Guide
Registration for counsellors and psychologists in India
By the Bliss Team
Published Updated
Do counsellors and psychologists in India need to be registered?
Clinical psychologists must be registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India, on its Central Rehabilitation Register, to practise. Other psychologists and counsellors come under the NCAHP Act 2021, whose 2026 regulations say you may practise after registering, but registration had not visibly opened by early November 2026 and the rules for people already in practice were still a draft open for comments until 4 December 2026. Watch your State Council and the NCAHP site.
Key takeaways
- Clinical psychologists: RCI registration on the Central Rehabilitation Register is required now.
- Other psychologists and counsellors: the NCAHP Act, through a State Council or the Central Register.
- Draft rules of 3 November 2026 would give people already in practice two years to apply for provisional registration.
- The national NCAHP portal still says it is collecting data, not registering.
On this page
Who needs which registration
| Profession | Law | Register | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical psychologist | Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 | Central Rehabilitation Register, kept by RCI | Now |
| Psychologist other than a clinical psychologist | NCAHP Act, 2021 | State Council, or the Central Register where a State has none | Once registration opens |
| Health educator and counsellor, integrated behaviour health counsellor, behavioural analyst | NCAHP Act, 2021 | State Council, or the Central Register | Once registration opens |
Clinical psychologists: the RCI Act
The Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992 lists "clinical psychologists" among rehabilitation professionals (section 2). Section 13(2) says no one other than a professional with a recognised qualification who is enrolled in the Central Rehabilitation Register may "practice as rehabilitation professional anywhere in India", and section 13(3) sets a penalty of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to one thousand rupees, or both. Section 13(2A), added in 2000, lets doctors and paramedics in psychiatry and some other fields, working in a hospital or establishment owned or controlled by the Central or a State Government, or another body funded by them and notified by the Centre, do this work without enrolment.
The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 defines a clinical psychologist either by an RCI-recognised qualification in clinical psychology or by a postgraduate degree in psychology plus a two-year MPhil in clinical psychology from a UGC-recognised university (section 2(1)(g)). Under that Act, mental health professionals are psychiatrists, registered clinical psychologists, mental health nurses, psychiatric social workers and certain AYUSH postgraduates (sections 2(1)(r) and 55).
What "Psychologist (Except Clinical Psychologist covered under RCI for PWD)" means
That is how the Schedule of the NCAHP Act names psychologists in its behavioural health sciences category. PWD stands for persons with disabilities, whose rehabilitation the RCI Act regulates. Clinical psychologists stay with RCI; every other psychologist comes under the NCAHP Act instead.
Other psychologists and counsellors: the NCAHP Act
Under behavioural health sciences, the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021 lists psychologists other than clinical psychologists, behavioural analysts, integrated behaviour health counsellors, health educators and counsellors, social workers including psychiatric social workers, and mental health support workers. Art, dance and movement therapists are in another part of the Schedule, under other care professionals.
- Section 15 says no one other than a registered allied and healthcare professional shall provide service in a recognised category.
- Section 38 lets people already practising when the Act began be provisionally registered, within a period and in a manner to be set by regulations.
- Section 57 fines a person who is not registered and "takes or uses the description" of an allied and healthcare professional: up to one lakh rupees the first time, and up to a year in prison or two lakh rupees after that.
Where registration stands in November 2026
- The Registration of Allied and Healthcare Professionals Regulations, 2026 were notified on 31 August 2026 and published in the Gazette on 9 September 2026. Regulation 3(1) says a person "shall be entitled to practice any recognised profession as an allied and healthcare professional after obtaining registration". Registration lasts five years, and renewal needs at least 15 hours of continuing professional development a year.
- On 3 November 2026 NCAHP published draft Provisional Registration Regulations, 2026 for comments until 4 December 2026. As drafted, someone who held a qualification listed in their Schedule and was practising before the Act began applies to the State Council where they live, within two years of the regulations starting, and a provisional certificate lasts three years, with one extension of a year possible.
- NCAHP's list of State Councils shows councils notified in most States, including Maharashtra and Karnataka, and none yet in Delhi, Chandigarh, Ladakh or Lakshadweep. A notified council is not proof that it is accepting registrations.
- The national enrolment portal still says "this is data collection. IT IS NOT REGISTRATION". We found no announcement that registration has opened, and no date by which existing psychologists and counsellors must register.
What to do now
- If you call yourself a clinical psychologist, make sure your RCI registration is current and show your registration number to clients. RCI's website links to a search of the Central Rehabilitation Register.
- If you are a counselling or other psychologist, or a counsellor, keep your degree certificates and a record of your practice ready, and check that your qualification is in Schedule I of the 2026 regulations.
- Watch your State Council and the NCAHP website for the date registration opens, and for the final provisional registration rules if you were practising before the Act.
- Describe yourself accurately in the meantime. Section 57 makes misuse of a registered description an offence once registration applies.
This is not legal advice. Registration rules are changing quickly; check the current position with your State Council or a lawyer.
How Bliss helps
Each therapist's profile in Bliss holds their qualifications and registration number, so a clinic keeps them in one place.
Bliss is practice management software for psychologists and for counsellors in India: bookings, email reminders, private session notes, forms and invoices. It is free for a solo practice; see pricing.
More: practice management software for psychologists, and how Bliss compares with other practice software.
Questions people ask
- Do counsellors need to be registered in India?
- Under the NCAHP Act, yes, once registration opens: health educators and counsellors and integrated behaviour health counsellors are recognised categories, and section 15 limits practice to registered professionals. In early November 2026 registration had not visibly opened and the provisional rules for people already practising were still a draft.
- What is a psychologist registration number in India?
- For a clinical psychologist, it is the registration on the Central Rehabilitation Register that RCI keeps, which can be searched from the RCI website. Other psychologists will get a registration from their State Council or the Central Register under the NCAHP Act once registration opens.
- Is NCAHP registration mandatory for psychologists?
- For psychologists other than clinical psychologists, yes in law: section 15 of the NCAHP Act and regulation 3 of the 2026 regulations make registration a condition of practice. In November 2026 the national portal still said it was collecting data, not registering, and no deadline for existing practitioners had been set.
- Can I practise as a counsellor without RCI registration?
- The RCI Act does not cover counsellors in general, only the rehabilitation professionals it lists, including clinical psychologists. Counsellors fall under the NCAHP Act instead, whose 2026 regulations require registration to practise once it opens.
- Who counts as a clinical psychologist in India?
- Under the RCI Act, someone with an RCI-recognised qualification in clinical psychology who is enrolled in the Central Rehabilitation Register. The Mental Healthcare Act also accepts a postgraduate degree in psychology plus an MPhil in clinical psychology.
- Can anyone call themselves a therapist?
- We found no law that protects the bare word "therapist", but some therapist titles are regulated, such as clinical psychologist under the RCI Act and physiotherapist and occupational therapist under the NCAHP Act. Using a regulated description without registration can be an offence.
Sources
- Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992, as amended, sections 2 and 13 (Government of India copy)
- National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021, sections 15, 38 and 57 and the Schedule (Gazette of India)
- Registration of Allied and Healthcare Professionals Regulations, 2026 (NCAHP)
- Draft Provisional Registration of Allied and Healthcare Professionals Regulations, 2026, notice of 3 November 2026 (NCAHP)
- State Councils (NCAHP), page updated 2 November 2026
- Allied and Healthcare Professionals Registry enrolment portal (ABDM)
- Rehabilitation Council of India, Central Rehabilitation Register
- Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, sections 2 and 55 (Gazette of India)