Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this issue of an unregulated but ever-expanding sector seems more pressing.
Licensed healthcare institutions and clinics have systems in place to ensure that mental health professionals providing mental health services are adequately trained, he added. Then there are the more debatable forms of unethical practices such as coaches who tiptoe the grey boundaries of therapy and coaching or certain peer support type of services that are not well structured.In Singapore, mental health was thrust into the spotlight and taken more seriously only in recent years.
Hence, the Allied Health Professions Council, a professional board under the Ministry of Health which governs and regulates the professional conduct and ethics of registered allied health professionals, does not have the power to investigate complaints against clinical psychologists. Additionally, people trust psychological and mental health professionals to be well-trained and adequately certified to carry out the services they market.
To be sure, there have been some efforts by groups of psychological and mental health therapy service providers in Singapore to self-regulate and uphold high standards of practice, particularly individuals registered with the Singapore Psychological Society, Singapore Association for Counselling, Art Therapists’ Association Singapore and Association for Music Therapy.