Welcome from the Editor-in-Chief of the the European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling

As Editor-in-Chief I want to welcome UKCP and its members to the European Journal of Psychotherapy and Counselling (EJPC). EJPC is an international peer-reviewed journal published by Routledge, which I have edited since its inception 25 years ago. 

The journal aims to stimulate and inform debate throughout Europe on developments in psychotherapy and counselling. It raises important questions regarding European practice, theory and research for psychotherapists and counsellors, students, academics and related professionals.

As a UKCP member you will now not only have electronic access to forthcoming and all past issues of the EJPC but I hope more opportunities to take part in:

• submitting articles
• editing and co-editing special issues
• providing book reviews
• reviewing articles.

At EJPC we are interested in original research, of interest to the general reader, that is practice-based,theoretical, and empirical. I have always been struck by UKCP members’ abilities in both theoretical and practice, as well as empirical, research.

I have some experience of UKCP. I am an Honorary Fellow and a clinical member of two colleges. In my time, I have been the first Chair of the UKCP Research Committee, a member of the Professional Regulatory Committee of the Colleges and Faculties (PRCCF), a college chair and a member of the former Governing Board responsible for initiating the incorporation of psychotherapeutic counselling into UKCP. I hope to learn more from the work of other colleges and colleagues with which I am less familiar.

This is the first collaboration of the EJPC with a professional organisation. The reason for this is the paramount importance of editorial independence. I would therefore like to reassure our readers from UKCP and other professional bodies that such a relationship is enhancing for our journal whilst simultaneously maintaining our editorial independence.

The editorial, selection of papers to be reviewed, selection of reviewers (each paper is double blind reviewed), published respondents, special issues and their editors, and books and their book reviewers are carried out by the editors. The only exception where there is a slight variation is when there is a special issue in association with UKCP. Special issues in association with UKCP will take place once a year. Here, as in the case of our special issue on diversity and inclusion, the overall topic and ‘Call for Papers’ is agreed with UKCP’s Senior Research and Policy Officer who liaises with the UKCP Research Group.

It is very much hoped that EJPC and UKCP’s new relationship will provide much needed information for us as psychotherapists, psychotherapeutic counsellors and supervisors to put our clients/patients first. In so doing, I wish to acknowledge my thanks to UKCP (and Routledge) for both this new collaboration and in particular their commitment to the EJPC’s editorial freedom whereby the views expressed will not necessarily be those of UKCP.

I very much hope that this evolving relationship between UKCP and the EJPC will be of further mutual benefit and look forward to our work together.

Prof. Del Loewenthal, D Phil, UKCP Reg and Hon Fellow, C Psychol, FBPsS, FRPS, PFHEA