The CORU regulation process for counselling and psychotherapy must be immediately paused as it weakens professional standards and protections for the public, according to Social Democrats mental health spokesperson Liam Quaide.
Deputy Quaide said:
“CORU, the State’s health regulator, has adopted a position that is entirely at odds with the
main representative groups for counselling and psychotherapy, publishing new standards
that would reduce supervision requirements and remove mandatory personal therapy for
trainees.
“These changes, if implemented, will degrade professional standards and undermine patient
safety. Representative bodies and practitioners across counselling and psychotherapy have
been unequivocal that the fundamentals of safe practice are being put at risk.
“Practitioners have also warned that the proposals could jeopardise EU-wide recognition and professional mobility for counsellors and psychotherapists, but concerns are not confined to professional organisations; the Oireachtas Health Committee was united last week in supporting the counselling and psychotherapy representative groups.
“Regulation must enshrine high-quality training and ensure that the public can trust the safety and competence of those providing counselling and psychotherapy. Instead, CORU’s intransigence on these core issues is creating widespread alarm in the professions.
“I am calling on the Government to immediately pause the CORU process, bring
representative bodies and frontline practitioners into full and genuine consultation, and
commit to reforms that prioritise client safety and service continuity.
“Counselling and psychotherapy play an essential role in helping people to navigate
suffering and a range of complex difficulties – we cannot allow regulatory decisions be made
without proper engagement to dilute standards or put patients at risk.
“This requires a concrete commitment from government to safeguard the identity and standards of these professions.”
December 5th, 2025