Mental Health Licensing & Regulation in Australia: 2026 Guide

Who regulates mental health practitioners in Australia?

Two systems: government registration and self-regulation

The word "regulated" does not mean one thing for every profession here. For some it means a national government register you can search. For others it means membership of an association that sets standards for its members.

Government registration runs under one national statute, the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law. That law lists the health professions it covers, and psychology is one of them. Social work, counselling and psychotherapy are not on that list.¹

Knowing which of the two systems applies to a practitioner tells you how to check them, and what their title does and does not mean.

The registered professions and what each one can do

Psychologists

The title "psychologist" is protected under the National Law.² A person may not use it to suggest they are registered unless they actually hold registration. Misusing a protected title can bring a penalty of up to $60,000 or 3 years imprisonment for an individual, and up to $120,000 for a company.³

The same law makes it an offence to falsely claim to be a registered health practitioner.⁴ That applies whether or not a protected title is used.

General registration as a psychologist follows a six-year sequence of education and training. This is a four-year accredited university sequence, then two further years of supervised training. Graduates complete the second part through a higher degree, such as an accredited Masters or Doctorate, or through the 5+1 internship pathway.⁵

Internship-pathway candidates must also pass the National Psychology Exam. An older 4+2 internship pathway closed to new applicants on 30 June 2022.⁵

Some psychologists hold an area-of-practice endorsement. There are nine approved areas of practice. To be eligible for an endorsement a psychologist must already hold general registration.⁶

Psychiatrists

A psychiatrist is a medical doctor who has specialised in psychiatry. Specialist registration is available to medical practitioners who hold an approved qualification for specialist registration. The usual qualification is fellowship of an AMC-accredited specialist medical college.⁷ On completing the RANZCP Fellowship Training Program a doctor is eligible to become a Fellow of the RANZCP, written as FRANZCP. That is the qualification for independent practice as a consultant psychiatrist in Australia.⁸

The fellowship is a postgraduate medical course that takes a minimum of 5 years of supervised training. Entry requires an already-qualified doctor with at least 24 months of clinical experience.⁸ A psychiatrist's specialist title is protected by law.⁷

Nurses and occupational therapists

Nursing and occupational therapy are also registered professions¹ under the same National Law. Their titles, including "registered nurse", "nurse practitioner" and "occupational therapist",² are protected in the same way. Some practitioners in both fields work mainly in mental health settings.

Counsellors, psychotherapists and social workers: self-regulated

These professions are not registered by government in Australia. On its own that is normal here, not a warning sign. It does mean the assurance comes from a professional association rather than a national register.

The National Law's table of protected titles does not include "counsellor" or "psychotherapist".² In practice, anyone may use them. The two main bodies that set standards are PACFA and the ACA, and both keep voluntary registers of members who meet those standards.

PACFA is a national peak body for counselling and psychotherapy,⁹ organised into member colleges, with a public directory of registered therapists. The ACA describes itself as a registration body for over 23,000 Registered Counsellors and Psychotherapists.¹⁰ Registration with either body is voluntary, not a government register. If a counsellor or psychotherapist belongs to neither, ask who checked their training.

Social work is also self-regulated. The AASW is the professional body for social workers in Australia¹¹ and sets the benchmarks for education and practice. Social work is not on the National Law's list of health professions,¹ so there is no statutory register of social workers.

The AASW awards its own credentials on top of a social work degree. One is the Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, shown by the letters MAASW AMHSW.¹² These are professional-body credentials, not a government registration.

How to check a practitioner is registered

Every profession registered under the National Law appears on Ahpra's public register, psychology included. Search it at ahpra.gov.au by the practitioner's name, or by their registration number if you have it. The register shows whether they may practise, their type of registration, and any conditions that limit what they can do. Ahpra can investigate a notification about a registered practitioner only where there may be a risk to the public. A complaint about a service or fee goes to the healthcare complaints organisation in your state or territory, which also handles complaints about health workers who are not registered, such as social workers.²⁰

Ahpra also publishes a Register of Medical Practitioners.¹³ That register shows a doctor's current registration status, and for psychiatrists and other specialists a separate Specialists Register shows the specialty and confirms the protected specialist title.

If a counsellor, psychotherapist or social worker does not appear on the Ahpra register, that is expected. Their professions are not registered there. For them, check the professional body's own directory instead. PACFA runs an online directory of registered therapists.⁹ The ACA has a Find a Counsellor directory,¹⁰ and the AASW a Find a Social Worker directory.¹¹

Who can prescribe medication?

Prescribing in Australia is tied to the type of registration a practitioner holds. Under the National Law, a National Board can endorse a practitioner's registration for scheduled medicines, but only where set qualifications are met.

