We met the Scottish Government to highlight the important role our members are playing in supporting vulnerable people and communities across the country.

Hadyn Williams, our CEO, and Steve Mulligan, our Four Nations Lead, held discussions with Kevin Stewart MSP, the new Mental Wellbeing and Social Care Minister, Gavin Gray, the new Deputy Director for Improving Mental Health Services in Scottish Government and Lynne Taylor, the Scottish Government鈥檚 National Psychology Advisor.聽

Counselling support

We made the case for the counselling profession to play a greater role in helping deliver the Scottish Government鈥檚 mental health priorities, in particular to support the recovery from the pandemic.

The discussions highlighted our members as a key asset in the mental health workforce across a range of areas including in education settings, in local communities through GP and third sector provision, through digital services, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

We also discussed the importance and status of counselling within the proposed Long-term Mental Health Workforce Plan, a pledge within the new cooperation agreement between the SNP and the Scottish Greens, and the psychological therapies matrix, which is currently being refreshed.

Working together

Hadyn said: 鈥淭he meeting provided an important opportunity to restate the critical role that our members are playing in helping to support vulnerable people and communities across Scotland and to make the case to expand the counselling workforce to help deliver the government鈥檚 core mental health objectives.

鈥淲e look forward to supporting the Minister in his new role and working together to ensure that the people of Scotland have improved access to life-changing counselling and psychotherapy services.鈥� 聽