Our verification standard
Every claim this site makes rests on this page. It describes exactly what we check before a counsellor is listed, what "verified" does and does not mean, and how the standard is maintained over time. We publish it in full because a verification standard you cannot read is not a standard.
What we check, for every member, before listing
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Counselling qualification. The applicant uploads their certificate. We check that it was issued through a recognised route (listed below), that the name matches the applicant, and we record the route and level (for example, CPCAB Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling).
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Current professional insurance. The applicant uploads their current insurance schedule. We check that it names the applicant, that it covers their counselling practice, and that it is in date. We record the expiry date and chase renewal documents before it lapses.
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Professional body membership, where stated. If the applicant states a membership (for example BACP, UKCP, NCPS or ACC), we look them up on that body's own public register on the same date and record what we found. Membership is not an entry requirement, because it is not a legal requirement to practise; but if it is claimed on a profile here, it has been checked.
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Review by a person. Every application is reviewed manually. Nothing is automated into approval.
When the checks pass, the profile is published showing the qualification route, the level, and "Documents verified: [date]". If a check fails, the applicant is told why, given the chance to correct it, and refunded in full if it cannot be resolved.
Documents checked before any entry goes live
What "verified" means, and what it does not
Verified means:
- A counselling qualification from a recognised route has been checked, on the date shown.
- A current professional insurance document has been checked, on the date shown.
- Any professional body membership stated on the profile has been confirmed against that body's public register, on the date shown.
- We know the member's identity and practice locations, and display a listing number that can be looked up publicly at any time.
Verified does not mean:
- That we have assessed the counsellor's clinical skill, approach or results. No website can do that, and any that implies it should worry you.
- That the counsellor is endorsed by the NHS, any professional body, any training provider or anyone else. WhatCounsellor is independent and endorses no one.
- That counselling itself is regulated by law. Counselling and psychotherapy are not statutorily regulated in the UK. WhatCounsellor independently checks qualification and insurance documents; it does not assess clinical skill.
Recognised qualification routes
We recognise counselling qualifications at practitioner level (a substantial supervised diploma or degree, not a short introductory or skills-only certificate) from these routes:
- CPCAB (the Counselling and Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body, for example the Level 4 Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling and above)
- Other Ofqual-recognised awarding bodies (practitioner-level counselling diplomas from recognised awarding organisations)
- Universities (counselling or psychotherapy degrees and postgraduate diplomas)
Certificates from other providers are assessed case by case against documented equivalence (course length, supervised practice, assessment). If we accept an equivalent, the profile names the actual qualification; we never blur a lesser certificate into a recognised name. If you run a training course and want your graduates' certificates assessed for recognition, contact us.
Insurance is tracked continuously, not just at joining
We record the expiry date of every member's insurance document and require an updated document at renewal of the policy. A member whose insurance document on file expires and who does not supply a current one has their profile suspended from public view until they do.
Availability is confirmed, so the site never fills with ghosts
Members confirm they are taking new clients on a rolling cycle, and the confirmation date is shown on the profile. A member who does not reconfirm simply loses the "taking new clients" flag until they do. You should never have to message three people to discover none of them still practises.
When someone leaves the standard
- Lapse: if a membership lapses, the profile is removed from search, the badge stops working automatically, and Check a Counsellor shows the listing as lapsed.
- Removal: breaches of the Code of Conduct are handled under the Complaints Procedure and can end in removal from the site, shown publicly where the procedure requires it.
Check anyone right now
The whole point of a published standard is that you can test it. Look up any counsellor by name, town or listing number.