BACP On Disagreeing With Layard's Proposals

Submitted by tonyplant on February 12, 2006 - 18:03.

A while ago the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy issued a press release that criticised some of the Layard proposals: specifically those calling for the training of more therapists (BACP argues that a sufficient number already exist), and those that emphasis the importance of the cognitive behavioural therapy approach above other strategies.

Economists argue that anxiety and depression are a burden on the economy. Mental Health specialists (among others) counter that they are an unaffordable burden on society. Layard says that happiness should be seen as more than a health issue. The BACP unhelpfully offers the counter-claim that

Unhappiness is the consequence of more than a diagnosed condition and always arises from a life situation.

And they offer counselling etc. as part of the solution. Which still looks like medicalisation of a psychosocial issue to me. I will put more about this in another post.

 

Copyright 2006, Tony Plant Happystance Project

add new comment | unhappiness | Layard | happiness | depression | cognitive behavioural therapy | CBT