Why is seeing a counsellor so expensive?

When looking for counselling, especially at a time when costs are rising here in the UK (Sept 2022), it may come as a shock when you see how much a counsellor in private practice is charging.  Typically ranging from £30 a session at the lower end of the scale, to well over £100 at the top end, it may seem like counselling in the private sector is unnecessarily expensive. 

However, I want to explain a bit about why counsellors in private practice charge as much as they do.  By looking at where the money goes, I hope to explain why it’s not some exploitative money-making exercise that some may think it to be…

Firstly, it’s worth pointing out that counselling doesn’t have to be expensive at all.  The NHS offers a free counselling service, your employer may have signed up to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that will enable you to access free counselling (it doesn’t have to be regarding issues at work), universities, colleges and schools usually have a counselling service, and there are many charities and other agencies that offer low-cost, or sometimes free, counselling sessions – just have a search online to find details of those near to you – or those that offer online sessions, if there are no agencies locally.

Trained professional

Remember, you are paying for the support of a trained professional.  Yes, of course you can talk to your friends or other trusted individuals about how you are feeling or the experiences you’ve had, and while it’s great to have such supportive network, a counsellor has studied for years to be gain the necessary expertise required to properly support you.  They won’t interrupt you to tell you their own anecdote, or judge you, or offer you advice, which is what your well-meaning friends may be inclined to do.  A counsellor will focus 100% on you – listening to you and understanding your thoughts and feelings from your own point of view, to enable you to find the best way forward for you.

(Potentially) shorter waiting times

NHS services and low-cost options often come with a waiting list, so when seeing a private counsellor, one first thing you’re potentially paying for is the privilege and convenience of seeing someone quickly (usually within a month, but quite often that same week).

Freedom of choice

You also get to see the counsellor of your choice.  You can browse various online directories, and compare and contrast different counsellors to find the one that seems to appeal to you the most.  And with online counselling becoming more popular, the chances of finding someone who specialises in the area that you’re having issues with is even higher.  Some counsellors offer a free short introductory phone call before booking a session or, like myself, offer the first session at a lower cost, so you can literally ‘try-before-you-buy’ with a few different counsellors to find the right person for you.  But make sure you find a counsellor who is a registered member of a professional body such as BACP, UKCP, NCS, COSCA, etc, to ensure they are qualified to a particular standard, and are working to a set of ethical guidelines.  Counselling is not a regulated profession, so anyone can call themselves a counsellor, whether they’ve been professionally trained over several years or taken a 30-minute online course, so please bear this in mind when looking for someone.

Counsellors’ costs to maintain a profession and safe practice

Being a trained professional means that the counsellor has costs which they have to cover.  The NHS is funded by the taxpayer, and charities offering low-cost counselling can apply for grants or hold fundraising activities to help cover these costs.  Neither of these options are available to a counsellor in private practice though, and so they have to rely on the session costs paid by clients to fund these.

These professional costs include:

• Professional body membership – ensures the counsellor is reputable and is accountable to a set of ethical guidelines, which protect both client and counsellor.
• Supervision (professional requirement) – ensures the counsellor is regularly supported to work in a safe and ethical way with each client.
• Directory fees – advertising to enable clients to find the right counsellor for them more easily.
• Information Commissioners Office (professional requirement) – to ensure safeguarding of all personal data collected.
• Malpractice, professional indemnity, public and products liability insurance – to legally safeguard both counsellor and client.
• Continued professional development (professional requirement) – to ensure knowledge is kept up to date, to obtain additional training and skills, to research specific issues pertaining to a particular client, to deepen self-development, etc, which enables the counsellor to offer an up-to-date, bespoke service to each individual client.
• Running costs – including stationery, IT costs, venue hire (if seeing clients in person), utility costs (electric, heating, broadband, etc, if working with clients online), mobile phone charges, website fees, additional marketing costs, etc.

Self-employment costs

Having covered all the above costs, the counsellor still can’t take any personal profit just yet.  They first have to set aside money to cover the costs that usually come as standard when working for an employer, including:

• Loss of earnings due to sickness, holidays, and session cancellations.
• Tax and National Insurance contributions.
• Private pension contributions.

With all these costs, you may wonder why counsellors go into private practice at all!  However, a lot of counsellors like the freedom and flexibility that being self-employed brings, but it’s also the case that there are just not enough employment opportunities out there for qualified counsellors, and so sometimes private practice is their only option if they want to work as a professional counsellor.

Summary

So, in summary, although seeing a counsellor privately may seem expensive at first glance, your session costs aren’t going straight into lining a counsellor’s pocket.  They cover:

• The services of a trained professional
• (Potentially) shorter waiting times
• Freedom of choice over which counsellor you see
• The costs to maintain a professional and safe practice
• The counsellor’s self-employment costs

All of these things contribute to a bespoke, professional, and safe service, individually tailored to each client. 

It’s also worth saying that the majority of counsellors don’t go into the profession to make money (a lot of them would be disappointed if they did!).  Helping and supporting their clients is their top priority, which is why most counsellors usually charge the minimum amount they can per session to make it as accessible as they can, whilst also covering their costs, and factoring in a small profit.

Having said all that, and if you’re still struggling to justify the cost of seeing a counsellor privately, it’s also worth remembering that counselling is an investment in yourself.  How much do you spend each year on your car, or haircuts, or getting your nails done, or going on a nice holiday?  Yes, all these things may lift your mood temporarily, but what if you spent the same amount on your mental health?  Counselling has the power to change your life forever, if you are willing to invest in it.  Seeing a private counsellor isn’t cheap, but imagine in a year’s time when you feel better and/or have overcome your struggles… you’ll be so glad you invested in yourself.  After all, you’re worth it!

Disclaimer:  I understand that with current rising costs, seeing a counsellor privately just isn’t accessible to everyone at the moment.  However much you may want to invest in yourself, please do not spend money on counselling if you really can’t afford to.   As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, there are free/low-cost options out there, as well as other organisations that can offer support (see https://beckystokes-counsellor.co.uk/useful-contacts/), so don’t be afraid to access these if you need to.

Until next time,

Becky