An endorsement on its own does not authorise prescribing. The authority to actually prescribe comes from separate state or territory medicines law.¹⁴ Psychiatrists are medical doctors and can prescribe medication for mental health conditions. Psychologists cannot prescribe medication.²¹

For practitioners: registration types and overseas qualifications

The National Law sets out several kinds of registration. General registration is the full form. It needs the required qualification, any supervised practice or examination, and a check that the person is suitable¹⁵ to hold it.

Provisional registration is a supervised status.¹⁷ A psychologist holds it while completing the 5+1 internship or a higher degree towards general registration. It also covers a transitional program for people who qualified overseas.¹⁶

An area-of-practice endorsement needs general registration, an approved qualification at sixth-year level or higher, and a Board-approved registrar program.⁶ It records advanced training in an area.

Psychologists who trained overseas may enter through provisional registration and a transitional program. The National Law also has a limited registration category¹⁸ for specific, defined roles.

"Regulation" can also mean the Mental Health Acts

There is a second meaning of "mental health regulation" worth separating out. It is not about registering practitioners. It is about the laws that allow treatment without consent in defined situations. Queensland's Mental Health Act 2016 is one of these laws. The rules below are Queensland's; other states and territories have their own laws, not covered here.

Queensland's Act sets out treatment criteria, all of which must apply to the person. The person has a mental illness and cannot consent to treatment for it. Because of the illness, without involuntary treatment the person is likely to come to imminent serious harm, or to cause it to someone else, or to suffer serious mental or physical deterioration. The Act also defines a less restrictive way,¹⁹ such as treatment under an advance health directive or with the consent of a guardian or attorney.

Finding a registered practitioner

The next step is to find someone whose registration or membership you can check. You can browse listed practitioners on the TherapyRoute directory. Our guide on how to find the right therapist sets out what to look for.

Whoever you consider, ask which profession they are registered in or a member of. Then check them on the right register or directory. Registration confirms a minimum standard of education and training and a check that the person is suitable to hold it. It does not tell you whether that practitioner is the right fit for you. That single step shows who stands behind their title.

Last reviewed and disclaimer

Last reviewed: July 2026. Regulation can change over time. For anything that affects a decision, check the relevant National Board or association for the current position.

This article is general information, not personal advice. For guidance about your own situation or a specific practitioner, speak to a qualified professional.

