Verify your doctor
Is the person in front of you actually qualified
In Indian healthcare, there is a difference between a registered medical practitioner with an MBBS and a postgraduate qualification in psychiatry, an RCI-registered clinical psychologist, a counsellor with a diploma course, and an Instagram coach. They are not interchangeable. Before you pay, share a child's history, or follow a treatment plan, this section explains how to check.
Quick checks anyone can do
- Ask for the registration number, the medical or rehabilitation council that issued it, and the year.
- For doctors, look up the National Medical Commission Indian Medical Register or the relevant State Medical Council register.
- For clinical psychologists, look up the Rehabilitation Council of India Central Rehabilitation Register.
- For counsellors and psychotherapists, ask about their training, supervision, and whether they hold any statutory licence. Many do not, which is not by itself disqualifying, but you should know it.
- Ask whether they can prescribe medication. In India only registered medical practitioners can. Psychologists and counsellors cannot.
Red flags worth pausing on
- Refusal to share registration details or qualifications.
- Diagnosing ADHD in a single fifteen-minute visit without history-taking.
- Selling a long, expensive package up-front.
- Claiming to cure ADHD permanently.
- Pushing supplements, devices, or branded therapies as primary treatment.
- Recommending stimulant medication without an in-person evaluation.
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