An internal document has highlighted why the regulator for psychotherapy overruled a recommendation to include mandatory personal therapy in new standards for the sector. “Potential wider implications for other professions” and financial burden on students were the main reasons.
In July Coru, the regulator for health and social care professionals, published new training standards for psychotherapists that will be brought into law after years of the sector calling for government regulation.
However, the Irish Council for Psychotherapy (ICP), the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy (IAHIP), the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, and the European Association of Psychotherapy (EAP) have all raised concerns that the new standards will lower the quality of training. They say this could create risks for the safety of clients.
One area the four bodies have criticised is the lack of mandatory personal therapy for psychotherapists. Minimum standards set out by the EAP state that psychotherapists must experience 250 hours of psychotherapy themselves, describing it as “vital and absolutely essential”.
RM Block
However, a Coru document, dated April 23rd, 2025, showed the regulator decided to “refuse the request” by the Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board to include such a provision.
According to the document, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Coru said there were a number of reasons for the decision, including potential wider implications for other professions, challenges in measuring and assessing the process, as well as an additional financial burden on students.
It also cited uncertainty around integration within the assessment framework, discomfort with mandating the level of therapy required and concerns about potential barriers for international applicants.
Jacky Grainger, chairwoman of the IAHIP, said “the need for trainee psychotherapists to undergo psychotherapy is already an established Irish and international norm”.
She added: “The additional financial burden on students was also cited as an objection. This is not a consideration when setting training criteria. Student psychotherapists will also have to pay tuition fees. This has not prevented Coru from requiring an NFQ level 9 qualification.”
Ms Grainger said there are “several mandated thresholds for training” in the published criteria. She questioned why personal therapy would be any different.
[ Minister urged to intercede over regulator row in psychotherapy sectorOpens in new window ]
In a statement Coru said mandatory personal therapy for student psychotherapists has not been included in the proposed standards as there is “insufficient evidence that such therapy provides a benefit to students or ultimately their clients”.
“In fact, some studies have highlighted that compulsory therapy can sometimes have unintended negative effects, including emotional distress for students,” the statement said.
“When regulation is introduced, students will be required to meet the required standards of self-awareness, reflection and ethical judgment. However, they will not be required to pay considerable fees to private psychotherapy practitioners.”
- This article was amended on October 9th, 2025.
