When it comes to seeking help from a mental health practitioner, whatever they are 'labeled' by title, either psychologist, counsellor or psychotherapist, a prospective client just wants help from someone who they can trust, feel safe, is qualified and bound to working ethically with knowledge and understanding of what the client wants to talk about.

The majority of the general public will be oblivious to the present wranglings going on as the Government via the Health Professions Council seeks to "root out charlatans" i.e prevent mental health practitioners working who are not suitably qualified and could indeed cause more harm than good.

Whilst this is to be applauded by therapists like myself who know what it takes to practice successfully and undergo the continuous self development needed and supervision in the quest to make ourselves emotionally available to our clients, the Government is handling the differentiations of counsellors and psychotherapists and proposed new regulation rather
clumsily.

In a nutshell and what is causing an uproar is that one group, say a counsellor, won't be able to 'treat' or see someone with a particular mental problem, say an eating disorder, if this legislation goes through.

I don't want to use this space to defend counsellors or psychotherapists, I have no need to, my work speaks for itself, what concerns me is that clients wanting genuine immediate help might be confused by divisive legislation. What is always on offer by myself in an initial meeting with a client is a chance to ask questions. If you want to discuss the kind of therapy you will be receiving or how counselling/psychotherapy works this gives us a chance to be clear and open from the start so that your choices are supported.