychotherapy training will not be less than 3200 hours, spread over a minimum
of seven years, with the first three years being the equivalent of a relevant
university first degree, and the last four years of which must be in a training
specific to psychotherapy.
§ 4.2.1 Personal Psychotherapeutic Experience: This should be taken to
include training analysis, self-experience, and other methods involving
elements of self-reflection, therapy, and personal experience of not
less than 250 hours.
Self-Awareness: Any training shall include
arrangements to ensure that the trainees can identify and appropriately manage
their involvement in and contributions to the processes of the psycho-therapies
that they practice in accordance with their specific methods.
§ 4.2.2 Theoretical Study: Theoretical study during the 4 years of training specific
to psychotherapy should include the following elements: Theories of human
development throughout the life-cycle; An understanding of other
psychotherapeutic approaches; A theory of change; An understanding of social
and cultural issues in relation to psychotherapy; Theories of psychopathology;
Theories of assessment and intervention.
§ 4.2.3 Practical Training: This will include sufficient practice
under continuous supervision appropriate to the psychotherapeutic modality and
will be at least two years in duration.
§ 4.2.4. Placement in a mental health setting, or equivalent professional experience: The placement must provide adequate experience of psycho-social crisis and of collaboration with other specialists in the mental health field.
§ 4.2.5 Professional Practice: Awareness of professional behaviour, skills, transactions, ethics, and current appropriate national regulations concerning the professional practice of psychotherapy.
§ 4.3 Training Staff: Supervision, training and, where applicable, personal psychotherapy should be provided by practitioners whose (own) training meets the criteria of the ECP.
§ 5.1 Completion: By the end of the training, the trainee (now a practitioner) will have to have demonstrated personal, social and professional maturity and a commitment to working to a professional code and ethical standards.
§ 5.2 Assessment:
There will be an assessment of both theoretical and practical work.
(iii) that, in addition to the above, the applicant has demonstrated, or is able to demonstrate, specific knowledge relevant to Body-Psychotherapy including: history and development of Body-Psychotherapy; the ethics of touch; human anatomy & psycho-physiology; knowledge or experience of other Body-Psychotherapy methods and modalities; and be proficient in other competencies relevant to their professional practice as a Body-Psychotherapist, similar to those outlined in the EABP Ammended Training Standards.
(iv) that the applicant must also
have completed a significant and sufficient period of supervised clinical
practice hours in Body-Psychotherapy, either within their training period, or
after completion of their training, to help to ensure a reasonably high degree
of professional competence as a Body-Psychotherapist.
The applicant is required to produce written statements from their
supervisor(s) that indicate their opinion about the quality of the applicant’s
professional practice and includes a mention of the number of hours of clinical
practice and the number of hours of supervision.
(v) (a) that the method of Body-Psychotherapy that they have
trained in has been scientifically validated by the EAP, or has been formally
accepted by another professional or accrediting body as being equivalently
scientifically coherent, researched, effective, and sound;
or
(b) Applicants from
other (not-yet-scientifically-validated or accepted) methods of
Body-Psychotherapy may be accepted, but the method that they have trained in or
that they practice in should have an equivalent status; such equivalence to be
demonstrated by the applicant.
(vi) (a) that the applicant must have signed two copies of the EABP’s Membership Declaration, one of which they will retain; and
(b) that the applicant indicates their commitment to adhering to the EAP’s Statement of Ethical Principles and the EABP’s Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines; and
(c) that the applicant indicates their commitment to adhering to EABP’s Membership Conditions (see below); and
(d) that the applicant accepts the conditions implicit in being a member of EABP and of any EABP National Association; and
(e) that the applicant has included the appropriate EABP Membership fee.
(vii) that the applicant is able to demonstrate, if & when required, that they have achieved the ‘competencies’ accepted as those normally being possessed by a professional psychotherapist in clinical practice, either as a result of their training, or by other means.
(viii) that there are no reasons outstanding why this applicant could not be accepted.
3. Body-Psychotherapy as a ”specialization” of an already qualified mental health care professional: If the applicant’s main professional training in psychotherapy, clinical psychology or psychiatry was not undertaken at a Body-Psychotherapy training school, then, over and above their main professional training of at least seven years duration in total, the EABP Membership applicant needs:
(i) to have undertaken at least 400 hours of specific Body-Psychotherapy training, over a two-year period, in a course specifically designed for qualified mental health care professionals at an accredited Body-Psychotherapy training school, covering aspects of § 2 above relevant to Body-Psychotherapy, or the equivalent; and
(ii) to have undertaken at least 100 hours of experience of Body-Psychotherapy as a client, their therapist being different from their trainer(s); and
(iii) to have completed at least 100 hours of clinical practice work as a Body-Psychotherapist, supervised by an experienced Body-Psychotherapist, different from their therapist, and preferably different from their trainer(s), and
(iv) to have successfully completed a significant presentation, or assessment, or thesis on an aspect of their professional work as a Body-Psychotherapist.
