CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD )

Principles of CPD

A requirement for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for psycho spiritual psychotherapists is welcomed as a cornerstone of a publicly accountable profession. PPA intends to promote an approach to CPD which honours and creatively supports the practitioner professionally and personally, informed by psycho spiritual principles.

In evaluating professional development PPA will give consideration to the 'whole' of the practitioner (as opposed to the strictly 'therapist' self) guided by the categories listed below. Apart from those activities which are indicated to be mandatory requirements for continued professional accreditation by PPA, the list of relevant factors is advisory and not to be regarded as exhaustive. Practitioners are invited to interpret and apply the categories listed in ways meaningful to them and their practice and to demonstrate how they have understood their various CPD experiences and integrated them into their personal and professional development.

Categories of CPD

Experience of being in practice
This flows from the range and type of work undertaken and contributes to development through reflection and learning from the contents and process of one's own practice.

For therapists to be working authentically in that capacity they should normally be seeing an average of four clients on an on-going basis. However, in cases where practitioners fall below the average and can demonstrate special circumstances, PPA has the discretion to temporarily waive this requirement.

Practice support and development
Supervision - this should be sufficient to properly support the therapist practice load and consist of one-to-one and/or group supervision with a recognised supervisor (NB mandatory requirement)

Peer supervision - professional peer support groups

Training/workshops
It is essential to keep up-to-date with core models and development of theory and practice in psycho spiritual psychotherapy (NB. mandatory requirement).A record should be kept of theoretical and skills based training undertaken, this will assist in the re-accreditation process. Also a record off additional workshops undertaken and qualifications obtained should be kept.

See the current Workshop Programme

Complementary Professional Activities

> Involvement as a staff member within the Trust, Institute or other psychotherapy teaching institution
> Courses and workshops devised and facilitated personally
> Parallel work (e.g. consultancy with organisations)
> Offices held in relevant professional bodies
> Articles, papers or books published
> Reading and study
> Psychosynthesis and psycho spiritual psychotherapy
> General developmental psychology
> Spirituality and the development of consciousness
> Other relevant reading or study
> Spiritual practice or path

Personal development

> Personal therapy
> Personal development workshops and courses
> Further education
> Relevant life experiences. E.g. pregnancy, bereavement, illness, change, threshold experiences, spiritual emergencies/awakenings, creative projects, travel, etc., and how they have been understood and integrated

Where the practitioner is in her/his career

PPA recognises that professional and personal development needs will differ at different stages of each person's career (the newly qualified practitioner may have different needs to a more experienced or semi-retired therapist) and invites practitioners to account for this in planning appropriate CPD for themselves.

This policy statement has been developed through dialogue and consultation between graduates and staff members of the Trust and in accordance with the guidelines issued by the HIPS) Section of UKCP. It is intended that the policy will continue to develop and be refined in this way.