NCS Research

NATIONAL COUNSELLING SERVICE RESEARCH COMMITTEE

In seeking to fulfil the HSE National Counselling Service (NCS) Purpose Statement the NCS views research as essential to developing professional knowledge in the field of counselling and psychotherapy.

Research also has a role in discovering new and different ways of helping existing and future clients of the service. In addition, the accountability, credibility and public standing of counselling and psychotherapy requires that practitioners systematically and continually seek to enhance the quality, effectiveness and safety of their practice on well-founded evidence (Bond, 2004).

The NCS Research Committee consists of One Director of Counselling and one Counsellor/therapist from each of the remaining counselling services in the NCS.   There are four sub-committees to assist the work of the main committee. Two of these committees advise on the areas of research priorities and research funding. The third committee has an advisory role to the Directors of Counselling in reviewing research proposals within the NCS but the issue of ethical approval still rests with the relevant HSE Ethics Committee. The fourth committee oversees the Client Evaluation Survey which is ongoing. This service user survey is based on a recommendation in the SENCS Report (Leigh C. et al, 2003).Between September 2004 and April 2006 over 260 questionnaires were returned nationally and independently analysed. The results of this ongoing survey ensure that the NCS continues to be informed by the views of service users.

For further details about the HSE NCS Research Committee you can email Dr. Gerard O'Neill, Director of Counselling, HSE South gerard.oneill@hse.ie 

Leigh C., Rundle K., McGee H. & Garavan R. (2003) SENCS Report – Survivors’ Experiences of the National Counselling Service,Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the National Counselling Service.

Research : Useful Links

Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy

Irish Council for Psychotherapy

British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy

British Educational Research Association guidelines