Research at UKCP
Research is central to the future of the psychotherapy profession. Through our work we aim is to raise the profile of the profession, utilising the expertise of our membership.
UKCP’s strategic aims
- Ensuring research supports the UKCP’s policy objectives to increase access to psychotherapy.
- Improving education about research and promote its importance within the UKCP membership.
- Developing an effective system for collating clinical data from our membership.
- Combining existing and new research to improve the evidence base for psychotherapy, as well as promote its importance for wellbeing and mental health.
- Collaborating with psychotherapy researchers to define and address the needs for future research.
How we will work towards achieving these aims
- Among the UKCP members are many influential researchers. We are working to strengthen connections with our research-active members to support impactful and widespread dissemination of their work, as well as to assist us in our drive to inform policy.
- Collaboration is essential the UKCP’s research strategy to develop innovative, high-impact research. We are working to enhance connections across the board with universities, the NHS and charitable organisations.
- We will be collaborating both internally and externally to promote the importance of research within training programmes and across the profession as a whole.
Current research projects
University of Sheffield
UKCP has provided funding to Professor Michael Barkham and his team at the University of Sheffield to conduct in-depth analyses of longitudinal IAPT datasets. This research will contribute to the evidence base for psychotherapy in treating depression in adults.
NHS pathways project
UKCP is conducting a three-year-long research project tracking students in the NHS pathways pilot. We aim to understand students’ experiences providing therapy in the NHS and how their training translates to working in this environment. We are in year two of the project.
Special issue EJPC
We're collaborating with the European Journal of Psychotherapy (EJPC) on a special issue entitled “Decolonising psychotherapy and empires of the mind: Opportunities and debates.” A call for papers was issued to UKCP members and the selected articles have been sent for peer review. More information can be found on our webpage.
Research Events
UKCP is holding a one-day research event in late spring 2026 and is now accepting abstracts. The theme for this year is The evolving psychotherapy profession: practice, ethos and community. Please go to our events webpage for more information.
Get involved – connect and collaborate
We are always looking for new ways to support our members with research and to connect with non-UKCP academics and practitioners. We are actively seeking to hear more about existing research and to discuss collaborations across all modalities. Our current areas of focus include:
- New ways of assessing psychotherapy and evaluating its effectiveness
- Collaborating on, and supporting, studies of effectiveness across therapeutic modalities and client populations
- Innovative research, investigating the therapeutic process
- Practice-informed research and research-informed practice.
If you would like to get involved or discuss active research projects or proposals, please email the research team.
Research working group
As a relatively small organisation with limited resources, we have been working hard to think of ways to improve research for the organisation and the membership. To help us accomplish this, we have put together a board level Research Working Group. Members of the group include Prof Divine Charura (DCounPsych), Dr Sofie Bager-Charleson, Prof Vicky Karkou, and Dr Gella Richards.
The group will be focusing on how to better support the membership with research, whilst also addressing external research strategy.
This will include:
- Improving education and guidance about conducting psychotherapy research.
- Assessing how we may be able to support therapists to gain ethical approval to conduct research.
- Enhancing networking and collaboration opportunities.
- Promoting research funding opportunities.
Research noticeboard
Are you a UKCP member involved in a research project?
Our noticeboard aims to help psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors:
- recruit participants for a study
- notify members of ongoing research projects
- identify collaborators.
If you’re a UKCP member interested in circulating information about research to other members, please fill out this form and our research team will be in touch. Requests to post on the noticeboard will be reviewed on the 20th of every month. Those accepted will be posted on the 25th of every month for a duration of four weeks.
Please note: requests may not be accepted for a variety of reasons, including the volume of requests or the research topic.
I am a PhD researcher at York St John University, supervised by Prof Divine Charura, Prof Lynne Gabriel, and Dr Charlie Duncan. I am conducting a study exploring how therapists perceive, interpret, and use Routine Outcome Measures (ROMs) in real-world therapeutic practice. The ethics approval (ID ETH2526-0191) for this study was granted on the 11 March, 2026.
We are looking for qualified and trainee practitioners from any modality and practice setting to participate. Crucially, I welcome perspectives both from those who use ROMs and those who do not in their work. All viewpoints are valuable to this research.
Participation involves:
- An anonymous online survey (approximately 15–20 minutes) covering attitudes, experiences, clinical utility, ethical and cultural considerations relating to ROMs
- An optional semi-structured interview if they consent (approximately 45–60 minutes) for those willing to explore this topic in greater depth.
The survey aims to understand practitioners’ experiences and perspectives on the benefits and challenges of ROMs, the impact of therapeutic modalities, and the potential impact of advances in technology, such as AI, on ROM practice.
Participation is entirely voluntary, all data will be anonymised, and participants may withdraw at any time (up to 30 June 2026).
The survey can be accessed here.
Introduction
We are conducting research that seeks to explore therapist's experiences, and perspectives of their therapeutic relationships in contemporary practice. This research is a survey study that will take approximately 20 minutes to complete.
What is the purpose of this study?
The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of practitioners’ experiences and perspectives of therapeutic relationships in contemporary practice. We are particularly interested in how psychotherapeutic practitioners build, adapt and evolve anti-oppressive, inclusive, and socially just therapeutic relationships in their work. The study also aims to explore the challenges practitioners encounter when developing and maintaining collaborative and effective therapeutic relationships with their clients. In addition, we seek to learn which therapeutic modalities inform practitioners’ approaches to the therapeutic relationship, as well as the tools or mechanisms they use to support their self-awareness, systemic awareness and political awareness within their work with patients and clients.
Please contact Professor Divine Charura at d.charura@yorksj.acuk for more information.
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