Statutory Registration

[kitkat.3b4t]

Does anyone know the current qualification requirments for statutory registration of psychologist? Also does anyone know when registration will come into effect? I had a look at the PSI website but all I could find was correspondence from 2005 on the subject.

[Odysseus]

It will cover all therapists in my understanding of the document. I have a copy of it for years in my office. My understanding is that because so many organisations are involved its not going to happen for a few years yet. I could be wrong but I get no answers anytime I ask about it.

My understanding is currently there is no statutory registration for psychologists or any other therapists in fact.

[Valmont]

Originally Posted by Odysseus

It will cover all therapists in my understanding of the document. I have a copy of it for years in my office. My understanding is that because so many organisations are involved its not going to happen for a few years yet. I could be wrong but I get no answers anytime I ask about it.

My understanding is currently there is no statutory registration for psychologists or any other therapists in fact.

A few years? I was of the understanding that it was any day now. I mean, the bill was passed and now it just has to be enacted, right? Does that take long?

There are no provisions in it for covering psychotherapy, only those positions with the title of psychologist.

[Odysseus]

Originally Posted by Valmont

A few years? I was of the understanding that it was any day now. I mean, the bill was passed and now it just has to be enacted, right? Does that take long?

There are no provisions in it for covering psychotherapy, only those positions with the title of psychologist.

Maybe we are talking about different bills, but the one I have in my office refers to all therapists as "psychological therapists" [IIRC] though there are different grades, that would cover counsellors, psychotherapists, and psychologists.

[Odysseus]

Hi Valmont,

Just to clarify my post I was in a different clinic yesterday when I responded to and I keep most of my stuff in my office at my main base. I have different drafts of stuff on Statutory Registration I could only find the first draft when I went looking today.

In that draft it only mentions counsellors and psychotherapists. I could be wrong but I could have sworn that one of them mentioned clinical and counselling psychologists as I remember thinking it was unusal at the time.

Anyway the registration for us will be covered under the "The Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005". So if it is happening for psychologists soon as you mention is it under the same act? I would be interested to know as this is something I think we really need in this country, and if its happening for you guys, hopefully that means we won't be far behind you.

[MysticalSoul]

I do believe they were looking for statutory registration, across the board, where all organisations would join in as an umbrella. I think since what happened with Roebuck last year, they have started trying to speed it up a little, however, have heard no official mention of it this year myself.

[Valmont]

Originally Posted by Valmont

Nope. The governing body for Psychotherapy is the ICP, not the PSI. And there are other psychotherapy bodies like the Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis society. The PSI presides over counselling psychology of which psychotherapy as a technique is a part, hence the confusion.

Regarding the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, here are some relevant excerpts:

"Article 37.1. A person seeking registration as a member of a designated profession (Psychology in our example) shall apply to the registration board of that profession (i.e. PSI)."

For the purposes of this Act, the following health or social care professions are designated: Clinical Biochemist, dietitian, medical scientist, occupational therapist, orthopist, physiotherapist, podiatrist, psychologist, radiographer, social care worker, social worker, speech and language therapist.

No mention of psychotherapy there for statutory registration. The ICP are currently lobbying the Department of health for an amendment to the Bill. Article here. So unless the proposed changes are made to the bill, it won't be in contravention of the Health and Social Care Professionals act as this act applies exclusively to Psychologists.

Odysseus, here's something I posted about this a while back regarding the inclusion of psychotherapy in the bill. The information I read was a bit old so maybe there has been an amendment but this is the situation as I understand it anyway.