Counselling and Psychotherapy Professional Bodies
Professional bodies for mental health are organisations that represent and support professionals working in the field of mental health. These bodies promote high standards of practice and provide a range of services, such as professional development, networking opportunities, and information sharing.
UK
| Organisation | Description |
|---|---|
| British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) | The BACP is a professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists practising in the United Kingdom. |
| United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) | The UKCP is a professional association of psychotherapy organisations and practitioners in the United Kingdom. It is restricted to registered clinical psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors. |
| Association of Clinical Psychologists (ACP) | The ACP is the representative professional body for clinical psychologists. |
| The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) | RCPysch is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the United Kingdom and is responsible for representing psychiatrists, for psychiatric research and for providing public information about mental health problems. |
| The British Psychological Society (BPS) | BPS is a representative body for psychologists and psychology in the United Kingdom. |
| The Association for Counselling and Therapy Online (ACTO) | ACTO is the leading organisation for online therapy and online therapists. ACTO promotes, maintains and improves online counselling and psychotherapy as a recognised method of therapeutic delivery within the mental health professions. |
| The UK Psychological Trauma Society (UKPTS) | UKPTS is the membership organisation for those researching, treating and working with PTSD, trauma, and traumatic stress. |
| Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT) | The Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT) is a registered charity working to benefit the public by promoting effective family therapy and systemic services and high standards of professional training and practice. |
| The British Psychoanalytical Society | The British Psychoanalytical Society is a UK-wide and international community of professionals dedicated to helping people enhance their lives through intensive talking therapy and psychoanalysis. The Institute of Psychoanalysis is the outward face and training body of the British Psychoanalytical Society. |
| The British Association of Mindfulness-Based Approaches (BAMBA) | BAMBA is the UK’s primary professional body of mindfulness practitioners, teachers and teacher training organisations. Their mission is to promote safe, ethical and inclusive practices in the field of evidence-based secular mindfulness teaching in the UK. |
| College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists | COSRT is the UK’s professional body for Psychosexual and Relationship Therapies. They hold a national register of specialised therapists, and offer and accredit training. |
| The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) | BAAT is the professional membership organisation for art therapists in the UK. They work to promote art therapy and provide professional support and advice to members. |
| The British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) | BABCP is a British-based multi-disciplinary interest group for people involved in the practice and theory of cognitive behaviour therapy |
| EMDR Association UK | EMDR Association UK is the professional body for EMDR clinicians and researchers seeking the highest standards of clinical practice in the United Kingdom. |
Ireland
| Organisation | Description |
|---|---|
| The Association of Professional Counsellors and Psychotherapists in Ireland (APCP) | APCP promotes mental health by creating a centre of excellence by identifying, developing and maintaining professional standards. They promote best practices and aid the development of the professions through leadership and collaboration, supporting and assuring, as far as practicable, high professional standards for the safety of all clients. |
| The Association for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy in Ireland (APPI) | APPI is the largest group of psychoanalytic clinicians in Ireland, sharing an interest in psychoanalysis and drawn to the work of Freud and Lacan. |
| The Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapists (IAHIP) | IAHIP sets and maintains the standards of relevant psychotherapy training and practice in Ireland. They represent humanistic and integrative psychotherapy at national and international levels. |
| The Irish Association of Play Therapy & Psychotherapy (IAPTP) | IAPTP is a professional body for Play Therapists and psychotherapists in Ireland. Their aim is to define, promote and maintain professional standards of excellence in Play Therapy and Psychotherapy. |
| Irish Council for Psychotherapy – ICP | ICP is the national umbrella body for Psychotherapy in Ireland. The Council contributes to public health by encouraging the highest standards of training, practice and ongoing education of psychotherapists. The Council also promotes psychotherapy as an effective mental and emotional health intervention. Currently, it represents over 1,700 psychotherapists nationwide. It is also the national awarding body for the European Certificate of Psychotherapy. |
| The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) | IACP was established in 1981 to identify, develop and maintain professional standards of excellence in Counselling and Psychotherapy. |
| The Family Therapy Association of Ireland (FTAI) | FTAI is a professional organisation which represents family therapists in Ireland. |
USA
| Organisation | Description |
|---|---|
| American Psychiatric Association (APA) | The American Psychiatric Association is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. |
| National Alliance of Professional Psychology Providers (NAPPP) | The National Alliance of Professional Psychology Providers is a professional psychology practice association that represents psychologists in the United States. NAPPP provides standards of practice, training, and resources for peer helping. |
