British Psychotherapy Foundation

Who we are

The British Psychotherapy Foundation (bpf) is one of the largest psychotherapy membership and training organisations in Europe, with 600 members and trainees.  We are also a UK registered charity.  We train therapists through high-quality, intensive clinical training programmes;  we provide a dynamic professional home for our members; and we promote increased public awareness and access to the therapies we teach.

Our culture and values

The importance of the unconscious mind

We understand that peoples’ distress is often a result of the unconscious mental efforts we make to cope with painful feelings, experience and conflicts. We understand that peoples’ behaviour is sometimes driven by unconscious processes and that an opportunity to be able to understand our inner world be can transformational.     

Reflectivity

Psychoanalysis is embedded in the idea that thinking and reflection can offer space for creativity and work. We aim to hold a space for reflection especially in the face stress, fear or disagreement.   

Equity

People from different backgrounds, races, ethnicities, faiths, sexualities, socio-economic structures, neuro-diversities are welcomed, and difference is acknowledged celebrated.    

Accessibility

Barriers to joining our trainings and membership will be acknowledged and work will be done to minimise barriers as they arise.   

Integrity

Our trainings are informed by rigorous academic application and evidenced-based clinical experience. We act with honesty, will self-reflect, acknowledge when we have got things wrong and encourage each other to speak up when things need saying.  

Inclusivity

We aim to include all our stakeholders in our future plans, including potential service users, members, trainees, our members of staff, our volunteers, our academic a clinical partners and wider social institutions. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

At the bpf, we are a family of different psychotherapeutic specialities. We include child and adult trainings from both psychoanalytic and Jungian theoretical perspectives. We celebrate this breadth but recognise that we need to take steps to become a more diverse, inclusive and accessible organisation that better reflects the various communities we serve and represent.

Psychotherapeutic work explores the relationship between conscious and unconscious experience and allows us to examine the individual, familial and social processes that underpin our beliefs, feelings and experiences. We are aware of the need continually to challenge and reassess our biases, assumptions and prejudices and maintain a willingness to listen to others who challenge us. We are careful to acknowlege the realities, and trauma, caused by oppression and discrimination.

We welcome and value diversity in all its forms including, but not limited to: age, disability (including specific learning needs), ethnicity, gender identity, neurodiversity, political affiliations, race, relationship status, religious beliefs, sex, sexual preference or orientation/sexualities, social class or socio-economic status.

The bpf strives to ensure equity, non-discrimination and inclusivity and we aim to review our practises regularly, and work with members to carry responsibility for this. We acknowledge that human beliefs and feelings are difficult to change. We know we will not always get things right, but we are committed to trying to improve. We welcome your feedback and want to include your reflections, concerns and experiences to help us develop as an organisation. We aim to develop fair processes and procedures to address complaints when they arise, and to create a culture where it is safe to speak about personal and collective experiences.