How long will it take to process my application?

Applications for membership take up to 28 days to process from the date we receive your completed application. We'll email you to confirm your application has arrived.

How do I set up a Direct Debit to pay my membership fee?

  • New applications
    Download and print out the membership application form. Complete the Direct Debit mandate and post it back to us with your completed application form.

    If you need a Membership application form sent to you by post, please email your address to bacp@bacp.co.uk.

Is there a charge for setting up a Direct Debit?

No, there's no charge.

How many instalments will my Direct Debit be taken over?

It can be taken either through 10 monthly instalments or in one single annual payment. You can specify your preference on the application form or the Direct Debit mandate.

When does my Direct Debit go out? Can I change the date it goes out?

The Direct Debit is requested on or around the 25th of each month. This cannot be changed.

When will I get my membership card?

We normally send out Membership Cards within 10-14 working days from the date your new subscription begins.

You can also download a membership confirmation letter from your account on this website. Together with your membership card and BACP Register entry, this will confirm your continuing BACP membership for clients and employers.

When will I get my renewal form?

We'll send your renewal form to the address we currently hold for you six weeks before your renewal date. You can renew your registration as soon as you receive your renewal form. If you move house, please make sure you update your address details in your account on the website.

Are registration and accreditation the same thing?

Registration does not replace accreditation.

All practising BACP members must be registered or working towards registration. See Registered membership.

Accreditation is a quality standard for experienced practitioners, designed to recognise your capacity for independent, ethical and competent practice. See Accredited membership.

When do I get my copy of Therapy Today or my divisional journal? 

Therapy Today

Therapy Today is issued every month except January and August. Print copies are mailed out to members between the 15th and 20th of the month.

You can also access the latest issue online from the Therapy Today webpage. Online versions and downloadable pdf copies of previous issues are available from the Therapy Today archive. You can also search for specific articles using the Articles and guidance search.

If you don't want to receive printed copies of Therapy Today, you can opt out via your member account area on this website. You will still be able to access the online issues.

Non-members can also buy a subscription to the online and print versions. Go to the Therapy Today webpage, click on the log in to purchase button to create an account and follow the online instructions. 

Divisional journals

Our seven divisional journals are all published quarterly. 

Divisional members will receive printed copies of their journal in the post and access to the online versions. All members can subscribe to the online versions free of charge.

Each divisional journal has its own individual subscription information and archive page. Go to BACP journals and select the journals you're interested to find out more.  

Non-members can also buy a subscription to the online and print versions.

How do I upgrade my membership from student member to individual member?

Once you've completed your course - including the 100 hour placement - and graduated from your course in full, you can become an individual member. There's no need to complete a new application form.

To upgrade your current student membership, log in to your member account and upload a copy of your qualification for approval. Or, you can email membership@bacp.co.uk with a copy of your graduation certificate if your membership has already expired. If you don’t have your certificate, due to a delay in graduation for example, we can accept a letter from your place of study which clearly confirms you've successfully completed and achieved your qualification in full (If your results are subject to ratification, you need to receive this before applying to upgrade your membership). This must be on the college or university's headed paper and signed by your course tutor or administrator.

Please use our example upgrade to qualified BACP individual membership template letter (pdf) to check your letter has all the information we need. 

If you've completed a BACP Accredited course, you must provide evidence of this when you upgrade. Accredited courses must provide their graduates with either an award certificate including the words 'BACP Accredited Training Course' or a letter confirming that they've 'successfully completed a BACP Accredited Training Course’.

If you can't provide this evidence, we'll be unable to confirm that you completed a BACP Accredited course and we'll ask you to complete the BACP Certificate of Proficiency before you can become a registered member. 

Please give us 10 to 14 working days to process your upgrade request - we'll always try to process it quicker if we can. We'll email you when your upgrade has been completed so check your email inbox or junk folder.

How can I reinstate my expired or cancelled membership?

If your membership expired more than 31 days ago, but it's less than three years since your last renewal, you can reinstate your membership online. Log into the website, go to My account and click on the Reinstate link. Here you can accept the membership terms and conditions, add any additional subscriptions you want to your basket and pay your membership fees.

Your membership will start from the date we process your request.

If you're not sure of your log in details, please contact us so you don't create a duplicate record. 

If your membership expired more than three years ago, you’ll need to complete a new application. Contact us to update your details and find out how to apply.

Registration

What is registration?

Being on the BACP Register demonstrates that a counsellor exceeds the minimum standards a client should expect. All practising BACP members must be registered or working towards registration. See Registered membership.

When do I need to renew my registration?

You must renew your registration every year when you renew your membership online.

How much does registration cost?

There is no charge for registration.

Why do I have a separate registration number?

Your register certificate number is listed on the public-facing register so that clients or employers can check your registration. It's also shown on your individual registered logo. Your BACP membership number is not shown publicly.

How do I get my registered certificate and logos?

You can log in and download your logo and registration certificate from your account within 24 hours of joining the Register.

Is there a fee to use the registered logos?

No, these logos are free for registered members to use, subject to our Promoting your membership policy.

How long will I have to wait for my Certificate of Proficiency (CoP) results?

You will usually receive your results around five weeks after taking your assessment.

If your membership is due for renewal before you receive your results, please don't wait to see if you have passed before renewing. We don't send results to lapsed members.

How do I find myself on the Register?

Go to the Register search and type in your name.

If your details don't appear, it may be that you haven't yet met the criteria to join the Register or that you haven't renewed your registration. See Registered membership.

Accreditation

Please read our FAQs about accreditation and find out more about the accreditation process. 

See also