| American Psychological Association (APA) | The American Psychological Association is a scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 146,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. |
| The American Counseling Association (ACA) | ACA is a membership organization representing licensed professional counsellors, counselling students, and other counselling professionals in the United States. |
| The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) | AAMFT is the professional association for the field of marriage and family therapy. They represent the professional interests of more than 50,000 marriage and family therapists throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. |
| The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) | AMHCA is an organization of licensed mental health counselors in the United States. Its activities include setting and enforcing education, licensing, and ethics standards for American mental health counsellors. It also publishes the Journal of Mental Health Counseling. |
| National Association of Social Workers (NASW) | NASW is a professional organization of social workers in the United States. The NASW provides guidance, research, up-to-date information, advocacy, and other resources for its members and social workers. |
| The Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) | AWP is a not-for-profit scientific and educational organization committed to encouraging feminist psychological research, theory, and activism. |
| The Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) | NAADAC represents the professional interests of more than 100,000 addiction counsellors, educators and other addiction-focused healthcare professionals in the United States, Canada and abroad. NAADAC’s members are addiction counsellors, educators and other addiction-focused healthcare professionals who specialize in addiction prevention, treatment, recovery support and education. |
| The National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA) | TNLPA is a national organization of mental health professionals, academics, researchers, and students whose objective is to generate and advance psychological knowledge and foster its effective application for the benefit of the Latinx population. |
| The Association of Black Psychologists (ABPSI) | ABPSI is a professional association of African-American psychologists with regional chapters throughout the United States. It publishes the Journal of Black Psychology. |
| The Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA) | AAPA advocates on behalf of Asian Americans as well as advancing Asian American psychology and is interested in Asian American psychology and mental health issues, in the training and education of Asian American mental health professionals, and in collaborating and networking with their peers. |
| The American Arab, Middle Eastern, and North African Psychological Association (AMENA-Psy) | AMENA-Psy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation dedicated to the development of Arab/MENA psychologists and psychological research and interventions in North America. |
Europe
| Organisation | Description |
|---|---|
| Mental Health Europe (MHE) | MHE is the largest independent network organisation representing mental health users, professionals and service providers across Europe. |
| The German Psychological Society (DGPS) | DGPs is an incorporated association of qualified psychologists engaged in research and teaching. Its goal is to advance and expand scientific psychology. |
| General Council of Official Colleges of Psychologists (Spain) | The General Council of Official Colleges of Psychologists was created by Law 7/2005, of May 13, constituting the coordinating and representative body of the Official Colleges of Psychologists and the Autonomous Councils. |
| The European Psychiatric Association (EPA) | EPA is the main association representing psychiatry in Europe. |
| The European Federation of Psychologists Associations (EFPA) | EFPA is the umbrella organization of national psychology societies located in the European Economic Area. |
| The European Family Therapy Association (EFTA) | EFTA exists to promote family therapy and systemic practice across Europe. |
| EMDR Europe | EMDR Europe is the official professional association of National EMDR Associations, establishing, maintaining and promoting the highest standards of excellence and integrity in EMDR therapy practice, research and education throughout Europe. |
Dubai
| Organisation | Description |
|---|---|
| Dubai Health Authority (DHA) | The Dubai Health Authority is a government organization overseeing the health system of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. |
| Dubai Healthcare City Authority – Regulation (DHCR) | Dubai Healthcare City Authority – Regulatory (DHCA – Regulations) is an independent regulatory arm of Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA). |
| Dubai Community Development Authority (CDA) | The CDA takes responsibility for setting up frameworks for social development in Dubai. |
Thailand
| Organisation | Description |
|---|---|
| The Psychiatric Association of Thailand | The Psychiatric Association of Thailand is a private organization consisting of psychiatrists as regular members. It maintains and promotes the medical field of psychiatry in Thailand, as well as studying the prevention and treatment of psychiatric diseases to advance according to scientific principles. |
| The Thai Psychological Association | The Thai Psychological Association (TPA) was founded in 1961 to promote psychology education and research, coordinate knowledge exchanges, and control the quality of psychology-related works. |
| The Thai Association for the Study of Pain (TASP) | The Thai Association for the Study of Pain was established 20 years ago with the aim of educating the members and healthcare providers about pain management and pain research. |
Please note that this list is not exhaustive and inclusion does not imply any endorsement by Psychotherapy Resources or associated parties. See the full disclaimer here.