Therapy & Psychology Credentials: Why are they important, how to differentiate them and get them?

This Guide for Professionals, Students and Clients describes the importance of getting accredited, how does it help to differentiate professionals and how you can verify your credentials.

In mental health and psychology, accreditation and professional register safeguard safe practice.

“How do I know if a therapist’s qualifications are trustworthy?” “Which accrediting body should I register with?”

Why Accreditation and Registration Matter

Accreditation and Professional Registration are the backbone of safe, ethical, and effective therapy. For professionals, it sets clear legal and ethical standards for practice. For clients, it is what ensures the person in front of them is properly trained, accountable, and working safely.

This guide explains what the terms mean, how systems differ worldwide, and how you can check credentials.

Accreditation matters for three key reasons:

1. Public safety & trust Statutory regulators (e.g., HCPC in the UK, AHPRA in Australia, HPCSA in South Africa) decide who can use protected professional titles, set training standards, and act if something goes wrong. World Health Organization (2022) reports that clearly defined professional standards reduce the risk of harm and improve public confidence in mental health services.

2. Professional credibility & mobility Being a member of a recognised professional body shows that a professional has received proper training, works under supervision, and keeps their skills up to date. For internationally mobile practitioners, accreditation can affect whether you’re allowed to work in another country, or offer online therapy to clients abroad.

3. Client empowerment & choice When clients know how to check a public register, they can verify a therapist’s claims and make informed decisions. Norcross & Lambert (2018) emphasise that while qualifications aren’t the whole story (therapeutic fit matters too), clear credentials help build trust.

   
   

This guide will walk you through accreditation systems worldwide which regulate therapy and psychology professions, which titles and qualifications are protected, and where to find official registers.

👉 If you’re a client, you may find my guide on how to verify a therapist’s credentials helpful.

According to the OECD (2021), clear accreditation standards are vital for public trust and for allowing professionals to work across borders.

Key Terms Explained:

Accreditation, Licensing & Statutory Regulation

In many countries, though not everywhere, therapists and psychologists are legally regulated. And job titles do not always mean the same thing in different places. In fact, each profession (psychology, counselling, psychotherapy, counselling psychology) has its own accrediting body and rules.

Here’s a list of common terms used to describe professional standards across countries and professions.

Different countries and professions use different words, sometimes interchangeably, sometimes very differently:

• Credentials – The complete evidence of a professional’s training, qualifications, and recognition by an official body.

• Accreditation – Recognition by a professional body or regulator that an individual has met set training and practice standards.

• Qualifications – The academic or vocational awards (e.g., degrees, diplomas) that demonstrate completed training.

• Professional Membership – Belonging to an association, which shows commitment to ethical codes and continuing professional development (CPD), but it is not a legal requirement.

• Registered Member – A professional listed on a public register maintained by a statutory regulator or association.

• Statutory Regulation – A government body with legal powers to regulate practice. Registration is often a legal requirement.

• Licensing – A government-issued permission to practise (more common in the US), similar in function to statutory regulation elsewhere.

• Protected Title – A legally safeguarded professional title (e.g., “clinical psychologist”), which only those meeting specific requirements can use.

🔎 Quick Snap Table

Term	What it Means	Example	Why This Matters
Statutory Regulator	A government body with legal powers to set standards, protect titles, and handle complaints.	HCPC (UK), AHPRA/PsyBA (Australia), HPCSA (South Africa)	Keeps the public safe, the only way someone can officially use protected job titles.
Professional Association	A membership organisation that sets ethical codes and accredits training, but without legal powers.	BACP, UKCP (UK), APA (US), IACP (Ireland)	Shows dedication to professional standards, but joining is voluntary.
Accreditation	Recognition by a regulator or association that a person or training meets standards.	“BACP Accredited Counsellor”	Shows training and practice have been vetted.
Registration	Being officially listed on a regulator or association’s register.	HCPC Register (UK), NZPB Register (New Zealand)	Allows clients to verify credentials easily.
Licensing	Government-issued permission to practise (term often used in US/Canada).	Licensed Clinical Psychologist (US)	Ensures only qualified professionals can practise.
Protected Title	A legally safeguarded professional name. Only those who meet requirements can use it.	“Clinical Psychologist” (UK, Australia, etc.)	Stops unqualified people from misleading the public.
Credentials	Overall evidence of qualifications, training, and recognition.	Degrees + registration + memberships	The full picture of a professional’s competence.

Key Professional Titles

• Psychologist – Usually a protected title under statutory regulation, requiring Master’s or Doctoral-level training. Scope varies — for example, clinical, counselling, forensic, or educational psychology.

• Psychotherapist – Regulated by law in some countries; by associations in others. Always look for accredited training, supervision, and ethical codes.

• Counsellor – Unprotected title; voluntary associations accredit counselling courses and practitioners.

• Psychiatrist – A medical doctor specialising in mental health, regulated by medical boards everywhere.

• Coach – Some coaching bodies (e.g., ICF, EMCC) set standards, but these are not legally binding. Training quality varies, so it’s important to check scope and ethics, especially where coaching overlaps with therapy.

In many countries, psychotherapist training is longer and more in-depth than counsellor training, though both require accredited courses and supervision.

