Ella Janneh launches campaign for regulation of psychotherapists and counsellors practising in UK

The judge who ruled on Ella Janneh’s case against former therapist Mike Lousada, in June of this year, said there was no doubt that her account of him raping and sexually assaulting her at his Belsize Park clinic in 2016 was true; ordering Mike Lousada to pay her £217,000 in damages.

Following the assault, Ella found there was no regulatory body which could hold Mike Lousada to account for the allegations of criminal conduct and abuse of his professional role. This meant Ella had to bring a claim in the civil court for “trespass to the person” after the Crown Prosecution Service refused to bring charges.

After her successful civil trial and judgment in summer 2024, Ella said she had achieved “the beginning of accountability” however there is no protection to prevent therapists like Mike Lousada from continuing to practise. Ella’s campaign calls on the government to implement statutory regulation of therapists and counsellors in the UK in order to keep the public safe from therapists who abuse their power over clients in therapy.

In the months since judgment was given, Ella says hundreds of other stories have come to light of abuse by so-called therapists. None had been able to achieve any kind of redress because of the lack of regulation of the therapy profession. Many were motivated to act simply to stop abusive therapists from continuing to have access to further clients.

Ella’s solicitor, Leigh Day abuse team lawyer Cat Rubens said serious questions needed to be asked of the system, including how therapists like Mike Lousada could act outside of any form of regulatory or ethical framework.

This week Ella held a roundtable discussion, supported by the Leigh Day Abuse Team at Leigh Day’s offices at Panagram, Goswell Road, Farringdon and was chaired by Nina Ross from 12 King's Bench Walk chambers. The closed-doors discussion brought together key stakeholders including UK professional bodies to discuss the issue and seek their support for statutory regulation of the therapy and counselling industry. 

Ella called on the therapy and counselling sector to agree to be statutorily regulated to prevent anyone else being subjected to the kind of trauma that she and those who have contacted her since the trial have experienced.

Discussions addressed concerns and challenges to achieving statutory regulation. It is proposed that a coalition of those in the room will take forward the discussions and work towards a template for regulation of therapists and counsellors.

Alongside this, an information campaign could educate the public about good therapy practice. However, Ella and other proponents argued that compulsory regulation is needed as the burden should not fall, as now, on vulnerable people seeking help, potentially in a time of crisis for them, to make sure that their treatment is safe.

It was noted that there had been a significant increase in the number of complaints around sexual misconduct by therapists in the past 10 years and urgent action was needed.

Many participants at the event on Wednesday 4 December agreed that there should be a register of therapists with statutory regulation to hold practitioners to account.

Further points made called for it to be easier for the general public to navigate the world of psychotherapy, especially around the authenticity and accreditation of titles and qualifications. The NHS and charities and NGOs need to have the assurance of regulation too, when it comes to commissioning or signposting people to services.

Janneh argued that it should be against the law to pretend to be a therapist and whatever the barriers that had prevented membership organisations uniting in the past on statutory regulation, these should now be set aside.

Following the meeting, Ella Janneh said: 

“I am pleased with the outcome of today’s roundtable. I have spoken with concerned practitioners, professional bodies and advocates. My hope is that we can work together to form a unified voice to call for statutory regulation of therapists and counsellors, to protect the public and champion the power of good therapy. It is shameful that presently the onus is placed on the public to keep ourselves safe. It’s time we address this issue. And victims’ voices must be at the centre of this change.”

Leigh Day partner and head of abuse team, Alison Millar said:

“We were proud to host today’s event, and to support and facilitate Ella’s important campaign.

“People like Mike Lousada, who practise unregulated by any recognised ethical body, should not be allowed to hold themselves out as experts.” 

Leigh Day solicitor Cat Rubens said: 

"I am glad that Leigh Day was able to host this event and support Ella's campaign. The roundtable really highlighted the need for better regulation in therapy.  

"Counselling should be a safe space. With better regulation we can ensure that there are measures in place to better protect members of the public from harm."