How can I tell if a therapist is qualified?
Finding a therapist can be a daunting task. Will it help? Will you get on? But before all of that, you also need to consider are they qualified?
It surprises a lot of people to learn that anyone can call themselves a therapist and set up a private practice. The term ‘therapist’ is not a protected job title. Neither is ‘psychologist’!
Finding a qualified therapist is important to be sure that the support you receive is delivered safely, according to high standards of professionalism, and will have far greater likelihood of being effective. Unregulated and unproven therapy runs the risk of causing harm and further distress, making the problem worse (whilst still costing you money!).
So how can you figure out whether a therapist you'd like to work with is the real deal?
The answer is: it depends.
Because there are many types and ways of doing therapy, there are many different kinds of therapist, and they qualify and register as professionals in different ways. Below, we cover the main kinds you are likely to come across when looking for mental health support.
Approach 1: Counselling
What is it? Counselling is a form of therapy where you have a safe, non-judgemental space to talk about your thoughts and feelings and explore them with someone who will listen. Counsellors do not advise, or tell you what to do - they are there to help you find your own solutions. Within counselling, there are many different styles, like ‘humanist’ and ‘constructionist’.
What am I looking for? In the UK, counsellors complete training that is accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and are registered with the BACP. You can check whether someone is in their therapist directory on their webpage.
You may also come across Counselling Psychologists. These professionals complete a doctorate level qualification (they have the “Dr” title), and register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You can check whether a counselling psychologist is registered by checking the HCPC register of ‘practitioner psychologists’. As well as counselling, Counselling Psychologists are often trained in additional talking therapy skills and models.
Approach 2: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
What is it? CBT is a form of talking therapy where the focus is on how the problem is kept “stuck”. The idea is to identify the ways thoughts (cognitions) and actions (behaviour) can unintentionally work against us and try doing things differently to unstick the problem. CBT is typically focused on the present day, although it can sometimes be helpful to talk about the past to understand how the problem developed and where some of your coping strategies might have come from.
CBT is a flexible approach, so it may look a little different depending on the specific problem you want to address. For example, when using CBT for PTSD, there will be more sessions where you focus on the past to understand what happened, and fewer about the present day, than if you were working on something like depression or anxiety.
What am I looking for? CBT therapists qualify by completing post-graduate training in CBT. After this, they register with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP). You can check their register on their website.
An exception to this might be in the case of mental healthcare practitioners who have another professional qualification, and so do not need to register with BABCP once they have done their CBT training.
The most common example of this is Clinical Psychologists, who train in CBT as part of their qualifying doctorate (meaning they also have the “Dr” title) but are not required to register with BABCP. Clinical Psychologists must instead register as a ‘practitioner psychologist’ with the HCPC, and you can check for them in the register on the HCPC website. Clinical Psychologists also train in a number of other types of therapy, which allows them to blend elements of these together to create a talking therapy adapted to your needs, so they are likely to offer CBT alongside, or in combination with, other forms of talking therapy.
Other professions who may have done further training in CBT, but do not need to register with the BABCP are Social Workers (who are registered here), mental health nurses (their register is here), and doctors (their register is here). If you want to have talking therapy with someone from these professional backgrounds, check their CV. They should have undertaken additional further training in CBT - such as a diploma or masters degree - as their main training may not cover it in enough detail. It’s also a good sign if their CV explains that they have experience of delivering CBT as part of a job role within the NHS.
Approach 3: Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR)
What is it? This might only be relevant if you are looking for trauma therapy, although the uses of EMDR are expanding as people realise how effective it can be.
EMDR is a form of therapy that combines talking and eye movements to reprocess trauma and difficult memories. Therapy follows stages that prepare you for therapy, then process the difficult content, then move on with your life in a positive way.
What am I looking for? In the UK, qualified EMDR practitioners complete training accredited by EMDR UK, and are registered with them (you can check here).
Approach 4: Psychotherapy
What is it? ‘Psychotherapy’ is a catch-all term for talking therapies, and is often used to describe a form of therapy that is not one of those listed above.
As we said before, there are many different forms of talking therapy, so psychotherapists will specialise in one (or more) of a wide range of approaches. This can include couples therapy, family therapy, psychodynamic therapy, and art therapy.
It's a good idea to do a bit of homework and research the specific type of therapy a psychotherapist is offering to see if it's a good fit for how you want to work. A good therapist will also always be willing to explain how they work in a no-obligation consultation to help you decide whether you want to book in with them.
What am I looking for? Psychotherapists register with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). They have a register of qualified therapists you can check here.
Other tips and advice
This article covered the most common kinds of therapy and therapist you are likely to come across when looking for private mental healthcare. There may be others, and for anything not covered in the above, it is worth being a bit cautious and checking someone’s credentials first. Here are some bonus tips for when you are doing this:
The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care holds registers for professionals of many different kinds. Their aim is to improve the regulation of health and social care by managing the accreditation of people working in these fields. This includes those who may be working as a private therapist that we have not described above. Check the Professional Standards Authority register here.
Be aware that some job titles are protected by law: they can only be used by those who are qualified and registered to use them. Protected titles include ‘practitioner psychologist’, ‘clinical psychologist’, ‘counselling psychologist’, and ‘registered psychologist’. Other titles are not protected by law, meaning anyone can use them. There is no restriction on who can call themselves a ‘psychologist’, ‘counsellor’, or ‘therapist’.
Similarly, be aware that anyone who has completed enough study in the field of psychology can register with the British Psychological Society (BPS) - including those who have completed academic degrees but not training in talking therapy. Why is that important? Because BPS registration alone (for example being a ‘full member’ or ‘chartered member’ or having FMBPsS or CPsychol after their name) is not enough to demonstrate that a person is qualified to do talking therapy. Strange but true! Of course, a clinically qualified psychologist may have this membership in addition to being registered in one of the places discussed above.
And with that, you are now ready to make a decision, safe in the knowledge that you will be talking to someone who really knows how to help.
We wish you all the best for your therapy journey!
The Midlands Dissociation & Depersonalisation Centre offers support for people with dissociation, their loved ones, & their clinicians. Dr Emma Černis is a qualified and HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist with over a decade of experience delivering and supervising CBT and related approaches.