Team TherapyRoute

References

1. [1] Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, section 5 (definition of “health profession”) (Schedule to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld), as in force 1 July 2024) legislation.qld.gov.au.
2. [2] Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, section 113, Table, Protected Titles (Schedule to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld), as in force 1 July 2024) legislation.qld.gov.au.
3. [3] Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, section 113 (Restriction on use of protected titles), Subdivision 1 Title protections (Schedule to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld), as in force 1 July 2024) legislation.qld.gov.au.
4. [4] Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, section 116 (Claims by persons as to registration as health practitioner) (Schedule to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld), as in force 1 July 2024) legislation.qld.gov.au.
5. [5] Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA), 'General registration' (accessed 18 July 2026): general registration authorises a psychologist to use the protected title 'Psychologist' and to work in any area within their scope of practice. Eligibility requires a six-year sequence of education and training - a four-year Board-approved accredited sequence in psychology plus two further years of Board-approved training completed while provisionally registered - via either the higher degree pathway (an accredited postgraduate Masters or Doctorate at fifth/sixth-year level) or the 5+1 internship pathway; internship-pathway candidates must also pass the National Psychology Exam. The older 4+2 internship pathway closed to new applicants on 30 June 2022. psychologyboard.gov.au.
6. [6] Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA), 'Pathways to endorsement' (accessed 18 July 2026): area-of-practice endorsement (e.g. clinical psychology - one of the nine approved areas of practice) is added to a psychologist's general registration; it is NOT a separate specialist registration. To be eligible a psychologist must hold general registration, hold an approved qualification accredited at sixth year or higher in the area of practice (or one assessed as substantially equivalent), and have completed a Board-approved registrar program of supervised practice. psychologyboard.gov.au.
7. [7] Medical Board of Australia (AHPRA), 'Specialist registration' (accessed 18 July 2026): psychiatrists practise on specialist registration, which is available to medical practitioners who hold an approved qualification for specialist registration - fellowship of an AMC-accredited specialist medical college (for psychiatry, the RANZCP, i.e. FRANZCP). Medical practitioners with the necessary qualifications in an approved specialty are included on the Specialists Register and their specialist title is protected by law. Psychiatry is thus a protected medical specialty under the same National Law that registers other health professions. medicalboard.gov.au.
8. [8] Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), 'About the Fellowship Training Program' (accessed 18 July 2026): the Fellowship Training Program is a postgraduate medical course for doctors; on successful completion the doctor becomes a Fellow of the RANZCP (FRANZCP), the qualification that allows independent practice as a consultant psychiatrist in Australia. It takes a minimum of 5 years of supervised registrar training, and entry requires being an already-qualified medical practitioner with at least 24 months of clinical experience - confirming a psychiatrist is a specialist medical doctor, distinct from a psychologist. ranzcp.org.
9. [9] Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), 'About PACFA' (accessed 18 July 2026): PACFA is a leading national peak body for the counselling and psychotherapy profession, organised into member Colleges (Counselling, Psychotherapy, and others), which sets training and registration standards for its members and runs a public online directory of registered therapists. PACFA registration is voluntary self-regulation by the professional body, not statutory government registration - counselling and psychotherapy are not registered health professions under the National Law, and 'counsellor' and 'psychotherapist' are unprotected titles in Australia. pacfa.org.au/portal/portal/About/About.aspx.
10. [10] Australian Counselling Association (ACA), homepage (accessed 18 July 2026): ACA is a non-profit professional organisation and self-regulatory 'registration body' representing over 23,000 Registered Counsellors and Psychotherapists - the largest peak body for counselling and psychotherapy in Australia - with a 'Find a Counsellor' directory of practitioners who meet ACA practice standards. ACA registration (like PACFA's) is voluntary professional-body membership, not government registration: because 'counsellor' and 'psychotherapist' are unprotected titles under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, the two self-regulatory registers (ACA and PACFA) are how the counselling profession is regulated in Australia. theaca.net.au.
11. [11] Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), 'About AASW' (accessed 18 July 2026): the AASW is the professional body for social workers in Australia and sets the benchmarks for professional education and practice in social work; its membership of more than 17,000 includes Accredited Social Workers, and private practitioners can be listed on the AASW 'Find a Social Worker' directory. This is the self-regulation positive fact for Australia: social work is regulated by the AASW through membership and accreditation, NOT by government registration - social work is not a registered health profession under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, so there is no statutory register of social workers. aasw.asn.au/about-aasw.
12. [12] Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), 'AASW Credentials - Overview' (accessed 18 July 2026): AASW members who achieve credentials can use the corresponding post-nominals, including Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (MAASW AMHSW), Accredited Clinical Social Worker (MAASW ACSW), Accredited Family Violence Social Worker (MAASW AFVSW) and others. These are specialist credentials awarded by the AASW - the professional body - on top of a qualifying social work degree, and are voluntary professional-body recognition rather than government registrations. aasw.asn.au.
13. [13] Medical Board of Australia (AHPRA), 'Specialist registration - Specialists Register' (accessed 18 July 2026): Ahpra publishes an online Register of Medical Practitioners that provides current information about a practitioner's registration status; the Specialists Register additionally shows each practitioner's specialty and field of specialty practice, and Medicare uses it to verify specialist registration. This is the public verification path for checking a psychiatrist's registration. (Ahpra maintains an equivalent public register for every registered health profession, including psychology; a practitioner's registration status, type, endorsements and any conditions can be verified by searching their name or registration number.) medicalboard.gov.au.
14. [14] Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, section 94 (Endorsement for scheduled medicines) (Schedule to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld), as in force 1 July 2024) legislation.qld.gov.au.
15. [15] Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, section 52 (Eligibility for general registration) (Schedule to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld), as in force 1 July 2024) legislation.qld.gov.au.
16. [16] Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA), 'Provisional registration' (accessed 18 July 2026): provisional registration is the status a psychologist holds while completing a supervised-practice pathway to general registration - the 5+1 internship program or a higher degree - and is also required for a transitional program (internationally qualified applicants) or a return-to-practice program. It sits below general registration; provisional psychologists must meet the Provisional registration standard plus the criminal history and English language registration standards. This is the general-versus-provisional distinction: only general registration allows independent use of the title 'Psychologist'. psychologyboard.gov.au.
17. [17] Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, section 62 (Eligibility for provisional registration) (Schedule to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld), as in force 1 July 2024) legislation.qld.gov.au.
18. [18] Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, section 65 (Eligibility for limited registration) (Schedule to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009 (Qld), as in force 1 July 2024) legislation.qld.gov.au.
19. [19] Mental Health Act 2016 (Qld), ss 12-13, whole-of-Act reprint current 1 July 2024. legislation.qld.gov.au.
20. [20] Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra). Registers of practitioners. ahpra.gov.au.
21. [21] Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. About the mental health workforce. health.gov.au.