5 Mar 2025 ● Harmonia Careers
Mental Health Professions: What are the regulations?
In the UK, the landscape for mental health and wellness professions is governed by a variety of regulatory bodies and professional organisations that establish the necessary guidelines and standards for practice. Understanding these requirements is crucial for anyone aspiring to build a career in this field.
Are all professions regulated by law?
No, not all occupations working with mental health and wellbeing are regulated by UK law. However, there are many independent professional associations and organisational bodies, that work tirelessly to maintain standards across the industries.
Regulated professionals
Art therapists, dance therapists, dramatherapists, and music therapists are recognised as Allied Health Professions (AHPs) and are statutorily regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
PSA Accredited Registers
The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) accredits organisations that hold registers of health and care practitioners not regulated by law to give the public confidence in their services.
Accredited mental health professions
Being professionally registered and listed on an accredited register serves as a formal recognition of your qualifications and competence in the field, providing assurance to your clients, future employers, and regulatory bodies that you adhere to established standards of practice.
Most mental health and wellbeing professionals such as counsellors and psychotherapist are self-regulated by professional associations who hold accredited registers with the PSA.
Behaviour Analysts
Counsellors
- Association of Child Psychotherapists
- Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions
- British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
- British Association of Play Therapists
- British Psychoanalytic Council
- COSCA (Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland)
- Human Givens Institute
- Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
- National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
- Play Therapy UK
- UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners
- UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy)
CBT Practitioners
Child & Young Person's Therapists
- Association of Child Psychotherapists
- British Association of Play Therapists
- NCPS (National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society)
- Play Therapy UK
- UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy)
Children's Wellbeing Practitioners
Education Mental Health Practitioners
Evidence Based Parent Trainers
Play Therapists
Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology / Psychology
Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners
Psychotherapists
- Association of Child Psychotherapists
- Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions
- British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
- British Psychoanalytic Council
- COSCA (Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland)
- Human Givens Institute
- Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
- NCPS (National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society)
- UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners
- UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy)
Talking Therapists
- Association of Child Psychotherapists
- Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions
- British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
- British Psychoanalytic Council
- COSCA (Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland)
- Human Givens Institute
- Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
- NCPS (National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society)
- Play Therapy UK
- UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners
- UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy
- UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy)
Wellbeing Practitioners
Looking for something else?
Regulated health and care professions
Accredited registers for complementary health
Accredited registers for wellness professions
