Counselling and psychotherapy: a regulatory model under review
Counsellors and psychotherapists remain self-regulated with unprotected titles. National standards were published in 2025 and a consultancy is recommending a model.
Profession
Counselling & psychotherapy
Counselling remains self-regulated in Australia, New Zealand and most of Canada, and sits on voluntary registers in the UK. British Columbia is about to license "psychotherapist" as a title.
Reforms
British Columbia: regulators merged and an independent Superintendent
Following Harry Cayton's inquiry, BC cut its health regulators from 20 to 6 and created an independent oversight office. The new Act came into force on 1 April 2026.
"Psychologist" remains an unprotected title
Only qualified titles such as "clinical psychologist" or "registered psychologist" are protected in the UK. Much of the wider psychological workforce is assured through voluntary registers rather than a statutory regulator.
No reforms tracked for this country yet.