How much does therapy cost in the UK?

When you’re looking for a therapist, it’s important to find someone you connect with and who you can feel comfortable opening up to.

But it’s also essential to find someone you can afford!

While therapy can be a significant investment, there isn’t really a direct correlation between the quality of the therapist and cost.  

You might try a therapist charging £200 an hour whose style doesn’t work for you and one who charges £40 who does.

This article will run you through the average cost of therapy in the UK and what you need to consider.

In this article:

• What is the average cost of therapy in the UK?

• Factors that influence the cost of a therapist

• How much should you pay for a therapist in the UK? 

• How much does E.A.M Counselling charge? 

What is the average cost of therapy in the UK?

As you can imagine, it’s impossible to give an exact average of what a therapist costs in the UK. 

But for counsellors, including Cognitive Behavioural therapists like me, it’s usually in the (rather large) ballpark of £40 to £120 per session.

Counselling psychologists have to go through a lot more training — as such, they can charge much higher rates.

Of course, free therapy is available – albeit not as easily accessible as it ought to be. You can be referred to free support through your GP or by getting in touch with a local charity. The downside is that there is often a long waiting list, and you’re limited to a certain amount of sessions, which might not be enough for you. 

Factors that influence the cost of a therapist 

Location

Thanks to the increase in popularity of online therapy, this isn’t as huge a factor as it used to be. But if you’re seeing an in-person therapist, you’ll pay more in London and more affluent areas. This is because the cost of living is higher there. 

Experience 

Therapists with advanced degrees (e.g., PhD, PsyD, MD), specialised certifications, or many years of experience often charge higher rates. Their expertise and proven track record can justify the higher costs. It’s important to remember that experience isn’t everything, though. 

You might find yourself unable to connect with a clinical psychologist with 20 years of experience but are getting huge benefits from a freshly qualified counsellor – it depends on each person and each therapist. 

Type of therapy

Certain types of therapy typically cost more than others. For instance, couples and family therapy, psychoanalysis, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can cost a lot more than something like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. 

Online vs in-person 

There’s no hard and fast rule that online therapy is cheaper than in-person. However, you’ll probably find that therapists who operate entirely online have lower rates than those who rent an entire office. 

Some therapists prefer to have an ‘online rate’ and ‘in-person rate’.

Therapy format 

Group therapy is typically cheaper than one-on-one therapy. Most counsellors tend to offer 50-minute sessions. However, for more complex cases, a therapist may offer you a longer session – which will obviously be more expensive. 

Paid via insurance or in-cash 

Therapists who take insurance clients often charge more than those who don’t. Usually, to be able to take insurance clients, a counsellor has to be accredited. Accredited means that the counsellor has practised a certain amount of hours for a certain amount of years and has completed the documentation to be ‘accredited’. 

It’s not the same as being a qualified therapist. Many therapists – particularly those who work in private practice – don’t bother getting accredited at all. However, the job market is increasingly asking for this. 

How much should you pay for a therapist in the UK? 

If I offered to cut your hair for £3.50 and a KitKat, you’d probably be slightly concerned I’m going to destroy your hair (and confidence). On the other hand, if I offered to do it for £125, you’d be seriously questioning the value offered. 

Likewise, with private therapy, it’s unusual to see a qualified counsellor pricing for much less than £40. For complex issues that require a psychologist or psychiatrist, you’ll pay a lot more than that. 

Of course, there’s no single price that guarantees a quality therapist. The most affordable therapist could be better for you than the esteemed, accredited, 30+ year career psychologist. 

Why is therapy so expensive?

£60+ an hour seems like a lot of money: that’s nearly a quid per minute! But in reality, the salary of a private therapist is much in line with other jobs for a few key reasons:

Therapists don’t charge for 40 hours per week

Most professional bodies, like the BACP, recommend a maximum of 5 sessions per day for a therapist. At a rate of £60 per hour, that’s a pretty good salary.

However, many private therapists don’t do the maximum amount of sessions: For instance, I have a limited caseload. It’s really important to me to give every one of my clients the best version of me possible: that’s why I only see a maximum of 2-3 clients per day. 5 a day would leave me exhausted! 

Likewise, actually having a consistent caseload of 25 clients per week isn’t easy to manage. In some months, you will have drop-offs, and in others, you’ll be turning clients away. It’s not a predictable income source.

Private therapists don’t get paid for holidays or sick days 

There are a lot of overheads: If your therapist has an office, then they obviously have to pay for rent and utility fees. There’s also payment for:

• Membership body fees

• Professional supervision (where you check in with a more experienced therapist)

• Insurance

• Personal therapy

• Training: As a BACP member, we’re required to do at least 30 hours of CPDs (continuous professional development) per year. 

How much does E.A.M Counselling charge for therapy?

As a Cognitive Behavioural Therapist, I charge £55 for a 1-hour session. I also offer a few sessions at a reduced rate of £35 for those who are unemployed, students, or low-income earners. I also see three clients a week for free through a charity in my local community. 

I don’t have Ph.D.s hanging on my wall, but I like to think I know what I’m talking about. 

If you’re looking for an online therapist, I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation.

Just click the button below to send me a message and organise a call.

Take care,