Typical fee levels in the UK

This page is provided to give an idea of fee levels and different professional roles and is based on data provided by Google Gemini AI. it is not contractual or legal advice.

General Practitioners average charges in UK (not specialists)

Note: NICE guidelines in the UK emphasise that you should only consult a practitioner with specialist training when presenting with PTSD / C-PTSD. General practitioners have little or no trauma training and are typically trauma informed at best.

·  Psychologists: Clinical and counselling psychologists are at the top of the pay scale. Their fees typically range from £100 to £180 or more per 50-minute session. This reflects the extensive training, including doctoral-level education, and the legal requirement for clinical and counselling psychologists to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) - NB Many therapists practice as other types of therapist while having post graduate psychology degrees, therefore the generic term psychologist is unregulated.

·  Psychotherapists: The average rate for psychotherapists is generally between £60 and £100 per session. While the terms "counsellor" and "psychotherapist" are often used interchangeably, psychotherapy is often associated with a longer-term approach that delves into deeper, more complex issues. Psychotherapists are typical trained for general mental health issues but have limited trauma knowledge.

·  Hypnotherapists: The average hourly rate for a hypnotherapist is reported to be around £60, with a common range of £51 to £71. Hypnotherapists range from those with specialist training and use hypnotherapy as a form of psychotherapy, to those that use hypnosis as a complementary therapy for relaxation only.

·  Counsellors: A counsellor's average hourly rate is typically between £40 and £70 per 50-minute session. The low end of this range can include trainee counsellors or those offering low-cost services. Typically counselling is the most basic and least clinical of all talking therapies.

·   Life Coaches: The hourly rates for life coaches have a wide range. New coaches may charge from £30 per hour, while experienced coaches can charge between £100 and £200. Executive or corporate coaching can command significantly higher fees, sometimes reaching £250 or more per hour.

·  Average Hourly Rates for Complementary Practitioners

Profession

Average Hourly/Session Rate

Acupuncturists

£40 - £70

Reflexologists

£30 - £65

Massage Therapists

£30 - £70

Aromatherapists

£35 - £65

Generally the difference in rates is highly related to the qualification levels of practitioners, with those holding post graduate awards such as Masters or Doctoral degrees in Psychology or Psychotherapy more likely to have deeper knowledge and greater credibility, while whose who have completed shorter non academic courses such as life coaching “diplomas” having far less depth of knowledge.

[figures estimated by Google Gemini AI search 24.09.2025]

Integrative therapists and Specialists

Therapists with multiple qualifications, who could use the above descriptors and have also completed specialist trainings and clinical accreditations, are both more highly trained /  qualified and will be far more highly experienced since established credentials are required as general therapists before completing meaningful specialist accreditations.

In most cases specialist accreditation training requires full licencing in psychology or psychotherapy, post graduate qualification and often a track record of practice as entry qualification. At the very least expect to pay the same or above the rate charged by psychologists.

Established and fully accredited traumatic stress specialists / traumatologists often have waiting lists and are in very high demand. They often have a wide range of therapies on offer within a treatment protocol structure such as the “3 Stage Trauma” process developed by Judith Herman (1992) and adapted among others by Heller.

Meaningful post graduate clinical trauma certifications / accreditations include NARM, CCTP I or II (Evergreen), CCTS or ACCTS (TII) and the TRF Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies (TRF).