Accreditation

Practice as a Group Psychotherapist/Analyst

The Irish Council of Psychotherapy’s (ICP) Continuous Professional Development requirements are a minimum of 250 hours over a period of the previous 5 years in 9 categories detailed below.

IGAS recognises that there may be members who are no longer conducting groups but who are working from a group analytic perspective. Members who are not conducting groups at present will need to give a summary of their practice.

Supervision of Practice

To be eligible for re-accreditation applicants must show that their practice is adequately supervised, and that the practitioner avails of regular ongoing supervision. The supervisor for Group Analytic work must be a qualified Group Analytic Supervisor. A friend, or person you socialise with is not appropriate.

Supervision may consist of Individual (one to one) Supervision or Group Supervision.      

InterVision and Peer Group Supervision can augment the supervision requirement for the purposes of re-accreditation but are not sufficient as the sole form of supervision. 

Remote supervision hours will be recognised for re-accreditation purposes.

Following the first re-accreditation and thereafter, the psychotherapist is required to undertake one hour of supervision to every fifty hours of client work with a minimum frequency of monthly supervision, 11 months of the calendar year.

Insurance

All applicants for accreditation must show that they have adequate insurance for their work as a psychotherapist/group analytic psychotherapist. Since March 2020, the insurance should cover working online, and working remotely with clients.

Garda Vetting

ICP Garda Vetting and completing of the Children First Programme is recommended as part of best practice. It is not a requirement for re-accreditation. 

Continuous Professional Development

All applicants for re-accreditation must have continued their professional development as Group Analytic Psychotherapists.

An average of 50 hours per year of CPD is required and a total of 250 hours over each 5-year period.

• Acceptable forms of CPD may come from any of the nine categories listed below.
• 15 hours per year should be taken from categories 2 and 3.
• The hours to be counted must be drawn from four of these categories, though they may be drawn from a larger number of categories or even from all nine categories.

The Categories are as follows:

Note: One hour of engagement/attendance is equivalent to 1 CPD point.

1. Engagement as a client in personal therapy or group therapy or as a participant in other relevant experientially based group learning activities. A maximum of 15 points is awarded per year in this category.
2. Attendance at additional or advanced psychotherapy and related training programmes. A maximum of 15 points is awarded per year in this category.
3. Attendance at psychotherapy conferences, symposiums, lectures, workshops, seminars, reading groups or other shared learning environments that address individual and group psychotherapy and organisational theory and practice. A maximum of 15 points is awarded per year in this category.
4.  Presenting at conferences, symposiums, lectures, workshops etc.  A maximum of 15 points is awarded per year in this category.
5. Receiving supervision in accordance with requirements. A maximum of 15 points is awarded per year in this category.
6.  Engagement in activities for or on behalf of the society e.g., committee work etc. A maximum of 15 points is awarded per year in this category.
7.  Working as a supervisor or as a trainer in the field of psychotherapy or related fields that call for psychotherapeutic skills. A maximum of 15 points is awarded per year in this category.
8. Engagement in self-care and/or self-reflective activities and/or practices e.g., meditation, yoga, journaling. A maximum of 10 points is awarded per year in this category.
9.  Writing and publishing articles or books relating to psychotherapy. A maximum of 15 points is awarded per year in this category.