Should Psychotherapy Be Regulated?

Opinion has been divided for a long time over this thorny issue. In the UK, psychological therapies are the cornerstone of mental health treatment and are crucial for helping people overcome a wealth of issues.

The arguments for “Yes” run a little bit like this – without a state regulator, anyone can call themselves a psychotherapist and can work with the public. No basic standard of training is required, no code of ethical conduct must be followed and there is no obligation to join a professional register (although, exactly because this is the state of things at the moment, lots of therapists do voluntarily do these things – I certainly do!). Those in the yes camp say that if a client is unfortunate enough to darken the doorway of a less than scrupulous therapist, the complaints procedure is complex, lengthy and ultimately, there’s nothing to stop that therapist from continuing to work – there’s no register they can be permanently struck off. Those in the “yes” camp want statutory regulation by an independent body (ie: they emphatically do not want psychotherapists regulating other psychotherapists) for psychotherapists.

Want are the “No” camp saying? Their argument against regulation lies mainly with the body that’s been earmarked to regulate psychotherapists, the Health Professions Council. Members of the UK’s two main umbrella organisations the UKCP and the BACP have both polled their members and the result is unambiguous: the HPC was inappropriate as a regulator. (Never mind how slow both organisations were to cotton on to the changing tide of public and political opinion regarding this issue, choosing to remain with their heads in the sand about it for as long as possible).

The “no” camp feels that the HPC would be unable to deal with the complexity of the field. The HPC’s guidelines state that the professions they regulate must have homogeneity of theory and practice. However, therapists from different traditions aim to do different things, and then how do we deal with those who identify as integrationist in their approach – blending a number of different techniques to meet the client’s need at that moment? The HPC assumes that therapists will all buy into the same model.

The “no” camp also point out the HPC’s dismal record of dismissal, it dismisses over 70% of complaints as “no case to answer”, compared with just 10% by organisations such as the UKCP. For the most part, therapists opposed to the HPC are actually in favour of regulation, they simply do not think that the HPC is the right organisation to do it.

There’s also the “Maybe” as hinted at previously. There are plenty of counsellors and psychotherapists who do think that state regulation should happen, just not in the way that’s currently being tabled. Many have criticized the HPC for not responding more quickly and fully to the concerns put forward by the psychotherapy community, but in fairness, the psychotherapy community has been backwards in coming forwards on this issue as well.

It’s a messy and confused picture at the moment, with turf wars breaking out over who’s called what and who can work with who.