ABSTRACT

This chapter considers the necessary conditions for a managed counselling and psychological therapy service in the National Health Service (NHS). It outlines the main components of a managed service, looking at both the benefits and disadvantages of such from an organizational and a clinical perspective with particular relevance to the counselling clinician. The primary care trust (PCT) were aware that today's NHS managed counselling service will take many forms, depending on local variations in NHS Trust structures and local imperatives for the future. The agency wanted the entire contract to provide primary care counselling across the PCT put out to tender. The Mental Health Trust was keen to incorporate the primary care counsellors into their psychology department, and to use the psychology department manager to manage the counsellors. The primary care counselling therapy involves a general therapeutic approach, which can and does apply to a wide range of people.