How to verify a therapist's credentials in India
India has excellent mental-health professionals. It also has an unregulated space around them: no law stops someone from calling themselves a therapist after a weekend certificate course. If you are trusting someone with the most personal parts of your life, five minutes of checking is worth it. This guide shows you how, using the same public registers we use.
First, know which kind of professional you are looking at
Credentials in India differ by profession, so the check differs too.
- Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MBBS plus MD or DNB in Psychiatry). They are registered with the National Medical Commission or a State Medical Council, and they are the only professionals on this list who can prescribe medication.
- Clinical Psychologists hold an M.Phil or Psy.D in Clinical Psychology and are registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). "Clinical Psychologist" is a legally protected title: using it without RCI registration is an offence.
- Rehabilitation Psychologists are registered on the same RCI register under their own professional category.
- Counsellors have no statutory register in India yet. The honest check is their degree: a Master's in Psychology from a UGC-recognised university.
How to check a registration yourself
For a psychiatrist: ask for their registration number; ethical practitioners share it readily, and many print it on prescriptions. Search it in the Indian Medical Register on the NMC website and confirm the name matches. On our platform, you can find it in the verified credentials box on the professional's profile page.
For a clinical or rehabilitation psychologist: ask for their CRR number (Central Rehabilitation Register). The RCI publishes this register online; search the number and confirm the name and the professional category. On our platform, you can find it in the verified credentials box on the professional's profile page.
For a counsellor: ask which degree they hold and from which university, and check that the university is UGC-recognised. A counsellor who answers this comfortably is telling you something good about themselves.
Red flags worth taking seriously
- A "Clinical Psychologist" who cannot share a CRR number.
- Vague credentials: "certified therapist" or a "diploma in counselling" with no institution named.
- Discomfort or offence at being asked. Verified professionals are proud of their registrations; earning them took years.
- Credentials that appear only in a logo or a bio, never in a checkable form.
What we check before anyone appears on TherapistsNearMe
Every profile on this directory went through this exact process before going live: register lookups at the source, degree verification for counsellors, a human sign-off, and the registration number displayed publicly so you can repeat the check yourself.
Common questions
Is "psychotherapist" a protected title in India?
No. Only "Clinical Psychologist" carries legal protection. "Therapist", "psychotherapist" and "counsellor" can be used by anyone, which is why checking the underlying credential matters.
Can a counsellor be excellent without an RCI number?
Absolutely. No statutory register exists for counsellors yet; many superb ones hold strong degrees and years of experience. The check is the degree, not a register.
What if a number does not check out?
Do not book. And if it is a profile on our directory, tell us; that profile comes down while we investigate.
Ready to look for someone?
Every professional listed on this directory had their credentials verified before going live, and the registration numbers are on the profiles.
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