While the Indian Mental Healthcare Act of 2021 gave 1.3 billion people (one sixth of the world바카라s population) a legally binding right to mental healthcare, 85% of those needing treatment do not receive it (NMHS, 2015바카라16) due to misinformation, stigma, lack of support and funding. The Mental Healthcare industry India is seeing a phenomenal 30% annual growth, while quality care still remains a massive challenge. One of the biggest contributors is the lack of adequate regulation, licensing and clarity among professionals. While the Rehabilitation Council of India only regulates the title of 바카라Clinical Psychologists바카라, there is no body actively regulating the majority of mental health professionals that fall under Counselling Psychology, leaving the public vulnerable to exploitation and misinformation.
This lack of regulation allows unqualified individuals to operate as 바카라therapists바카라, often causing harm through unethical practices & misinformation. Financial inaccessibility further restricts access, as therapy remains unaffordable for most, with insurance companies largely excluding it from coverage because there is no clear and active regulation of practitioner titles as it is in regulated countries. India바카라s last attempt at this dire need was the creation of The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) in 2021 which is meant to regulate 10 broad categories of professionals. So far, the commission has failed at setting any standards or bringing clarity to practicing Counselling Psychologists without a set code of ethics, standard of practice and membership qualifications.
Mental Health advocates have been trying to educate and enforce self-regulating ethics within the field to make it more reputable and legitimate. One such advocate, The Centre for Self-Discovery led by Shivani Agarwal has started an online movement to mobilise this change. 바카라I have practiced as a registered psychotherapist in a regulated country (Canada) and am now also practicing in an unregulated country (India) and can very clearly point out the difference in the system, the stigma, health insurance coverage, professionalism and ethical chaos that comes from the government not stepping in. As a client, going to therapy needs to be a safe process and not a place where a client can be further exploited or subject to harm, with nowhere to complain바카라. The centre has gone so far as to also launch a specific training in the Code of International Ethics and Standards of Practice so ethical counselling psychologists in India can have a specific directory and clients can be educated about the professionals they are choosing.
The Certified Ethical Practitioner (CEP) training is designed to:
Train therapists in ethical decision-making, confidentiality, and trauma-informed care and out them on par with internationally licensed therapists.
Create accountability through certification and a public directory of ethical practitioners.
Lay the groundwork for insurance companies to include therapy in their coverage, making it more affordable for clients.
바카라Ethical training gave me the confidence to handle not just my clients바카라 trauma but also the complexities of running a legitimate, safe practice,바카라 Agarwal says. When she returned to India and expanded her team of therapists, she saw a glaring gap in the training within the mental health field. Many therapists lacked formal ethical training, and clients were left to navigate a largely unregulated system with little guidance. The CEP designation seeks to be a placeholder while licensure is created systematically. It bridges the current gap by adapting global best practices to India바카라s unique needs. It is more than a certification바카라it is a movement to restore trust in therapy. It is the first hopeful step towards creating an accountable framework that will make it easy for national and state regulation to align with in the future.
바카라Insurance companies need standards to trust the system and professionals, like the licensing system that already exists for doctors,바카라 Agarwal explains. 바카라The CEP designation provides those standards, paving the way for therapy to become a right, not a privilege.바카라
While numerous companies are working on making mental healthcare accessible through AI and technological interfaces, there needs to be more focus on the quality of practitioners reaching the masses. Through their online community of 26,000 mental health advocates, Centre for Self-Discovery has already generated immense support towards this movement. This is not only about better therapy but changing lives by creating a trusted mental health care ecosystem in India - which is long overdue.
바카라Change takes time,바카라 Agarwal says. 바카라But every step brings us closer to a system where therapy is safe, trusted, and accessible to all.바카라
Through workshops, rural and urban, awareness campaigns, and collaborations, the Centre for Self-Discovery is already fostering accountability and informed decision-making. They have already served over 700 Indians, locally and globally, offering services in over 9 languages.
