Barkham, MichaelCharura, DivineCooper, MickGabriel, LynneHanley, TerryMcLeod, JohnMoller, NaomiReeves, AndrewSmith, Kate2024-05-132024-05-132024-06-04Barkham, M., Charura, D., Cooper, M., Gabriel, L., Hanley, T., McLeod, T., Moller, N., Reeves, A., & Smith, K. (2024). The role of BACP in maximising the potential of counselling and psychological therapies research in the UK: Benefitting clients, communities, and societies. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 24(4), 1133-1140. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.127771473-314510.1002/capr.12777http://hdl.handle.net/10034/628673This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Barkham, M., Charura, D., Cooper, M., Gabriel, L., Hanley, T., McLeod, T., Moller, N., Reeves, A., & Smith, K. (2024). The role of BACP in maximising the potential of counselling and psychological therapies research in the UK: Benefitting clients, communities, and societies. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 24(4), 1133-1140], which has been published in final form at [https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12777]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) is the largest professional membership body within the field of counselling and psychological therapies in the UK, but there is a mismatch between its membership of >65,000 and its research impact. This article sets out a potential strategic direction as considered by an informal grouping of researchers and teachers in the field. Actionable research plans are outlined at three levels: client-practitioner, local communities, and societies. At the client-practitioner level, data-informed practice can be readily implemented as a therapeutic aid akin to supervision, providing the potential for integrating research into everyday practice. At the community level, interdisciplinary collaborations together with a focus on equality, diversity, and inclusiveness are paths to building a community of researchers and citizens that includes marginalised populations. The importance of social justice extends into the societal level, connecting with politics at a micro and macro level, and engaging internationally to respond to actual threats (e.g., climate change). Across these three levels, high value is placed on data with its potential for informing and improving practice, but also enhancing the lives of people in communities and societies. Overall, research strategies need to be collaborative (i.e., collegial) and less singular (i.e., individually- project based), developing cumulative knowledge around specific topics via a ‘capture and build’ strategy for small projects with strategic oversight by BACP. Clarity of research strategy combined with collaborative and collective action from BACP and leaders in the field can help realise the full potential of BACP’s research capacity.Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/counsellingpsychotherapycollaborative researchdata-informed practiceequality, diversity and inclusivenessresearch impactArticle1746-1405Counselling and Psychotherapy Research24