To wonder how people afford counselling privately?

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Counselling where I live starts at £40 per hour 50 minutes with some charging £50 or £60. Concessions for unwaged are minimum £35 per hour.

The average salary where I live is £19k.

How do people afford it??

I am unsure how much benefit people get if they are not working but I'm pretty sure they are unlikely to have £35 left over a month let alone each week or fortnight.

I'm also thinking that most people who would require counselling have had life issues that has probably impacted their earning potential.

But then if the counsellors get very few clients at these rates, it would make sense that they would charge less so I am honestly confused.

Any ideas anyone??

I am a trainee therapist. This isn't something you go into to make a quick buck.

I made great sacrifices to pay for my own therapy (which was what inspired me to train). I don't think it's right that there are people who need therapy and can't afford it, but there are low-cost options eg seeing trainees.

Personally I feel there are other advantages to seeing someone privately. You get to decide who you see and how long for with no sudden budget cuts for example, it doesn't have to go in your medical records and you don't have to have a diagnosis. I feel there is a difference between being mentally ill, eg clinical depression or anxiety, and being proportionately unhappy which can be perfectly healthy!

I did used to wish I hadn't had to pay for therapy. It felt so unfair: I was abused and so I had to spend my money while people with physical conditions get free nhs treatment.

I don't know about anyone else but personally I wish it was possible to see anyone who needed therapy for a cheap price but sadly its not.

I agree it's scandalous that people in need have to face lengthy NHS lists.

IME NHS services will always have some expedited pathway for those whose needs are immediate...

For private therapy... If somone is charging £50+ a session, how is this less value than the 100£plus that mechanics and plumbers charge for essential services?Although, I do accept that some will find it difficult to find these amounts.

With therapy, you are paying for often someone with very high level skills at post graduate or above. It is cheap in comparison to what high st lawyers charge.. Often £ 250+vat and above per hour... Who have similar levels of qualification in a different area.

A question about costs of private counselling or an annoyance about why someone X earns more?

Sadly I think there's an acceptance that plumbers, mechanics and lawyers have skills that people expect to pay for, however difficult it is to find the money.

There seems to be an expectation on some people's parts that therapists should provide their services for nothing. Indeed, many of them do, either in conjunction with paid work or because paid work is difficult to get.
I suppose this is because the NHS provision is undeniably insufficient and because therapy comes under the label of vocation and selfless service in many people's perceptions.

Things are expensive. We are some of the luckiest people on earth in that we have universal free healthcare - the NHS - which most countries do not have. However it is a limited budget and not everything can be covered. it's been rationed since it was set up.

What we should pay self employed people for their services is what the market can bear. if you've a degree from a leading university, your PhD and are a chartered psychologist you may well be able to obtain work from the NHS and those insured by BUPA to provide services as a psychologist to those in need and that may well be at £100+ an hour. I am not in that area and I charge over double that and my services are more valuable than those of most plumbers. Who decides who is worth what? Then you can buy the cheaper services on this thread of people called therapists who at those lower rates are probably not chartered psychologists but still as someone said above may be members of a professional body and have gone through training and then thirdly you could buy services from someone with no training for £7 an hour who decided to cal themselves a therapist or counsellor or try to get what you need free on line or chatting to others with similar problems.

Certainly it is a huge issue for the state at present and there is recognition the NHS has given more funds to physical than mental health (and I think the budget might try to address it this week). Even so I doubt with the current huge deficit governments are ever going to give counselling on demand from qualified psychologists free on the NHS for all who need it.

My ds is seeing a great counsellor

It costs £50 a week-the rest of us are going without (OH is driving 3.5 hour round trip to work, instead of 1.5 hour by train)

I do not begrudge the counsellor a penny of her fee-she is definitely worth it. And we are lucky enough to be able to afford it-there must be loads of people in the same position who just can't

What does make me FUCKING FUME is the lack of funding to children's mental health, and Nick Fucking Legg suddenly announcing £££s of funding less than TWO MONTHS before the election

Has he only just noticed??

Yes it does Kim

It is unfair that the NHS does not provide more in the way of talk therapy I doubt anyone would argue with this

There is low cost therapy for those struggling financially again can be hard to come by

At times it comes down to what people think is worth paying for this can be part of the work

In my experience when clients are paying they will often treat service differently this can be down to many different reasons, there is a lot of research into this and it is not always about financial background of the client as many services that are free to all

The question the OP asked was how people can afford it.

Many therapist have contributed to this thread and explained how the money etc is used, many have also stated that we give many hours for free every week/year post qualification. I personally give 16 hours per week free, plus work in another field to guarantee my bills etc are paid.

I really do object to the vitriol and the wanting of justification of why and how much we charge.

Everyone who works gets a monetary fee for doing so, so why on earth are therapists expected to be any different?

We have to live like everyone else, it's been explained that the NHS have drastically reduced funding... not a therapists fault, hopefully in the next few years the service will be valued enough for the NHS to reinstate this funding, sadly I do think because we are expected to give our time for free that this may not be the case.

I do really feel for people who are in need and can't afford to get a therapist, I agree that it is a large % of a average years pay, and it isn't right to have no access to free service (or greatly reduced) but that is maybe something that should be taken up with GP's/MP?

