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 Statutes WAPCEPC
The Association was founded on July 8th, 1997 on the occasion of the Fourth International Conference on Client-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy (ICCCEP) in Lisbon, Portugal. The Statutes in their present form were agreed by consensus at the General Assembly in Chicago on June 29th, 2000 and amended at the General Assembly in Potsdam, 2006.The terms "Person-Centered" and "Experiential" and the concepts and processes they encompass have an extensive, rich and evolving history. The choice of the phrase "Person-Centered and Experiential" is intended to promote continued dialogue and development; it is not intended to favor any particular understanding of these approaches and their relationship.
I. Principles
The aim of this Association is to provide a world-wide forum for those professionals in science and practice who:
- have a commitment to the primary importance of the relationship between client and therapist in psychotherapy and counseling;
- hold as central to the therapeutic endeavor the client's actualizing process and phenomenological world;
- embody in their work those conditions and attitudes conducive to therapeutic movement first postulated by Carl Rogers;
- have a commitment to an understanding of both clients and therapists as persons, who are at the same time individuals and in relationship with others and their diverse environments and cultures;
- have an openness to the development and elaboration of person-centered and experiential theory in light of current and future practice and research.
II. Goals
The association has the following goals:
- to further cooperation between associations, organisations, institutions and individuals on an international level, in the field of person-centered, client-centered and experiential psychotherapy and counseling;
- to support/facilitate person-centered and experiential associations, organizations, institutions and individuals in their work;
- to promote person-centered and experiential perspectives and to support and encourage the scientific study as well as the improvement of practice, 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 World Conference for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling (abbreviated as PCE Conference, formerly ICCCEP) and possible future developments of it;
- to produce a high-quality journal and to foster the exchange of research, theory and practice among language groups through existing journals and other means.
III. Means
1. The purpose of the association will be realized through scholarly and professional and material means.
2. Scholary and professional means are lectures, meetings, publications etc. Material means are admission fees, annual membership fees, contributions, donations, conference fees and other proceeds.
IV. Membership and structure
1. The structure of the organization is grounded in person-centered principles.
2. The Association is open to both organizational and individual members.
3. Individual membership is open to helping professionals, trainees and other persons who wish to further the goals of the Association in psychotherapy, counseling and related fields.
4. The Association invites into its membership existing associations, organizations and institutions within and outside the university system which embrace its principles and goals (see I. and II.) and have clearly defined and published ethical standards.
5. Persons or organizations, who, through personal or organizational effort and/or financial support, promote the interests of the Association, can become Honorary Members on decision of the General Assembly.
6. 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 or individuals.
V. Chapters
In order to support the development of the PCE approaches in various regions of the world, and in support of shared goals, a Regional Chapter of the World Association can be formed by Organizational Members and/or Individual Members of the WA in a particular region. The philosophy, aims and objectives of the proposed Regional Chapter must be fully consistent with those of the WAPCEPC.
VI. General Assembly
1. The General Assembly consists of the Individual Members and the Delegates of the Organizational Members of the Association.
2. Each Organizational Member can send one Delegate.
3. The General Assembly takes all essential decisions with regard to the nature of its work. Striving for consensus and compromise is an essential part of the self-understanding of person-centered principles in action. Decisions only become effective if a majority of both, the Individual Members and the Organizational Members, is achieved.
VII. Board
1. The Board consists of a maximum of nine persons formed with an effort to reflect the diversity of the membership in terms of geography and theoretical approach.
2. The functions of the Board are
- to steward the Association
- to develop and propose policies to the General Assembly
- to implement the decisions and policies agreed in the General Assembly
- to manage administrative matters
- and to deal with matters which may arise between meetings of the General Assembly .
3. The tasks of the Board include:
- preparing the General Assembly
- admitting new Members who have fulfilled the membership requirements (see IV.2.)
- presenting a statement of the accounts of the last period (since the last ordinary General Assembly) and determining the budget for the next period, subject to the approval of the General Assembly
- presenting a report of its work during the last period to the General Assembly.
VIII. Auditors
1. The General Assembly elects two auditors from different associations.
2. Their task is to examine all the financial affairs, including the financial statements of the Association.
IX. Membership dues
1. The Members pay a membership fee to meet the expenses of the Association.
2. The membership fee is suggested by the Board and must be approved by the General Assembly.
3. The Board may make exceptions in case of financial hardship, on written request.
X. Dissolution
1. The dissolution of the Association needs a two thirds majority in the General Assembly.
2. In the event of the dissolution of the Association all money, goods or property owned by the Association, after satisfaction of all proper debts and liabilities, is transferred to the PCE Conference organization or a similar association, if this does not exist.
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