Solidarity in Practice: The PCU - The Psychotherapy and Counselling Union
- The Homa Team
- 18 hours ago
- 2 min read
Discovering the PCU
Most of us are familiar with professional bodies like BACP or NCPS, organisations that focus on ethics, accreditation and professional standards. But fewer therapists and trainees know about the Psychotherapy and Counselling Union (PCU) a practitioner-led union that represents and supports counsellors and psychotherapists in a different way.
(Thank you to one of our year 4 trainees for pointing us towards it, we hadn’t come across it before!)
Support, Not Regulation
The PCU isn’t a professional body. It doesn’t accredit, assess or regulate. Instead, it exists to advocate for practitioners: to offer advice, solidarity and support when issues arise in training, placement, employment or private practice. For trainees, this can include help with placement difficulties or training concerns. For qualified therapists, it can mean guidance on contracts, workplace rights or navigating complaints processes.
We wanted to share it because we know that not everyone’s experience with professional bodies has been straightforward or positive. For some, processes like accreditation or complaints can feel stressful and isolating. What feels valuable about the PCU is that it offers something complementary, a space of solidarity and support, where therapists and trainees can seek guidance and advocacy from peers who understand the realities of the work and there to support, not judge.
Protecting Practitioners and Shaping the Profession
Unlike BACP or NCPS, which set standards and codes of ethics, PCU focuses on protecting practitioners and improving the conditions we work and train in. It also campaigns on wider issues that affect our profession, from fair pay in counselling services to the accessibility of therapy training and reform of complaints procedures.
For Homa trainees and therapists, the PCU can be a valuable complement to membership of professional bodies. It offers:
Support during training and placements, including when things feel challenging or uncertain.
Advice on employment and professional issues, which is particularly relevant to those in agency, community or freelance roles.
A collective voice for therapists around pay, working conditions and professional recognition.
A sense of solidarity and community, grounded in shared values rather than hierarchy.
If you’re drawn to a relational and socially conscious way of working, you might find that the PCU’s commitment to fairness and connection feels very familiar and reassuringly aligned with the values many of us hold in our work.
You can find information about The Psychotherapy and Counselling Union here: pcunion.org.uk.