Division of Coaching Psychology FAQs
What are the current committee working groups and which committee members lead them?
What are the current committee working groups and which committee members lead them?
Conference
Lizana Oberholzer
CPD
Denise Hutchinson, Claire Hepworth, Fiona Day
Communications
Nicole Gow
Podcast working group for series 3
Dr Natalie Lancer
Research
Dr Catherine Steele
Representation in devolved nations
Natalie Lancer
Mentoring and diversity
Fateha (Tia) Moin
Volunteering
Beth McManus & Tamzin Hall
PPG coordination group
Alison Cole
Standards mapping
Paula Dixon
What does the committee do?
The Committee develops the strategy and oversees the business of the Division.
Meetings are held monthly with an annual AGM.
How do I apply for a committee role and what’s the process?
Details of available and upcoming committee roles will be posted on our news page.
Keep your eyes open for future announcements and information on how to apply.
Where can I find more information on the Division?
Keep up to date with the latest information, news, publications resources, awards and funding on the DoCP's website page.
What is the DoCP’s vision and strategy?
Our vision is to be recognised as a leading authority on coaching psychology and to be central to the development of the profession.
We aim to promote the development of coaching psychology as a professional activity and to clarify the benefits of psychological approaches within coaching practice.
We're committed to fostering excellence in coaching practice via:
- Conferences and events
- Publications
- Sharing best practice
- Supporting research
- Representing views
- Leading professional development in coaching psychology
Please email Member Network Support if you have any comments on the division's vision and strategy.
What are the current fees?
Becoming a British Psychological Society member gives you access to the UK's largest community of psychologists. Read about the current rates of BPS subscription and membership fees.
Membership of the DoCP is only open to members of the BPS.
There are three grades of DoCP membership. Find out more about the DoCP's membership fees.
What are my membership fees used for?
Membership fees cover the Division's operational expenses, publications and contribute to the administration of our professional training routes.
How can I contribute to the DoCP and the profession of coaching psychology as a volunteer?
After joining the DoCP, you'll be asked to opt-in to communications as part of the application process.
You can update your email preferences in the 'Preferences' section of the portal.
We hope all members will be active and contribute to the success of the DoCP and the profession of coaching psychology.
Being a volunteer means committing to getting involved. We're keen to hear about any ways that you want to take part in areas you're interested in.
The DoCP is run by active members on a voluntary pro-bono basis.
Find out more
Email the volunteer's lead if you have any questions.
How do I stay up to date with developments?
As part of the application process for joining the Division, you'll be asked to opt-in to communications from the DoCP. This is the best way to stay up to date.
You can update your email preferences in the 'Preferences' section of the portal.
How can I use the BPS governance processes e.g., to allow clients to make complaints, and what will happen?
Find out how to submit a complaint against a BPS member.
What support is available for me as a practitioner?
Support is available through the BPS Practice Guidelines and the society's many other guidelines and policies.
How do I join the DoCP?
Membership of the Division of Coaching Psychology DoCP is only open to members of the BPS.
You can become a member via the DoCP webpage.
What types of BPS membership are there?
As the home of psychology in the UK, the BPS is proud to offer a range of membership options to suit your current level of study or career path.
What are the routes to Chartered status?
There are various routes to achieving Chartered status, and these routes are managed by the Assessment & Awards Team.
We recommend that you view our flowchart to see which route is most appropriate for you.
There are currently four routes:
1. Traditional route
Stage 1: Accredited Masters Degree in Coaching Psychology plus
Stage 2: Two-year Society Qualification in Coaching Psychology (in development).
2. Professional Recognition Route
For those with at least three years of full-time (or part-time equivalent) training and experience in coaching psychology.
3. Accelerated Route
For those with at least five years of full-time (or part-time equivalent) training and experience in coaching psychology. This route is temporary and will end in December 2024.
4. Peer review route – for members who already have Chartered status. This route is temporary and will end in December 2023.
Find out more
Please email the Assessments team for more information.
What are the benefits of membership or Chartered status in Coaching Psychology for those already Chartered in a different discipline?
There are many benefits of membership or Chartered status in coaching psychology.
These include:
- Being recognised as a full member of the DoCP
- Having the ability to apply to be listed on the Register of Coaching Psychologists.
