Why Do Different Therapists Charge Different Rates?

In general going to a practitioner of the talking therapies costs anything between £20 and £60 per one hour session, but some therapists offer very low cost counselling whilst high caliber therapists in wealthy urban areas may charge well over £100 per hour. There are many factors that affect the cost of receiving help from a talking therapist. Brief therapy and hypnotherapy tend to be more expensive per session that longer term approaches to counselling and psychotherapy - this reflects the fact that the therapist is likely to work with the client more intensively, but only for a few sessions. Counselling and therapy tend to be more expensive in urban areas than rural ones and more expensive in affluent than in less affluent areas. Another key factor in the cost of therapy is the level of the therapist's qualifications and expertise, but in all these cases there are exceptions to these basic patterns.

Can I get Counselling or Psychotherapy on the NHS or BUPA?

Counselling and other talking therapies are available on the NHS, but the client must be referred by their GP to a practitioner with an NHS number. However, although they are no doubt aware of the benefits of counselling and psychotherapy most GPs are reluctant to refer patients for them unless they have a practice counsellor to refer them to. Many medical insurance companies, such as BUPA, may fund psychotherapy. If you have a policy and you need to go to a counsellor, psychotherapist or hypnotherapist you may wish to contact the company and ask - if they say no at least you gave them the opportunity to say yes.

What are the Differences Between Counselling,
Psychotherapy, Psychology and Psychiatry?

Counsellors and Psychotherapists are trained to help people who have emotional, behavioural, psychological or personal problems. In a private practice setting most counsellors and psychotherapists only normally work with people who suffer from mild to medium emotional and interpersonal problems and they are not trained to diagnose disorders (although they are trained to know when to refer a client on to psychiatric services). There is no clear distinction between counselling and psychotherapy and these terms are often used interchangeably, but in general counselling is more commonly utilised in helping clients overcome event-related issues, whilst psychotherapy may be more commonly used to help clients overcome problems that may originate within their own psyche. Psychotherapists and counsellors mostly work in private practice, but there are also many counsellors and psychotherapists who work for the NHS and charities.

Psychologists are people who have studied the social science of Psychology, which covers human thought and emotion. Not all psychologists are therapists and in fact many are only involved in research and other fields (such as Educational Psychology), but many people who have a psychology degree then go on to train as counsellors, psychotherapists or hypnotherapists. Clinical Psychologists and Counselling Psychologists are psychological therapists who have undergone a comprehensive training in their respective fields. They may work in institutional and/or private practice settings.

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who practice in the field of mental health. They may or may not be trained in psychotherapy or counselling, but their approach to mental health is from a biomedical rather than a psychological perspective. Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental illnesses and they often work in a team with Social Workers, Psychiatric Nurses, Clinical Psychologists and Counsellors. In the UK only Psychiatrists and other physicians can prescribe medication.