Struggling to get private therapy

[gentlemum]

I’m looking for private face to face therapy, specifically looking at psychotherapy, but therapists seem to either never respond or if they do they’re fully booked. Or the details they have online aren’t correct, like they don’t actually work face to face or in the evenings. I’m sure I’d have more chance finding someone for online therapy but I just don’t like the disconnect with online appointments. I’ve had online counselling before and really didn’t like it. It’s a lot to research and find someone I think would be good, reach out to them, only to be told no or they don’t respond. Why don’t these therapists update their online profile to say they’re fully booked?! I’m getting more despondent about it all and feeling hopeless.

Has anyone else found these difficulties? Should I keep persevering? Do these therapists ever actually take on new clients or just have the same ones for years?!

As a UKCP psychotherapist I agree demand is high, most therapists I work with or supervise offer a hybrid of face to face appointments.
My suggestion is if there is a group clinic near you making contact with them and they can match you with a therapist. If not, definitely make use of initial contact calls. Ask them questions, get a feel of them, therapists want the match up to work for all involved, so often more than happy to answer questions.

‘Proper professions’ can work in the evening too.. probably the majority of people seeking and affording private therapy are of working age and are looking for evening or weekend appointments. Majority of the therapists I looked at and contacted do work in the evenings, the problem is they were fully booked because those slots are clearly very popular.

If they can earn enough doing appointments at times that suit them , why would they do appointments at other times?

I used Psychology Today and got replies both times and booked in within weeks.

Every psychotherapist I’ve had worked evenings because they recognise that not everyone can take time out of work every week to go get MH help. Both did 6-8pm slots on weekdays in person.

See I don’t understand this. How could OP be a unicorn for wanting therapy that fits around the most common working hours and that isn’t over a screen (which loads of people find puts a barrier between them and therapist?). This must be an incredibly popular request.

I see a psychotherapist in the evening. He’s definitely a proper professional!

Really? What’s so hard to understand?

Persevere. I'm having bereavement counselling at the moment, and I tried contacting a few people from the BACP directory before I found my current (lovely) counsellor. Some didn't respond, others had no capacity.

Please keep trying. I'm glad I did.

I see mine f2f on a Saturday morning.

I'm struggling to understand your confidence.

Covid has made people more flexible, yes, and lots of people don't want face-to-face (despite evidence of reduced efficacy) but it has also created a lot of evening demand. I know a lot of NHS therapists, but every one whom I know also does private work does so in evenings or Saturdays.

There is also a push-back by therapists for face-to-face. My local CAMHS has just stopped doing online assessments and now insists on in-person, unless the child is house-bound or something. In many ways, the push for online therapy is disconnected from actual therapy; which shouldn't be easy, convenient or on-demand.

https://www.berkeleypsychiatrists.co.uk x