What’s the difference between the List of Chartered Members and the Directory of Chartered Psychologists?
List of Chartered members
The List of Chartered members is a list of all members who have been granted chartered status. When an individual is granted Chartered membership, their name automatically appears on this list, unless they choose to withhold it.
Directory of Chartered Psychologists
The Directory of Chartered Psychologists is for members who wish to advertise their services to the public. The fee for this is £29.59 per year (as of September 2022). In order to join the Directory, you'd need to complete the application form and confirm the information that you'd like to appear.
Who can join the Register of Coaching Psychologists?
To apply to join the Register of Coaching Psychologists you must:
- be a Chartered member
- be a Full Member of the Division of Coaching Psychology
- have demonstrated alignment with the Level 8 Standards in Coaching Psychology
What supervision is required to get Chartered?
Applicants must have had at least eight supervision sessions within the past two years with a supervisor who is a Chartered Psychologist and who is on the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors (RAPPS).
At least six of these sessions should be with a supervisor who has expertise in coaching psychology.
You won't be eligible to apply for the Accelerated Route or Professional Recognition Route until you fulfil this requirement.
More information
Check the careers page to find out more.
If you have questions, please email Member Network Services.
Is Coaching Psychologist a protected title? And if not, will it be in future?
Coaching Psychologist isn't a legally protected title, and we aren't aware of any plans for this to change in future.
Now that we have standards in place for the recognition of Coaching Psychologists at Chartered level, we'd expect only those who have demonstrated alignment with those standards to refer to themselves as Coaching Psychologists.
Do coaching psychologists need to register with the HCPC?
The HCPC doesn't currently regulate coaching psychology, and we aren't aware of any plans for this to change in future.
Are all psychologists on the Register of Coaching Psychologists chartered?
Yes, all registrants are Chartered members, though not necessarily Chartered as Coaching Psychologists.
What’s a RAPPS supervisor?
A RAPPS supervisor is registered on BPS's 'Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors' (RAPPS).
This register covers all psychology disciplines.
The BPS practice guidelines state that to join RAPPS, candidates need to meet the following criteria:
- Be a Chartered Member
- Have completed the BPS's Supervision Skills course, or approved supervisor training via a third party
- Provide evidence by a copy of your certificate to confirm completion of training
- Be supported by a chartered senior work colleague who can attest to your experience as a supervisor
- Sign a declaration
When do I need to engage a RAPPS supervisor?
Charted status
All applicants who are applying for Chartered status in Coaching Psychology via the Accelerated Route or Professional Recognition Route must have had at least eight supervision sessions within the past two years.
They must have completed this with a supervisor who's a Chartered Psychologist, who's on the Register of Applied Psychology Practice Supervisors (RAPPS).
At least six of these sessions should be with a supervisor who has expertise in coaching psychology.
Peer Review transfer route
For the Peer Review transfer route, we're not stipulating what we consider to be "appropriate supervision" for members' professional experience and amount of coaching; this will be for the peer group to discuss, debate and, ultimately, to decide.
Find out more
If you have questions, please email Member Network Services.
What supervision do I need as a Chartered member?
Although there's a specified number of supervision sessions for trainees (e.g., for their Chartered status) that varies across different sub-disciplines of psychology, no definitive amount of supervision is specified as part of CPD.
To determine both the quantity and nature of the supervision, the psychologist may consider their need for supervision from various perspectives:
- Their own assessment of need
- The competencies required for their practice
- The context of their work; organisational requirements
- The support available
For psychologists in employment, the arrangements for consultation/supervision should be agreed after considering these factors in consultation with the employer.
As the work on the Register progresses, we can expect there to be updated guidelines on what supervision is expected to apply for and maintain registration.
How do I join a Peer Practice Group (PPG)?
Peer Practice Groups are aimed at fully or part qualified psychologists and also coaches without a formal psychology background.
If you can't see a PPG listed near you and you're interested in setting one up, please contact our PPG coordinator.
Where can I find the DoCP’s journals?
International Coaching Psychology Review
Please email the Editor for more information on submission dates.
The Coaching Psychologist
Please email the Editor for more information on submission dates.