These criteria would then replace items 2 (i), 2 (ii), 2 (iii) and 2 (iv) in the requirements for EABP Full Membership. Items 2 (v) - 2 (viii) would also need to be fulfilled satisfactorily.
4. Grand-parenting: EABP and the EABP National Associations will continue to accredit certain applications under the old EABP Membership Criteria, for a period of 5 years from the acceptance of these revised EABP Membership Criteria and Membership Conditions, upon specific request and without prejudice, from:
(1) Any already accepted EABP Candidate Members, currently involved in completing the criteria for EABP Membership;
(2) Psychotherapists who fulfill the old EABP Membership Criteria and who can demonstrate effectively that they have been working as Body-Psychotherapists for at least 5 years;
(3) Body-Psychotherapists who can demonstrate that, because of the situation in their country, access to Body-Psychotherapy training courses that are capable of being accredited, either by EABP or by their NAO, has been impossible, but who have also still managed to fulfill the old EABP Membership Criteria.
At the end of the 5-year “Grand-parenting” period, the EABP Secretariat or the National Association must forward any applications that do not fit the revised EABP Membership Criteria directly to the International Membership Committee for their adjudication. The principle of inclusion and acceptance of equivalent standards will always prevail.
NOTES:
Practical Training & Supervision: University training is mostly academic; some psychotherapy trainings are quite cognitive or knowledge-based; however Body-Psychotherapy is significantly skill or craft-oriented and thus, in order to impart these skills successfully, the “practical training” component usually forms an important part of the Body-Psychotherapy training, and “supervision” of one’s professional practice as a Body-Psychotherapist is also considered absolutely necessary.
Personal Psychotherapeutic Experience: This, ideally, should be in the method of Body-Psychotherapy trained in and practiced, and ideally should also be individual client-therapist. Some methods of Body-Psychotherapy work significantly in groups: thus hours of group therapy in this category need to be doubled, and then divided by the average number of people in the group to count towards the required number of hours.
Clinical Practice Hours: One-on-one individual or one therapist-to-couple client sessions, practiced either in an individual practice room or in a clinic, are counted as 1 hour (or 1.5 hours) depending on the length of the session. Two therapists seeing a couple may each of them count those session hours. Group psychotherapists count the length of the group sessions in hours.
Supervision Hours: Individual supervision hours: therapist-to-supervisor: are counted fully. Group supervision hours (several therapists-to-one supervisor) are doubled and then divided by the number of people in the group. Peer supervision group hours are multiplied by 1.5 and then divided by the number of people in the group.
Incidence of Supervision: When first starting practice as a Body-Psychotherapist, professional supervision should be at a much higher frequency (for example: 3 client sessions to 1 supervised hour) only reducing gradually to approximately a 6:1 ratio over an initial two to three-year period. “Appropriate” supervision would mean that the incidence of supervision is raised whenever a different field of work or different client group is involved, or in cases of personal or professional difficulty.
“Personal, Social and Professional Maturity”, “Emotional Maturity” or “Personality Integration”: These phrases, which appear in the ECP Document and EABP Training Standards, do not have any particular definition, but essentially mean that the applicant is capable of handling a complex professional caseload in a sustainable fashion.
These phrases were written in originally to cover certain types of therapies that do not have an “own therapy” requirement for trainees; but they also allow a training course to require a potential graduate to have either more individual therapy than normally required, or ultimately to refuse to graduate that trainee on the grounds of them not being “emotionally mature” enough, or because there is some intractable character disorder or significant lack of integration in their personality. External confirmation of these factors should always be sought.
These phrases could also be taken to mean: being able to self-monitor; being able to fulfill their emotional needs outside of the client-therapist relationship; being committed to good ethical practice; knowing when to refer a client on, or get additional supervision, because of one’s personal limitations; knowing when to seek additional help or training; knowing when to end a therapeutic relationship; etc.
“Criteria” or “Guidelines”: The EABP Membership Criteria are to be taken as clearly defined guidelines, to be adhered to, but not necessarily totally rigidly, and where exceptions that do not jeopardize the status of EABP Membership are allowed, the onus of proof is always with the applicant, or candidate member, who are required to provide acceptable “proof” of the “equivalence” of their professional situation to the EABP Membership Criteria.
