The Guardian has reported that ministers are calling for urgent regulation of all psychotherapist and counsellor roles, to protect vulnerable people accessing talking therapies, after reports of increased legal action for alleged harm done during therapy.
Unlike other healthcare roles, ‘psychotherapist’ and ‘counsellor’ are not protected titles and are not statutorily regulated in the UK, which means that anyone can use those titles – even if they hold no relevant qualifications.
With mental health support access rising in recent years and the British Medical Association (BMA) reporting there we “five million referrals during 2023, up 33% from 2019”, Everyturn Mental Health welcomes further regulation of this area.
Mona Stylianou, Principal Clinical Lead at Everyturn Mental Health, commented:
“We fully support the call for further regulation and monitoring of all talking therapist roles. Many people access mental health support when they are at their most vulnerable and share deeply personal information. We all need to play our part in ensuring people are protected and therapy is safe and effective. Crucially, regulation would also help to build trust and confidence in psychological therapies, giving people the clarity they need to find the help they need and know that their therapist is appropriately trained. By doing this, we’ll guarantee that people have access to the right level of support that they need, when they need it most.
“It’s important to ensure that the high standards we already work to are continued and that all talking therapy practitioners continue to work to the highest levels of clinical standards. At Everyturn Mental Health, all our talking therapists are fully aligned to the NHS Talking Therapy manual’s guidance; are qualified and accredited; and our trainees are all on accredited, approved training courses to ensure they gain their accreditation as soon as they are eligible to do so.
“By keeping these standards high and consistent, we can allow people to not only access mental health support but ensure that these are offered in a safe and secure environment.
“Everyturn will continue to work to these high standards, to continue to ensure that no one struggles alone.”