Therapy in the UK: a plain guide

Unlike doctors or nurses, the title "therapist" is not legally protected in the UK. What that means in practice is that you should check whether the person you are considering is a member of one of the recognised professional bodies. These bodies require training, supervised practice and ongoing professional development, and they offer a complaints process if something goes wrong.

• BACP — British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. The largest UK body, covering counsellors and psychotherapists across many approaches.
• UKCP — UK Council for Psychotherapy. Holds the register for accredited psychotherapists, generally with longer training.
• BPS and HCPC — for clinical and counselling psychologists. HCPC registration is the legal requirement for the title "psychologist".
• NCPS — National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society.
• BABCP — British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies. Holds the register for accredited CBT therapists.
• COSCA — Scotland's professional body for counselling and psychotherapy.

Every therapist listed on Therapy Connect is a member of at least one of these bodies and holds professional indemnity insurance. You can see each person's registration in their profile.

The titles overlap and the lines between them are blurry, but here is a rough guide:

• Counsellor — often works with shorter-term, present-focused issues. Typical training is a two to four year part-time diploma.
• Psychotherapist — usually trains for longer (four to seven years) and works at greater depth, often with more longstanding patterns.
• Clinical or counselling psychologist — holds a doctorate and is registered with the HCPC. Often works with more complex presentations or with assessment as well as therapy.

For most everyday concerns, any of these is a reasonable choice. What matters more is the individual person, their training in the issue you are bringing, and how comfortable you feel talking to them.

Private therapy fees in the UK vary by region and by the therapist's experience and specialism. As a rough guide:

• £40 to £70 per session in smaller cities and online with newer therapists.
• £60 to £100 per session in most of the UK for an experienced therapist.
• £80 to £150 per session in central London or for clinical psychologists.

Sessions are usually 50 minutes for individual work and 60 to 90 minutes for couples. Some therapists offer reduced-fee slots or sliding-scale fees, and many will discuss frequency with you in your first session. You can also access counselling for free or at low cost through the NHS Talking Therapies service or local charities.

A first session is mostly about meeting each other and seeing if you can work together. Your therapist will ask what has brought you in, a little about your background and what you hope therapy might help with. There is no test to pass and no minimum level of "ready" you need to be.

You can ask them questions too. How they work, how long they have been practising, what kinds of clients they see most often. A good therapist will welcome those questions.

At the end of the session, you will usually agree whether to book a next one. There is no pressure to commit to a long course of work. Many people book three or four sessions and then review.

Both work. The research since 2020 is now clear that online video therapy is broadly as effective as in-person therapy for most issues, including anxiety, depression and trauma. Some people prefer the depth of being in the room with someone. Others find video sessions easier to fit around work and family. It is a personal choice and you can switch later if you change your mind.

Search our UK therapists by city, specialism or modality. Read a few profiles. Pick one or two whose words resonate and book an introductory call. Therapy works best when you choose someone you actually want to talk to.