A significant number of people have added (for example) some Body-Psychotherapy training on to a Clinical Psychology training and thus they may be “over-qualified” in certain respects and possibly “under-qualified” in others. Membership applications of this type should always be viewed sympathetically, possibly according to Section 3, or within the “Grand-parenting” criteria in section 4.
It should be emphasized that exceptions or extenuating circumstances are allowable as long they do not mean that a person is accepted for EABP Membership who is significantly lesser qualified than other EABP Full Members, when the other categories of EABP Membership might be considered as more appropriate.
Different Countries: The training and practice of psychotherapy, and Body-Psychotherapy, varies widely amongst different European countries. It is a necessary principle that these differences are considered sympathetically, without diluting the standard of excellence implied by EABP Membership or without creating significant anomalies or differentials between one country and another.
The Process of Accreditation: Currently an application for EABP Membership is processed after the completion of a written form, substantiated by various documents and statements.
It is recognised that this is not necessarily the best way of accrediting someone in a professional discipline involving high levels of knowledge, interpersonal skill and subtle aspects of their craft.
Where Membership Committees are unfamiliar with the Body-Psychotherapy school or method, or with the professional qualifications of the applicant, and are thus unsure of the suitability of the applicant on these grounds, they are entitled to ask for, and be supplied with, additional information or further clarification; to arrange direct interview contact with the applicant; or even to require a demonstration of the applicant’s work to support their suitability, which might be in the form of session-work videos.
Membership Committees: that accredit applicants for EABP Membership in any particular country should:
REVISED EABP MEMBERSHIP CONDITIONS:
Right & Responsibilities of EABP Full Members:
1. When the individual applies to EABP and signs the Membership Declaration, he/she is thereby also accepting the standards & regulations of EABP as a condition of his/her membership.
2. When an individual has met the acceptance criteria, he/she should receive a copy of the statutes (Articles of Association) along with the Ethical Guidelines and Procedures, preferably translated into their own language.
3. EABP membership, at the moment, does not mean that the member has any legal permission to practice in their particular country. EABP is working towards having its membership criteria accepted as professional qualifications for Body-Psychotherapy in various European countries.
4. The annual Full Individual Membership Fee is currently 190 Euros and it is the responsibility of the member to pay this fee, on demand & within the first two months of each year. They must pay this annual subscription by Eurocheque, Bank Transfer, Direct Debit or Standing Order, Credit Card, or any other mutually agreed means. The Member must pay this fee to the National Association in their country or to the EABP Secretariat in Amsterdam. They should keep written proof of sending this fee. Where there are specific agreements within certain countries, the scale of fees is adjusted accordingly. The EABP membership fee is determined by vote at the bi-annual General Assembly.
5. Non-payment of the membership fee means that EABP or the National Association may consider that that person has effectively resigned from the Association. They would then have to re-apply to be re-admitted.
6. If, for various reasons, an EABP member is currently not practicing as a psychotherapist, but wishes to retain their EABP membership, they may apply to their National Association or the EABP Secretariat for their membership to be “held in abeyance” for a year at a time and for a maximum of three years. An annual fee of 50 Euros will be charged.
7. The EABP Full Member’s name and address (and phone number, if not specifically withdrawn) with e-mail or website links, if appropriate,will appear on the EABP Register of Accredited European Body-Psychotherapists, published by EABP and on the EABP website, and on the National Association’s own website.
8. An Full Member of EABP has voting rights at the EABP General Assembly, held every two years, or any other General Meeting. Full Members are also eligible to serve on any committee of EABP, and be nominated for any post within EABP. Candidate & Associate Members do not have voting rights at the EABP General Assembly, but may have voting rights within their National Association, according to its constitution.
9. Full Members may use the words “EABP accredited European Body-Psychotherapist” or “Accredited as a Member of EABP” or similar wording in their own language on their letter-heading or in any professional descriptions. If they are also members of the National Association for Body-Psychotherapy in their country they may state that.
10. All EABP Members will receive an EABP Member’s Newsletter about twice a year, as well as other reports and information from EABP and from their National Association/Committee. They may submit adverts to the Newsletter and submit other links (ie to their e-mails or webpages) for the EABP website.
11. EABP Full, Candidate,Affliate & Honorary Members currently get discounted entry to all EABP events; National Association events; and events organised by similar Body-Psychotherapy Associations with which EABP has a reciprocal relationship. From time to time, EABP members also get free or discounted material from EABP (viz: EABP Bibliography on CD-ROM); discounts on Body-Psychotherapy & psychotherapy publications; access to special areas of the EABP website; and accredited Full Members can get endorsement by EABP for applications for the EAP’s European Certificate for Psychotherapy.
