Finding a Private Therapist

Some people may find accessing therapy via a private therapist a suitable alternative option to the NHS Talking Therapies Service. There may be some benefits to this, for example, a shorter waiting time, more sessions if needed, the flexibility to have appointments in the evening or weekend.  If you choose this route, it is important to take the time to research to find a suitable therapist. However, more research will be needed to find a suitably qualified therapist.

Whilst we cannot directly endorse or comment on the suitability of any individual clinic or organisation, this page is intended as a guide to help you find a trained and registered health professional with appropriate qualifications and experience to support you with your social anxiety.

What therapy should I look for?

In line with NICE guidance, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the recommended therapy for treatment of social anxiety. Other therapies are available (see https://socialanxietyalliance.org.uk/treatments/glossary-psychological-therapies), but there is less clinical evidence to show they provide effective treatment. You can read more about CBT on our page What is CBT?, and also at NHS CBT – Overview and NHS CBT – How it Works.

So how do you find a private therapist?

One of the main difficulties with finding a private therapist is that the title ‘therapist’ is not protected by UK law. What this means is that anyone can label themselves a ‘therapist’, ‘psychologist’ or ‘counsellor’. The general public tends to assume a certain level of training and qualification from the term ‘therapist’ which is why it is important to check each individual is registered to a governing body, and their credentials and qualifications.

The lead membership organisation for all CBT therapists in the UK is the BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies). They have an online CBT register which can be used to search for therapists which acts as a good starting point to finding one in your local area. You need to scroll to the bottom of the BABCP search page – until you see the section below:

BABCP accreditation is the minimum benchmark we recommend when seeking a private CBT therapist. Members need to have met a certain criteria in order to become a member, and for accreditation. Accreditation means that a CBT therapist has both core professional mental health training or recognised equivalent, as well as specific CBT training. Members also commit to maintaining set standards of clinical practice, clinical supervision and continuing professional development, and are audited to ensure these expectations continue to be met. Don’t assume someone is an accredited member because it says they are on their website, do your own research and check their name against the BABCP register (i.e. use the first of the two “tabs” in the image above)

Please note that BABCP accreditation is not necessarily a qualification of excellence in treating social anxiety – you will have to do your own homework to make sure they are the right therapist to help and treat you. To do this you may have to contact several therapists individually and ask them about their knowledge of social anxiety. We write about this later in this article.

BABCP should not be confused with the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) who are the lead organisation for counsellors in the UK and have their own separate register. Some people find counselling very helpful for a range of issues, but it is not recommended as a treatment for social anxiety. See : counselling and social-anxiety.

HCPC  – There are also clinicians who are registered with HCPC (Health & Care Professionals Council); these would usually be clinical psychologists who are also able to use CBT to treat disorders including social anxiety. A clinical psychologist is someone who has completed a PhD over a minimum of three years training in different clinical settings, and therefore has a Doctor title. You can check if your potential therapist is registered with the HCPC by visiting www.hcpc-uk.org/check-the-register and selecting ‘practitioner psychologist’. The same principles apply when searching for a private therapist here – it is important to ask the right questions to make an informed decision. It does not necessarily mean they are more qualified or better at treating social anxiety because of their title. See an image of the “check the register page”:

Pricing

The cost of a therapy is session is one of the first questions we will want to ask. With the rising cost of living this is understandable, and it is important to remember the cost of a session is not necessarily proportionate to the quality of therapy you may receive. Prices will vary, but so will their social anxiety treatment skill levels, so a cheap therapist (or indeed an expensive one) may not be the best option. Therapists in different regions may charge different rates, some with more qualifications or training may also charge more. Regardless of the price it is important to ask in advance, clarifying how long your appointments will be and what the cancellation policy is.

We would definitely recommend asking relevant questions (see our next section) to gauge if the therapist is right for you.

Remember, this is your money. It is unlikely you would spend money and time on other important purchases without the appropriate checks. Don’t be afraid to contact the therapist in advance to ask questions to clarify this information. A good therapist should be willing to give you some time to go through this – either through a video, telephone call, letter or email. Any reluctance might indicate maybe this isn’t the right therapist for you!

Additionally, some therapists may offer a ‘sliding scale’ of appointment cost. What this means is depending on how much you earn, your sessions may cost less than what the therapist usually charges. You may be asked to provide evidence of your earnings if this is the case.

Questions to ask your private therapist

We suggest some examples of questions that you can ask your potential therapist on our page Questions to ask your therapist. Whilst they don’t necessarily guarantee you will find a specialist or the perfect therapist, they can filter out those of may not be the best fit for you. These questions could be asked in person, a phone call or even via email if you feel more comfortable.

It is also helpful to ask how many treatment sessions you will need and how long each session is. NICE guidelines recommend around 14 sessions, approximately one per week.

Some people have stayed with the same private therapist for a year or longer because they like the therapist and feel they can talk. Whilst of course that is important, it’s worth remembering the reason we first went to therapy was to overcome social anxiety, so we really need an effective therapist! So, if you’re still with the same therapist in the long-term, you might need to review if you’re making progress and if this person is still the best person to help you.

What problems do people face when looking for private therapy

A key issue is to avoid unqualified or unsuitable practitioners! With a myriad of anxiety and social anxiety treatments and therapists available, many people have sometimes been tempted by the offer of quick fix cures. This can end up with time and money spent on people who have limited, or no, medical or clinical qualifications or experience. As previously mentioned, anyone can call themselves a ‘therapist’ so it’s imperative to check credentials and qualifications. There are many official sounding therapy bodies, but some do not consistently check the credentials of their members, so do your research and never be afraid to ask questions.

The therapeutic relationship

The therapeutic relationship between you and your therapist is very important and evidence has shown it is crucial in increasing gains from therapy. Whilst accreditation and training are definitely important considerations, unfortunately this may not always be enough to guarantee good quality treatment. Some therapists may still, for whatever reason, not be able to provide suitable treatment for you. If you feel this is the case, and discussing it with your therapist does not help, you are not obliged to stay with them.

We discuss what happens if you feel your therapy is no longer working elsewhere on our website here when therapy isn’t working

You can read more about how to find a therapist on the following page: Mind’s pages on how to find a therapist

Please also see our page on What the NHS offers.

All information correct as of March 2024.