Why we list only HCPC-registered Psychologists
Every Psychologist listed on Trusted Psychologists holds a current HCPC registration. Search the directory, verify independently, and make contact directly, no referral needed.
The protected titles you can rely on
The nine protected titles are:
- Practitioner Psychologist
- Registered Psychologist
- Clinical Psychologist
- Counselling Psychologist
- Educational Psychologist
- Forensic Psychologist
- Health Psychologist
- Sport and Exercise Psychologist
What HCPC registration involves
HCPC registration is not a one-off qualification. It is an ongoing regulatory relationship that involves:
Threshold standards of proficiency. Every registrant must meet the HCPC’s published standards of proficiency for practitioner psychologists. These standards set out what HCPC considers necessary to protect members of the public, and cover knowledge, skills, ethics, scope of practice, communication, record-keeping and ongoing professional accountability. The current standards came into effect on 1 September 2023.
Standards of conduct, performance and ethics. All registrants are bound by HCPC’s standards of conduct, performance and ethics, revised in September 2024. These standards include the duty to promote and protect the interests of service users, to communicate appropriately, to work within the limits of one’s knowledge and skills, to maintain confidentiality, to be open when things go wrong, and to be honest and trustworthy.
Continuing Professional Development. Registrants must undertake ongoing professional development and may be selected for HCPC audit at any point. Failure to evidence sufficient development is grounds for removal from the Register.
Public accountability. Anyone — patients, families, employers, fellow professionals — can raise a Fitness to Practise concern with HCPC. HCPC investigates, and can impose sanctions including conditions on practice, suspension, or striking-off. Outcomes are published. Removal from the Register makes use of any protected title a criminal offence.
What this means for you
When you book through this directory, several things are guaranteed at the point of listing — and continue to be true throughout your work with that Psychologist:
- They have been trained in psychology to an approved doctoral or equivalent standard
- They are accountable to a statutory regulator, not only a professional body they could choose to leave
- They are required to work within an evidence-informed framework
- They have a duty to maintain confidentiality, manage records appropriately, and behave with honesty and integrity
- They are required to recognise the limits of their own competence and to refer on where appropriate
- Concerns about their practise can be formally investigated and acted on
None of these things is required of someone offering services under the unregulated titles ‘Psychologist’, ‘therapist’, ‘counsellor’ or ‘psychotherapist’.
Verifying any Psychologist yourself
HCPC publishes a public, free-to-search Register. You can search by name to confirm registration status. Every Psychologist on this directory has their HCPC registration number displayed on their profile, and we encourage you to verify any listing against the HCPC Register before booking.
- All hold our Psychologists hold HCPC registration and use a protected title.