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Written question asked by Alison Bennett (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 19 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 1 June 2026 (named day). It was answered by Karin Smyth (Labour) on Monday, 1 June 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Counselling and Psychiatry: Regulation

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the regulation of counselling and psychotherapy, including legal protections for the titles 'counsellor' and 'psychotherapist'.

Answer

The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) operates a voluntary registers programme, which provides a proportionate means of assurance for unregulated professions, that sits between employer controls and statutory regulation by setting standards for organisations holding voluntary registers for unregulated health and social care occupations, such as counselling and psychotherapy. There are currently 10 organisations linked to the counselling profession and eight organisations linked to the psychotherapy profession, that hold an accredited register on the PSA’s website.

Titles can only be protected for statutorily regulated professions. The titles of 'counsellor' and 'psychotherapist' are not currently protected in law in the United Kingdom. The Department keeps the professions subject to regulation under review but has no current plans to extend statutory regulation to the counsellor and psychotherapist professions.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
3012
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Counselling Psychiatry Regulation
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk