Mental Health Licensing & Regulation in Singapore: 2025 Guide

By Team TherapyRoute. Last reviewed: July 2026.

In Singapore, "registered" means different things for different mental-health professionals. For a doctor, it is a government licence. For a psychologist, it is a voluntary listing today.

This page shows how to check each one, and what that check proves. The rules are also changing, so we mark what is settled.

How to check a Singapore therapist is registered: the 2-minute version

Start with the professional's title. Each title is checked in a different place.

• Psychiatrist or medical doctor: check they are registered with the Singapore Medical Council.¹ A psychiatrist also appears on the Register of Specialists⁶ under the Medical Registration Act 1997.
• Psychologist: search the Singapore Psychological Society Membership Directory.⁵ This is a voluntary register, not a government licence.³
• Counsellor: the Allied Health Professions Act does not yet cover counselling, so there is no register under it to search.⁴ Ask about their qualifications and any professional membership.

What "registered" actually means in Singapore

Two different systems use the same word. Knowing which one applies matters for your check.

A government licence. A doctor must register with the Singapore Medical Council. They also need a valid practising certificate.¹

Practising medicine without this is a criminal offence under the Medical Registration Act 1997. The penalty can reach S$100,000 or 12 months in prison on a first conviction, and S$200,000 or 2 years on a second or subsequent one.²

A voluntary listing. Mandatory registration of psychologists has been decided but is not yet in force.¹⁰ Registration on the Singapore Register of Psychologists is not mandatory for practice in Singapore.³

A voluntary register is run by a professional body, not the state. It still carries real weight, as shown below.

The three professionals, and how each is regulated

A psychiatrist is a doctor registered as a specialist in psychiatry.⁶ Specialist registration needs a certificate from an accreditation board.¹

What being on a register does, and does not, prove

What matters is what a voluntary register checks.

To register, a person needs a postgraduate applied psychology degree.³ Only listed psychologists are shown as meeting the society's training standards.⁵

As at 31 July 2026, the register listed just over a thousand registered psychologists.⁵ The society keeps updating it, so treat the count as a snapshot.

So the register does show vetted qualifications. It does not, by itself, carry the force of a government licence.

Being absent from a voluntary register is not proof of a problem. Some good clinicians have simply not joined. It does put more checking on you.

The society also limits the title "Registered Psychologist (Singapore)"³ to people it registers. That title is a useful thing to ask about.

Who can prescribe or admit someone

Registration also sets limits on what each professional may do.

Prescribing medication. Only a registered doctor or dentist counts as a qualified practitioner for prescriptions. A prescription is valid only when a qualified practitioner or a collaborative prescribing practitioner writes and signs it.⁷

Among mental-health professionals, that means the psychiatrist. A psychologist or counsellor is not a qualified practitioner.

Involuntary admission. Sometimes a person needs hospital care without their consent. The law is strict about who may order it.

Under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008, a designated medical practitioner can order admission and treatment for up to 72 hours. A further order allows one more month of treatment. Detention beyond that month needs two such practitioners.⁸

For that longer step, one of the two must be a psychiatrist.⁸ A psychologist or counsellor has no such power.

The clinic, not just the clinician. Clinics themselves can also need a licence to operate. That licence covers the service being provided,⁹ not one person's title.

If something goes wrong: complaints and recourse

Your options depend on which register the person is on.

A doctor or psychiatrist. Doctors answer to a statutory regulator, the Singapore Medical Council.¹ Raise a serious concern with that council.

A psychologist. The Singapore Psychological Society sets standards for the psychologists it registers.³ Ask the society directly what it can do about a concern regarding one of its registered psychologists.

If a psychologist has joined no register, that route may not exist. This is one reason the register matters.

A counsellor. Counselling is not yet among the professions regulated under the Allied Health Professions Act.⁴ Recourse depends on any body the counsellor has joined.

Is this changing? What to watch, as at July 2026

Yes. Singapore has decided to make psychologist registration mandatory.

The Ministry of Health will bring in registration covering five subdisciplines. These are clinical, clinical neuropsychology, counselling, educational and forensic psychology.¹⁰

Counselling is being brought in as one of these psychology subdisciplines. Once the scheme starts, the law will protect these job titles.¹⁰

This is mandatory registration for psychologists, so a counsellor who is not a registered psychologist is not registered under it. The Ministry has said other unregistered mental-health practitioners do not need to explicitly state their status in their advertisements and service agreements.

Only registered psychologists will be allowed to use the protected titles. A public register of psychologists is planned.¹⁰

The Allied Health Professions Council will oversee and enforce this practice. It can act against anyone falsely claiming to be registered.¹⁰

Two honest limits remain. The change is decided, but not yet in force. No start date has been announced at the time of writing.

Today the Act still regulates only five allied-health professions. These are occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech-language pathology, radiation therapy and radiography.⁴

"Clinical Psychologist" is named in the Act's First Schedule. That listing alone does not yet regulate the profession.⁴

Finding a registered practitioner in Singapore

Checking registration is one part of choosing well. Fit and trust matter too.

Our guide on how to find the right therapist covers the wider choice.

You can also browse therapists in Singapore on TherapyRoute, filtering by language and fee.

This page is general information, not legal or clinical advice. Check the official register yourself before you book.