How Much Does a Therapist Make?

Learn what therapists earn, what qualifications are needed, job roles, pros and cons, and where to work in the mental health sector.

How Much Do Therapists Make? Career Path, Salary and Role Breakdown

Therapists play a crucial role in supporting people through emotional, mental, and behavioural challenges. From anxiety and depression to trauma and addiction, therapists help individuals navigate life’s hardest moments. But how much do they earn? And what does it really take to become one?

This guide outlines the role, training routes, salary ranges, key skills, and what the future looks like for therapists in the UK.

Job Description: What Does a Therapist Do?

A therapist is a trained mental health professional who provides talking therapy to help clients manage psychological distress, emotional problems, or life challenges. Therapists may work with individuals, couples, families or groups.

Responsibilities include:

  • Holding structured therapy sessions, often weekly

  • Listening without judgment and helping clients explore their thoughts

  • Developing treatment plans and setting goals

  • Applying therapeutic models (e.g. CBT, psychodynamic, integrative)

  • Keeping confidential records and adhering to safeguarding rules

  • Referring clients to other services if necessary

  • Continuing professional development and supervision

Therapists work in private practice, the NHS, charities, schools, prisons, and employee wellbeing services.

How Hard Is It to Become a Therapist?

It’s a long-term commitment. Becoming a qualified therapist can take anywhere from 4 to 7 years, depending on your route. You'll need both academic study and hundreds of hours of supervised clinical practice.

Places on therapy courses are competitive, especially those accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP). Personal resilience is essential—this career is emotionally demanding and often involves confronting distressing topics.

Traits and Characteristics You Need

A good therapist needs to be:

  • Empathetic and non-judgmental

  • Patient and calm, even in emotionally intense sessions

  • Excellent at listening—not just hearing words, but understanding meaning

  • Able to manage boundaries and confidentiality

  • Reflective, with strong emotional self-awareness

  • Reliable and consistent—trust is built over time

  • Committed to ongoing self-development

Therapists must also be able to sit with silence, accept uncertainty, and avoid rushing to offer advice.

Do You Need Qualifications to Become a Therapist?

Yes—this is a regulated field, and clients expect you to be properly trained. You typically need:

  1. Level 3 or 4 Diploma in Counselling (entry-level training)

  2. Level 5/6 Diploma or Degree (BACP or UKCP accredited)

  3. Postgraduate diploma or master’s for specialist or NHS roles (e.g. psychotherapy, CBT)

Some people take a psychology degree first and then specialise. Others take vocational routes via diplomas and work-based placements. You also need to be a registered member of a professional body (e.g. BACP, UKCP, BABCP) to practise ethically.

Training usually takes 4–5 years, part-time, including 100+ hours of supervised practice.

What Experience Do You Need?

To qualify and work professionally, you need:

  • A minimum of 100–450 hours of clinical experience, depending on your specialism

  • Personal therapy (often a requirement during training)

  • Supervised placements in counselling centres, schools, GP practices or charities

  • An up-to-date enhanced DBS check

  • Continued CPD (training updates each year)

Entry-level therapy jobs are rare, so gaining voluntary or low-paid experience during or after training is vital.

Benefits of Being a Therapist

  • Deeply meaningful work: You help people through life’s hardest moments

  • Flexibility: Private practice allows you to set your own hours

  • Job satisfaction: Seeing change over time is highly rewarding

  • Growing demand: Mental health awareness is rising, so jobs are more in demand

  • Specialism opportunities: You can focus on areas like trauma, children, addiction or couples

  • Self-employment potential: Many therapists run their own practice

Drawbacks and Negatives

  • Emotionally heavy work: Listening to trauma and distress every day takes a toll

  • Slow to qualify: Training is long and expensive

  • Not always well-paid: Entry-level or voluntary roles are common

  • Unstable income in private practice, especially when starting

  • Risk of burnout: Therapists need strong self-care routines

  • Strict professional rules: You must maintain client confidentiality and professional boundaries at all times

Therapist Salary Levels in the UK

Therapist earnings vary based on experience, employer, and whether you're self-employed.

  • Trainee / Voluntary: Unpaid to £10/hour

  • Entry-level (qualified): £20,000–£26,000

  • NHS Band 6 CBT Therapist: £35,392–£42,618

  • Private Practice (Part-Time): £25,000–£40,000

  • Private Practice (Full-Time): £40,000–£70,000+

Tax Example:

A private therapist earning £45,000/year would pay:

  • Income Tax: approx. £6,432

  • National Insurance: approx. £4,007

  • Take-home pay: around £34,560/year or £665/week

Self-employed therapists can reduce tax through allowable business expenses (rent, training, supervision, insurance).

What’s the Future for This Role?

Therapy is one of the fastest-growing sectors in healthcare. With waiting lists for NHS counselling and rising mental health awareness, demand for therapists is increasing across:

  • Schools and youth services

  • Employee assistance programmes

  • Teletherapy platforms

  • Addiction and trauma services

  • Private practice and wellbeing clinics

Online therapy is also reshaping the profession. Being able to offer sessions over Zoom or Teams is now standard.

Best Companies and Organisations to Work For

Therapists are employed across the public and private sectors. Top employers and platforms include:

  • NHS (IAPT and CAMHS services)

  • Mind – mental health charity

  • Place2Be – school-based therapy

  • Relate – relationship counselling

  • Kooth / Togetherall – digital therapy platforms

  • Private practices and wellbeing centres – self-employed or hired positions

  • EAP providers like Health Assured, Validium, or Bupa

Private work is often more flexible and better paid, but NHS and charity work may offer more security and supervision.

Final Thought

Becoming a therapist isn’t a quick path, but it’s a deeply human, high-impact career. If you’re drawn to helping others, comfortable with emotional complexity, and willing to commit to years of training and personal development, it can be one of the most fulfilling jobs out there.