On average therapists in the UK charge £40 to £60 per session. Generally, these sessions last from 30 minutes to 90 minutes. Though you may be able to book either a longer or shorter session with a therapist depending on both of your schedules. As well as this, it is best to keep in mind that this pricing range can vary based on numerous factors such as a therapist's experience, location of the sessions, and length of the sessions.

Therapy Costs

UK National Minimum Cost £40
UK National Maximum Cost £60
UK National Average Cost £50
Average Range £40 – £60

Included in This Price Guide

What Do Therapists Do?

If you’re going through a difficult time, whether it is due to challenging life circumstances, mental health issues, stress, addiction, family matters, overcoming a phobia or bereavement, talking to a therapist can make a huge difference to your life. Having an outside perspective to help you work through your problems can enable you to see things from a different viewpoint as well as assist you in making any changes to your life.

Sometimes you may not even know what the issue is, but you might be feeling down, depressed or anxious. A therapist can help you figure out the cause of these feelings and make positive changes to help you manage them.

Therapy is a real investment in your health and wellbeing and can have a huge impact on your life and the way you feel.

Considerations

Goals For Therapy & Types of Therapy

Your goals for therapy will determine the type of therapy you have, and different types of therapy can come at different prices.

If there are things that have happened to you in the past or things that are affecting you that are outside of your control, then you will probably want to visit a counsellor or psychotherapist. They will talk through all of the ways in which these events are having an impact on your life, and help you reframe them and gain a new perspective.

Some issues, such as anxiety and phobias, and even depression, can be more about the ‘here and now’. In this case, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or CBT, can be beneficial, as, with this type of therapy, you and your therapist will look at how negative thinking styles and certain behaviour can reinforce the problems. Then you can work together on reforming more positive and realistic thoughts and behaviour patterns. Sometimes, you may only need a few sessions of CBT.

There are also newer, holistic types of therapy available (for example, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) which combine some of the aspects of counselling and CBT, as well as elements such as mindfulness and acceptance. These types of therapy look at how we react to negative thoughts and feelings and works on changing those reactions. There are fewer therapists trained in these newer forms of therapy, so sometimes these can be more costly than counselling.

Previous Visits to Therapists

Have you had therapy before? If not, you will likely be invited to an assessment session where your therapist will ask you questions and find out what you want to get out of therapy. In this session, you also have the chance to see if you ‘click’ with your therapist.

If you have had therapy previously, will you need to transfer over any files to your new therapist? This can be helpful when meeting with a new therapist so that they can see what you have worked on before.

Time & Frequency of Therapy Sessions

Therapy is more effective if you have it frequently, although naturally, that will raise the cost of your treatment. Once or twice a week can be helpful to make sure you stay on track with what you are doing in the sessions but give you enough time to work on things between sessions, for example, if you have some things to try out between sessions.

Some therapists may charge more for weekend and evening sessions as they are more in demand, so the time of the day that you have sessions may affect the cost of your therapy.

Some therapists will charge a lower rate for a package of sessions, for example, a discount on the per-session rate for six sessions of counselling.

Group Therapy or One-to-One Therapy

Some types of therapy are available as group therapy, and this can bring the cost down. Depending on your goals for therapy, this could be a good option. For example, if you are struggling with anxiety, group CBT sessions could be very beneficial, as you will learn different techniques to manage your difficulties alongside other group members, and you will be able to support each other with your progress.

Similarly, if you have problems with addiction, it can be helpful to meet other people in similar situations, and group therapy can be effective in this case.

Experience of Therapist

You will want to make sure that your therapist is qualified and experienced in providing therapy. If you hire a CBT psychotherapist or an ACT therapist, make sure that they are registered with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) so that you can be assured that they are an accredited CBT therapist. Counsellors should be accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

All therapists belonging to these two organisations have to have gained accredited qualifications in the UK and complete a baseline number of practice hours as well as have supervision from a more senior therapist.

Psychologists practising different types of therapy will be accredited through the British Psychological Society and on the Register of Psychologists Specialising in Psychotherapy.

Location

The location of your therapy can also affect its price. Some therapists work out of their own or rented clinics, and this can lead to higher costs as they have to pay for the therapy room. Some therapists work out of community locations such as community centres, or out of their own homes, and this therapy may be more cost-effective as the therapist has fewer upfront costs.

Sometimes, therapists may visit you in your own home. In this case, you will need to take into account the time and travel costs for the therapist if they have to travel to get to you.

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Summary

Therapy costs can vary based on a number of factors. The most important thing is to consider what you want to get out of therapy, and this will determine the type of therapy that you need and the format in which you have it.

It can be useful to have an initial session before you commit to find out whether you can build a good relationship with your therapist. Sometimes it can be worth trying one or two therapists to make sure you have a good fit. Remember, always check their accreditation to make sure you are seeing an experienced and qualified professional.

Have other healthy living goals in mind for creating your best life? Read this post on fitness goals or this post on the mental and physical benefits of yoga for more information.