The only solution at this time would be for therapists to give all their time for free (and there would still be large waiting lists, ours at this time is 6months +), I can't afford to give all my time for free simple as that.

It is a big expenditure kim and I understand that.
I still think there's basically a different perception of therapy compared to other services. Counsellors aren't even taught about business while training and there's still a feeling ingrained in the profession that making a living from it or discussing that is somehow a bit indecent.
I suppose it's little wonder so many potential customers feel this way.

Hi everyone, I have had a good think about what everyone has said. I think in answer to my question, there are plenty of people who can't afford counselling at £40+ a week, but also plenty of people who can, either from their own income/funds, help from family, or insurance. Fair enough I'm not in the latter category.

However, I do take the point that there is sometimes some means to afford it.... I have an overdraft facility (£1000) which I have used for example when I had high car repair bill last year. I guess I could make use of it to pay for therapy at £40 for twice a month for the next few months; as other pps have pointed out it could help me enormously so worth the investment.

I am concerned about the initial meeting though, I would feel uncomfortable asking them to do it for free (and others said they would not do this anyway), but in theory I could see a couple of different counsellors before I find one I gel with? Also, I am thinking that it may a couple of sessions before I can evaluate if they are right for me if that makes sense? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you

And yes, CCG is made up of GPs. You need to lobby them and attend local CCG group meetings. Tweet and keep up the pressure on them to effect changes in commissioning.

Absolutely Median
Therapists will say on their Web sites whether they offer free initial sessions. I make it clear that I am happy to discuss requirements by phone or email prior to meeting and that the initial meeting is without obligation to commit. I am also happy to signpost to other counsellors.

Therapists have to make a living. I don't think it's expensive. As others have said, the issue is how much should be made available on the NHS. We probably need more access to a variety of talking therapies, not just CBT which NHS offers. However In this climate I don't think that will happen.

Counselling is as cheap as a massage. You don't expect to get that on the NHS.

Oh and if someone decides after a couple of sessions that I'm not for them, that's fine too.

Not sure why you've singled out counselling. You might just as well say "how do less well off people afford expensive things?".
YABU for saying the average salary where you live is £19k - how would you know? And as a teacher you should know that if indeed it is the median average, half will earn more than this.

OP it's always worth speaking to your doctor, counselling is available on the,NHS but there may be a waiting list. Also worth researching locally and on BACP web site, there are individual counsellors, group practices and charities who offer affordable counselling. Colleges teaching counselling also offer sessions,with trainees in their final year.

I do meet clients for the first time for free but that isn't a therapy session just really a chat.
IF that client doesn't want to work with me thats ok, if I don't think I could work with the client thats ok too and will as ilovesooty says signpost to someone who maybe able to do the work, I also wouldn't keep a client if the relationship isn't working (but that would also be talked about with the client so that they aren't hurt/rejected etc I would never just leave/cancel them).

Just have to say as well that counselling can be a lot of different things. Not everyone NEEDS counselling. Some people think they do. I would like an hour a week to talk about my problems but I don't need it. Free provision should be for those who are in severe difficulties and yes there should be more provision. For others, I think they should pay.

Someone was mocking the idea of online help. Fair enough not good for someone with severe childhood trauma but a possibility for low level phobias. Different options.

Also counselling isn't always the answer. And counselling seems to mean different things to so many people. CBT is effective for some, short term brief intervention. Some people need psychoanalysis or some family therapy. The term counsellor is bandied about but I am not sure we all agree on what this means.

I see a psychotherapist once a week. She charges £55 for an hour. I cant afford it, really, and resisted going down this a route for a long time because of that.

I had CBT on the NHS, went to some free counselling provided by a charity etc...but in the end, I had to face facts. I had an issue that needed proper long term therapy to address.

I've had to cut back in other areas to be able to afford this therapy. There are some months, when the bill comes in, that I get really stressed and have to make some tough decisions about what will give that month so that I can pay the bill.

But its crucial for me. Its like finding the money for a prescription for medicine.

I do agree, though, that therapy should be free for people living in poverty and with serious issues. It isnt, always. Not in my area.

Is it wrong for someone who has worked so hard through their training (mine degree) plus paid out huge amount for my own personal therapy/supervision to want to earn a decant wage

A therapist that is working only for the benefit of their clients is questionable (what is their need to do so) we have to draw a line what we can provide in a professional capacity and how we can earn a living and what we feel ourselves we are worth along with how we can benefit our clients

I am not sure what other countries therapy is given at very low cost or free I think in many the profession is valued differently to what it is here

I was making a comparison with other privately purchased health care things. It is a private service. How can it be cheaper? The therapist isn't going to do it for free?

You will see I did say that for those who are assessed as requiring it for severe and enduring mental health issues it should be free. The NHS does offer provision and this should be extended of course. However for lots of reasons people think counselling is a panacea for all ills. It's not. For some yes it is a necessity and for others, it would be nice.

Are you suggesting that anyone should just be able to ask for counselling for free?

Some charitable organisations (eg MIND) are free or ask for a donation dependant on what you can afford. However they often have long waiting lists.