LONDON—The first register of chartered psychologists is being created to emphasize to the public the discipline’s scientific base. The move follows the granting of a Royal Charter to the British Psychological Society, the same status given in recent years to other scientific bodies such as the Institute of Biology.
Registration will allow the public, for the first time, to check a psychologist’s credentials; only those registered will be able to use the term “chartered psychologist.” Unlike in the United States, where direct practice is regulated by each state and various national bodies, in Britain anyone can be called a psychologist.
The register is part of the British Psychology Society’s effort to elevate the status of the profession for both scientists and practitioners. Psychologists who are listed will also be bound by a new code of conduct, enforced by a disciplinary body empowered to remove those found guilty from the register. ...
