How much does therapy cost?
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I understand that cost is a significant factor not only when considering whether or not to access therapy at all, but also to look at the number of sessions a client can afford going forward.
For most services I charge £65 per session, although I offer a block of 6 sessions for £330 which means each session is valued at the discounted rate of £55. I have a transparent pricing structure outlined here - it is important to me to make clear what portion of the fee charged meets each different cost - costs have been calculated on working with a maximum of 10 client sessions per week, and averages of 5 hours of client administration, 2 hours of supervision, 3 hours of CPD, and 5 hours of business administration. It will also provide me with 4 weeks annual leave. This will afford me slightly above a Living Wage salary. |
Why pay for therapy?
There are therapists working for the NHS as well as many working for charities. It is sometimes possible to access therapy for free.
However, there are often different barriers than cost when trying to access free counselling.
Waiting lists
NHS mental health services are overwhelmed by demand, and quite rightly there is an ethical duty to triage to ensure that those in the most life-threatening need get the most urgent access to mental health services. However, this means that those still in great distress but which is not life-threatening face very long waits, almost always months and sadly all too frequently waits of over a year. In some parts of the UK waiting lists have been reported to exceed 1.5 years! Accessing private therapy allows you to start immediately.
However, there are often different barriers than cost when trying to access free counselling.
Waiting lists
NHS mental health services are overwhelmed by demand, and quite rightly there is an ethical duty to triage to ensure that those in the most life-threatening need get the most urgent access to mental health services. However, this means that those still in great distress but which is not life-threatening face very long waits, almost always months and sadly all too frequently waits of over a year. In some parts of the UK waiting lists have been reported to exceed 1.5 years! Accessing private therapy allows you to start immediately.
Criteria
Many charities that offer therapy do so through government funding, and that usually restricts who they can offer therapy to. For example, a women's domestic violence charity will only usually offer therapy to women experiencing domestic violence - men experiencing domestic violence, for example, would not usually be eligible for that service. Private therapy means that any client can access therapy on a much broader range of therapy issues. Whilst some therapists may not be able to work with some issues, I will always try to help those clients I can't work with find someone else better placed.
Session Limited
In our current economic climate almost all free counselling is session limited. Depending on funding, the NHS or charity could offer just 4 sessions, perhaps even fewer. Sometimes that is all that is required for a client, but sometimes a client might prefer to work at a more in-depth level. Private therapy allows clients themselves to decide the right number of sessions for them and not organisational funding.
Many charities that offer therapy do so through government funding, and that usually restricts who they can offer therapy to. For example, a women's domestic violence charity will only usually offer therapy to women experiencing domestic violence - men experiencing domestic violence, for example, would not usually be eligible for that service. Private therapy means that any client can access therapy on a much broader range of therapy issues. Whilst some therapists may not be able to work with some issues, I will always try to help those clients I can't work with find someone else better placed.
Session Limited
In our current economic climate almost all free counselling is session limited. Depending on funding, the NHS or charity could offer just 4 sessions, perhaps even fewer. Sometimes that is all that is required for a client, but sometimes a client might prefer to work at a more in-depth level. Private therapy allows clients themselves to decide the right number of sessions for them and not organisational funding.
