Covid poses "greatest threat to mental health since the second world war." Learn more about how we're supporting people during this challenging time.
Covid poses "greatest threat to mental health since the second world war." Learn more about how we're supporting people during this challenging time.
Depression & anxiety group therapy beginning 9th May (morning and evening sessions available). Click here for more information.
Many people mistakenly believe that if you go to counselling, you're committing to endless sessions that will, over time, cost you an arm and a leg. However, modern counselling is outcome-focussed. At the same time, many counsellors keep their fees moderate to ensure maximum access to quality care and support for all.
This article will explore the costs behind seeking a therapist.
Although we are all works in progress, and we may go through periods when we need a therapist's guidance, therapy is usually not endless.
Indeed, some folks wind up staying in therapy for decades. Yes, sometimes this results from the therapist encouraging or fostering dependency. Occasionally, it's because the person in therapy has decades of work to do to undo the effects of the past.
However, a 2010 study in the American Journal of Psychiatry concluded that nearly half of people in therapy use 3 to 10 sessions. Not as many as you were expecting?
We provide affordable counselling and emotional support to teenagers and adults, and to keep things simple, there's one flat fee with a discount available for students.
Our aim is to deliver therapy for as many people as possible. For that reason, our prices are as follows:
We offer a 15% discount for secondary school, college and university students of any age on all sessions after the initial consultation.
Based on the typical number of sessions someone has, counselling could cost between £210 and £485, which would be paid over several weeks and months.
Compare this to a night out or a weekend away, and you can quickly see how investing in your mental health isn't as expensive as you first thought.
There's a reason why counsellors charge what they charge. Here are just two.
When people work a typical 40-hour week, their company pays them for every hour they work. Therapists, on the other hand, can only bill for the time they see clients.
Therapists cannot manage 40 clients a week. If they fill up all their time with sessions, they wouldn't be able to organise their client's information, market themselves and perform administrative duties.
Imagine if your company only paid you for 25 of the 40 hours you worked each week. You would need to increase your hourly rate to break even.
Then there are the many cancellations. When therapist Angela Essary worked as a community mental health counsellor, she booked 12 sessions a day but only saw five of those people.
"It's a big commitment for clients, and there can be lots of no shows," she said.
Therapists don't stop their education once they receive those fancy degrees you see framed on their office walls. Maintaining a license or accreditation (in our case, BACP Accreditation) means investing in annual training such as continuing education fees [CEUs]. Therapists need to keep up with the advances in their field the same way doctors need training on new medical technology and treatments.
Other training and certification maintenance expenses include:
Counsellors are highly trained professionals who have studied long and hard to pick up on subtle cues the rest of us miss. This gives them the unique insight and skill to identify what's holding someone back – and then also guide them towards being the best version of themself. Add onto that many more years of experience working with people just like you, and you get an idea of how unique the therapeutic relationship is.
There are very few relationships in life where we're able to get an objective viewpoint. Having close friends is great, but friendships are a two-way street. It's only natural that there's also going to be an element of emotional investment to the support we get from our friends.
In therapy, the focus is on you and you only. And because your therapist comes from an objective standpoint, they're able to see the broader picture in a way that the people close to you can't.
Therapy comes with a short-term investment, there's no doubt about that. But it's an investment in your own betterment; your mental and emotional well-being.
Remember, though, you're not alone. There are people willing and waiting to help. Get in touch with Restoration Therapy, and we'll put you in touch with a counsellor.