How to Check a Therapist's Credentials Before You Book

This week there have been news reports about a baby sleep consultant offering dangerous advice to parents and charging £100’s for her services. It is something I see far too often in the wellness world. People selling themselves as experts on topics they are not properly trained in, offering snake oil to people who are usually at their most desperate and vulnerable.

I see it in the therapy world too.

I have lost count of the number of times a new patient has told me they have had CBT before, but when I ask what their therapy actually involved, they describe something unrecognisable to me as a qualified and accredited CBT therapist. Once, a client told me they had been made to rhythmically bang a drum in their therapy sessions. I can tell you now, that is definitely not CBT.

This stuff matters. Because when you are reaching out for help after birth trauma or baby loss, you should not have to also become a detective, working out who is legitimate and who is not.

What Is in a Name?

Part of the problem is that the title "psychotherapist" is not protected in the UK. Neither is"therapist," "counsellor," or "coach." Anyone can set themselves up with a nice website and a calm office and start calling themselves any of those things tomorrow.

There are some protected titles in the UK, regulated by the HCPC. These include Practitioner Psychologist, Clinical Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, and Physiotherapist, among others. Even the word "psychologist" on its own is not protected, but the specific titles within that category are.

Already, you can see how confusing this is. How is someone outside the profession supposed to know whether the person they are paying for therapy is properly qualified or not?

The lack of protected title means there are no minimum training or qualification standards required for many of these roles. That makes it vital that you check and verify the credentials of any therapist you decide to work with.

Rather than looking at a person's job title, look at their qualifications. Someone claiming to be a CBT therapist may have only completed a two-day course they bought online for £20. That does not compare to the year-long Postgraduate Diploma, the lectures, the supervised clinical work, and the recorded therapy tapes that are actually required to pass a proper CBT training.

The Push to Protect the Title

There is growing momentum to change this. Many therapists, myself included, believe the title"psychotherapist" should be protected, just like "clinical psychologist" or "occupational therapist" already are. Organisations such as the UKCP and BACP have been campaigning for statutory regulation for years. It is slow progress, but the conversation is gaining ground. Until the law catches up, the responsibility falls on you to check that the person you are hiring has done the training they claim.

What to Actually Look For

Qualifications

I would normally expect a competent therapist to have at least one degree, usually followed by a postgraduate certificate or diploma. These are courses that run the whole academic year and are attached to a university. Beyond their core training, if a therapist offers different modalities such as EMDR, they should have completed specific, accredited training for each modality they offer.

Evidence-Based Treatments

I recommend looking for therapists who use NICE-approved, evidence-based treatments. These are approaches that have been rigorously tested and proven effective, not something someone invented last year and packaged up nicely. For trauma and loss, NICE recommends therapies like CBT and EMDR. That is not an accident. It is because the evidence is there.

Supervision

All good therapists receive regular supervision of their practice. This is a space where we discuss our clinical work with a more experienced practitioner, reflect on what is going well, and catch anything that might be going off track. If a therapist cannot tell you about their supervision arrangements, that is a red flag.

Questions to Ask a Therapist Before You Book

You are allowed to ask questions before you commit to working with someone. A good therapist will welcome them. Here are a few you might use.

• Do you hold a core profession with a protected title.
• What modality is your core training in?
• In addition to your core training, have you completed further accredited training in other modalities?
• Do you hold any professional accreditations?
• How often do you receive supervision, and in what format?

If someone cannot answer these clearly and comfortably, take that seriously.

Online Directories: A Starting Point, Not a Guarantee

You might find a therapist through a directory like Psychology Today or the Counselling Directory. These are useful places to start, but they are not a guarantee of quality.

A "verified" badge usually means the therapist has proved their identity, not their competence. It does not tell you whether they are accredited, whether they have specific training in trauma, or whether they receive supervision.

What you want to look for are accreditation badges. BABCP, BACP accreditation, IPTUK, and EMDR Association accreditation are all meaningful. They tell you the therapist has met a certain standard, passed assessments, and committed to ongoing professional development. That is worth far more than a blue tick on a directory profile.

My Journey to Becoming a Therapist

I am sharing this not to impress you, but to show you what proper training looks like, so you have something to compare against.

I completed a four-year BSc Joint Honours degree in Psychology and Social Anthropology at Brunel University. Before working in the NHS, I spent a few years in supported living, working with people with severe and enduring mental health needs.

I then trained on a year-long course at the University of Southampton, completing a PG Certificate in Low Intensity CBT. After that I worked as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner in various NHS Talking Therapies services before completing a one-year PG Diploma in High Intensity CBT at Royal Holloway, University of London.

I went on to work as a High Intensity CBT therapist across several services. During this time I also completed training in IPT, which involved a week of intensive classroom learning plus a year of supervised clinical practice assessed through recorded therapy tapes and written case studies.

In 2022-2023 I completed EMDR training Parts 1, 2, and 3. I am now working towards EMDR accreditation, alongside the BABCP and IPTUK accreditations I already hold.

I am also currently completing an MSc, undertaking a research project evaluating the effectiveness of EMDR and CBT for birth trauma and baby loss. Yes, I am a glutton for punishment. I just genuinely love to learn, and I believe staying close to the research makes me abetter therapist for the people I work with.

This is what proper, rigorous training looks like. It takes years, not a weekend. And it matters, because when someone is sitting in front of you describing the worst thing that ever happened to them, you need to actually know what you are doing.

Getting the Right Help Matters

I wrote this because I want people to get the right help, not just any help. When you are carrying birth trauma, baby loss, anxiety or depression, sitting in front of someone who does not really understand what they are doing can make things worse. You deserve better than that.

You deserve a therapist who has done the training, who uses approaches backed by proper evidence, and who is held accountable by a professional body.

If you are looking for support and you want to ask those questions in person, I offer a free 15-minute call. No pressure. No commitment. Just a chance to check whether I am the right fit for what you need.

Contact me here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a therapist is properly qualified?

Look for a degree followed by a postgraduate qualification from a university, accreditation with a recognised body like BABCP or BACP, and specific training in the therapy they offer, such as EMDR. Ask them directly about their qualifications. A good therapist will welcome the question.

Is the title"psychotherapist" protected in the UK?

No. Unlike titles such as"clinical psychologist" or "occupational therapist," the title "psychotherapist" is not currently protected by law. This means anyone can use it, regardless of their training. Campaigns to change this are ongoing, but for now, checking a therapist's credentials is essential.

What is the difference between a therapist being registered and accredited?

Registration with a body like BACP means the therapist is on their register. Accreditation goes further. It means the therapist has met additional standards, passed assessments, and demonstrated a higher level of competence in their field. Accreditation is a stronger signal of quality.

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