Counselling isn’t statutorily regulated in the same way as some professions, but that does not mean you have no way of checking who you are working with.
You may have seen discussions online about counselling being an “unregulated profession”. Technically, the titles counsellor and psychotherapist are not protected in law in the UK. That means somebody can use the title without having completed a recognised counselling qualification or belonging to a professional body.
That can understandably sound alarming. But there are things you can check before deciding who you want to work with.
In most areas where we are paying someone to provide an important service, we already make checks. If you were having your boiler serviced, for example, you would probably check that the engineer was Gas Safe registered. The systems are not the same, but the principle is familiar: when we are placing trust in somebody, it is reasonable to check the professional credentials behind what they are offering.
Check professional registration
One of the simplest places to start is to see whether the counsellor belongs to a recognised professional body, such as the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) or the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
There are other professional bodies too; I mention these because they are the ones I am most familiar with.
Both NCPS and BACP operate registers accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
So why is that important?
The PSA is an independent organisation that reports to Parliament. It oversees the UK health and social care regulators responsible for professions that are regulated by law, including those covering doctors, nurses, dentists and pharmacists. It also accredits registers for health and care occupations that are not regulated by law, including counselling and psychotherapy.
The PSA does not individually approve counsellors, and being on a PSA-accredited register does not make counselling a statutorily regulated profession. What it does mean is that the organisation running that register has been independently assessed against standards designed to protect the public.
The professional body then checks that individual counsellors meet its requirements to join and remain on its register. Those requirements may include appropriate qualifications, regular supervision, continuing professional development and professional insurance. Registrants may also be audited and asked to provide evidence that they continue to meet the standards required by their professional body.
Being on one of these registers gives you a way of checking that the person has met the organisation’s requirements for registration and is accountable to its professional and ethical standards.
Importantly, check the actual register rather than relying solely on letters or logos displayed on a website. If a counsellor has not provided their individual membership number, you can ask them for it or search the register using their name.
You can check the registers here:
✓ BACP Register: Search the BACP Register
✓ NCPS Register: Search the NCPS Register
You do not need to understand all the letters after somebody’s name to use these. Their name is usually enough to start your search.
A logo tells you what somebody says about themselves. A register gives you somewhere independent to check.
Supervision matters
Registered counsellors are normally required by their professional body to have regular clinical supervision.
Because counselling usually happens privately between the client and the counsellor, supervision provides another professional perspective. It gives the counsellor somewhere to reflect on their work, notice things they may be missing, consider ethical questions and make sure they are working within their competence.
Supervision is not somebody secretly listening to your sessions. Identifying details should be appropriately protected, and supervision is itself a professional and confidential process.
It is also a space where counsellors can reflect on their own responses to the work.
Have you ever wondered how counsellors cope with listening to difficult experiences day after day? Years of training, reflection and good supervision sit behind the work you see in the counselling room.
There should be an ethical framework
Membership of a professional body also means the counsellor agrees to work within its ethical framework or code of practice.
That matters because it gives both counsellor and client something outside the individual relationship against which practice can be considered.
It also means there is a professional complaints process if something goes seriously wrong.
That is quite different from somebody simply saying, “I work ethically.”
Your counsellor should make it clear which professional body they belong to, where you can find the relevant ethical framework and how to access the complaints process. This information may also be included in their counselling agreement or contract.
You should know what you are agreeing to
A counsellor should be able to explain clearly how they work.
Usually this will include things such as:
- session length and frequency
- cancellation arrangements
- confidentiality and its limits
- how your information is stored
- how to contact them
- what happens if either of you decides to end the counselling
- what to do if you have a concern or complaint
- a clear fee structure
This may be provided in a counselling agreement or contract.
You shouldn’t need a law degree to understand it, and you are allowed to ask questions about anything that isn’t clear.
A directory is not necessarily the same thing as a professional register
There are lots of websites where you can search for a counsellor.
Directories can be really useful. They allow you to search by location, the issues you want help with, whether you want online or in-person counselling, fees and availability.
Two commonly used directories are:
✓ Psychology Today: Search Psychology Today
✓ Counselling Directory: Search Counselling Directory
But a directory and a professional register are not necessarily the same thing.
The directory is where you might find them; the professional register is where you check them.
Directories may also carry out their own checks. Counselling Directory verifies professional-body membership before approving practitioner profiles. Psychology Today also uses verification indicators on profiles where professional membership or a primary credential has been verified.
Even so, it is still worth knowing which professional body the counsellor belongs to and checking their registration yourself.
And then there is fit
Somebody can have excellent qualifications, appropriate registration, insurance, supervision and years of experience, and still not be the right counsellor for you.
Research consistently shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship matters. That does not necessarily mean you have to instantly “like” your counsellor, but feeling able to trust them, feel understood and work together is important.
Counsellors understand that fit matters. If you speak to someone and simply do not feel comfortable working with them, that is okay. You are not obliged to continue, and you do not need to justify choosing someone else.
Have a look at how they describe their work. Does it make sense to you? Do you feel comfortable with the way they communicate? Do they have experience relevant to what you are looking for help with?
Many counsellors offer an introductory call before you decide whether to book a session.
You can use that time to ask questions.
You can also speak to more than one counsellor before deciding.
Choosing a therapist is not an exam, and you are not being interviewed for a place in counselling.
You are not being difficult by checking
Asking about qualifications, professional registration, confidentiality, supervision or how someone works is completely reasonable.
The counsellors I know, myself included, are actually quite proud of the training and qualifications behind our work. Many will have their professional membership clearly displayed on their website or directory listings, often with links that allow you to check their registration.
A counsellor should be able to answer questions about their training and professional status without becoming defensive.
Look at the whole professional picture
Professional registration is important, but no single badge, certificate or qualification tells you everything about a counsellor.
What matters is the wider professional structure around their work. Depending on the counsellor and the kind of service they offer, you might reasonably expect to find:
✓ Appropriate counselling qualifications
✓ Current professional registration
✓ Professional indemnity insurance
✓ Regular clinical supervision
✓ Continuing professional development
✓ Appropriate arrangements for confidentiality and record keeping
✓ Compliance with data-protection requirements, including ICO registration where required
✓ An ethical framework and complaints process
✓ Clear information about how the counselling service works
✓ A clear pricing structure
None of these things tells you that someone will definitely be the right counsellor for you. Qualifications cannot tell you whether you will feel comfortable with someone, and professional registration cannot guarantee that every therapeutic relationship will work.
What they do tell you is that there is a professional framework around the work.
Counselling involves talking about parts of your life that may be private, painful or difficult. It makes sense to take some care over who you choose to do that with.
The fact that counsellor is not a legally protected title does mean you need to do some checking. But counselling not being statutorily regulated does not mean there is nothing you can check.
You can look beyond the profile, the photograph and the reassuring words and ask: what sits behind this practice?
If this has left you thinking about counselling for yourself, you’re welcome to get in touch. I offer a free 20-minute introductory call where you can ask questions, get a sense of how I work and decide whether you’d like to take things further.