Private therapy - UK

I am rapidly running out of options and a few weeks ago my NHS psychiatrist asked me if I have the means to pay for private therapy
This is not something I have any experience of, and I wonder if people with experience of this could give any advice on how to go about finding a therapist, rough cost etc. (though I doubt I will be able to afford it).

Brief background, I have very severe treatment (drug)-resistant depression, anxiety and a recently diagnosed dependent personality disorder.
I started a course of CBT a couple of years ago but we terminated early as it wasn't helping me and was making me feel worse. I had a short course of distress tolerance therapy earlier this year, based on CBT techniques which also did not help at all (though during the 8 weeks of treatment my Dad was diagnosed with, and died, of cancer). I was the discharged by the psychotherapy team with no recommendations for further treatment or support.

My psychiatrist referred me back to the psychotherapy service for more therapy but now that I am finally at the top of the list for assessment she informs me that they only offer CBT or short interventions which won't be suitable for me.

My only other NHS option is ECT, which the psychiatrist is pushing me to accept but I am currently refusing this on the grounds that they have completely downplayed the possible side-effects and I cannot give informed consent if I am not told what the risks are.

So, basically I cannot see any way forward apart from paying for private therapy (which I probably can't afford anyway).

It's dependent on area (the old postcode lottery) but some CCGs will fund about 20 sessions of psychotherapy esp before ECT is mooted. Can you press for that. It is in the NICE guidelines so even if it's not 'normal' in your area you can ask for exceptional funding. But you have to advocate hard which is obvs difficult when you are I'll. Are there any help groups like MIND in your area that would help you advocate?

I pay £70 per hour for private pyschodynamic therapy.

I got a referral from a friend.

Before that I got long-term pyschodynamic therapy through MIND for about £10 an hour. There maybe other such organisations.

Good luck.

I pay reduced rate for psychoanalysis.
NHS really is of no use for long term care.
You might as well not bother with short course if CBT

How did you get the reduced rate and through what organisation?

Is private. She offered reduced rate.

Thanks

If you really can't afford private therapy, the free psychotherapy network is a group of private therapists who offer free therapy to people on low incomes the free psychotherapy network | free psychotherapy for people on low incomes and benefits

Many T's also actually have special prices for students and those on low incomes. Perhaps you could email a few to find out? My T's usual price is £60 an hour, but I see him for £20 less per session. Perhaps you could also try one session every other week?

I pay significantly less than the rates stated in this thread, but this has been negotiated over a long period of time with my therapist and at her instigation. It might be that once you have established a relationship, demonstrated motivation and need that your therapist would be open to further negotiation. I am not supporting the idea that you should have to "prove yourself" as a viable therapy option, but I think the reality is that therapists are more open to significant fee reduction with long term clients in need.


If you are in a university city, you might find that univerisities offer a counselling unit type service which provides training to counselling students/research clinics alongside accompanying free/low cost therapy to local residents.


Local charities and voluntary sector organisations will provide counselling, but it will most likely be short/medium term. It might be worth contacting them for suggestions about practitioners who accept those on low incomes. It is also worth looking for counselling provided by organisations specific to your presenting issues. For example, I know of local organisations who offer open-ended therapy to women who have experienced sexual violence.


I previously had NHS therapy which was only intended as 6 month service provision. However, it was extended beyond that time due to my circumstances so don't automatically discount what is being offered for free.

Where abouts are you? In large cities there are usually low cost centres, some are training organisations. Private psychoanalytic therapists will usually offer therapy on a sliding fee scale, depending on how much you earn. You can also negotiate directly with the therapist but you have to ask and be honest about how much you can pay. Some can cost as little as £5 per session but you would have to be really hard up.

I pay a significantly reduced rate, about half of what waterloo pays but this has been discussed over the years and had a lot to do with frequency at the time too.

I see a private therapist, who is a clinical psychologist and the manager of an NHS department. I think it's not uncommon for NHS higher level staff to work 20% or so in private practice.
It is expensive and I'm very fortunate to be able to afford it. I don't go away on holiday except for camping holidays, I've been saving a house deposit for years and years and may never manage, but I do not regret the money spent on therapy. It has transformed my quality of life and has been worth every penny as far as I am concerned. I prioritise therapy at the top of my budget along with rent, and I use the budget tracker YNAB to plan my monthly budget carefully and make sure I stay within my means.
I found my T by looking online. I was looking for someone highly qualified and experienced and able to deliver different types of therapy. I also researched a bit the type of therapy I thought would be most helpful, although I didn't know about schema therapy and it was very fortunate for me that my T is trained in this approach. BTW black dog, for some long term issues where CBT has not been helpful, schema therapy is sometimes recommended. Perhaps you could ask your pdoc what kind of therapy he think she would be helpful? You don't have to do exactly as he says, of course, which is the beauty of private therapy where you stay in control, but it may give you a useful starting point.

Thanks for all the replies

Thanks. I'll look into this. My pdoc has basically told me that there are no other treatments available but I will look into contacting MIND to see if they can help

Thanks. I don't think I would qualify as low income though I work full time and earn a reasonable salary but I also have a mortgage (based on my previous, much better-paid job) and bills etc. which doesn't leave me with much left over.

I do live in (well, not far from) a big university city so I will look into that.

I don't know what else is available through the NHS here, so I am going to talk to my GP (who is wonderful) and see if she has any ideas. My pdoc was fairly adamant that there is nothing else they can do for me, but she is also pushing hard for me to accept ECT (which also directly contravenes the NICE guidelines). I suspect that a large part of it is that I don't respond to drugs and the waiting times are much shorter for ECT than for any kind of therapy, let alone anything more specialised than the bog-standard 12 week CBT course.

It might be worth checking with individual practitioners on the network. The idea of the scheme is to enable those who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford to seek open ended therapy. Even if your salary is reasonable, if you fall into that category I see no reason why therapists wouldn't work with you for free or at a very reduced fee.