About Community Therapy Ireland

We are an independent membership organisation formerly known as the Association for Agency-Based Counselling and Psychotherapy in Ireland.  We are a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity.  We proudly trade under our new name – Community Therapy Ireland.

Our vision

We envisage an Ireland where high quality counselling and psychotherapy services are fully accessible to all

Our mission

We offer Irish community therapy providers with a collective voice and supports that enable excellent practice

Our values

• Collaborative
• Inclusive
• Professional
• Responsive

Our Core Principles for Counselling & Psychotherapy

• Counselling & psychotherapy is provided on a community-based and not-for-profit basis regardless of a clients age, gender, civil status, family status, race, religion or belief, disability, sex, or sexual orientation.
• Counselling & psychotherapy is best practiced within an agency-based and community-based setting committed to developing centres of excellence.
• Members have clear ‘Clinical’ and ‘Corporate Governance’ accountability structures.
• Members are committed to on-going organisational development.
• Members are supportive of each other and collaborate with each other in the development of standards within the sector.
• Members have on-site systems of record-keeping & data collection, and continuous quality development.
• Members are community-based and strive to be of benefit to these communities within the limits of their competency.

The History of Community Therapy Ireland

Community Therapy Ireland is a national association of services who provide professional, affordable and accessible counselling & psychotherapy across Ireland. Our association (formerly the Association for Agency-Based Counselling & Psychotherapy in Ireland) was established in 2008 by a group of organisations in receipt of funding under the “Grants to Voluntary Organisations providing Marriage, Child and Bereavement Counselling services.”

These grants were administered by the Family Support Agency (FSA) which was subsumed in 2014 under The Tusla Child and Family Agency. Since this time, Community Therapy Ireland has grown. The organisation has 25 members delivering community-based counselling & psychotherapy services across Ireland. Community Therapy Ireland is a strategic partner of Tusla and a member of the Tusla Commissioning Advisory Group.