HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING

How to hire a counsellor in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have no register for counsellors. Here are the checks that matter instead, what to ask, and what the agreement should say.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a counsellor in five steps

  1. Know that no register appliesCounsellor is not a protected title in any UK nation. Ask which voluntary register they are on and look them up there.
  2. Say what you want help withIn one message: what brings you, whether you want face to face or online, and the times you can do.
  3. Use the first session to judge fitFeeling able to talk to this counsellor matters as much as their training. It is fine to try someone else.
  4. Get the contract in writingFee, length, frequency, cancellation, confidentiality and its limits, and how you end.
  5. Review after a few sessionsIs it helping? A good counsellor raises the question with you rather than waiting for you to drift away.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No statutory register applies to counsellors in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the title is not protected, so anyone may use it. The HCPC says so in its own guidance on psychology titles. Some counsellors join accredited voluntary registers, which the HCPC points the public to; joining one is a choice, not statutory regulation.

Ask which voluntary register they are on, if any, and search their name on that register's own site.

Protected psychologist titles

Plain 'psychologist' and 'counsellor' are not protected, but 'clinical psychologist', 'counselling psychologist' and the other practitioner psychologist titles are: only someone on the HCPC Register may use them, and doing so without registration is an offence under the Health Professions Order 2001.

If the counsellor uses one of those titles, search them on the HCPC Register under 'practitioner psychologist'. hcpc-uk.org →

Trader status and cancelling a block

A counsellor in private practice is a trader under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Sessions booked online or by phone carry a 14-day right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013; if you chose to start within the 14 days, you pay for the sessions you had.

Get the counsellor's fee, cancellation terms and session length in writing before the first appointment.

Insurance

Because no register applies to a counsellor, no law sets an insurance requirement for them. Professional indemnity insurance is still the cover that would pay out if their work harmed you.

Ask the counsellor whether they hold professional indemnity insurance and who the insurer is.

VAT

Counselling is standard-rated at 20%, unless it is given by a health professional on a statutory register (such as an HCPC practitioner psychologist or an NMC nurse) within that profession, or under their direct supervision, which makes it exempt. A counselling practice over £90,000 must register, charge VAT and show it separately; a counsellor under the threshold charges none.

Ask the counsellor whether VAT is in the session fee and, if it is, for the VAT number. gov.uk →

“What training do you have as a counsellor, and which register are you on?”

A good answer: A named qualification and a voluntary register you can search. 'I don't need one' is true in law, but a counsellor who welcomes the question is a better sign.

“How do you work, and is that suited to what I have come with?”

A good answer: A plain description of their approach — person-centred, integrative, CBT-informed — and an honest view of whether it fits, including when someone else would suit you better.

“What are the limits of confidentiality in counselling?”

A good answer: A clear answer: what stays in the room, and the narrow cases — a serious risk to you or someone else — when they would have to share information, and how they would tell you.

“Do you have clinical supervision?”

A good answer: Yes, with someone named or described. Regular supervision is how a counsellor's practice is checked by a more experienced colleague.

“How many counselling sessions do you expect, and how do we review?”

A good answer: No promise of a fixed number, but a review point after a few sessions and an agreed way of ending.

“What happens if I need to cancel, or miss a session?”

A good answer: The notice period and the charge, written down before the first session.

“Do you keep notes, and who can see them?”

A good answer: What is recorded, how it is stored and how long it is kept, and who else, if anyone, can read them.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends — the counsellor from your first session, or another one, employed by the service or subcontracted
  • The fee per session and the session length (often 50 minutes)
  • How often — weekly, fortnightly — and whether a lower-cost place is offered
  • The cancellation notice and what a missed counselling session costs
  • The VAT number, if the practice is VAT-registered, and VAT at 20% as its own line
  • Face to face, online or by phone, and whether the price differs
  • How either of you can end the counselling, and the notice for it

Walk away if

  • They claim to be a 'counselling psychologist' or 'clinical psychologist' but are not on the HCPC Register
  • No written agreement on fees, cancellation and confidentiality
  • Pressure to book and pay for many sessions before you have met
  • They promise to cure a mental health condition, or tell you to stop prescribed medication
  • Contact outside sessions that feels personal rather than professional
  • They cannot say who supervises their counselling work
LOW
£40
TYPICAL
£48
HIGH
£70

