UKCP Statutory Regulation Survey – Please Have Your Say

UKCP is currently consulting on possible models of future statutory regulation for psychotherapy and counselling. They are inviting feedback from both UKCP members and non-members, and we strongly encourage all therapists to take part.

🔗 Take the survey
🕒 Takes around 10–15 minutes
⏰ Deadline: Sunday 30 November

UKCP says that the feedback gathered will help shape their position with government, regulators and partner organisations as they explore what statutory regulation might look like. They are currently minded to support statutory regulation if it protects the public while safeguarding the diversity, autonomy and integrity of psychotherapy.

At PCU, we do not hold a formal position for or against statutory regulation, but we do have concerns, and we believe it is vital that practitioners engage with this consultation.

Our concerns include:

→ How the consultation is framed – the survey appears to assume certain directions of travel, and that some questions seem to be angled towards particular regulatory outcomes.

→ Market-based implications – questions around the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) suggest a possible emphasis on market control or consolidation.

→ Insurance and PSA-based hierarchies – the survey asks how important it is to influence insurance companies regarding practitioners who are not on PSA-accredited registers. This raises concerns about creating a two-tier profession or marginalising non-PSA bodies and smaller professional associations.

→ Representation of the wider field – many legitimate bodies (including those representing art therapists, hypnotherapists, integrative practitioners and others) may be overlooked if statutory regulation is shaped around a small group of self-appointed organisations.

These issues don’t mean that statutory regulation is necessarily negative, but therapists should understand what is being proposed and ensure their views are included.

Whatever your perspective, please complete the survey.