Why We Support Mandatory Regulation for Therapists in the UK

Psychotherapist regulation in the UK is back in the spotlight following recent media reports—and for good reason. If you saw headlines like “All psychotherapists in England must be regulated, experts say, after abuse claims rise” (The Guardian), you might have felt shocked to learn just how unprotected the public currently is.

At The Therapeutic Consultants, we believe this is an urgent issue—one that directly affects the safety of clients, particularly children. So, we want to offer some context, share our position, and explain what this means for you as someone seeking therapy.

A Confusing Patchwork of Regulation

Years ago, the UK government planned to bring all healthcare professionals—physical and mental—under one regulatory umbrella: the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Some professions, like art therapy and dance movement therapy, successfully joined this system.

But in 2010, the incoming coalition government halted that process. Only the professions that had already been registered remained under regulation. Psychotherapists and child psychotherapists, who were still in the process, were left out.

The result? A regulatory grey area. Some therapists are regulated by the government. Others, like many psychotherapists, are only accredited by independent professional bodies. It’s difficult for the public to know who’s properly trained—and who’s not.

What This Means in 2024

Believe it or not, anyone can call themselves a “child psychotherapist” in the UK—even without a single day of training. There is no law against it.

This is particularly troubling when we consider how many young people are struggling with their mental health. Demand for child therapists has skyrocketed. And yet, there are no legal safeguards in place to ensure that the people offering therapy are actually qualified to do so.

Our Clinical Director’s Perspective

Our Clinical Director, Ryan Lowe, has long been an advocate for mandatory regulation. As a member of the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), and former Chair of its Independent Practice Committee, she campaigned for years to have child psychotherapists formally regulated under HCPC.

Despite persistent efforts, the Conservative government repeatedly refused. We’re now looking to the new Labour government to finally take this issue seriously and protect vulnerable members of the public.

Where TTC Stands

We fully support calls to make regulation mandatory for all psychotherapists and, especially, child psychotherapists.

At The Therapeutic Consultants, we want to be absolutely clear:
All our therapists are highly trained and accredited by either the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) or the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP). These are recognised professional bodies with rigorous training standards.

We also align with the SCoPEd framework, a professional competency framework developed by six major UK counselling and psychotherapy organisations. All of our psychotherapists fall into Category C—the highest training category. This means they’ve completed extensive clinical training, ongoing supervision, and years of personal therapy themselves.

Why Regulation Matters

Therapy can be life-changing. But it’s also a vulnerable space. Clients deserve to know that the person they’re opening up to is properly trained, supervised, and accountable to a professional body.

We believe it’s the government’s responsibility to protect people—especially children—from unqualified or unsafe practitioners. It shouldn’t be up to the public to sort out who’s legitimate.

Want to Know More?

If you have questions about our therapists’ qualifications, the SCoPEd framework, or the wider issue of psychotherapist regulation in the UK, we’d love to talk.

We’re here to offer safe, professional support. You can always contact us for more information or to arrange a consultation.