Role of Professional Bodies and Regulation

Professional bodies play a critical role in the field of complementary therapies. They promote standards of training, practise and continuing professional development.
Some examples of these professional bodies are the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) and the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).
These organisations establish and ensure adherence to a code of ethics and practise which therapists must follow to maintain their membership.
These codes often relate to practitioners maintaining confidentiality, practising with care and competence, advertising services truthfully and treating clients with respect.
Professional bodies also contribute to the regulation of complementary therapies by operating a register of practitioners who meet the organisation’s requirements.
The register acts as a guarantee to the public that a registered therapist has undertaken a certain level of training and abides by a specific code of conduct.
When a profession is regulated, it means that practitioners have to be registered by a government-approved regulatory body to practise legally. This is not the case for all complementary therapies and practitioners.
However, voluntary regulation is starting to emerge in this field. The CNHC is a voluntary register recognised by the Professional Standards Authority.
The role of regulatory bodies like the CNHC is to protect the public by ensuring only those who meet certain criteria are allowed to practise. This includes adequate training, adherence to a code of ethics, and commitment to ongoing learning.
The CNHC also handles complaints against practitioners and has the power to remove them from the register if necessary.
Therefore, professional bodies and regulators are integral in establishing and enforcing standards across complementary therapy practises, contributing to the promotion of high-quality care and client safety.