Central London psychotherapy

What is psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a service where the therapist helps the client to understand themselves better, work through difficult feelings and make changes in their life. The therapist doesn’t tell the client what to do, but by offering insight, they help them come to healthy decisions. Psychotherapy sessions are confidential and they involve the client and therapist talking about whatever the client wishes to talk about.

Psychotherapists should be registered with a professional body, such as the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). These organisations require their members to complete ongoing training and abide by strict ethical codes.

What does psychotherapy do?

Psychotherapy helps clients by:

• giving them space to get things off their chest

• encouraging their compassion for themselves and others

• teaching them how to set healthy boundaries

• validating their experience and feelings

• helping them to identify their feelings and clarify their thoughts

• providing techniques for maintaining good mental health

• delivering insights into relationship patterns

• building their ability to cope with difficulties.

What are the most common problems treated by psychotherapy?

BACP conducts an annual survey into trends in, and attitudes towards, therapy. In their 2025 survey, they found that the top five reasons given for accessing counselling or psychotherapy were:

• anxiety

• stress

• depression

• low confidence or self-esteem

• trauma.

Of course, one person may have more than one of these issues, so there is often overlap. In my experience, other common problems treated by therapy include:

• past abuse

• bereavement

• family problems

• neurodiversity

• relationship issues

• self-destructive behaviour.

When should you see a psychotherapist?

There’s no wrong time to seek psychotherapy; it’s a good choice any time you feel like you could do with a bit of extra support. Some people have therapy during periods of crisis; others have it on an ongoing basis to maintain their mental health - a bit like going to the gym to maintain physical health.

What is the process of psychotherapy?

The process usually starts with an initial consultation. This is an opportunity for the client to assess whether they feel comfortable with the therapist, and for the therapist to check that what the client is bringing is within their areas of expertise.

I also offer a free introductory phone call to any client who wants it ahead of the initial consultation. I understand that you may want to get a feel for what I’m like over the phone before paying for an initial consultation. And I only charge 50% for my initial consultations because I recognise you’re taking a bit of a bet on whether you’ll decide to continue with me, so I don’t want you to have to commit too much money up front.

After the initial consultation, assuming you want to continue with me, we will arrange a weekly appointment time to suit your schedule. Each session lasts 50 minutes and can take place in person or online, as you prefer.

You can continue sessions with me for as long as you wish and are free to end therapy at any time.

What is the success rate of psychotherapy?

This is a hard question to answer because success isn’t easily defined in the therapy world. Is it about clients feeling happier? Calmer? More in touch with their feelings? Less stuck? So surveys tend to ask more general questions like whether people found the process helpful.

The 2025 BACP survey found that 72% of respondents found therapy helpful and 76% would recommend it to others.

Over the years, there have also been many meta-analysis studies where the authors have reviewed multiple studies on the effectiveness of. These go back as far as 1977, when Smith and Glass found “convincing evidence of the efficacy of psychotherapy” and that, on average, “the typical therapy client is better off than 75% of untreated individuals.”

What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

In the UK, there isn’t an official difference between counselling and psychotherapy. Some people use them interchangeably; some think they’re different.

In practice, there are people who call themselves counsellors who aren’t trained in psychotherapy. Counsellors may only be trained in a particular area, such as bereavement, careers or fertility, rather than in the broader field of the human psyche. Although a psychotherapist may refer to what they do as counselling, someone who has trained as a counsellor would be on shaky ground saying that they practice psychotherapy.

For these reasons, when you’re looking for support, I recommend looking for a psychotherapist.

Is a psychotherapist more qualified than a counsellor?

Broadly speaking, qualifications in psychotherapy tend to be more rigorous than those in counselling. Often, therapists start off with an introductory course in counselling skills, then complete more rigorous training in psychotherapy. To confuse matters, many courses use both counselling and psychotherapy in their titles, but if psychotherapy is in there, the qualification is likely to be a good one.

Can psychotherapy sessions be online?

Yes, absolutely. I offer clients the choice of in person and online sessions, to suit them. My in person sessions are held in central London, at lovely rooms in Kings Cross and Oxford Circus. Many clients choose to have mainly in person sessions, opting for online occasionally, for example if they are travelling. Other clients choose to have all their sessions online. Whatever works best for you is good with me.

How much does psychotherapy cost?

The cost of therapy ranges from free (through the NHS and some charities) to £200 or more per session. Higher fees are charged by more experienced therapists and those in locations such as central London.

My fees are set out in How I work. I charge just 50% for initial consultations and nothing for introductory phone calls, so you needn’t splash out to get a feel for whether I’m a good fit for you.

What is a red flag in therapy?

You want your therapist to be suitably qualified, skilled, ethical and professional. Red flags include your therapist:

• not being registered with a professional body such as BACP or UKCP

• responding to what you tell them with judgement or misunderstanding

• not paying close attention or forgetting significant parts of your story

• telling you what to do rather than letting you come to your own decisions

• talking about their personal lives with you

• starting sessions late

• rearranging sessions or cancelling them at short notice

• having a messy or unclean therapy room

• having items in their therapy room that tell you about their personal life

• acting more like a friend, for example being physically affectionate or making small talk

• directing the conversation rather than letting you decide what to talk about.