12. Currently EABP also accepts and accredits Individual Full, Candidate and Affiliate Members from non-European countries.
Ethics:
13. The EABP Ethics Committee is elected at the EABP General Assembly. It operates for all EABP Members and therefore there may occasionally be problems of communication and logistics with ethical cases in different countries. The EABP Ethics Committee will often receive help and assistance from the National Association or Committee in that country. National Associations should not set up their own ethics committees.
14. Individual Full Members are encouraged to consult the EABP Ethics Committee if they have any particular professional problems or ethical questions. This consultation will be confidential and should not be held against them in any way. The EABP Ethics Committee (elected at the General Meeting) works to ensure that the practice of EABP Members is maintained at the highest professional quality.
15. If anyone, like a client or another EABP member, has made a written complaint against the EABP Member, the EABP Ethics Committee has a process or procedure to receive this complaint; decide whether it is a proper complaint; hear the complaint; and then try come to some sort of conclusion or resolution about this complaint. The EABP Member is required to co-operate fully and promptly with this process. Failure to cooperate dully and promptly can jopardise the person’s Membership status. It should be noted that this can be a very supportive process, rather than a punitive one.
16. The resignation of an EABP Member will not be accepted if there is an ethics case outstanding which involves them and any application to rejoin will also not be accepted until any outstanding ethics case is completed.
17. Where the National Association also has Body-Psychotherapy members who are not members of EABP, it is required of them that: (i) any ethical code covering these non-EABP members will be almost totally compatible with the EABP ethical code; and (ii) there will be suitable arrangements made by the National Association to handle ethical cases and questions concerning the non-EABP members in a way that is compatible with that of the EABP Ethics Committee; and (iii) that if the EABP Member wishes for the ethical complaint to be heard by the National Association’s Ethics Committee, instead of EABP’s, then the EABP Ethics Committee is kept closely informed.
The Principles & Practice of Re-accreditation:
18. Professional accreditation is being seen increasingly not as a once-and-for-all-time event, but as an ongoing process, and thus there is a need to consider what requirements might be suitable and appropriate for “re-accreditation” as a Body-Psychotherapist.
The following requirements have been decided upon:
i) It is a new condition of EABP Membership that accreditation as a European Body-Psychotherapist requires that the EABP Member commit to and undertake on-going supervision (clinical, individual, specialist, group or peer), of a nature, type and at a frequency which is “appropriate” for their professional practice.
ii) “Appropriate” supervision would mean that the supervisor is specifically trained and/or experienced to do this work, and that the content, nature and incidence of supervision is changed whenever a different field of work or different client group is involved, or in cases of personal or professional difficulty.
iii)
It is also a new
condition of EABP Membership that a European Body-Psychotherapist in
professional practice is required to make a commitment to, and be involved in,
appropriate continuing professional development.
This should be fairly easily available, appropriate to the member’s work, and
within reasonable cost and time parameters. Appropriate CPD documentation
should always be obtained.
iv) It is a further new condition of EABP Membership that professional work in any new field, or with a different client group, may require the Member to undertake appropriate additional training and/or supervision.
v) A statement, on an appropriate form, about how each EABP Member has fulfilled these conditions, and specifying precisely what they have done, with the appropriate documentation, is now required from the EABP Member, at most every five years, as a necessary condition for the continuance of their Membership.
vi) If it is considered by the relevant Membership Committee that the EABP Member is not fulfilling these conditions satisfactorily, that Membership Committee may impose specific and precise requirements on the EABP Member, that would need to be undertaken within an appropriate time-period for the Member to retain their EABP Membership.
vii) Failure to comply with the above would mean that the Membership Committee declines to renew the EABP Member’s accreditation and Full Membership. That Full Member would then revert to a Candidate Membership status until they could meet these requirements.
Trainers & Supervisors:
19. EABP Members who train or supervise people in a Body-Psychotherapy training organisation need to ensure that they fulfill the requirements of the EABP Training Standards (Section 10) for that training or that supervision to be counted as valid towards the professional qualifications of the trainees or supervisees.
Note: There have been minor changes made to this particular draft (version 1.2) from earlier drafts due to feed-back already received from various sources. A new condition (6.) has been added: and 18(v) has been changed from every three years to a maximum of every five years. Appendix 2 (about acceptance of Psychotherapy in the EU Parliament) has been removed as this proposal has been temporarily withdrawn.
CY: July 2004