What a counsellor costs: £40–£70 per session

Counsellors charge by the session, usually about 50 minutes, often weekly; couples work and specialist areas cost more, and some keep reduced-fee places. Counsellor price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Counsellors near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. First contactA short call or message about what brings you, availability and fees; no pressure to book.
  2. Assessment sessionThe counsellor asks about your history and what you want to change, and explains how they work and the limits of confidentiality.
  3. The agreementFee, frequency, cancellation and confidentiality are agreed, ideally in writing, before regular counselling starts.
  4. Regular sessionsUsually weekly at the same time, about 50 minutes each, with the counsellor checking how it is going.
  5. Review and endingA planned review after a few sessions, and an ending you prepare for together rather than a sudden stop.

Voluntary register
A register a counsellor chooses to join; some are independently accredited. Not statutory regulation.
Clinical supervision
Regular sessions in which a counsellor discusses their work with an experienced colleague.
Counselling contract
The written agreement on fee, frequency, cancellation and confidentiality.
Integrative
An approach that draws on more than one model of therapy.
Person-centred
An approach led by the client, built on the relationship with the counsellor.
Practitioner psychologist
The HCPC-protected family of titles, including counselling and clinical psychologist.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the agreementThe written contract, the receipts and the dates you attended — useful if you claim on insurance or move to another counsellor.
Look back at the goalsWhat you wanted at the start, and where you are now. A planned ending usually includes a session for exactly that.
Know how to come backAsk whether you can return later and how — many counsellors keep the door open for a review.
Share how it wentA short review of the counsellor — punctuality, care, value — is what others read. Use the make-it-right step first if anything needs putting right.

STEP 1Give the counsellor the chance to fix itSend a dated message describing the fault and the fix. Section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 sets the standard — reasonable care and skill — for any counsellor trading for money; falling short of it over the counselling lets you claim a free repeat or a reduction under section 54.
STEP 2Ask Locufy to help put it rightWhen a booked counsellor gets under four stars, you choose whether they see the problem first, and we follow it up with them. Then you review.
STEP 3No regulator — but titles are protectedThere is no regulator for counsellors. A counsellor who will not engage can be referred to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales (0808 223 1144 in Welsh), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland; if the counsellor claimed a protected psychologist title, tell the HCPC.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsA claim against a counsellor for money back can go to court without a solicitor — £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland (simple procedure) and £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a counsellor: questions people ask

No. No statutory register applies to counsellors in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and anyone may use the title. Some join accredited voluntary registers, which you can search.

'Counselling psychologist' is a protected title: only someone on the HCPC Register may use it. 'Counsellor' is not protected and has no register.

No — you can contact a private counsellor directly. If you are struggling to keep yourself safe, contact your GP, or 999 in an emergency, rather than waiting for a counselling slot.

£40 to £70 a session, typically around £48. Many counsellors keep a few lower-cost places, and online sessions can cost a little less. The counsellor price guide has the full breakdown; enter your town above for prices from counsellors near you.

Largely, but not without limits. A counsellor should explain at the start the narrow situations — a serious risk to you or someone else — in which they would share information.

Tell them in writing; a counsellor trading as a business owes reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. If they are on a voluntary register, ask that register how it handles complaints; if they claimed a protected psychologist title, report it to the HCPC.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in health & wellbeing

How to hire: PsychotherapistHow to hire: CBT TherapistHow to hire: HypnotherapistHow to hire: Life CoachHow to hire: Mindfulness CoachHow to hire: Wellness CoachHow to hire: Holistic TherapistHow to hire: Occupational TherapistAll 701 hiring guides →

Counsellors near you

Counsellors in LondonCounsellors in ManchesterCounsellors in BirminghamCounsellors in GlasgowCounsellors in BelfastAll counsellors on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HCPC — understanding the regulation of psychologists
  2. HCPC — professions and protected titles
  3. HCPC — misuse of title
  4. gov.uk — Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  6. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  7. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started in the cancellation period
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  9. Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57) — 2.5 Services that are not exempt from VAT (taxable at the standard rate)
  10. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register