Sir, The opinions of Darian Leader, chairman of the College of Psychoanalysts (times2, July 15), and Paul Atkinson, chairman of the Guild of Psychotherapists (letter, July 21), show a profound lack of insight into the need for psychotherapy to be externally regulated. They have missed the vital point that the regulation of any service exists for the benefit of users, not providers.

A snapshot of the current situation might be useful. For 18 months I have been bringing a serious complaint against a member of the Guild of Psychotherapists. I faced an inadequate code of ethics and procedure, the stipulation that I could be required to pay costs, criminal standard of proof and an intimidating quasi-judicial process with a barrister and solicitor representing the therapist. Proper information on procedure was refused and the panel was made up only of guild therapists. A large part of the hearing was conducted in a manner that was neither fair nor just — for example, the panel tried to prevent me from attending part of the hearing in breach of its code of ethics.

In upholding the complaint the panel reported “still having serious concerns” about this therapist’s treatment and standard of clinical judgment, but only issued a warning, “suggesting” supervision and psychoanalysis. Throughout, the therapist stood by the logic of his bizarre form of therapy. He is still a guild psychotherapist, so vulnerable people will turn to him with trust and confidence.

This is the reality of self-regulation of psychotherapy in 2008. I hope this puts Messrs Leader’s and Atkinson’s support of the current system into perspective and illustrates why external regulation is so urgently needed.

Dawn Devereux
St Albans, Herts

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