The NCPS is aware of recent comments by Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Care, suggesting that an ‘unregulated private sector’ of counsellors and therapists is contributing to an ‘overdiagnosis’ of mental health conditions. This has caused significant concern for the team at the Society, as well as among our members, particularly those who practice - ethically and professionally - in private practice.
It’s important to clarify that counsellors and psychotherapists do not diagnose mental health conditions; diagnosing is outside of their professional role and training. Our members provide relational, therapeutic support to people with a wide range of needs, from self-exploration and growth to those experiencing emotional distress, often exacerbated by significant life events such as bereavement, trauma, financial hardship, or relationship breakdowns. To suggest that counsellors and psychotherapists are contributing to an overdiagnosis issue is fundamentally misleading and inaccurate.
At a time when public sector mental health services are suffering from extensive waiting lists and efficacy rates of approximately 50%, our members overwhelmingly report seeing clients who have passed through the NHS Talking Therapies carousel and still require additional support. Disparaging this workforce, which effectively props up public sector mental health provision, is harmful. Where else can people turn when the NHS cannot adequately support them?
Instead of reactionary conversations about Regulation and ‘cracking down’, the NCPS strongly supports greater public understanding and government recognition of our professional standards and robust ethical framework. Our accredited members undergo rigorous, recognised training, regular supervision, and continuous professional development. They adhere to stringent professional standards and ethical guidelines set out by our Accredited Register, overseen by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). We urge the Government and Minister Kinnock specifically to engage constructively with us to better understand our sector's regulation and ethical practice, and to differentiate clearly between professional, regulated practitioners and those practicing without adequate qualifications.
Government and policy-makers would be better served by directing their attention toward genuinely unregulated spaces, including misinformation spread online by completely unqualified people through social media platforms and other digital spaces. The Online Safety Act, for example, is our legislative opportunity to hold large technology companies accountable for reducing the dissemination of harmful and misleading mental health information online. Efforts should be made to ensure these companies actively and effectively fulfil their responsibilities under this Act.
Alternatively, or preferably in addition, policymakers should also turn their attention towards addressing loopholes in funding for adult education, which have been exploited by providers of asynchronous, distance-learning counselling courses. These courses often receive public funding based on promises of face-to-face learning hours, which frequently do not materialise and remain unaudited. This practice not only undermines the quality and integrity of counselling training, but poses risks to public safety by allowing people with insufficient training to present themselves as qualified counsellors. Work previously carried out by the Counselling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body (CPCAB) has highlighted this issue, and we urge the government to ensure proper auditing and regulation to close this loophole effectively.
We’re actively seeking dialogue with Stephen Kinnock around this, and will reiterate our request for a meeting to ensure that policymakers fully understand the role counsellors and psychotherapists play within the landscape of mental health support. We will keep our members updated.
