FAQs

We are ABCAP (Accrediting Board of Counsellors and Psychotherapists), an independent body that provides accreditation for all types of therapists.

If you are a therapist of any type, you are welcome to be an ABCAP member. Your membership level will depend on the qualifications you currently hold or are working towards.

As an ABCAP member, you will enjoy several benefits, such as a free listing in our therapist directory, and discounted liability insurance and training courses.

Head over to our membership page to join.

No, we are not. Currently, there is no regulation of the counselling profession in the UK, and therefore no governing bodies. ABCAP is similar to other professional bodies within the counselling profession in that we are a private company that cannot enforce standards, but is determined to raise them by promoting accreditation and training.

If your listing is in our directory, you can claim it to promote your service. Just click ‘Claim Now’ on the listing and follow the steps.

If you have a concern about a therapist listed in the ABCAP directory, please contact us via our Complaints and Concerns page. Provide your name, the therapist’s name or profile link, and a brief description of your concern. We will acknowledge your concern within 5 business days. Please note that ABCAP is not a regulatory body and cannot investigate what happened or make a finding of misconduct. We can review whether the therapist’s listing should remain in the directory. For a formal investigation, please contact the therapist’s professional body (such as BACP, UKCP, NCS, or NCPS).

When a therapist applies to join ABCAP, we ask for evidence of their qualifications (or proof of study towards a qualification), professional body membership where applicable, and valid professional indemnity insurance (where appropriate). We verify this information before approving their listing. After joining, members are responsible for keeping their listing accurate and notifying us of any changes to their qualifications, registrations, or insurance. We do not continuously monitor members’ credentials after the point of joining.

If your concern involves abuse, criminal conduct, or an immediate risk to someone’s safety, please do not wait for ABCAP to act. Contact the police on 999 (emergency) or 101 (non-emergency), your local authority safeguarding team, or the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 for concerns about children. You can also report your concern to us via our Complaints and Concerns page and we will suspend the therapist’s listing immediately pending any statutory investigation.