Cost is one of the first things people want to know about private therapy, and one of the hardest things to find a straight answer to. Many websites list no prices at all. Others give a figure with no sense of what it includes or how many sessions might be needed.
This article explains what private therapy typically costs in the UK, why the range is so wide, and what you are actually paying for. It is written to help you plan, not to persuade you — and every practitioner's fees are different, so treat the figures as a guide rather than a quote.
Explore sections:
- The short answer
- Why prices vary so much
- What you are paying for
- How many sessions will I need?
- Ways to reduce the cost
- Questions worth asking before you commit
- Fees at BAM Therapy
- Starting therapy with a psychologist in the UK
The short answer
Across the UK, private therapy commonly falls somewhere between about £60 and £150 per session for one-to-one work with an adult.
Within that range, the rough pattern is:
- Counsellors tend to sit at the lower end, and trainee or newly qualified counsellors lower still.
- Psychotherapists and accredited CBT therapists usually sit in the middle.
- Clinical and counselling psychologists typically sit at the higher end, reflecting doctoral-level training and a broader scope of practice.
London and the South East are generally more expensive than the rest of the country. Online therapy has narrowed that gap, because you are no longer limited to practitioners within travelling distance.
Why prices vary so much
Four things drive most of the difference.
Training and qualification. A Clinical Psychologist has completed a psychology degree followed by a three-year doctorate with supervised NHS placements. A counsellor may have completed a diploma over one or two years. Both can be excellent; they are not the same length or depth of training, and fees reflect that. There is more on this in our guide to the difference between a psychologist, counsellor and therapist.
Complexity of the work. Practitioners who work with trauma, several difficulties at once, or people whose previous therapy has not helped generally charge more, because that work requires more training and more between-session thinking.
Location and overheads. A consulting room in a city centre costs money, and that cost reaches the fee. Online practices carry lower overheads.
Session length. Most sessions are 50 to 60 minutes. Some work — particularly trauma-focused therapy — is better done in a longer session, priced accordingly.
What you are paying for
It is easy to assume you are buying an hour of someone's time. In practice the fee covers considerably more than the hour you attend:
- Preparation and review before and after each session
- Formulation — the psychologist's own thinking between sessions about what is happening and what would help
- Clinical supervision, which every registered practitioner is required to have and to pay for
- Professional registration and indemnity insurance
- Continuing professional development, which registration bodies require
- Admin — notes, correspondence, secure record-keeping, GP letters where appropriate
None of this is padding. It is what makes the hour you attend a professional service rather than a conversation.
How many sessions will I need?
This is the number that actually determines the cost, and it is the one nobody can promise in advance.
As a general picture of how therapy is usually structured:
- Focused work on a specific difficulty — a phobia, a discrete anxiety problem — is often shorter, sometimes in the region of 6 to 12 sessions.
- Depression, generalised anxiety or low self-worth frequently takes longer, commonly somewhere between 12 and 20 sessions.
- Trauma, long-standing patterns, or several difficulties together usually needs longer still, and is better reviewed as it goes than fixed at the start.
A good practitioner will not commit you to a block up front. What they should do is agree goals with you early on and review progress at regular intervals, so you can see whether it is working and decide whether to continue. If someone asks you to pay for a long course before you have met, treat that as a reason to ask more questions.
Ways to reduce the cost
Several options are worth knowing about before you assume private therapy is out of reach.
Private health insurance. If you have a policy through work or personally, psychological therapy may already be covered — often the largest single saving available. See how insurance-funded therapy works.
NHS talking therapies. These are free and self-referral is available in England without going through your GP. Waiting times vary considerably by area. If you are waiting, our article on what to do while you wait for NHS therapy may help.
Fortnightly rather than weekly sessions. Not right for every piece of work, but for some people it makes the work sustainable rather than unaffordable. Worth raising directly.
Charities and low-cost services. Mind, Cruse, Rethink and local counselling charities offer free or low-cost support, as do university training clinics, where sessions are provided by supervised trainees.
Employee Assistance Programmes. Many employers fund a number of counselling sessions confidentially. It is worth checking your staff handbook.
Questions worth asking before you commit
In a free introductory call, these questions cost nothing and tell you a great deal:
- What is your fee, and how long is a session?
- Do you charge for anything outside sessions, such as letters or reports?
- What is your cancellation policy?
- Are you recognised by my health insurer?
- Roughly how many sessions do people with similar difficulties tend to have?
- How and when will we review whether this is helping?
A practitioner who answers these clearly and without discomfort is showing you something useful about how they work.
Fees at BAM Therapy
For transparency, here is what therapy with Dr Kayleigh Darch costs:
- Introductory call — free. 15 minutes, video or phone, no obligation.
- Psychological therapy — £120 per session, up to 60 minutes, online.
- Extended session — £180, up to 90 minutes, where more time is helpful.
- Individual clinically-informed yoga — £65 per session, up to 60 minutes.
Sessions can also be funded through Bupa, Aviva or WPA where your policy covers psychological therapy. Full details, including the cancellation policy, are on the fees page.
Starting therapy with a psychologist in the UK
Dr Kayleigh Darch is a HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist offering safe, supportive and effective online therapy to people living in Devon and across the UK. If cost is on your mind, the introductory call is free and there is no obligation to continue — it is simply a chance to talk about what you are looking for.
You might like to read more about online therapy, using health insurance, or Kayleigh's background and training. When you are ready, get in touch.
If you are struggling and cost feels like a barrier right now, please speak to your GP about what is available locally. If you are in crisis or at risk of harm, contact NHS 111, your GP, emergency services, or Samaritans free on 116 123.
Thank you for reading.