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Getting the right support

Who's who, and who can help.

Titles are used interchangeably, and the training, regulation and focus behind each one differs.

Free Intro Call

Getting the right support

Who's who, and who can help.

Titles are used interchangeably, and the training, regulation and focus behind each one differs.

Free Intro Call

Getting the right support

Who's who, and who can help.

Titles are used interchangeably, and the training, regulation and focus behind each one differs.

Free Intro Call

Not all titles mean what you'd expect

Psychologist, psychotherapist, counsellor, psychiatrist. Some of these titles are protected by law and require years of doctoral training; others can legally be used by anyone, regardless of experience. None of that is obvious from the name alone. Below is what each title actually requires, and a quick way to work out which one fits what you're looking for.

Not sure who you need?

Need medication or a formal diagnosis? → Psychiatrist

Living with a physical condition? → Health Psychologist

Need a full assessment first? → Clinical Psychologist

The relationship as the focus? → Counselling Psychologist

Structured work toward a specific goal? → CBT Therapist

Long-standing emotional patterns? → Psychotherapist

Shorter-term support after a life event? → Counsellor

Protected titles

Clinical Psychologist

Statutory register · HCPC

Protected

"Clinical Psychologist" is a legally protected title regulated by the HCPC. Becoming one requires a doctoral-level qualification (DClinPsy), typically NHS-commissioned and salaried during training.

Clinical psychologists assess and treat a broad range of complex psychological difficulties, often within multidisciplinary teams, drawing on a wide range of therapeutic approaches tailored to the individual.

Counselling Psychologist

Statutory register · HCPC

Protected

Protected title · Registered with the HCPC. Doctorate in Counselling Psychology, typically self-funded, or the BPS's own equivalent route (the QCoP — currently closed to new applicants; check bps.org.uk for its live status).

Trained from a humanistic and phenomenological tradition that treats the therapeutic relationship itself as central to how change happens, working collaboratively with a person's own subjective experience. Practises across a wide range of settings — NHS services, education, prisons, employee assistance programmes, and private practice.

Health Psychologist

Statutory register · HCPC

Protected

Applies psychological theory and evidence to physical health contexts including behaviour change, adjustment, and the wider mind-body relationship, rather than working from a fixed diagnosis-and-treatment model.

Registered with the HCPC. Doctorate in health psychology, focused on the relationship between psychological factors and physical health more broadly.

Medical title

Psychiatrist

Statutory register · GMC

Medical

Medically qualified doctor registered with the GMC, with specialist postgraduate training in psychiatry.

Can assess and diagnose mental health conditions, prescribe and oversee medication, and manage medical aspects of care. Some psychiatrists also provide psychotherapy.

Not protected titles

CBT Therapist

Voluntary register · BABCP

Not protected

Most practising CBT therapists complete a postgraduate diploma in CBT and go on to BABCP accreditation. Treat accreditation as the baseline to look for, not an optional extra.

Uses a structured, time-limited approach focused on the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, usually working toward specific, agreed goals.

EMDR Practitioner

Voluntary accreditation · EMDR UK Association

Not protected

Not a standalone title. EMDR is a modality delivered by an already qualified mental health professional (psychologist, psychotherapist, or CBT therapist) trained and accredited through EMDR UK & Ireland.

A structured approach to processing traumatic or distressing memories, where the memory itself, not only its ongoing effects, is the focus of the work.

Psychotherapist

Voluntary register · UKCP or BACP

Not protected

Genuine practice generally means several years of specialist postgraduate training, registered with a body such as UKCP or BACP.

Longer-term talking therapy exploring established emotional, relational, or behavioural patterns.

Counsellor

Voluntary register · BACP

Not protected

No doctorate or statutory registration required by law; training varies considerably by individual. Look for registration with a body such as the BACP register.

Shorter-term talking therapy for emotional difficulties, life events, and relationship concerns.

Getting started

You don't need a name for what you're dealing with, or to wait for it to get worse, before getting in touch. Send us an enquiry. There's no cost and no obligation, and no need to give the full picture now: a few lines about what's brought you here is enough.

This isn’t a route to urgent help. If you need support right now, please see urgent help.

A doctoral psychologist will read what you send and reply personally, usually within two working days.

Get in touch

Getting started

You don't need a name for what you're dealing with, or to wait for it to get worse, before getting in touch. Send us an enquiry. There's no cost and no obligation, and no need to give the full picture now: a few lines about what's brought you here is enough.

This isn’t a route to urgent help. If you need support right now, please see urgent help.

A doctoral psychologist will read what you send and reply personally, usually within two working days.

Get in touch

Getting started

You don't need a name for what you're dealing with, or to wait for it to get worse, before getting in touch. Send us an enquiry. There's no cost and no obligation, and no need to give the full picture now: a few lines about what's brought you here is enough.

This isn’t a route to urgent help. If you need support right now, please see urgent help.

A doctoral psychologist will read what you send and reply personally, usually within two working days.

Get in touch

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Get in touch