At Anxiety UK we realise that everyone’s experiences of anxiety, stress and anxiety based depression can be different, and that the support needed can vary from one person to the next. It is for this reason that we passionately believe in choice and are committed to offering a range of therapy services.

Therapies you can access through Anxiety UK:

Through Anxiety UK, you can access a range of different therapies, namely:

• Counselling
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Clinical Hypnotherapy
• Acupuncture

We have over 350 Anxiety UK Approved Therapists located across the country, and many offer CBT and Counselling by phone or web cam as well as face-to-face.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly can I see a therapist?

We realise that for those who are experiencing anxiety, stress or anxiety-based depression, it can be really important to be able to see a therapist quickly. That is why Anxiety UK works to ensure that once you have made payment for your initial therapy sessions the therapist will be allocated your referral and they will contact to make an appointment for your initial consultation within 2 weeks.

How much will therapy cost me?

Our therapy services are priced at a reduced cost and based on your total household income as shown in the table below*:

*Proof of household income is required to access therapy at tiers 1, 2 and 3.

If you are a student living independently from your family, therapy is priced at £20 a session providing you can provide us with proof of studentship and your tenancy agreement.

When applying for therapy, you will need to pay for your initial sessions upfront. You will need to pay Anxiety UK the fees for 2 initial sessions (if you have having clinical hypnotherapy) and for 3 sessions (if you are having CBT or counselling). All other therapy sessions are paid directly to your therapist.

How many sessions of therapy do I need?

The number of sessions of therapy that you have will depend on your particular condition and its complexity and severity. However as an indicative guide, if you are having Clinical Hypnotherapy you can expect to have between 4-6 weekly sessions. If you are having CBT or Counselling you can expect to have between 6-15 sessions.

Can I have two types of therapy at once?

In line with current best practice, it is not advisable to pursue more than one therapy at a time. Different therapies are based on different models and may use techniques that have opposing effects on underlying psychological mechanisms. In other words, you risk “diluting” the positive effects of therapy. This also means that if someone gets better or worse then it is hard to know which treatment was responsible.

Who handles my application?

The Therapy Services Coordinator and Services team are responsible for processing your therapy referral and communicating with our team of therapists. All your information will be kept strictly confidential, and you can read our full privacy policy here.

Will you contact my GP?

We may have to if you disclose any information on your referral form that requires us to seek your GP’s approval before being able to refer you to an Anxiety UK Approved Therapist. Should this be necessary, we will contact you first to seek your permission to contact your GP/other relevant healthcare provider that is involved in your care.

Who are your therapists?

Anxiety UK Approved Therapists are volunteers and are not employed by Anxiety UK when carrying out therapy services. The fees that are paid direct to them are to help to cover the cost of their expenses such as external supervision and room hire.

All Anxiety UK Approved Therapists have a current Enhanced Disclosure and Barring service check and undergo screening before getting approval to volunteer. This includes confirmation that the volunteers undertake regular external clinical supervision; they have up to date and relevant qualifications; they have professional indemnity insurance cover and that they have membership of relevant professional bodies.

Regular quality assurance checks are established to ensure that therapists have all mandatory requirements in place.

What qualifications do Anxiety UK approved therapists hold?

Counsellors must hold a Diploma in Counselling from a course that has been accredited/is in the process of being accredited by either the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP), the British Psychological Society (BPS) or the National Counselling Society (NCS) and/or hold individual registration/accreditation with the BACP or NCS.

Alternatively, if they hold a Counselling diploma from a non-BACP, NCS or BPS accredited course, they must be working towards securing BACP, NCS or BPS accreditation within 12 months of being accepted as an Anxiety UK Approved Therapist.

CBT practitioners must hold a qualification from a course that has been accredited /is in the process of being accredited by the British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP) and/or hold individual accreditation with the BABCP.

Alternatively, if they have a CBT qualification (Diploma or above) from a non-BABCP accredited course, they must be working towards securing BABCP accreditation within 12 months of being accepted as an Anxiety UK Approved Therapist.

Clinical Hypnotherapists must hold a Diploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy and be registered with one of the following professional bodies: The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council, The British Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the General Hypnotherapy Register, National Council for Hypnotherapy,  UK Council for Psychotherapy and The Hypnotherapy Society.

Can you or your therapists advise me on my medication?

No, the staff at Anxiety UK and our Anxiety UK Approved Therapists are not medically qualified to give pharmaceutical advice or prescribe medication. It is best to consult your GP should you have any questions about your medication.

Will the therapist visit me at home?

We do not typically offer home visits as part of our therapy services. This is because the majority of our therapists are skilled and comfortable in delivering sessions via phone and webcam.

To access Anxiety UK’s therapy services you must…

• Have an active Anxiety UK membership (Please make sure when applying for therapy that your membership is in date, otherwise you will be required to pay the full private rate (circa £60-150 per session depending upon your area of residence) for the sessions received outside of your membership.)
• Be requiring support with anxiety, stress or anxiety-based depression
• Be “ready, willing & able” to fully engage with talking therapy including being able to commit to attending regular appointments

Anxiety UK’s therapy services are not/may not be suitable if:

• You have an alcohol/drug issue that is at a level which is highly likely to interfere with your ability to fully engage with therapy
• You have a diagnosis of another more complex mental health condition such as psychosis or an emerging personality disorder or personality disorder (including borderline personality disorder). Please note: having such mental health issues does not however always result in you being unable to access our therapy services. In such circumstances we routinely contact other relevant professionals involved in your care to obtain their opinion as to whether our therapy services are suitable.
• You have strong thoughts of suicide and we believe you may be at risk. In such circumstances we routinely contact your GP and/or other relevant health professional to ensure it is safe and appropriate for you to access our therapy services.
• You are under 16. We will always need to contact your GP and your parent(s)/guardian before being able to offer access to our therapy services.

Therapy for Non-members

FAST (Fast Access to Therapy Services) has been developed to offer a quick, alternative method for non-members to access therapy support from Anxiety UK approved therapists. The service has been designed to provide a fast service for those seeking support quickly and can be provided either face to face, via telephone or by webcam.

Feedback from some of our members:

“The support I received through Anxiety UK and my therapist was outstanding… Wish I’d done this sooner”

 “I am very glad that I contacted Anxiety UK and got the therapist that I was given. My therapist has helped and supported me vastly through one of the most difficult periods of my life so far. She gave me a set of tools to teach me how to discriminate between helpful and unhelpful thinking patterns and how to transform the unhelpful into something more rational thereby reducing my anxiety considerably.”

“I felt so much better after my therapy …I am so pleased that I found out about anxiety UK. Thank you”

“My therapist provided excellent support and a therapeutic style that met my needs”

“I had tried therapy once or twice many years ago – didn’t think it was for me. Anxiety UK and my therapists approach, taking my issue and personality into consideration to assign the right kind of help changed my attitudes completely. I now see therapy as learning a new set of skills to battle a particular life challenge. I can’t thank Anxiety UK enough for changing my attitudes and taking the time to get me the right help.”