Coaching or therapy: knowing when to refer
The boundary that protects both you and your client, taught by a chartered clinical psychologist in 75 minutes, free.
Taught live by
Dr Priya Raman — DClinPsy (Doctorate in Clinical Psychology), CPsychol (Chartered Psychologist, British Psychological Society)
What you will leave with
- The specific indicators that mean a coaching conversation should stop
- How to raise a referral without the client hearing rejection
- What to document, and why the note protects you as much as them
- Why 'I am not a therapist' is not sufficient as a scope statement
- Where to refer in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
What is this masterclass?
A free 75-minute live session in which a chartered clinical psychologist works through the coaching-to-therapy boundary using anonymised scenarios. Attendees are asked to make the referral judgement themselves before the answer is discussed, because committing to a decision first is how the skill actually develops.
Who is this session for?
Coaches at any level of experience, wellbeing and pastoral staff, managers who coach members of their own team, and anyone whose role involves structured conversations with people under real stress. No clinical background is assumed at any point, and around a third of attendees are considering coaching rather than already practising.
Why does the referral boundary matter so much?
Because coaching is unregulated in the UK, so nothing external stops a coach working far beyond their competence. The restraint has to come from training. A coach who misses a clinical indicator can delay treatment for someone who needed it months earlier.
This is the competency we weight most heavily in assessment on our paid programmes, and it is the one most short courses skip entirely because it is uncomfortable to teach.
Making it the subject of the free session is deliberate. If someone takes only this hour from us and never buys anything, they are still a safer practitioner than they were.
Is this a sales webinar?
No. It is roughly 60 minutes of taught content and scenario work, 15 minutes of questions, and a single mention of the paid programme at the end. We would rather you left with a usable skill and no intention of buying than the reverse.
Common questions
Will this be recorded?
Yes, sent to everyone who registers within 24 hours. The scenario segment works better live because you commit to an answer before hearing the discussion, but the recording is complete.
Is this suitable if I am already a therapist?
Probably not — the content is pitched at non-clinical practitioners. Trainee therapists sometimes attend for the scope-of-practice framing, but you would find much of it basic.
Will I be able to practise CBT after this?
No. It is one session with no assessment. Practising as a CBT therapist requires accredited clinical training and supervised hours, and our paid programme is explicit that it does not confer that either.
If you want the full version
This session covers one hour of what the paid programme assesses over 10 weeks. Attending the masterclass first is a good way to decide whether the tutor and the approach suit you.
CBT Practitioner Skills
Learn to use cognitive behavioural techniques competently within a clearly defined scope of practice, taught and assessed by a chartered psychologist and BABCP-accredited therapist.
Not for: Anyone expecting to qualify as a CBT therapist — that requires accredited clinical training
- Live hours
- 22h live
- Duration and weekly load
- 10 weeks · ~6h/week
- Cohort size
- max 20
£449or from £74.83/mo, interest-free
Related reading
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SubjectCoaching & Psychology
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