At the IACP AGM 2024, IACP members passed a motion to establish a new membership category: Academic Membership:
Academic Membership is available to those who hold current Accredited or Supervisor Membership in good standing who are engaged in Counselling and Psychotherapy Academic Activities meeting criteria laid down from time to time by the Board of Directors.
We are pleased to confirm that the Board has now ratified both the entry criteria and the annual requirements for Academic Membership. Applications for this new category will open in January 2026.
An applicant for Academic Membership must meet the following criteria:
Accreditation:
Must be an Accredited Member or Supervisor in good standing (active membership, fully paid up).
If accreditation has lapsed, the applicant must first reinstate their Accredited Member or Supervisor status before applying. Please note, applicants are not required to obtain insurance cover or a supervisor contract to reinstate, but all fees must still be paid and other requirements met in order to apply for Academic Membership.
During Academic Membership, the member must cease all clinical work.
To resume Accredited or Supervisor Accredited membership, this membership category may be held for a maximum of 7 consecutive years. Academic Members may also exit the category by transitioning to Inactive or Retired Membership, or they may allow their membership to lapse
Academic Work:
The applicant must be engaged in substantial academic activity within the field of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Eligible academic activities include:
Teaching / lecturing in Counselling and Psychotherapy training programmes including development/ review of curriculum or academic materials.
Conducting research within the field at Doctoral, or post-Doctoral levels. (Master’s Level excluded).
Designing and delivering workshops or training sessions relevant to the profession and must be offered on IACP accredited courses / IACP CPD approved courses.
Non-Counselling & Psychotherapy academic work does not qualify for this category.
Certification Requirements:
The applicant must provide documented evidence of their academic engagement upon application and during reaccreditation.
This evidence may include certification from a university or an IACP-validated training institute, employment contracts, published works, or other verifiable documentation. The IACP reserves the right to verify all documentation received.
Individuals conducting independent training or research must provide evidence of research plans and annual update on the progress, their work's relevance and scope.
The applicant must confirm in writing that, upon approval, they will cease all clinical work and will not resume until they transition back to their original membership category.
1. Continuing Professional Development:
Members must complete CPD equivalent to their original category (minimum 20 hours annually)
10 hours can be counted from academic activities and other 10 must be practice related CPD
Those transitioning from Supervisor Membership must fulfil the supervision-related CPD requirements (10 CPD points)
CPD compliance is subject to audit and general CPD policy requirements.
2. Certification of Academic Engagement:
Annual reaccreditation must include verification that the member continues to meet the criteria for Academic Membership (such as This evidence may include certification from a university or an IACP-validated training institute, employment contracts, published works, or other verifiable documentation. Individuals conducting independent training or research must provide evidence of research plans and annual update on the progress, their work's relevance and scope.
The member must confirm in writing that they are not engaged in clinical work.
3. Payment of Annual Membership Fees:
Annual Membership fees will align with those of the original active annual Accredited or Supervisor Membership category.
Academic Members may exit the category by transitioning to Inactive or Retired Membership, or they may allow their membership to lapse. To resume Accredited or Supervisor Membership within 7 years they must:
Provide evidence of CPD compliance while holding Academic Membership.
Demonstrate that they have maintained full engagement in academic activities related to Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Reapply through the standard reaccreditation process for their previous category, confirming fitness to practice, updated supervision arrangements, Garda Vetting and valid insurance cover.
Academic Members who wish to reinstate their accreditation after 7 years of holding an Academic Membership: the individual must apply under Reinstatement of Accreditation / Supervisor Accreditation rules (lapsed for 7+ years).