Membership

Membership is open to all therapists who:

  1. Meet the criteria of either Practitioner, Affiliate or Student membership (see below)
  2. All Applicants must be individual members of a recognised professional body which has an official complaints procedure. These include BACP, COSCA, BPS, UKCP, AHPP or NCPS. Other organisations will be considered on provision of evidence of an appropriate code of ethics and official complaints procedure.

All members are expected to be familiar with and to abide by the Association's Constitution.

Your Membership Application

Before applying, please read the relevant Membership Criteria below to ensure you fulfil the requirements for membership.

Once you have read the relevant Membership Criteria, click signup below, which will guide you through the application process step by step.

Alternatively, contact the Membership Secretary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information and to request an application pack to be sent by post.

Student
£12

If you are currently on a Person Centred training course which is recognised by the Association or accredited by BACP and has a Person Centred core model.

Signup
Practitioner
£40

If you are currently practising in the person centred approach.

Signup
Affiliate
£24

If you are not currently practising but your professional and/or personal interest is consistent with the Person Centred Approach.

Signup
Non-practicing
£24

If you were previously a Practitioner member but not currently practicing.

Signup

Membership criteria

  • Student membership

    Student membership is open to people who:

    1. Are currently on a Person Centred training course which is recognised by the Association or accredited by BACP and has a Person Centred core model. (If you are a qualified practioner undertaking additional study (eg supervision qualification) you should apply for practitioner membership.  Student membership is intended for those studying toward their initial professional qualification.)
    2. Agree to accept and abide by the BACP Ethical Framework which is the Code of Ethics and Practice adopted by the Association.
    3. Are individual members of a professional organisation which has an official complaints procedure. These include BACP, COSCA, NCPS, BPS, UKCP or AHPP.
    4. Have paid the annual subscription fee, which is 30% of the Full subscription.

    Student members are entitled to the following benefits of membership:

    • participation in all PCT Scotland events,
    • receipt of all PCT Scotland mailings,
    • to attend and vote at Association meetings.

    Student members are NOT eligible for inclusion on the PCT Scotland website advertising counsellor availability NOR to be office bearers of the Association.

    Student members are expected to move to either Affiliate or Associate membership when they are eligible to do so i.e. after they have obtained their person centred counselling diploma. (Please note, a copy of the diploma will be required to evidence this).

    If you would like to apply for Student membership, please proceed to our Online Membership Application which will guide you through the application process step by step. Alternatively, contact the Membership Secretary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information and to request an application pack to be sent by post.

  • Practitioner membership

    Practitioner membership is open to people who:

    1. Have completed a training course in Person Centred Therapy which is recognised by the Association or accredited by BACP or COSCA and has a Person Centred core model.
    2. Hold a recognised Person Centred counselling diploma.
    3. Are currently practising as a Person Centred counsellor / therapist.
    4. Whose practice is fully consistent with the Person Centred Approach.
    5. Agree to accept and abide by the BACP Ethical Framework which is the Code of Ethics and Practice adopted by the Association.
    6. Are individual members of a professional organisation which has an official complaints procedure. These include BACP, COSCA, NCPS, BPS, UKCP or AHPP.
    7. Have paid the annual subscription fee which shall be determined by the membership at an AGM.

    Practitioner members are entitled to the following benefits of membership:

    • participation in all PCT Scotland events,
    • receipt of all PCT Scotland mailings,
    • inclusion in the PCT Scotland brochure / website advertising counsellor availability,
    • able to attend and vote at Association meetings,
    • be office bearers of the Association.

    If you would like to apply for Practitioner membership, please proceed to our Online Membership Application which will guide you through the application process step by step. Alternatively, contact the Membership Secretary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information and to request an application pack to be sent by post.

  • Affiliate membership

    Affiliate membership is open to anyone who:

    1. Is not a counsellor / therapist but who has a genuine and relevant professional and/or personal interest in the Person Centred Approach.
    2. Has paid the annual subscription fee, which is 60% of the Full subscription.
    3. Affiliate members do not need to be current members of a professional organisation which has an official complaints procedure, as they are not practising as counsellors.

    Affiliate members are entitled to the following benefits of membership:

    • participation in all PCT Scotland events,
    • receipt of all PCT Scotland mailings,
    • to attend and vote at Association meetings.

    Affiliate members are NOT eligible for inclusion on the PCT Scotland website advertising counsellor availability NOR to be office bearers of the Association.

    If you would like to apply for Affiliate membership, please contact the Membership Secretary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Applications for Affiliate membership will be considered on a case by case basis.

  • Non-Practising membership

    Non-Practising membership is open to people who:

    1. Have been Practitioner members but are not currently practising, nor working in any role which would normally require membership of a professional counselling organisation.
    2. Agree to accept and abide by the BACP Ethical Framework which is the Code of Ethics and Practice adopted by the Association, in so far as it still applies to them.
    3. Have paid the annual subscription fee, which is 60% of the Full subscription. Non-Practising members do not need to be current members of a professional organisation which has an official complaints procedure.

    Non-practicing members are entitled to the following benefits of membership:

    • participation in all PCT Scotland events
    • receipt of all PCT Scotland mailings
    • to attend and vote at Association meetings.

    Non-practicing members are NOT eligible for inclusion on the PCT Scotland brochure / website advertising counsellor availability but may be office bearers of the Association.

    If you would like to change from Practitioner to Non-Practising membership, please contact the Membership Secretary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information.

Termination of Membership

A Special General Meeting of the Association shall have the right to terminate, for good and sufficient reason, the membership of any person, provided that that person shall have the right to attend and be heard by the Special General Meeting before the decision is finally made.

Any member who has not paid their membership in full within 2 months of their subscription renewal date or who has not come to an arrangement with the Treasurer / Secretary in advance will be deemed to have terminated their membership of the Association.

If you would like to terminate your membership, please contact the Membership Secretary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information.

The Access Fund

The Access Fund may be available to people wishing to become members of PCT Scotland and is particularly helpful for people with limited finances and those with added expenses, for example for people with disabilities, people with childcare costs etc.

All members will be invited to contribute to the fund with their yearly subscription. Contributions are entirely voluntary and can be made at any time of the year. This money will be used solely for the Access Fund and will be administered separately from the PCT Scotland general account. Income may be added to the Access Fund from the profits of training events. The annual contribution will be at the discretion of the Co-ordinating Group.

Requests for money from the Access Fund should be made prior to application for membership in writing to the Secretary or Treasurer of PCT Scotland.

Membership through sponsorship

Any counsellor / therapist wishing to join PCT Scotland who has met all the criteria with the exception of currently holding a diploma awarded by a recognised training institution can apply for membership if they have discussed their application with two Practitioner Members of the Association and those members have agreed to sponsor the applicant. The two sponsors would have to be satisfied that the applicant had sufficient understanding of person centred theory, and that their practice was fully consistent with the person centred approach to counselling / therapy.

If you would like to apply for membership using this route, please proceed to our Online Membership Application which will guide you through the application process step by step, and enable you to provide the names of two sponsors.