UK therapy bodies urge statutory regulation to protect patients from abuse

Professional bodies representing counsellors and psychotherapists are calling for statutory regulation in the UK for the first time, backing a report that urges ministers to strengthen protections against abuse and malpractice. The organisations, which operate the existing voluntary accreditation system, say legal oversight would help protect the public and build confidence in the profession.

Neither counsellor nor psychotherapist is a legally protected title in the UK, unlike roles such as doctor, midwife and osteopath. People can describe themselves as therapists without holding qualifications, and misconduct does not necessarily prevent them from continuing to practise. The report says these gaps in protection are poorly understood by the public.

The findings conclude an independent review launched in October 2025 by the Commission for the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy. Alongside its recommendations on regulation, the commission identifies unused capacity that could help address waiting lists estimated at about 1.8 million people. Based on practitioners’ accounts of their availability, it estimates they could collectively offer more than 370,000 additional hours of therapy each week. Co-chair Phil Hope, a former Labour care services minister, described the report as a “watershed moment” for the profession.

Campaigner Ella Janneh welcomed the joint demand for regulation. In 2024, she successfully sued her therapist in the high court for rape and sexual assault, but he remains able to practise despite the civil judgment. Janneh, whose campaign has received support from law firm Leigh Day, said the current system allows repeat offenders to continue working without oversight. She said many people discover the absence of statutory regulation only after something has gone wrong.

Commission co-chair Andrea Sutcliffe, formerly chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council, said testimony about harm had established a compelling case for legislation. She noted that the coalition government had opposed statutory regulation in 2011 and acknowledged that introducing it would involve costs and practical difficulties. Nevertheless, both independent co-chairs concluded that change was justified.

Sutcliffe said counselling and psychotherapy require years of training and involve particular risks because sessions take place individually, patients are often vulnerable and most practitioners work independently without employer oversight. She argued that people seeking help should not have to determine for themselves whether a practitioner is safe. Clearer education, training and professional development standards could also support greater diversity, according to the report.

The commission also calls for stronger evidence on counselling and psychotherapy, linking shortcomings in that evidence to inadequate and unsustainable public investment and commissioning. Hope said NHS and local government commissioners have legitimate questions about practitioners’ qualifications. He also argued that a more coordinated profession could help shape government safeguards for the growing use of artificial intelligence in mental health support.

Labour MP Sojan Joseph, a former nurse who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on mental health, supports statutory regulation and said he would raise it in parliament. UK Council for Psychotherapy chief executive Jon Levett backed protections and clear standards developed with practitioners and people with lived experience. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy regulation and standards chief Dr Lisa Morrison likewise emphasised collaboration, public confidence and avoiding barriers to access and diversity.