World Association for Person-Centered Counseling and Psychotherapy

(WAPCCP)

An Association for the Science and Practice of Client-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies and Counseling

I. Principles

The aim of this Association is to provide a world-wide forum for those professionals who have

• a commitment to the primary importance in therapy of the relationship between therapist and client,

• an essential trust in the experiential world of the client and its centrality for the therapeutic endeavor,

• a belief in the efficacy of the conditions and attitudes conducive to therapeutic movement first postulated by Carl Rogers and a commitment to their active implementation within the therapeutic relationship,

• a commitment to an understanding of both clients and therapists as persons who are at one and the same time individuals and in relationship with others and with their environment,

• an openness to the elaboration and development of person-centered and experiential theory in the light of current and future practice and research.

II. Goals

The association has the following goals:

• to further cooperation between person-centered associations, institutes and individuals on an international level, especially in the field of psychotherapy and counseling,

• to support/facilitate person-centered associations, institutes and individuals in their work,

• to promote the person-centered paradigm and to support and encourage the scientific study as well as the improvement of practice in this paradigm, specifically in the field of psychotherapy and counseling,

• to engage in socio-political processes to ensure the continued contribution of the paradigm in health, education, academic contexts etc.,

• to exchange ideas with other psychotherapeutic orientations and to stimulate cooperation in the field of psychotherapy and counseling,

• to have a commitment to the organization and support of international conferences, in particular the International Conference on Client-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy (ICCCEP),

• to produce a high-quality journal in the English language and to foster the exchange of research, theory and practice among language groups through existing journals and other means.III. Structure

The structure of the organization corresponds to person-centered principles.

The Association is open to both organizational and individual members. It invites into its membership existing national organizations, major agencies, and training institutes within the university system and outside of it which adhere to its principles and its goals (see I. and II.).

At all levels of membership the principle of local autonomy is maintained. The authority of the Association can only be applied to its composition, to cooperation in the Association and to its external relationships. The Association must not interfere with the rights of national and international organizations. The General Assembly takes all important decisions with regard to the nature of its work.

For the first period till the next General Assembly on the occasion of the Vth ICCCEP a Working Group is elected. Its tasks are to (a) develop a detailed constitution and regulations which on the occasion of the Vth Conference in the year 2000 will be submitted for resolution to the General Assembly, (b) invite members, (c) manage the organizational necessities and budgets for the initial provisional period, (d) elect an Executive Board to represent the Association and further its communication with the external world on ongoing matters which must be resolved rapidly.

The members pay a membership fee to meet the expenses. A fee for the first year is to be decided at the time of foundation by those founding the Association. [organizations: up to 50 members: 100 US$, 51 to 100 members: 200 US$, more than 100 members: 300 US$; individuals: 20 US$]