Psychotherapy - the right therapy, not the therapist we have free.

Fees vary by modality, therapist seniority and location. Central-London senior clinicians sit at the top; regional and video sessions at the lower end. Long-term dynamic and analytic work is priced per session, not as a course.

• Depression and low mood

  CBT, IPT, CFT and behavioural activation are all NICE-supported first-line psychological treatments; dynamic and CAT for recurrent or complex presentations.

• Anxiety, panic and phobia

  CBT with graded exposure remains the strongest first-line evidence base, with ACT and mindfulness-based programmes as alternatives.

• PTSD and complex trauma

  Trauma-focused CBT and EMDR are the NICE-recommended first-line therapies; longer trauma-focused dynamic work for complex or developmental trauma.

• OCD and health anxiety

  CBT with exposure and response prevention is the gold standard; ACT and metacognitive therapy are useful adjuncts or alternatives.

• Eating disorders

  CBT-E, MANTRA and family-based treatment are the main evidence-based options; delivered only by therapists specifically trained in eating disorders.

• Personality-level difficulties

  DBT, mentalisation-based therapy (MBT), schema therapy and long-term dynamic work - with structured contract, risk plan and psychiatric backup.

• Life-stage change and adjustment

  Dynamic, humanistic and integrative work for bereavement, mid-life transitions, retirement, redundancy or a diagnosis - where meaning matters as much as symptoms.

• Red flag: acute suicidality, psychosis or eating disorder crisis

  Active suicidal plans, hearing voices, severe self-neglect or a physically unsafe eating disorder need urgent psychiatric assessment first. Call 999 or NHS 111 (press 2).

• Psychotherapy is not one thing

  CBT, EMDR, dynamic, CAT, DBT, systemic and third-wave therapies work differently and suit different problems. The right therapy is chosen from the formulation, not from what the therapist prefers.

• Regulation in the UK is partial

  The title "psychotherapist" is not legally protected in the UK, but accreditation with UKCP, BPC, BABCP or BACP-Senior is a robust proxy - and required for insurance funding. Always ask which register.

• Course length depends on the model

  CBT for a single anxiety problem: 8–20 sessions. EMDR for a single trauma: 8–16 sessions. CAT: 16 sessions. Dynamic work for recurrent depression or personality difficulty: 12 months to several years.

• Confidentiality has UK-specific limits

  Sessions are confidential, with legal exceptions: serious risk to self or others, safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults, and court order. The therapist will name these at the outset.

• It can feel worse before it feels better

  Bringing difficult material to the surface can temporarily raise distress. Most people notice this in the first four to six weeks. It is expected and worked with, not a sign therapy is failing.

• Medication is a separate conversation

  Psychotherapists do not prescribe.

• Not for acute crisis or active eating disorder

  Open-ended weekly therapy is not the right container for active suicidality, psychosis or a physically unsafe eating disorder. Crisis pathways and specialist units come first.

• Poor fit is a legitimate reason to change

  If after three to four sessions the fit is wrong, we help you move to a different therapist. Fit predicts outcome as much as any other single factor.

• Red flags in therapy

  A therapist suggesting a dual relationship, touch outside standard practice, financial arrangements or accelerated intimacy breaches UK ethics codes.