Senior Accredited members are now receiving letters from BACP confirming that they can no longer use Senior Accredited titles and that they are now only Accredited.

The response from one long serving member represents the feelings of us all:

Dear Michael [cut-n-paste Pearson],

I understand the points raised in your letter, but I want to register my sadness at being ‘demoted’ after twenty years as a Senior Accredited practitioner, at 75 years of age.

I’ve heard all the arguments, but I shall never be convinced that a new therapist, having just completed a level 7 M.A., just starting out with clients, will somehow be eligible to be in level C, and deemed more competent than myself and nearly 2000 other Seniors who are being stripped of that recognition.

I qualified nearly 30 years ago, have supervised, taught, developed courses, and accrued thousands of client hours. My course was a university diploma, taken after completing a relevant degree. Level 7 wasn’t heard of then.

I know I could re-apply, but to be honest with you, at 75 and working on a very part time basis, I cannot put myself through it all.

A grand parenting scheme would have been the ethical way forward, and the kindest, most respectful way of moving forward on this frankly ageist step. I would suggest that the majority of us Senior Practitioners will soon be either retired or dead.

I feel completely let down by the organisation I’ve been a member of since the early 90s, and the fact that it’s a counselling organisation makes the let-down even more painful.

I hope you never have to experience anything like this at the end of your working life.

Regards

Jane Doe

BACP (Senior Accredited). For today anyway

I’m surprised at how sad I feel having written this to him, and bloody angry too!!!!