Celebrating 21 years of success delivering increased quality standards in counselling and psychotherapy!
The Northern Ireland Counselling Forum has been committed to raising awareness, lobbying, networking and representing the counselling profession to statutory and professional bodies in an effort to increase the quality and accessibility of counselling across the province.
In its 21 years, directed by founding Chair, Brenda Tighe, the Forum has grown to over 1000 members who are witness to improving standards in recruitment, training, supervision, monitoring, accreditation and evidence-based practice. The Forum continues to influence and promote quality standards within the profession.
Counselling can be a powerful intervention to enable personal transformation as people navigate life struggles. In 21 years, awareness of the positive impact of engaging in therapy, has resulted in people seeking this as a first choice option and counselling has become more accessible.
There is still work to do and the Northern Ireland Counselling Forum will continue in its quest to gain recognition for the profession and more importantly to be the voice of those in our society who remain largely unheard as they seek timely access and choice to services that treat them with the respect they deserve.
In recognising the value of the work we do MLAs, Counselling Accrediting bodies representatives from the Department of Health and those who helped launch the Forum in 2004 attended the recent celebration in Stormont’s Long Gallery, hosted by Colin McGrath, NLA. Patron Patricia Lewsley-Mooney led the celebrations and representatives of the counselling, supervision and student membership of the NICF spoke fondly on what the Forum meant to them. There was also a powerful client statement highlighting the impact and importance of counselling in promoting well-being and mental health within Northern Ireland.
