Qualified and Registered Therapists

Registering bodies

The terms 'counsellor' and 'psychotherapist' are not protected by law. This means that anyone can call themselves a counsellor, psychotherapist, or therapist, whether they have a formal qualification or not.

The easiest way to make sure the therapist you are seeing is well trained, safe to work with and ethical is to only pick therapists who are registered with one of the Registering Bodies. In order to join these bodies therapists must meet minimum qualification and experience thresholds, commit to ongoing CPD, and adhere to ethical guidelines in their work and behaviour. A non-exhaustive list is given below, with some brief information taken from the organisation's own websites. Please follow the links to learn more.

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

The BACP is a registering body for counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK. It is a Professional Standards Authority registered organisation.

College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (COSRT)

COSRT is the UK’s only professional body dedicated to Psychosexual and Relationship Therapies. Set up over 40 years ago, the organisation has been at the forefront of developing these specialised disciplines. As a registered charity, COSRT’s work is focused on providing benefit to the public. This is enshrined in the organisation’s charitable objectives to set and monitor professional standards, provide and support training, and promote research.

UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)

The UK Council for Psychotherapy is a leading organisation for psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors in the UK. Alongside offering professional support for our members they regulate their members and promote access to psychotherapy for all.

Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB)

Since their inception in the Autumn of 1993, Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) has worked diligently to provide high-quality counselling training throughout the UK. They are one of the UK's leading Awarding Organisations specialising in Counselling Education. Forming part of the Counselling Psychology Services Group (CPS), they offer vocational qualifications in over 200 training centres and 400 locations throughout the UK and overseas with 16,000 candidates registering with us each year.

National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)

They are the professional home for talking therapists, representing and supporting counsellors, psychotherapists, the public and the profession. They play an important role within the profession of counselling and psychotherapy in the UK, and in May 2013 the Society was one of the first organisations to gain Accredited Register status with the Professional Standards Authority Accredited Register programme. They believe that counselling and psychotherapy should be seen as a vocation and that the relationship between counsellor and client is incredibly important for the outcome of therapy.

Quest Cognitive Hypnotherapy Practitioners Association (QCHPA)

In 2000 The Quest Institute was formed, teaching students from all walks of life and from all across the globe how to work as Cognitive Hypnotherapists. In 2015 the group had expanded to the point that the Association was formed. The QCHPA primarily exists to benefit those who belong to it, and those its members serve – the public. So, instead of being a limited company the QCHPA was created as a Community Interest Company.

Information given here is for illustrative purposes and is indicative not exhaustive, and reasonably accurate only at the point of writing, September 2024.