What are the perceived implications, if any, for non-IAPT therapists working in an IAPT service?

Catherine Altson, Derek Loewenthal, Anastasios Gaitanidis, Rhiannon Thomas

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Abstract

The research aimed to investigate the national Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, from the perspective of ‘non-IAPT’ counsellors and psychotherapists working within IAPT services. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with therapists who were currently working within IAPT services, but had no formal ‘IAPT-compliant’ or ‘IAPT-accredited’ training. Foucauldian discourse analysis was used to analyse interview transcriptions and the study examined the various discourses used by participants to speak about IAPT. Findings indicated that participants drew upon dominant discourses in attempts to fit in or belong, yet paradoxically, the way in which the discourses were used seemed to create subject positions that were outside to, or excluded from, the IAPT services they worked at. IAPT and non-IAPT discourses emerged simultaneously - a possible indication of the discursive junction where different ideologies were in conflict with one another. Implications of the power relations that may be operating within this setting are discussed and suggestions made for further research. 
 
© 2014, published by Taylor & Francis. This is an author produced version of a paper published in the British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at the link below. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)383-396
JournalBRITISH JOURNAL OF GUIDANCE & COUNSELLING
Volume43
Issue number4
Early online date2 Oct 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015

Keywords

  • Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)
  • discourse analysis
  • Foucault
  • National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
  • power relations
  • subject positions

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