The Three Pillars of Professional Accreditation

Whether statutory regulator or professional association, most of the accrediting bodies will build their membership requirements based on three core things:

1. Accredited Training — ensures practitioners have solid theoretical and ethical foundations

2. Supervised practice: provides oversight so therapy is safe and effective

3. Personal and professional development: Ongoing learning, and in many cases, personal therapy helps practitioners stay reflective, resilient and responsible

An international survey by Orlinsky, Schofield & Rønnestad (2011) found that personal therapy is a standard in many training pathways.

📖 For a deeper dive into these pillars, read: Professional Standards in Therapy, Counselling & Psychology.

How to Verify Therapy and Psychology Credentials?

A trustworthingy professional should:

• Be listed on an official statutory register or a reputable association directory.

• Hold active membership that can be publicly verified.

• Be open about their training, qualifications, and supervision.

These checks protect you from unqualified practitioners and help make sure the care you receive is safe and ethical.

💡 Tip: When checking a therapist’s registration, look for their renewal date. This tells you whether their accreditation is current.

🔗 For step-by-step guidance, see: How to Check a Therapist’s Credentials.

Here, I’ll use the UK as a worked example to show how clients and trainees can verify professional credentials.

The UK Example: How Accreditation Works in Practice

In the UK, there is one legal regulator, and several professional associations that set standards for different professions.

• Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) — the UK’s statutory regulator that legally safeguards psychological practice. Only the Practitioner Psychologist profession is regulated by law; titles such as Clinical, Counselling, Educational, Forensic Psychologist are legally protected. To register, professionals must complete doctoral-level training and meet strict clinical, ethical, and supervisory standards.

• Other Professional Associations — there are several respected voluntary associations that accredit training and practitioners, even though they don’t have statutory power. These include:

  • UKCP — UK Council for Psychotherapy (psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors)

  • BACP — British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (counsellors and psychotherapists)

  • BPS — British Psychological Society (professional body that grants Chartered Psychologist status, but it does not have legal regulatory powers)

🔍 What this means for clients:

Anyone can call themselves a “psychologist” after a degree. But only HCPC-registered Practitioner Psychologists hold a protected title under law. For psychotherapy and counselling, membership in UKCP or BACP signals adherence to standards, though these titles are not legally protected. This can mean anyone could use these titles without proper training.

💡 Tip: Because the titles ‘counsellor,’ ‘therapist,’ and ‘psychotherapist’ are not legally protected, anyone can use them, even without training. What to do: Check the practitioner's name on the public online register of the body they claim to belong to, and confirm their membership is active and current.

 🌍 Check Register or Accreditation Country-by-Country

Accreditation systems vary widely across the world. What qualifies you as a registered psychologist in the UK may look very different in the USA, Hong Kong, or Australia.

Some countries use statutory regulation (e.g. HCPC in the UK, AHPRA in Australia, HPCSA in South Africa). In some countries, standards are set by voluntary associations rather than the law. This often reflects cultural differences in how trust and authority are organised.

👉 If you’re outside the UK, the process is similar: find the statutory regulator or main professional association for your country, and check their online public register. To make this easier, I’ve created a separate Country-by-Country Global Accreditation Guide with links to official registers worldwide.

FAQs: Your Accreditation Quick Check

Still have questions? Here are the most common queries I hear from clients, students, and professionals, on how to make confident, safe, and informed choices in therapy and training.

Is a professional association the same as a statutory regulator?

No — Statutory regulators (e.g., HCPC, NZPB, AHPRA/PsyBA, HPCSA) have legal authority and protect titles/practice. Associations set standards and can accredit members, but they don't have legal powers.

As a client, can I check a therapist’s membership?

Yes — all reputable bodies have public registers.

What if I can’t find a therapist on any register?

Ask directly which body they belong to and how to verify it. If still unclear, consider choosing someone with transparent credentials.

Do all training programmes require personal therapy?

Many counselling/psychotherapy trainings do; psychology routes vary by country/pathway.

Do accreditations expire — and how do I know if they’re up to date? Yes. Most accrediting bodies require renewal every 1–3 years, with proof of ongoing learning (CPD). This helps you check whether a professional’s status is valid and current.

How do I know if a therapist’s accreditation means they’re the right fit for me?

Accreditation keeps you safe and shows professional standards, but it doesn’t guarantee a good personal fit. Research shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is one of the strongest predictors of positive outcomes (Norcross & Lambert, 2018).

Once you’ve verified qualifications, look for someone whose style, approach, and communication feel supportive and collaborative.

📌 Next Steps

Once you know how accreditation works and how to verify it, the next decision is about fit — choosing a therapist or career pathway that aligns with your needs and values.

• For Professionals & Trainees: Read How to Choose Your Accrediting Body that fits Your Career Path

• For Clients: Read Understanding Professional Credentials & Finding the Right Therapist

Disclaimer:

This guide is intended for public education. It is part of my professional commitment to making psychology knowledge accessible and transparent to help you make safe and informed choices.

Therapy & Psychology Credentials Explained: A Global Guide

(Therapy & Psychology Credentials Explained: A Global Guide by Dr Tiffany Leung)