Synchronicity does sometimes leave me almost speechless; and I’m not referring to a public house of that name in Bolton town centre that I used to frequent many years ago – but that coming together of linked events apparently by pure coincidence. Let me give you this example. A few weeks ago I attended a (very interesting) conference in London called Psychological Therapies in the NHS. Inevitably it was mostly about the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, and the implications for the future rollout of this service.

Anyway, as I was sitting on the train going home afterwards, thinking a great deal about IAPT and what it might actually mean for counselling and psychotherapy in the future (and particularly for those of us who won’t be ‘blessed’ by working in an IAPT service), it occurred to me how fabulous it would be to have an opportunity to share my thoughts with everybody else, and what a real shame it was that I couldn’t. Can you therefore believe the synchronicity of then being invited to have a monthly column in Therapy Today to go on about… well, pretty much anything that springs to my mind? As I say, almost speechless because, those of you who know me will know this already, fully speechless is a very rare event in my world.

Some of you might already warily be wondering why on earth someone with such apparent narcissistic tendencies would be given this forum in the first place. I’m afraid I can’t answer that one, and one lesson I have learnt as a counsellor is never, ever, look a gift horse in the mouth. It does seem to me though that working as a counsellor or psychotherapist (you have to be so careful over people’s sensitivities), there are plenty of things to have opinions about: what we call ourselves; whose model is bigger and better than anyone else’s; waiting lists; regulation; what we are worth; how to make sure that what we do is evidence-based; whether to make sure what we do is evidence-based; what does evidence-based mean… Oh, and IAPT – have I already mentioned that one? So who am I? I am a counsellor and supervisor working in a large university in the North West of England – Liverpool actually (as I can’t sing, dance or tell jokes, I clearly don’t come from Liverpool, just work there and try to bask in any reflected glory). I also edit Counselling and Psychotherapy Research – or for some of you the big green thing that comes through your door once a quarter and is read once in a blue moon. I’m working on trying to change that though – maybe orange next time.

I’ve been around as a counsellor for quite a long time – since the late 80s – which means I’ve seen a great many changes along the way. Yet, the pace of change doesn’t seem to be slowing, and in some ways appears to gain its own momentum as each change passes by.

Certainly when I first started counsellor training, things were about as different as they can be: training placements were almost impossible to find; job opportunities were limited; pay was poor for those jobs you could find; always having that nagging feeling that if I had done a different training then I would have found getting a job easier (hence the expression, ‘If only I’d trained in CBT…’) – plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, as they say.

But this really is a time of great change – perhaps the biggest since someone first realised that talking to each other might be quite a neat idea. I’m not sure whether regulation will necessarily be the next ‘big thing’. As a social worker I’ve already been through that one, and other than some more forms and, of course, another cheque to write, that hasn’t really changed my world. I do wonder whether IAPT will make bigger waves than we might ever imagine? I can share some thoughts on that one with you next time.

In the meantime, I’m delighted to have this opportunity to write a little about what life is like for me being a counsellor – with some of my worries, thoughts and meanderings. I suppose I had better say that they will be my own thoughts and won’t reflect the position of the university I work for, nor of BACP. Phew! Nearly forgot to jump through that particular hoop. Don’t we have to cover our backs a lot these days…

Andrew Reeves is a counsellor at the University of Liverpool Counselling Service and editor of Counselling and Psychotherapy Research (CPR).