ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGISTS REGISTRATION BOARD

The Psychologists Registration Board was established in 1989 following the enactment of the Psychologists Act of the same year. The introduction of this legislation was the result of many years of lobbying successive NSW State Governments. NSW was the second last jurisdiction to gain registration for psychologists in Australia, the last being the Australian Capital Territory. The 1989 Act has since been replaced by the Psychologists Act 2001.

The Board was established to provide a method of protecting the public from unqualified persons practising psychology and to provide an avenue of complaint against registered practitioners. The Psychologists Act allows the Board to determine minimum standards for the education and training of psychologists so that the public can be confident that persons using the title 'psychologist' hold these qualifications. The Psychologists Act does not regulate the use of the title 'psychotherapist', 'counsellor' or 'therapist'.

Previously the only form of vetting of qualifications of psychologists lay with the Australian Psychological Society, the peak national body for this profession. The Society maintain a strong membership however this continues to be a matter of choice. Registration must be held by a practitioner in order to legally use the title 'psychologist'.