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Psychotherapist
Hours
30-40 per week
Starting salary
£21,200 + per year
If you're interested in people's emotions, and want to help them deal with problems in their lives, this could be an ideal career for you.
Psychotherapists help people who are distressed. They use a variety of techniques and therapies, rather than using drugs or physical treatments.
To become a psychotherapist, you will need to be a good ‘listener’. The job requires an energetic and positive outlook. You’ll also need to be non-judgemental.
WorkDesc
The work
Your work with people (your clients) could involve:
- encouraging them to talk about their experiences in order to explore emotional or relationship problems
- analysing past events and behaviours so that changes can be made
- assessing their way of thinking and their feelings
- helping them develop new strategies for coping.
You could work with adults or children, individually and in groups. You may also be involved in training non-client groups like social workers.
The approach you use would depend on the type of psychotherapy you practise. These types are known as theoretical models or theoretical approaches. See the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) websites for more information on theoretical approaches.
HoursDesc
Hours
You would usually work between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday. However, private therapy sessions often take place in the early morning or early evening to fit in with clients' working times. A session will last from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on what you agree with the client. Part-time hours are often possible.
This work can be emotionally challenging. However, you are likely to have support from a mentor through regular supervision sessions.
IncomeDesc
Income
Trainee psychotherapists in the NHS may earn between £21,200 and £27,500 a year. Qualified psychotherapists can earn around £35,000 a year. With experience, this can rise to around £47,000 a year.
In the private sector, psychotherapists may charge between £40 and £100 for a 50-minute session. Lower rates may be offered to clients on low incomes.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
There is no single professional body responsible for overseeing the work of psychotherapists. However, many employers will prefer you to be registered with an organisation such as the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) or British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC).
Your route to qualifying as a psychotherapist may vary depending on the theoretical approach you want to practise. The UKCP has divided the main approaches into eight areas:
- analytical psychology
- behavioural and cognitive psychology
- experiential constructivist
- family, couple, sexual, systemic therapy
- humanistic and integrative psychotherapy
- hypno-psychotherapy
- psychoanalytic and psychodynamic
- psychoanalytically-based therapy with children.
For more information on each type of psychotherapy, check the UKCP website.
To be eligible for registration with the UKCP, you will need:
- either a postgraduate-level qualification in psychotherapy from a UKCP approved training provider
- or membership of a UKCP approved organisation if you have relevant experience or training from a non-UKCP approved training provider - see the UKCP website for details.
To do a course run by a UKCP approved training organisation, you will usually need:
- a relevant degree or professional qualification - for example in social work, psychology, mental health nursing or occupational therapy
- experience of working with vulnerable adults or children
- a caring personality and self-awareness.
Statutory Regulation
Psychotherapy and counselling are moving towards statutory regulation through the Health Professions Council (HPC). For the latest information on future regulation, check the HPC website.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
You may be able to start working in psychotherapy as a trainee in the NHS. You would usually combine workplace experience with studying for a UKCP approved Masters degree in psychotherapy. Becoming fully qualified and registered can take between four and six years on a part-time basis.
There are only a small number of NHS trainee posts available, and these are usually in specialist adolescent and child psychotherapy. See the NHS Jobs website for vacancies.
An alternative way to train is to study for an approved postgraduate course, and gain as much relevant experience as you can. This should increase your chances of getting work. Most courses include working under supervision on placements, observing as well as working directly with clients, personal development and therapy.
Throughout your career in psychotherapy you will need to have:
- the ability to build good working relationships and networks with other health professionals
- access to regular supervision by another practitioner to discuss personal and professional issues
- the ability to keep up to date with developments in psychotherapy - this could be, for example, by attending conferences, lectures, and courses and meetings organised through professional bodies or university schools of psychotherapy.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To become a psychotherapist, you will need to have:
- empathy, sincerity and sensitivity
- strong communication skills
- good listening and questioning skills
- a genuine interest in emotional and relationship issues
- good observation skills
- a non-judgmental approach
- the ability to build trust and rapport with a wide range of people
- an energetic and positive outlook
- the ability to separate your own feelings from those of your clients
- the confidence and skill to explore painful issues with clients
- commitment to self-development.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC) 
West Hill House
6 Swains Lane
London
N6 6QS
Tel: 020 7267 3626
www.psychoanalytic-council.org
United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
2nd Floor Edward House
2 Wakley Street
London
EC1V 7LT
Tel: 020 7014 9955
www.psychotherapy.org.uk
British Association of Psychotherapists (BAP)
37 Mapesbury Road
London
NW2 4HJ
Tel: 020 8452 9823
www.bap-psychotherapy.org
Association of Child Psychotherapists
120 West Heath Road
London
NW3 7TU
Tel: 020 8458 1609
www.acp.uk.net
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)
BACP House
15 St John's Business Park
Lutterworth
Leicestershire
LE17 4HB
Tel: 01455 883300
www.bacp.co.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
Government investment in the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme has created an increasing number of career opportunities in psychotherapy. Check the IAPT website for details.
You could work as a psychotherapist within NHS mental health services. See NHS Jobs for vacancies. You could also work in other areas of the public sector and with voluntary organisations.
Your opportunities may increase if you have experience in more than one theoretical model and can demonstrate your ability to work with different client groups.
With experience, you could take on a training, teaching or mentoring role, or become self-employed and set up independently in private practice. Networking and developing contacts in this field and in the healthcare profession is very important and may help you build your practice and your client numbers.
Skills in psychotherapy would also be useful if you want to go on to train in psychology, social work or one of the health professions.
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
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Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
Career paths
Further sources
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