Ireland: debate over counselling and psycotherapy regulations
This opinion-piece argues that the recently proposed regulations by the regulator CORU for counselling and psychotherapy in Ireland would “degrade professional standards and patient safety,” according to Social Democrats (via spokesperson Liam Quaide). The article contends that the new standards would lower supervision requirements and remove mandatory personal therapy for trainees — measures, they argue, that are essential for protecting clients and ensuring therapists are properly trained. It warns that this could undermine public trust in counselling and psychotherapy, jeopardise EU-wide recognition and professional mobility for practitioners, and expose vulnerable clients to substandard care. The piece calls on the government to immediately pause the regulation process, engage in proper consultation with representative bodies and frontline practitioners, and commit to preserving high-quality training, ethical standards, and patient safety.