HOW TO HIRE · HEALTH & WELLBEING

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

No register applies to reflexologists in any UK nation. Here are the checks that matter and what to ask.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a reflexologist in five steps

  1. Know that no register appliesAsk for the reflexology qualification and any voluntary register, and check it.
  2. Tell them about your healthPregnancy, diabetes, circulation problems, foot injuries, medicines.
  3. Keep your medical treatmentReflexology is not a substitute for it; tell your GP what you are doing.
  4. Agree length and price45 or 60 minutes, and any home-visit charge.
  5. Judge it by how you feelRelaxation is a fair aim; a diagnosis from your feet is not.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

No statutory register or licence applies to reflexologists in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the title is not protected. Some reflexologists join accredited voluntary registers; that is voluntary, not statutory regulation.

Ask the reflexologist which qualification they hold, who awarded it, and whether they are on a voluntary register you can search.

Insurance

With no register setting the rules, nothing obliges a reflexologist to hold insurance, so ask. Professional indemnity insurance covers harm from the treatment; public liability covers accidents.

Ask the reflexologist for the insurer's name and policy dates.

Special treatment licence (London)

London boroughs that adopted Part II of the London Local Authorities Act 1991 license premises offering massage and other special treatments 'of a like kind'; members of some practitioner bodies are exempt. Whether a reflexologist's treatment counts is the borough's call.

In London, ask the reflexologist whether the premises hold a special treatment licence or rely on an exemption. legislation.gov.uk →

Trader status and cancellation

A reflexologist in business is a trader, so the Consumer Rights Act 2015 duty of reasonable care and skill applies. The 14-day right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 does not cover leisure services booked for a specific date (regulation 28), so for a one-off session the therapist's own terms usually decide.

Read the cancellation terms before booking and keep the confirmation.

VAT

Reflexology is standard-rated at 20%, since reflexologists have no statutory register and the health exemption needs one. A reflexologist whose VAT taxable turnover go over £90,000 must charge VAT and show it separately; one under it charges none.

Ask whether the session price includes VAT, and for the VAT number if they add it. gov.uk →

“What reflexology training do you hold, and are you on a voluntary register?”

A good answer: A named reflexology qualification and a register you can search.

“Is reflexology suitable with my health?”

A good answer: Questions about pregnancy, diabetes, circulation and foot problems before the reflexologist starts.

“What can reflexology help with, honestly?”

A good answer: Relaxation and wellbeing — not a cure or a diagnosis.

“Will you work on feet or hands?”

A good answer: Feet usually, hands if feet are injured or sensitive.

“Do you come to me, and what does that add?”

A good answer: A home-visit price, and what the reflexologist brings.

“What happens if I feel unwell afterwards?”

A good answer: Advice to rest and drink water, and to call if symptoms persist.

“How often would you suggest coming?”

A good answer: No pressure — a suggestion you are free to ignore.

Getting the quote right

  • Who actually attends a home visit — the reflexologist you booked or a colleague, employed or subcontracted
  • Session length
  • Home-visit travel charge
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% as its own line — reflexology is outside the health exemption
  • Cancellation rules
  • Package price and expiry
  • Spa or add-on treatments priced separately

Walk away if

  • Claims to diagnose illness from your feet
  • Tells you to stop medical treatment
  • No health questions first
  • No insurance to name
  • Pressure to buy a long course
  • Claims to be a chiropodist or podiatrist without HCPC registration
LOW
£30
TYPICAL
£35
HIGH
£70

What a reflexologist costs: £30–£70 per session

Reflexologists charge per session, usually 45 to 60 minutes; home visits add travel. Reflexologist 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

Reflexologists 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. ConsultationHealth questions and why you are booking.
  2. PreparationFeet cleansed and warmed.
  3. ReflexologyPressure on points of the feet or hands with thumbs and fingers.
  4. RelaxationQuiet time at the end.
  5. AftercareWater, rest and when to come back, if at all.

Reflex point
A spot on the foot or hand used in reflexology.
Thumb walking
The small creeping thumb movement used to apply pressure.
Contraindication
A health reason not to treat.
Voluntary register
A register a therapist chooses to join.
Complementary therapy
A therapy used alongside, not instead of, medical care.
Special Treatments Licence
London's borough licence for massage and similar treatments.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the receipt and notesDate, length and anything the reflexologist advised.
Rest and drink waterSome people feel tired after a session.
Speak to your GP about symptomsAnything that worries you about your health is for a doctor, not a reflexologist.
Write the reviewHonest detail about this reflexologist helps the next person choose. If it went badly, start with the make-it-right step so they can answer.

STEP 1Complain to the reflexologist directlyWrite down the date, the problem and your remedy. A reflexologist who sells the session is held to reasonable care and skill by section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and section 54 lets you insist it is put right without charge, or pay a reduced price.
STEP 2Ask Locufy to help put it rightWhen a booked reflexologist gets under four stars, you choose whether they see the problem first, and we follow it up with them. Then you review.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplineNo regulator covers a reflexologist. If the reflexologist will not engage, refer it 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.
STEP 4Take it to small claimsA claim against a reflexologist 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 reflexologist: questions people ask

No. No statutory register or licence applies to reflexologists in any UK nation.

Ask for the qualification and the awarding body, and whether an accredited voluntary register lists them; ask about insurance.

Tell the reflexologist you are pregnant; some avoid early pregnancy, and you can ask your midwife.

£30 to £70 a session, typically around £35. Home visits and spa settings cost more. Read the reflexologist price guide for the factors, then search above to see reflexologists in your area.

At 20% if the reflexologist is VAT-registered; it is outside the health exemption.

Tell the reflexologist in writing; one in business owes reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in health & wellbeing

How to hire: Massage TherapistHow to hire: Reiki PractitionerHow to hire: Holistic TherapistHow to hire: Aromatherapy MassageHow to hire: AcupuncturistHow to hire: HomeopathHow to hire: Pregnancy MassageHow to hire: Podiatrist / ChiropodistAll 701 hiring guides →

Reflexologists near you

Reflexologists in LondonReflexologists in ManchesterReflexologists in BirminghamReflexologists in GlasgowReflexologists in BelfastAll reflexologists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HCPC — understanding the regulation of psychologists
  2. London Local Authorities Act 1991, Part II — special treatment licences
  3. gov.uk — Health professionals and pharmaceutical products (VAT Notice 701/57)
  4. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — exceptions to the right to cancel
  5. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 30 — cancellation period
  6. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 36 — services started in the cancellation period
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — consumer's rights for services
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  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