Understanding the registration
What is a Registered Counsellor?
The title is an official HPCSA registration, not a loose description. Here is what it means in plain English.
Still unsure what the title means? Ask me.
I reply within 24 hours, weekdays
Your confusion about the title is completely reasonable. It is an unusual one.
This page explains what a Registered Counsellor actually is, and whether Hannah is the right fit for what you are looking for.
The HPCSA and what registration means
The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) is the statutory body that governs health professionals in South Africa, including everyone who provides any form of mental health support. To use a protected title, you must be registered with the HPCSA. Registered Counsellor is one of those protected titles, registered under the Professional Board for Psychology.
A Registered Counsellor has completed accredited university training in psychology and counselling, and has met the HPCSA's requirements for registration and ethical practice. Registration is not self-declared. It is verified, maintained and monitored by the HPCSA.
How is this different from a psychologist?
A psychologist and a Registered Counsellor are both registered with the HPCSA's Professional Board for Psychology, but at different levels.
A psychologist has completed a master's degree in psychology plus a supervised internship and board examinations. They are qualified to assess and diagnose psychological conditions and to provide clinical psychological therapy.
A Registered Counsellor has completed a relevant honours-level qualification in psychology or counselling. They are qualified to provide non-clinical counselling: supportive, developmental and preventive work. They do not diagnose, and they do not provide clinical treatment for serious psychiatric conditions.
In practice, this means a Registered Counsellor is the right fit for most of the things people actually bring to counselling: grief, relationship difficulty, life transitions, stress, a low mood, something hard to navigate, or simply a regular supported space to think. If a clinical assessment or a psychiatric diagnosis is what you need, a psychologist or psychiatrist is the right referral, and Hannah will say so plainly.
What this means for you, in plain English
Working through something difficult in your life
Grief, loss or a major change
Relationship, family or divorce challenges
Anxiety, low mood or feeling stuck, where no diagnosis has been given or sought
If you are unsure whether what you are carrying fits, send a WhatsApp. There is no commitment in a first message.
What registration protects
Hannah is bound by the HPCSA’s ethical rules, including confidentiality.
If something goes wrong, you have a formal complaints process through the HPCSA.
The title "Registered Counsellor" is protected by law. It cannot be used by someone who has not met the training and registration requirements.
Still have questions?
The FAQ page covers first sessions, confidentiality, medical aid and more.
Read the FAQ
Ready when you are.
Whether or not the title made sense before, the door is open.
Registered Counsellor · HPCSA PRC0039357