On Friday 16 May 2025, I headed to Manchester for the 31st British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) Annual International Research Conference.
It was the third BACP Research Conference I had attended, but the first time I had put my name forward to present.
Back in 2024, I responded to a call for panellists from Dr Mick Cooper, renowned for his work on pluralistic perspectives in counselling and psychotherapy. I was selected to join a panel discussion titled ‘It’s Hot and Getting Hotter’, alongside Dr Faisal Mahmood and Dr Ariana Jordan of the Metanoia Institute.
Being invited to speak at such a significant event was an important moment in my professional journey: an opportunity to share ideas, hear different perspectives and contribute to conversations about some of the challenges facing counselling and psychotherapy.
It’s Hot and Getting Hotter
Far from being about the weather, the panel explored our rapidly changing world and how wider social and global issues affect the wellbeing of our communities.
The discussion included shifting narratives and legislation affecting LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent communities, climate change, displacement, the mental health crisis, populism and austerity.
These issues frequently find their way into the counselling room, whether explicitly through client narratives or implicitly in the emotional undercurrents of therapeutic work. Importantly, they affect both participants in the therapeutic relationship — clients and counsellors.
This dual impact became an important theme within the panel discussion.
The conversation recognised that these subjects can feel too big to tackle within the confines of a therapy session, while practitioners may simultaneously experience a deep sense of responsibility or urgency to do something.
Discussions within our group helped me recognise how many practitioners, at all stages of their careers, wish they could do more but may not know whether — or how — their research can have the impact they hope for.
Impact Through Collaboration
The theme of the two-day conference was Impact Through Collaboration, with presentations from researchers and researcher-practitioners exploring how research can enhance understanding while also influencing policy and practice within counselling and psychotherapy.
Keynote speaker Dr Divine Charura had spoken earlier in the day about the role of hope in addressing social justice challenges.
During our panel discussion, Dr Mahmood reflected on the sheer scale of what is happening in the world. Dr Jordan highlighted the many opportunities for research. I found myself thinking about another tension counsellors can hold: wanting to engage more deeply with these issues while sometimes needing to step back to protect our own psychological and emotional wellbeing.
What followed was a rich conversation between the panel, counselling students, qualified practitioners, researchers and BACP representatives about what might be possible.
There was a shared sense that hope, knowledge and collective voice can contribute to research that supports the development of more just societies — locally, nationally and globally.
From Research to Influence
One point that particularly stayed with me was the importance of understanding the language and processes involved in influencing policy if we want to make a difference at a systemic level.
Passion alone may not be enough. If research is intended to influence organisations, communities or policy, we also need to understand how that influence happens and how research can reach the places where decisions are made.
In preparing for the discussion, I learned more about how systematic research can potentially create impact at organisational, community and national levels.
That learning provided clarity and direction for my own thinking and has continued to influence the conversations and training we develop at Training for Counsellors.
The conference also reinforced something that sits at the heart of our approach to learning: important conversations become richer when knowledge, experience and different perspectives are brought together.
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