The cost of counselling and psychotherapy in the UK varies and is dependent on the type of therapy (face-to-face, online and the type of therapy). As a guide here are some frequently asked questions about the fees for counselling and psychotherapy.
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WHAT IS THE COST OF COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY?
Most counsellors and psychotherapists charge between £55 - £175 for therapy within the UK, with most therapists offering 50 - 60 minute appointments.
Often, therapists will review their fees each year to ensure they are meeting all their business costs.
SHOULD THERAPISTS OFFER CONCESSIONARY RATES?
Every therapist debates concessions; we generally want to help. However, the problem lies with us balancing a genuine desire to help an individual with our own well-being. Concessions are considered an ethical dilemmas for many of us, and we all have different beliefs, experiences and individual needs.
Before a therapist can offer concessions, we need to evaluate our own finances and ensure that we can cover the costs of running a small business, which are often unseen by the wider publc.
With many corporate-style counselling services now opening, the argument for and against concessions is something that therapists are constantly navigating. A recent advert offered counselling sessions from £34 per week payable every 4 weeks. It is not unheard of for a therapist to be asked to match this fee; however, at the same time asking for the session to be face-to-face and for a standard 50 - 60 minute appointment, realistically after paying all costs a therapist could be in the negative.
Firstly, the service offered is from £34 for a 30-minute session; reading the small print, longer sessions equal higher cost. Furthermore, the fee paid is not directly paid to the therapists; only a small percentage is paid on a self-employed basis, meaning that the fee paid has to cover all business expenses before paying themselves.
Some but not all therapists can offer concessionary rates for:
Students
Unemployed or receiving benefits
OAPs
But, every blanket concession, doesn’t take into account an individuals financial status, therefore more often than not some will offer concessions:
Weekday and daytime appointments
Case analysis e.g. expendible income, meeting basic needs, holidays etc
WHAT INFLUENCES THE DIFFERENCE IN COST?
Location
Duration and frequency of sessions
Therapist’s qualifications, specialisms and experience
WHY IS PRIVATE THERAPY EXPENSIVE?
To work as a counsellor or psychotherapist, we have to attend several years of extensive training, post qualification we also have to attend continual professional training, all of which are factored into the cost of therapy.
Working as a therapist also includes business expenses, such as:
Room rent
Insurance
Supervision
Qualifications, professional memberships
Continual professional development
Business running costs, e.g. accountant, taxes and advertising
I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE REASONS WHY THERAPY IS EXPENSIVE, BUT I STILL CAN'T AFFORD TO ATTEND. WHAT CAN I DO?
As mentioned, some therapists can offer concessions, but unfortunately, not all therapists can offer this. However, most of us will have a referral network that could include organisations that offer free or low-cost therapy.
For instance:
Some charities have a counselling service, e.g Mind
Some training organisations require placement hours for their students to gain valuable counselling and psychotherapy experience, e.g. St Martin’s Counselling and Psychotherapy in Birmingham
Regional and National helplines can also offer mental health support
Your GP can also refer you to the NHS counselling service; however, in some instances, the number of counselling sessions can be limited, and the time scale for an initial assessment can be lengthy.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF PRIVATE THERAPY?
For me, one of the main advantages of attending private therapy is having a choice of who you choose to go to, closely followed by the fact that most therapists will aim to have your initial appointment booked within a week of first contact (this can vary during summer months and over Christmas).
Some therapists can offer the flexibility of booking to accommodate shift patterns and offer fortnightly appointments and open-ended therapy, which means you can attend therapy as long as you wish. Flexibility can also include weekend and evening appointments.
Freedom within sessions to work on many issues rather than one or two is also a big draw for private therapy.
