Psychotherapy is not a protected profession. In the United Kingdom, and in most countries, there is nothing legally preventing someone from calling themselves a psychotherapist without any training whatsoever. No qualification is required. No regulatory body can stop them. Anyone can hang a sign.
This matters more than most people realise when they are searching for help.
What accreditation actually guarantees
An accredited psychotherapist is someone who has been assessed by an independent professional body — assessed not just on paper qualifications, but on years of training, supervised clinical practice, ongoing professional development, and adherence to a code of ethics.
It is a guarantee of sorts. Not of perfection — no accreditation body can guarantee that — but of minimum standards. Of safe hands.
Philippe Jacquet offers a practical image. If you need a taxi, you do not simply get into a car with a stranger and hope for the best. You choose a licensed taxi driver — someone who has undergone background checks, who has passed through a recognised vetting process, whose vehicle meets required standards. The licence is not a guarantee of a pleasant journey. It is a guarantee that certain baseline conditions have been met.
Going to see an unaccredited therapist is the equivalent of getting into an unlicensed car with someone you do not know. Your mental health deserves better than hoping for the best.
The major accreditation bodies in the UK
When looking for a psychotherapist in the United Kingdom, the main accreditation bodies to look for are:
UKCP — the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy. One of the largest and most established regulatory bodies, covering a wide range of psychotherapeutic approaches.
BPC — the British Psychoanalytic Council. Covers psychoanalytic and psychodynamic practitioners, including those trained in longer-term depth approaches.
BACP — the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. The largest professional body in the UK, covering both counsellors and psychotherapists across a range of modalities.
IAAP — the International Association for Analytical Psychology. The specific accreditation body for Jungian analysts. If you are looking for a Jungian analyst in particular, IAAP membership is the standard to look for.
Philippe Jacquet holds accreditation with the relevant bodies for his training and practice. He would not send one of his children to a therapist who was not accredited — and does not think anyone should.
Why accreditation protects you
If something goes wrong — if you have a concern about how you have been treated, if a boundary has been crossed, if the work has caused harm — an accredited therapist can be reported to their accrediting body.
That body has the power to investigate, to impose sanctions, and in serious cases to remove the therapist’s accreditation entirely. This is a form of recourse. Without accreditation, there is no body to go to. The therapist is accountable to no one but themselves.
Accreditation, in the end, is not just about the therapist’s training. It is about your protection.
“Psychotherapy is not a protected profession. Anyone can call themselves a therapist. An accredited therapist is someone who has been through years of training, supervision, and assessment by an independent body. Going to an unaccredited therapist is like getting into an unlicensed taxi with a stranger and hoping for the best. Your mental health deserves more than that.” — Philippe Jacquet
Book a consultation with Philippe Jacquet — psychotherapist and Jungian analyst, London.