Legal Defence for Psychotherapists, Psychoanalysts and Counsellors

Facing an allegation or investigation from your professional body?

Clients come to us when they are facing allegations made by their professional body, often arising out of their treatment of a patient or due to a matter arising in their personal life which is said to affect their ability to remain registered.

“Kingsley Napley’s professional discipline team combines first rate legal expertise with humanity. Sophie Kemp and Julie Norris navigated my way through a complex professional disciplinary hearing and meticulously argued my case.  I emerged vindicated and with deep respect for my industrious and thoughtful lawyers. Thank you very much.”

Psychoanalyst Client, 2014

Many professionals believe that following a complaint, their open and direct early engagement with their regulator will ensure that the matter is ‘closed down early’ and will just ‘go away’. Sadly, our experience tells us that this is rarely the case; early legal advice can make a crucial difference to the outcome in these disciplinary cases.

Representing mental health professionals

When we represent mental health professionals, our first task is to work to ensure that the regulator conducts a thorough and fair investigation; this is often the key to a successful outcome. Preparation for any disciplinary hearing that follows can often include the instruction of experts, the tracing and interviewing of witnesses and, where appropriate, demonstration of insight and a willingness to adapt and change their practise.

Having worked for professionals in this sector for a number of years in some of the most complex cases, we have a deep understanding of the often difficult task of providing therapeutic support to challenging patients. We also know how easy it is for complaints to be made against professionals and how best to respond to any unfounded allegations.

For more information or to speak to one of the team, please contact Julie Norris.

Recent work

• Successful representation of a psychotherapist in proceedings before the UKCP concerning entering into a business relationship with former patient
• Successful representation of a psychotherapist  in proceedings before the UKCP concerning a relationship with a former patient
• Successfully challenging UKCP’s jurisdiction to discipline a member of a UKCP College
• Assisting a psychotherapist in relation to their participation in family court proceedings
• Successful representation of a psychoanalyst regarding an investigation  conducted by an ethics committee
• Assisting a psychoanalytic practitioner in relation to a complaint with their unaccredited membership body
• Successfully challenging in the High Court the BACP’s decision to proceed to a hearing against a counselling psychologist after the UKCP had already dealt with the same allegation
• Successful representation of a counselling psychotherapists in proceedings before the UKCP concerning allegations of inappropriate boundaries
• Successful representation of a psychoanalyst in proceedings before the BPC facing an allegation of breach of confidentiality
• Successful representation of a psychoanalyst facing allegations brought by the BPC, resulting in a change to the BPC’s procedures
• Advising a counselling practice on the legality of accepting referral fees