Find A Therapist: UK Mental Health And Therapy Resources

The first step to receiving treatment is to find a therapist. If you live in the UK, learn more about how to find a therapist, different types of therapy available, and resources that may help. 

Looking for mental health support?

Find a therapist in the UK

What are therapy and counselling?

If the time feels right for you to take actionable steps to improve your health and well-being, you may have considered talking to a therapist or counsellor. Therapy and counselling are ways for you to explore your thoughts and feelings under the guidance, support, and supervision of a qualified mental health professional in the form of talk therapy. 

Since therapists and counsellors can offer a neutral but compassionate outside perspective on your life, they’re often able to provide honest feedback and insight. Their training in the field of psychology also equips them to observe and understand complex emotions and patterns of thinking and offer strategies to help you meaningfully improve your health and well-being. A counselling and therapy session may vary in duration and frequency depending on the person and their needs, but they often range from 30–60 minutes and may take place as often as once a week.

What do therapy and counselling exercises involve?

In addition to offering a listening ear and guidance during sessions, therapists and counsellors often provide clients with techniques to practice outside of sessions too. These may make your mental health journey a more active process. These practices could be things like writing about highs and lows during your week or practicing deep breathing exercises when you feel yourself getting stressed. The exercises you are encouraged to do during or outside of therapy sessions will typically depend on your unique needs and the type of therapy your provider practices. 

Types of therapy and therapists to consider

One of the most popular types of therapy and counselling: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely used and researched forms of therapy. Some of the mental health conditions that can often be addressed with CBT, sometimes in combination with additional interventions, include:

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders
• Personality disorders
• Eating disorders
• Substance use disorders

While CBT is a common therapy modality for adults, younger people may also benefit from this approach. In some cases, a therapist may use CBT to help adolescents and children (with consent of their caregiver or parents) experiencing mental health conditions or behavioral disorders.

Psychodynamic therapy for mental health

Psychodynamic therapy is built on the theory that unconscious psychological processes affect our everyday thoughts, feelings, and actions. With this modality, a therapist will often help you recognize and analyze recurring themes in your life dating back to your early childhood. By reflecting on these past experiences, they may help you understand how past experiences might be influencing your current behaviors. While research on this modality is ongoing, some studies suggest that psychodynamic therapy can be as effective as other research-backed forms of therapy in many cases. 

Family therapy for relatives or couples

In many cases, the moods and behaviors of your family members can impact or put at risk both your relationships and your own mental health. Family therapy is a way for families to come together and address conflict or improve communication. A family therapist may help members address underlying relational challenges, learn methods of compromise, and find healing and increased harmony together over time. 

Find a therapist: UK-specific options and considerations

A 2024 survey reports that approximately a third of adults in the UK sought the help of a mental health counsellor in the past 12 months. These types of professionals can help people address a variety of challenges, from relationship troubles to anxiety, depression, and more. Finding a therapist can seem daunting, but there are many resources and services designed to help you in your search for a specific therapist who is the right match for you. People in the UK may have some unique factors to consider when seeking psychotherapy, since it’s possible for them to receive care through the National Health Service.

Resources to help you find a therapist: UK therapy types and organizations

The National Health Service (NHS) allows people across the UK to speak with a therapist for free. Many kinds of talking therapies and other psychological therapies with NHS providers may help alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and others. 

In such cases, an individual looking to receive treatment might consider non-NHS providers. Their services must typically be paid for through non-public insurance or out of pocket. This can be cost-prohibitive for some, though certain providers may offer sliding scale fees. 

In addition, some employers offer employee assistance programs (EAPs) that may cover mental health services, and many universities and schools offer mental health support as well. Mental health charities like the Mental Health Foundation and others may be another avenue for those seeking low-cost or free support.

Online therapist and therapy types for mental health

Note also that, for those living with mental health conditions or physical illnesses or disabilities, traveling to and from in-person therapy appointments can be difficult or impossible, representing a barrier to care. In such circumstances, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp can be a great option, since it allows clients to log on to sessions with an accredited, credentialed counsellor remotely from anywhere they have an internet connection. Online counsellors typically practice the same modalities that in-person counsellors do, so you can feel confident in receiving care of a similar type and caliber virtually.

The research behind online therapy

Research suggests that online therapy can often be an effective form of treatment for various mental and physical health conditions, producing similar results to in-person care in many cases. For example, in one study involving adults, researchers report that online CBT helped reduce symptoms of depression and improve quality of life.