How to complain about your Therapist

The last week has seen considerable news coverage of the risks of psychotherapy, calling for greater regulation of Psychotherapists and Counsellors in the UK. It feels important to pause to think about this spate of disturbing stories. I would like to offer some advice on steps members of the public can take to assure themselves that they are engaging an ethical practitioner.

Currently, in the UK, there is no mandatory regulation of psychotherapy and counselling, and “Psychotherapist” and “Counsellor” are not protected titles. Therefore, in theory, anyone can set themselves up in private practice and call themselves a Therapist or a Counsellor.

So, the first step is to consider whether the Therapist has had adequate training. An ethical Therapist will be transparent about the level of their training and will usually state their qualifications on their website or on their directory listing. If such information is absent, feel free to enquire about it. If the practitioner is evasive, that’s a red flag. All reputable training organisations have a presence on the web, so it should be easy enough to check whether the person in question has undertaken professional training.

Secondly, although there is no mandatory regulation in the UK, ethical practitioners do belong to professional membership organisations that regulate them. The three main professional membership organisations for psychotherapy in the UK are: BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), UKCP (UK Council for Psychotherapy), and BPC (British Psychoanalytic Council).

These three membership organisations are accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. If you decide to work with a Therapist who is registered with one of these membership organisations, you can be assured that they have volunteered to be regulated.

The Professional Standards Authority has launched a new quality mark for practitioners to show that they are on an accredited Register. The quality mark demonstrates that the Therapist is committed to delivering quality care, and it lets members of the public know that they can have confidence in the Therapist’s technical skills, personal behaviour, and business practice.

All professional membership organisations regulated by the PSA have an ethical framework and fitness-to-practice guidelines, which their registrants must agree to be bound by. Membership is re-evaluated annually, and members must demonstrate that they have undertaken a prescribed level of CPD (continuing professional development) and that their clinical work has been overseen and guided by a professional Supervisor.

If you are a client/patient engaged in psychotherapy, you have the right to expect that your Therapist will practise in a safe, effective and appropriate manner at all times.

BPC

All BPC registrants are required to practice in accordance with the BPC Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines.

The BPC Code of Ethics can be found here

 The BPC Ethical Guidelines can be found here

The BPC Statement on Confidentiality and GDPR can be found here

The BPC has been engaged in a process of re-evaluating its ethical framework. In 2023 the BPC ran a public consultation to invite feedback on a draft of its updated Standards of Conduct, Practice and Ethics. The finalised Standards of Conduct, Practice and Ethics have now been published, and will replace the existing Ethical Framework from 1 April 2025.

The Standards of Conduct, Practice and Ethics (2025) effective from the 1st April, 2025 can be found here.

Complaints procedure

Unfortunately, some Therapists fail in their practice. To protect the public from rogue practitioners, it is crucially important that these instances of unethical practice are brought to light.

If a member of the public wishes to make a complaint about a BPC registered Therapist, they can find advice and guidance here

There are parallel processes in other membership organisations.

UKCP

The UKCP Code of Ethics can be found here

 The UKCP Guidelines on how to make a complaint can be found here

BACP

The BACP Ethical Framework for Counselling Professionals can be found here 

The BACP Guidelines for making a complaint can be found here

I hope that these guidelines will be helpful to members of the public who wish to understand the framework within which professional Psychotherapists should operate, and particularly for anyone who feels they need to make a complaint.

 Very sadly, some recent news stories relate to practitioners who have breached these protective frameworks. It is particularly disturbing to learn about individuals who have been struck off and yet continue to practice. It is a matter of concern that once a practitioner has been struck off, the membership organisation has no power to act against them. The profession certainly has some additional work to do to consider how to protect the public from unethical practitioners who continue to practice after they have been sanctioned by the bodies who serve to protect the public.

If you have been harmed in therapy and need a safe place to talk, please feel free to contact me.