For client safety, all registrants must agree to a simple security check.

The check is usually low-effort, quick, and easy for bona-fide applicants.

[Note: occasionally a practitioner will second-guess how the check's done and send documents that aren't helpful to the process, so please do be sure to check what we're asking before doing anything.]

The eligibility condition for registration

To appear in the directory, you must be listed as a counsellor or psychotherapist on a UK Professional Standards Authority accredited register (or in Ireland, the IACP register of accredited practitioners). which must be confirmable by the organisation via an email address for you, or by providing documentation to confirm this to us.

False information in applications is rare but does happen, so for client safety we need to be sure that you really are the practitioner you claim to be.

So the recognised organisation must also confirm at least one contact detail for you.

The checking process

Most major organisations (eg. UKCP, NCS, IACP) make the contact details of people available on their websites, so the checking can be done within minutes (or by return email if they list a different email address from the one we're using to communicate with you).

In the remaining cases (usually for people on the BACP Register) where we can't see your contact details online, there's a little more work to be done, and we'll contact you and let you know how to proceed.

As a courtesy to BACP we try to do this without troubling them, so please do NOT ask them to write you a letter for us!.

Unless we ask, please don't send us diplomas, certificates, insurance documents or membership cards (you should never part with your membership card!).

Where other indicators of you identity are available, we may at our discretion consider those.

Please note that while we take reasonable steps to check the details of registrants, no checking process is foolproof.

If you plan to engage the services of someone listed here, please be sure to make checks to your own satisfaction.