Choosing counselling · Holywood & online
Look Before You Book
At Reset Life Coaching & Counselling Services, we are proud to support the Professional Standards Authority’s #LookBeforeYouBook campaign.
Taking a moment to check qualifications and professional registration can help you make a more informed choice about your care.
Look for the PSA Quality Mark and check that the individual practitioner is listed on an Accredited Register.
Counselling isn’t legally regulated
Many people are surprised to learn that counselling and psychotherapy are not legally regulated professions in the UK, meaning anyone can call themselves a counsellor, regardless of their training, qualifications, experience or ethical standards.
Voluntary professional registration is different from legal regulation. It gives you something meaningful to check, rather than relying on a job title, a recommendation or an available appointment.
When seeking support for your mental health and wellbeing, it’s important to look beyond social media reviews, recommendations or availability and ask:
- Is the practitioner professionally qualified?
- Are they accredited or registered with a recognised professional body?
- Do they work within an ethical framework?
- Are they committed to ongoing professional development and supervision?
- Are they listed on an Accredited Register carrying the PSA Quality Mark?
The campaign’s central message
Look for the PSA Quality Mark.
The Professional Standards Authority’s Quality Mark identifies registers that meet its standards. The campaign encourages people to look for this mark and check that their practitioner is on an Accredited Register before booking private health and wellbeing services.
The mark relates to the register. It is not a personal award from the PSA, an endorsement of Reset, or a guarantee of a particular outcome.
A simple way to check
- 1. Find the professional body.
Ask which register the counsellor belongs to and their registration number. - 2. Check the register itself.
Use the PSA’s register finder to confirm it is accredited, rather than relying only on a logo. - 3. Check the individual.
Search the professional body’s current listings, match the name and details, and ask the body if anything is unclear.
Have a question?
Ask about checking a counsellor
Not sure what a register is, or how to check someone before you book? Ask in your own words. The guide answers from this campaign guidance and points you to the official registers.
Ask the Look Before You Book guide
AI-powered answers from Reset’s campaign guidance. Please don’t share personal or health details.
The guide can’t verify anyone’s registration — always check the official register. Reset is not a crisis service: call 999 in an emergency or Samaritans free on 116 123.
The regulation safety gap
Why a few checks matter
Research commissioned by the PSA explored how people choose private health and wellbeing services. Its campaign overview highlights these findings:
75%
believe therapists are legally regulated
24%
do less checking when looking for a last-minute slot
36%
are influenced by five-star reviews on social media
53%
of 18–24-year-olds believe aesthetic practitioners are regulated
These findings cover the wider campaign, not just counselling clients. The 53% figure concerns aesthetic practitioners, not therapists. The PSA also reports that one in four people do not consider safety checks when booking appointments, and that people spend almost as long researching a hotel stay as a private baby scan clinic.
Read the PSA’s campaign overview and research summary (opens in a new tab)Rosa Stevens · Reset · Holywood, Northern Ireland
Check Rosa’s professional registration
At Reset Life Coaching & Counselling Services, I am an Accredited Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and an Accredited Professional Registrant with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), both of which are Professional Standards Authority Accredited Registers.
If you are looking for a counsellor or psychotherapist in Holywood, or online counselling in Northern Ireland and across the UK, you can explore Rosa’s experience and approach alongside these professional checks. Face-to-face sessions are at 35 Church Road, Holywood, BT18 9BU.
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
BACP Accredited Member — Counsellor/Psychotherapist · Membership no. 00831913
Open the professional body’s therapist directory (opens in a new tab)National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society
NCPS Accredited Professional Registrant (PNCPS) · Registration no. NCS20-00345
Open the professional body’s therapist directory (opens in a new tab)Search for “Rosa Stevens” and check the location and current membership details. These links open the bodies’ directories, not a verified individual profile. If you cannot find the entry, ask Rosa for her registration details or contact the professional body directly.
Registration is one part of choosing a therapist. You can also ask about qualifications, relevant experience, ethical practice, supervision, confidentiality, fees and how to raise a concern. No registration or approach can guarantee the outcome of therapy.
This section describes Rosa’s practice. Independent self-employed practitioners who use the Reset space have their own qualifications and registrations, which should be checked separately.
Before you book, take a moment to Look Before You Book.
About the wider campaign
Helping people make informed choices
Look Before You Book focuses on counselling and psychotherapy, private baby scans (sonography), and non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Each has tailored guidance about checking practitioners and looking for the PSA Quality Mark where it applies.
The PSA is sharing the message through media coverage, digital and outdoor advertising, and content creator partnerships, with activity released in stages. Its campaign overview is updated as new content and resources become available.
Who is helping share the campaign?
The PSA’s campaign overview names Dr Amir Khan (doctor and health communicator), The Modern Midwife (midwife and educator), The Cosmetic Consult (skincare brand founder and podcaster), A Mother Place (postnatal educator and author), Joshua Fletcher (anxiety therapist and author), and Cici Coleman (confidence coach and TV presenter).
Their content encourages people to check who they are booking. Views expressed by campaign partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the PSA. Their involvement does not imply endorsement of Reset.