PSA Accredited Registers
The Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) accredits organisations holding registers of mental health practitioners not regulated by law, to give the public confidence in their services.
Find out more about the UK standards for non-regulated professionals to help you navigate your career path.
Non-regulated mental health professions
In the UK, non-regulated mental health professions are roles that do not require statutory registration with a professional regulatory body. Unlike regulated professions such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or mental health nurses, individuals in non-regulated roles -such as counsellors, psychotherapists, life coaches, or mental health support workers - are not legally bound by specific qualification standards or oversight by a government authority.
While many practitioners voluntarily register with professional associations, doing so is not mandatory. The PSA helps address the challenges of non-regulated mental health professions in the UK by overseeing voluntary registers of health and social care practitioners. Although the PSA does not regulate individuals itself, it accredits registers run by professional bodies through its Accredited Registers programme.
This accreditation ensures that registered practitioners meet standards for training, ethical conduct, continuing professional development, and complaints procedures. By providing a mark of quality and assurance, the PSA helps the public identify trustworthy professionals even in non-regulated fields. While it doesn't make registration mandatory, the PSA's work improves transparency, safety, and accountability, reducing risks for people seeking mental health support outside the statutory regulation framework.
Here is a list PSA accredited registers to help you navigate the next steps in your career path.
Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP)
- Responsible for training and practice standards for its members and provides information to the public about child psychotherapy.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of psychoanalytic child and adolescent psychotherapists in the UK.
Association of Christians in Counselling and Linked Professions (ACC)
- Responsible for training and practice standards for its members and provides information to the public about counselling and linked professions.
- Holds an accredited register of Christian counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK.
Athena Herd Foundation
- Promotes and maintains client confidence and public credibility in the benefits of Equine Facilitated Interactions.
- Holds an accredited register of wellbeing and healthcare practitioners who are working with horses to complement or enhance their professional practices.
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)
- The largest membership organisation in the UK that sets standards for therapeutic practice and provides information for therapists, clients of therapy, and the general public.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK.
British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT)
- Works to relieve the needs of children, young people and adults suffering emotional and behavioural difficulties by promoting the art and science of Play Therapy and promoting high standards in the practice of Play Therapy.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of Play Therapists in the UK.
British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC)
- Professional association for the psychoanalytic professions, helps to protect the public by accrediting high-quality trainings, holding a public Register of qualified psychoanalytic clinicians and investigating concerns.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapists, and psychodynamic counsellors in the UK.
British Psychological Society (BPS)
- The British Psychological Society (BPS) runs the Wider Psychological Workforce register of Wellbeing Practitioners and Associate Psychologists and is responsible for the promotion of excellence and ethical practice in the science, education and application of the discipline.
- Its members working as practitioner psychologists under protected titles are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Holds several accredited registers for Practitioner Psychologists in the UK including the Wider Psychological Workforce Register.
CBT Register UK (AREBT & BABCP)
- The CBT Register UK is a joint national register of all AREBT and BABCP accredited members.
- Jointly holds accredited register of Cognitive Behavioural Therapists and practitioners of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy practitioners in the UK.
COSCA (Counselling & Psychotherapy in Scotland)
- Scotland’s professional body for counselling and psychotherapy – sets standards for its registrants in the practice of counselling and psychotherapy and is committed to increasing access to counselling and psychotherapy services.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists in Scotland.
Human Givens Institute
- A global organisation concerned with unifying the most effective forms of counselling and psychotherapy into a truly biopsychosocial approach
- It advances all aspects of Human Givens therapeutic practice, including standards, continued professional development and the ethical behaviour of members.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of fully-qualified human givens (HG) therapists.
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS)
- Professional home for talking therapists, representing and supporting counsellors, psychotherapists, the public and our profession. Join us in protecting and promoting the heart of counselling and psychotherapy.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists in the UK.
National Hypnotherapy Society
- A Learned Society whose primary purpose is the advancement of the knowledge of hypnotherapy (a modality of psychotherapy or counselling).
- The Society seeks to contribute to public wellbeing both through the use of hypnotherapy and by ensuring that hypnotherapists are safe, competent and ethical in practice.
- Holds the first and only PSA accredited register of fully-qualified hypnotherapists in the UK.
Play Therapy UK (PTUK)
- Play Therapy UK exists to further the good practice of therapeutic work with children. This includes improving children's wellbeing as well as alleviating behaviour and mental health problems.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of Play Therapists and Creative Arts Therapists in the UK.
UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
- Leading organisation for psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors in the UK. Alongside offering professional support for our members, we are the leading research, innovation and educational body working to advance psychotherapies for the benefit of all.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors in the UK.
UK Association for Humanistic Psychology Practitioners (UKAHPP)
- Sets registration and accreditation standards of practice for Psychotherapists and Psychotherapeutic Counsellors with a training in Humanistic Psychology, a holistic approach to therapy, which holds centrally an individual's capacity to draw upon inner resources to give meaning and direction to traumatic and disabling life experiences.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of Psychotherapists and Psychotherapeutic Counsellors in the UK.
UK Society for Behaviour Analysis (UK-SBA)
- Promotes the ethical and effective application of behaviour analysis to a wide range of areas including health, social care and education, and is committed to the development and promotion of evidence-based practices which protect consumers and facilitate access to safe, high-quality, ethical and effective behaviour analytic services.
- Behaviour analysis is not a therapy or a treatment approach; it is the science of understanding behaviour.
- Holds a PSA accredited register of Behaviour Analysts in the UK.