Counsellors and psychotherapists call for UK statutory regulation in ‘watershed moment’

Exclusive: Professional bodies call for regulation to boost confidence and protect public from abuse in ‘landmark’ report

Ministers should introduce statutory regulation for counsellors and psychotherapists to protect the public from abuse, according to a report that has been hailed as a “watershed moment” for the profession.

Unlike most other healthcare roles, including doctors, midwives and osteopaths, “psychotherapist” and “counsellor” are not protected titles nor statutorily regulated professions in the UK.

This means that anyone can call themselves a therapist without a qualification, and can continue to practise even after an episode of misconduct, under a system that is poorly understood by the public.