When Senior Accreditation no longer means Senior Accreditation - A Reflection on the BACP’s New Direction

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"A profession rooted in compassion, nuance, and relational understanding should reflect those values in how it treats its own members."

On April 18th 2025, I will lose the “Senior” part of my BACP Senior Accreditation.*

I earned my Senior Accreditation with the BACP in 2019 after submitting extensive written work, supervisor reports, and paying the necessary fees. It marked a meaningful milestone in my professional journey. It recognised not only my experience and capability but my commitment to the therapeutic field over many years.

Now, in the wake of the BACP’s adoption of the SCoPEd framework, that recognition is being stripped away.

A Shifting Landscape

The BACP’s new SCoPEd-aligned system changes what it means to be a Senior Accredited therapist. Despite the BACP having a dedicated Coaching Division, and despite the fact that my Level 7 qualification is in coaching, specifically designed for experienced therapists, I no longer meet the new eligibility criteria for Senior Accreditation.

  • There is no "grandparenting" scheme.
  • There is no temporary grace period.
  • There is no alternative pathway available before 2026.
  • And yet, the title I earned is being removed in 2025.

I wrote to the BACP's CEO in July 2024 and have since had a number of exchanges with the Accreditation team. While the responses have been courteous, the substance has been disappointing. 

I’ve been told that I can reapply for Senior Accreditation in February 2026, via an as yet undetermined process. But by then, the original title will have already been taken away, and there is no guarantee I’ll be eligible under the future framework.

An Uneven Playing Field

As someone with ADHD, academic routes have always posed particular challenges for me. I chose vocational, experiential pathways that allowed me to immerse myself in the work, build deep therapeutic relationships, and contribute to the profession in meaningful ways, including co-authoring a paper that was discussed in Parliament on harm in therapy. 

I deliberately chose a Level 7 training that aligned with my experience and learning style. It was rigorous, deeply reflective, and designed for therapists moving into coaching. It was also ADHD-friendly, with teaching and assessment methods that respected neurodivergence. It felt like a respectful and natural progression.

It now feels like a dead end.

Is This Fair?

This process not only undermines the value of lived professional experience - it disproportionately affects people with disabilities, neurodivergence, and those who trained before the current Level 7 academic standard became the norm.

I know I’m not alone in this. I’ve heard from many other long-serving practitioners, some near retirement, who feel they are being erased from the professional map. One soon-to-be demoted Senior Accredited therapist, now 75,  wrote to Michael Pearson at the BACP this week:

“I want to register my sadness at being ‘demoted’ after twenty years as a Senior Accredited practitioner, at 75 years of age.

I shall never be convinced that a new therapist, having just completed a Level 7 MA, just starting out with clients, will somehow be deemed more competent than myself and nearly 2000 other Seniors who are being stripped of that recognition. 
I qualified nearly 30 years ago, have supervised, taught, developed courses, and accrued thousands of client hours. My course was a university diploma, taken after completing a relevant degree.  Level 7 wasn’t heard of then.

I know I could re-apply, but to be honest with you, at 75 and working on a very part time basis, I cannot put myself through it all.

A grand parenting scheme would have been the ethical way forward, and the kindest, most respectful way of moving forward on this frankly ageist step.  I would suggest that the majority of us Senior Practitioners will soon be either retired or dead.  

I feel completely let down by the organisation I’ve been a member of since the early 90s, and the fact that it’s a counselling organisation makes the let down even more painful.

I hope you never have to experience anything like this at the end of your working life."

I echo their sentiment. A profession rooted in compassion, nuance, and relational understanding should reflect those values in how it treats its own members.

What Could Have Been Done Differently?

There are simple, constructive ways this could have been handled:

  • Create an interim pathway for Senior Accredited members to reapply before their title is removed.

  • Provide a temporary designation or logo, acknowledging the previous Senior Accreditation status during the SCoPEd transition.

  • Offer a grandparenting scheme for those with longstanding experience and contributions.

  • Ensure accessibility and fairness

Final Thoughts

I’ve spent years investing in my practice, engaging in CPD, training, supervision, and collaborative learning. My work continues to evolve in ways that are deeply human, integrative, and trauma-informed. I will keep going. I love what I do.

But it is painful to be discredited; not by clients or peers, but by the very professional body I have been loyal to.

I hope that by writing this, I am not just speaking for myself but making visible the experience of many others.



* NB I remain a Senior Accredited Coaching practitioner with the EMCC. I am required to update my status every 5 years but I will not be demoted in the process.