Scarborough Counselling & Psychotherapy Training Institute

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Reviews

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  T L

  'I would definitely recommend the Relational Counselling Course'.

  29-01-2023
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  Iwona Hunter

  Looking back - a worthwhile experience.

  29-05-2021
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  Julian R

  Positive: Communication, Professionalism, Quality, Value

  29-05-2021
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  Isabel Hicks

  I LOVE BEING AT SCPTI! The training here is exciting, thought provoking, practical and thorough. I am learning so much about myself too, my emotions and feelings. BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT!

  29-05-2020
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  Stephen Hewitt

  Unethical and unsafe! 18 months ago as a student of SCPTI I lodged a grievance due to concerns re unsafe and unethical practices on the so-called ‘Relational Centred Counselling Course’ ran by a director of this institution called Peter Lavender. Since then there has been three changes to the appointment of ‘ethical’ chairs. Following my complaint I was advised I was suspended from the course (not that I would go back). Over 7 months later my grievance hearing had been cancelled twice. I was refused a consideration by the directors of a Course fee refund until the hearing had occurred. In my opinion the course is not fit for purpose, it is unsafe and has unethical practices involved. 10 months after I lodged my grievances an ethics panel concluded unsafe and unethical practice did take place. Lavender appealed. 2 months later Peter’s appeal was unsuccessful. As far as I am aware nothing has changed in order to safeguard students or the general public. Consequently I have serious concerns re this institution and the UKCP allowing them to fly their flag. Noor of SCPTI stated that my google review was ‘offensive’ and ‘unethical’ and asked me to remove it. I have had no acknowledgement or apology for the unethical and unsafe practice Lavender dished out although clearly stated in his own policy that requests of ethics panel are to be adhered to. My verdict is, if you want a course on which you are lied to and bullied into sharing your innermost thoughts and feelings, you want to be abused and you want to be blindly led this is the one for you. In my opinion, there is nothing in how Peter Lavender operates that distinguishes him from any sociopath you may have the extreme misfortune to encounter. In my opinion the ethics panel were softening the severity of the abuse in the report yet still it is damming. Exert from Ethics Panel: ‘The grievance was examined in a formal manner on Monday 29th January at ScPTI...unanimously upholds the grievance...against...Lavender.   We agree with the complainant that the Congruence exercise was facilitated in a way that was unsafe for him. We also agree that it was unethical, in that a) the initial verbal instructions, which assured the trainee of confidentiality and privacy, were changed, therefore exposing the trainee’s thoughts and feelings to other group members and causing him distress. b) the lead facilitator used his position of power and authority as justification for being incongruent in the classroom situation. The original published instructions (Leijessen) for this exercise on congruence do not include any reference to deceiving participants. c) insufficient attention was paid to the field conditions within the course group. The written instructions advise that ‘there needs to be sufficient trust in the group for participants to feel secure enough to be vulnerable or to risk themselves personally’.  At the time this was not the case for Steven Hewitt, and this was not taken into account when deciding to proceed with the exercise, nor when assigning individuals to groups. Further, the panel believe that following the exercise, Peter Lavender failed to acknowledge and appreciate Steven Hewitt’s distress and vulnerability, and the severity of the relational rupture. He therefore gave insufficient attention to the relational process of repair, which in turn contributed to an escalation of the situation, and negatively affected Steven Hewitt’s wellbeing... We strongly recommend that Steven Hewitt receive full reimbursement of his course fees and ScPTI membership fee. We also require Mr Peter Lavender to provide a written statement of acceptance of the adjudication and an apology to Mr Steven Hewitt, in accordance with 5.9.1 of the ScPTI Grievance procedure.’ Not all UKCP members are ethical and some can do far more harm than good. As P. Clarkson, once the Chair of Ethics at HIPC, made clear in her book ‘Ethics’, some abuse and others cover for them or turn a blind eye for fear of losing status among peers. It goes all the way to the top I fear.

  29-05-2019
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  Sharon Walker

  Scarborough Counselling & Psychotherapy Training Institute is excellent. I have experienced SCPTI as a highly professional training institute run by tutors with outstanding knowledge and experience. I am in my final year of The Diploma in Relational Centred Counselling course which I can only recommend. It is a challenging course and for me has been life changing. Sharon

  29-05-2019
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  Diana Morgan

  This course is not for the faint hearted. As students, we enter with preconceived ideas, which will be challenged. It takes courage to engage with the process. However, if you take up the challenge, you will achieve self development like no other course can offer. I believe graduates from this course emerge as extremely robust therapists.

  29-05-2019
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  Kerrie Cook

  I am in my first year at Scpti and enjoying every bit of it, it has been life changing for me. Our tutor Pete Lavender is brilliant and very professional. I certainly don’t recognise the words used to describe Pete from the previous review. I am really looking forward to continue my journey in a safe and secure environment with the help and support of Pete and all my fellow students.

  29-05-2018