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Did you know that "counsellor" and "therapist" are not protected titles? What about "doctor" and "psychologist"? In the UK, this means that anyone can use those terms. This leaves vulnerable people open to exploitation, or at risk of engaging in therapy with someone who has no regulated training, or who is not held to account for their work.
As a Clinical Psychologist (which is a protected title), this worries me. Especially given the rise of Instagram or TikTok influencers who claim to be therapists, counsellors or life coaches.
What is a Clinical Psychologist?
A Clinical Psychologist has been through extensive training, which allows them to assess and provide evidence based treatment for a wide variety of mental health difficulties. Typically, Clinical Psychologists will have completed a three year undergraduate degree, followed by gaining work experience for several years (often as an Assistant Psychologist, sometimes also completing a masters degree alongside this), before completing a three year Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy or ClinPsyD). Whilst on DClinPsy training, Clinical Psychologists must pass a series of placements and assignments. These placements are mandatory, and will cover Adult Mental Health, Older Adult Mental Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and Learning Disabilities. In their third year, Clinical Psychologists will complete a specialist placement - I completed mine in Stroke and Neuro Rehab.
Once qualified, a Clinical Psychologist can only legally practice if they are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The HCPC ensures that Clinical Psychologists work safely under their guidelines, and that they keep up to date with training and learning requirements. This helps to ensure that Clinical Psychologists are fit to practise, and that the public are protected.
How can I check for registration?
You will see the HCPC logo at the bottom of my about page (here). The logo can only be used by those registered with the HCPC, and must comply with certain conditions for use. I would always recommend looking for this logo when exploring a potential therapist. If you cannot see the logo on their website, you can check the HCPC register (here). You would enter the surname of the therapist, and find 'Practitioner Psychologist' in the drop down. This will tell you whether the person is registered, their registration number, and their role (if you click their name).
The HCPC regulates the following titles: Practitioner Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist, Educational Psychologist, Sport and Exercise Psychologist, Registered Psychologist, Forensic Psychologist, Health Psychologist, and Occupational Psychologist. Anyone using these titles, who is not on the register, is committing a criminal offence and should be reported to the HCPC.
Further registering bodies
If you are looking for a therapist or counsellor who isn't a Clinical Psychologist, or one of the nine professions mentioned above, it remains important to check they are registered with a professional body. A list of professional bodies can be found here. This helps you to know that the person you are working with is qualified to help you, and that they are held to certain professional standards.
Please, always check the credentials of your therapist. It is much better to be safe than sorry, especially in this context. If you have any doubts or concerns, voice them. A qualified, registered therapist will never be upset with you for checking their registration status.
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