Accreditation and licensing of psychologist and psychotherapist professions

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms K Thanaletchimi
Nominated MP

Question No. 454

To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider accreditation and licensing of the psychologist profession and the setting up of professional standards so that the interest of Singaporeans seeking such services is safeguarded.

Question No. 456

To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider accreditation and licensing of the psychotherapist profession and the setting up of professional standards so that the interest of Singaporeans seeking such services is safeguarded.

Written Answer

1        The registration of clinical psychologists and other allied health professionals is provided for under the Allied Health Professions Act.  Since 2013, we have registered occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech-language therapists and from April this year, diagnostic radiographers and radiation therapists. 

2        Psychologists’ practices cover a wide range of job roles and settings beyond healthcare.  For example, there are also educational psychologists, social psychologists, counselling psychologists and organisational and occupational psychologists.  Given this wide range, we are studying in greater detail the issue of accrediting and licensing clinical psychologists.  We are currently engaging the stakeholders to address such issues.

3        In comparison, Psychotherapy is broadly used for mental health therapy, marriage and family therapy and other personal social problems.  Health care professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, medical social workers and nurses can apply psychotherapy or a form of it in their course of work.  It is also used in non-health care related counselling.  Psychotherapy is thus less well-defined and given its use across different groups and in different life situations and settings, it would be impractical to regulate the practice of psychotherapy currently.

4        The Singapore Psychological Society and the Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors have voluntary membership for psychologists and psychotherapists in Singapore.  These organisations have published their own standards e.g. a code of ethics to guide their members and membership criteria.