Counsellor Regulation Needed to Protect Patients from Harm 2026

Statutory regulation of counsellors and psychotherapists is urgently needed to protect patients from harm, as highlighted by a recent report from an independent commission. The commission, established by UK professional bodies, argues that the current lack of regulation leaves vulnerable clients at risk.

Ella Janneh, who won damages in a civil case against her therapist, is right that most people assume safeguards already exist. The commission confirms they do not. Her case illustrates the real cost of that mistaken assumption.

As the chairperson of the Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy and a psychotherapist for over 20 years, I have seen firsthand the importance of rigorous training standards. In both the UK and Ireland, personal therapy and supervised practice have long been the foundation of training.

Why Regulation Matters for Patient Safety

Without statutory regulation, anyone can call themselves a counsellor or psychotherapist, regardless of training or qualifications. This puts patients at risk of receiving inadequate or harmful therapy.

Regulation would ensure that practitioners meet minimum standards of training, ethics, and ongoing professional development. It would also provide a mechanism for complaints and disciplinary action when things go wrong.

The Irish Experience: A Cautionary Tale

In Ireland, Coru, the health regulator, has overruled its own counsellors and psychotherapists registration board. It published training standards that require no personal therapy, no clinical supervision, and no minimum training duration—despite strong opposition from the main training and accreditation bodies.

This decision is deeply concerning. Personal therapy and supervision are essential components of training. They help screen out those unfit to hold power and ensure therapists have worked through their own pain rather than bringing it into the room with a vulnerable person.

Key Elements of Effective Regulation

Effective regulation must include several critical components to truly protect patients.

• Mandatory personal therapy for trainees to foster self-awareness and emotional resilience.
• Clinical supervision throughout training and practice to ensure quality and safety.
• Minimum training duration to guarantee adequate depth of knowledge and skills.
• Ethical standards and a clear complaints process for accountability.
• Continuing professional development to keep practitioners up to date.

Comparing Training Standards: UK and Ireland

The table below summarizes the key differences in training requirements between the UK (proposed) and Ireland (current Coru standards).

What Needs to Happen Next

The UK government must act on the commission's recommendations and introduce statutory regulation for counsellors and psychotherapists. This will require political will and collaboration with professional bodies. The background to this story is set out in UK Therapists Call for Statutory Regulation in Watershed Moment. A related thread runs through Protect NHS Patient Data: Secure Records with Open Standards.

In Ireland, Coru should reconsider its decision and reinstate the requirements for personal therapy and supervision. The opposition from training and accreditation bodies is well-founded and should be heeded. Earlier coverage in Protect NHS Patient Data: 5 Steps for Secure Records shows how the argument developed. A closer look at the same subject appears in Protect NHS Patient Data: 5 Key Steps for Secure Records.

Ultimately, clients deserve a therapist who has done their own work and can provide safe, effective care. Regulation is the best way to ensure that. Anyone following the wider picture can start with Elderly: latest articles. The same theme surfaces in Hope Haven Mental Health Hub Pilot Shows Positive Early Feedback, which takes a different angle.

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