A confidential space to make sense of what is happening

What online counselling involves

Counselling is a professional relationship built for one purpose: giving you somewhere to think out loud with someone trained to listen properly and hold what you bring. Unlike talking to friends or family, your therapist has no stake in the outcome, no history with the people involved, and no need for you to protect them from how bad it is. That difference is what makes the conversation possible.

Who counselling helps

People come to counselling at very different points. Some are dealing with one clear event — a bereavement, a diagnosis, a relationship ending, redundancy, a betrayal. Others arrive because something has quietly built up over years and is now affecting sleep, work or how they treat the people they love. A third group cannot name it at all, only that they feel flat, disconnected or permanently braced. All three are good reasons to start; you do not need a diagnosis or a tidy explanation to book.

Our therapists commonly work with grief and bereavement, relationship difficulties, low self-esteem and self-criticism, the effects of trauma, work stress and burnout, life transitions, loneliness, and long-term low mood. You can see the full range on what we help with.

Your first session

A first session is mostly about orientation, in both directions. Your therapist will ask what brings you now, a little about your background and support around you, whether you have had therapy before and what was or was not useful about it. You will also cover the practical frame — confidentiality and its limits, cancellations, how you get in touch between sessions. Just as importantly, you get to see how it feels to talk to this particular person. Fit matters more than any technique, which is why we let you read full therapist profiles and choose the therapist yourself rather than allocating you.

You are in charge of the pace. Some people talk for fifty minutes without pausing; others need several sessions before they say the thing they came to say. Both are normal, and no competent therapist will push you past what feels manageable. If you would like more detail before booking, what to expect walks through the first appointment step by step.

How the work develops

After the first few sessions, a shape usually emerges. Themes repeat. You start noticing the same dynamic in three different relationships, or realise how much of your energy goes into anticipating other people's reactions. Your therapist reflects patterns back, asks about the ones you skip past, and helps you connect what is happening now to how you learned to cope earlier. That understanding is not an end in itself — it is what makes a genuine choice possible where previously there was only a reflex.

Sessions are typically weekly, because momentum matters early on, and often move to fortnightly as things settle. Where a specific pattern needs targeted work — panic, compulsions, avoidance — your therapist may bring in more structured CBT techniques alongside the exploratory work. Most of our therapists are trained in both, and our CBT versus counselling guide explains how they differ and when each tends to be the better fit.

Why online works well

Talking from your own home changes the experience, usually for the better. There is no waiting room, no commute, and no arriving already frazzled. You finish a session and have a few minutes to yourself instead of a train journey. Practically, it also makes therapy sustainable: sessions survive a change of shift pattern, a house move or a week away, and evening and weekend appointments mean you rarely have to choose between work and the appointment. If waiting is the problem, same-day appointments are often available. Our online versus in-person comparison is honest about the trade-offs as well.

All you need is a private space, a device with a camera and a reasonable connection. Sessions run on an encrypted platform, records are stored securely, and every therapist’s qualifications, insurance and professional memberships are checked before they can be booked. Memberships vary by therapist — they may include BACP, BABCP, NCPS, NCIP or another relevant body — and are shown on each profile.

Cost and commitment

Sessions are £68 for 60 minutes, paid one session at a time. There are no packages to buy up front, no subscription and no minimum number of appointments — you decide each week whether to book the next one. Full details are on pricing, and how it works covers booking, rescheduling and what happens beforehand. Online counselling is not an emergency service; if you need urgent help, please see crisis support.

Common questions about online counselling

What is online counselling?

Regular 60-minute conversations with a qualified therapist over secure video. There is no fixed protocol: you bring what matters, and your therapist helps you make sense of it and decide what you want to change.

How is counselling different from CBT?

CBT is structured and focused on changing specific thought and behaviour cycles. Counselling is more exploratory and led by what you bring each week. Many of our therapists work across both and will adapt as your needs change.

How much does online counselling cost?

£68 for a 60-minute session with a qualified UK therapist, booked session by session. No packages, subscriptions or joining fees.

Is it confidential?

Yes. Sessions run on an encrypted video platform and notes are stored securely. Confidentiality is only broken in the narrow circumstances all UK therapists are bound by, such as serious risk to you or someone else.

How long do people usually stay in counselling?

Some people come for a handful of sessions to work through one situation; others continue for months while something significant settles. Because you book each session individually, you are never locked into a length of work.

Therapy is personal and outcomes vary. This service does not diagnose, guarantee outcomes or replace urgent mental health care.