Most people looking for a therapist want to know the price before they enquire, and quite a few give up rather than ask. So here is the whole picture, including the parts that usually go unsaid.
What I charge
A 50 minute session is £75 to £85 in Woking and £80 to £90 in Guildford. Online sessions are £65 to £75. Ninety minute sessions, which some people prefer for processing work, are roughly double.
The current figures for every option are on my fees and locations page.
Guildford is slightly more than Woking because room hire differs between the two, not because the work does. If cost is the deciding factor, the Woking room and online sessions are both cheaper.
Why private therapy costs what it does
The hour you pay for is not the only hour involved, which is worth knowing when comparing prices.
A session fee covers room hire, professional insurance, registration with a professional body, and the clinical supervision that accredited therapists are required to be in. It also covers the preparation and note-keeping that sit either side of the session itself.
Ongoing training is a real cost too. Trauma approaches like EMDR and Deep Brain Reorienting involve substantial training and continuing supervision to practise properly.
None of that makes therapy cheap. It does explain why a qualified, accredited, supervised therapist costs more than an unregulated one, and why I would gently suggest treating an unusually low fee as a question rather than a bargain.
The sliding scale, and how to ask about it
The ranges above exist because I work on a sliding scale based on income and what you can realistically afford.
In practice that means you tell me what is manageable and we find something that works. It is a normal conversation and it happens more often than people expect.
If the standard fee is out of reach, please say so on the free consultation call rather than deciding not to come. I would much rather have that conversation than lose someone over it.
Using private health insurance
If your employer provides private medical cover, there is a reasonable chance it includes psychotherapy and you have never checked. A lot of people pay out of pocket for months before finding out.
I am recognised by BUPA, AXA PPP, Aviva, Cigna, Allianz Worldwide Care, Healix, and Vitality Health.
If your insurer is on that list, ring them before your first session and ask specifically about outpatient psychological therapy rather than “mental health”, which sometimes only means inpatient care. Ask how many sessions are authorised, whether they need a GP referral, and what excess applies.
Ask for an authorisation code and send it to me before we start. Most insurers will not backdate authorisation, so sessions taken before the code is issued usually come out of your own pocket.
Ways to reduce the cost that people often miss
Online sessions are the cheapest option I offer, and for most of the work I do they are not a lesser version. I see clients across the UK this way, including for EMDR and DBR.
Fortnightly sessions are possible for some kinds of work, though not usually during active trauma processing, where consistency matters more.
If you are a newly qualified practitioner looking for supervision rather than therapy, I currently offer that at a reduced rate while I complete supervision training.
And if none of that brings it within reach, the NHS talking therapies service in Surrey takes self-referrals at no cost. It is not the same as ongoing private work, and waiting times vary, but it is a genuine option and I would rather say so.
What to ask any therapist before you book
Whether or not you contact me, these are worth asking. A therapist who is comfortable answering them is usually a therapist worth talking to.
Ask what their fee is and whether they operate a sliding scale. Ask what their cancellation terms are and how much notice is needed. Ask whether they are accredited and with which body, and check the register, which is public.
Ask how they work, and what happens if it turns out they are not the right fit. And ask whether there is a free initial call, because most therapists offer one and it costs you nothing to use it.
The first conversation is free
I offer a free 20 minute phone call before anything is booked. There is no charge and no expectation that you go ahead afterwards.
Cost is a fair thing to raise on that call, and you will not be the first person to raise it.
If you would like to talk it through, get in touch to arrange the free 20 minute call, or ring 07470 514551.
