Ms Ann Murphy:

The issue here is one of informed consent. I do not have data on widespread exploitation of people, but in going to see any practitioner in any area, informed consent is essential. At the moment, there is a lack of clarity about qualifications. The titles are confusing for the general public in any case, and there is an overlap between different titles. There is no way a person can make an informed choice about what is the appropriate qualification, what is the kind of therapist he or she should look for, and are they regulated. Do they belong to a professional body? Are they duly accredited, etc.? That is a very unsatisfactory situation for anyone, particularly a vulnerable person, seeking any kind of care.

I also understand that where children and adolescents are concerned, parents are sometimes completely at sea when they have to go into the private realm as to what might be appropriate.

There is a further issue that touches on accessibility. Without the regulation of title, the insurance companies that provide some cover for some degree of psychological service, cannot do that because they do not have the confirmation of the qualifications. When the titles and the professions are regulated, that will make it possible to have some funding from private insurance for some number of sessions, as is available for many other areas.