Who and What Do We Verify?
When you see the Kore Directory Badge on a professional’s profile, you can rest assured that we’ve verified the following:
What is Kore Verified?
For Individual Counsellors/Psychotherapists, Hypnotherapists, and Nutritionists
We ensure that each practitioner is personally registered with a relevant professional body. If you’d like to learn more about the professional bodies we recognise and the types of memberships we accept, take a look below.
For Practices
We check that at least one practitioner at the practice is registered, or that the practice itself meets our accreditation standards.
Although we’ve done our part in ensuring professionals meet our requirements, we recommend you confirm these details with the practitioner before your first session, as we do not monitor ongoing changes to their credentials.
We also feature some basic organisational listings, such as Citizen’s Advice and Alcoholics Anonymous, purely for informational purposes. These listings do not display the Kore Directory policy badge, as they are not verified by us.
Are Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Hypnotherapists, and Nutritionists Regulated?
Currently, there is no UK law that dictates the level of training required to practise as a counsellor, psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, or nutritionist. That’s why, at Kore Directory, we ensure each professional is registered with a recognised professional body before they can list their services with us. This helps give you peace of mind that the person you’re reaching out to has met high professional standards.
Each profile on Kore Directory is designed to give you a personal insight into the professional’s approach, qualifications, and experience. We want you to feel informed and confident in your choice. All information is provided directly by the practitioner themselves, and if you have any questions, you can easily get in touch with them for clarification.
Below, we’ve included more details about the professional bodies, qualifications, and other important factors to consider when selecting a therapist, hypnotherapist, or nutritionist.
Professional Bodies
Professional bodies play a key role in supporting the counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and nutrition sectors in the UK. They ensure that professionals follow high standards of ethics and practice.
When a professional is a member of a recognised body, it means they’ve met rigorous criteria for training and experience. It also shows they’ve committed to a code of ethics and are held accountable to the body’s complaints process.
While membership with a professional body is not a legal requirement, we believe it’s crucial for your peace of mind. By choosing a practitioner listed with Kore Directory, you know they’ve undergone necessary training and are bound by ethical standards. As part of our process, every professional must provide us with proof of their membership before they can be listed. They are also required to inform us if their membership status changes.
At Kore Directory, we only accept professionals who hold practitioner-level membership or higher, ensuring they are qualified to practise therapy, hypnotherapy, or nutrition. Those with our Registered/Accredited badge have completed advanced training recognised by their professional body.
You can learn more about the professional bodies we accept membership from on our Professional Bodies page.
Accredited Registers
In 2013, the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) launched the Accredited Register Network, alongside the Department of Health, to protect the public by assessing organisations that register practitioners in fields like counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and nutrition, where there is no legal requirement for regulation. These “voluntary” registers are created by professionals who choose to apply to them, rather than being legally obligated.
For an organisation to become an Accredited Register, it must meet strict criteria and undergo an annual reassessment.
This reassessment ensures the organisation continues to meet PSA standards. While the PSA does not assess individual practitioners, professionals who are on an Accredited Register can display the PSA’s quality mark on their profiles.
Qualifications and Insurance
Though UK law does not currently regulate counsellors, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, or nutritionists, we follow the industry’s recommended standard. This means we expect professionals to have completed at least a Diploma-level qualification (or higher), including 400 hours of classroom-based training for therapists, with specific qualifications for hypnotherapists and nutritionists.
The professional bodies we recognise have minimum standards for training and experience, so when you choose a practitioner through Kore Directory, you can trust that they’ve met these criteria. We also strongly recommend checking that your chosen professional has suitable professional insurance in place before your first session.
To learn more about the various qualifications in the counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and nutrition fields, visit our Professional Qualifications page.
Protected Titles
Some titles related to counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and nutrition are legally protected. The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) regulates health-related professions in the UK. The following titles are protected by the HCPC, and Kore Directory recognises:
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Arts Therapist (e.g., Art Psychotherapist, Drama Therapist, Music Therapist)
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Practitioner Psychologist (e.g., Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist, Health Psychologist)
For hypnotherapists and nutritionists, we accept specific accredited registers and certifications that demonstrate competence in these areas.
A Final Note
Before beginning therapy, hypnotherapy, or nutrition services with any professional listed on Kore Directory, we encourage you to confirm their up-to-date membership with a professional body, their professional insurance, and relevant qualifications. While we take all reasonable steps to ensure our policy is followed, Kore Directory cannot verify the qualifications, abilities, or conduct of any individual professional listed. Therefore, we recommend that you verify the information with the practitioner directly before your first session.
Please be aware that while we make every effort to maintain the accuracy of our directory, we cannot guarantee that all information is complete or up-to-date. Kore Directory disclaims all warranties, including implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for further details.