Counselling and Psychology

Psychotherapist Salary in UK

If you are considering a career in psychology, you may wonder how much psychologists earn each year. Salaries vary widely in this field depending upon educational level, speciality, area, and years of experience. You can enjoy tremendous diversity in these professions as you want. In a struggling economy, many students have turned their interest toward some of the highest-paying careers in psychology.

We have brought this blog to provide you with a comprehensive knowledge of salaries, the highest paying psychology careers, and their importance. Read the blog and sharpen your knowledge for your future.

A man is taking psychological therapy from a woman therapist in her office

Psychotherapist Salary

A psychotherapist is a trained health and mental professional. He supports individuals in managing their mental, emotional, and social challenges, stress, and disorders. Most of them work either for organisations or in private practice.

However, you can easily apply in the below place-

  • Schools
  • Colleges
  • Prisons
  • NHS
  • Voluntary sector
  • NGOs
  • Rehabilitation centres.

Psychotherapists spend most of their time working with clients or in a group setting. However, many part-time and full-time jobs are available in this field. So he can do his counselling work efficiently with other roles. Many volunteers work free with charities and support organisations.

Salaries

In the UK, salaries can be competitive based on experience, degree, location, and job type. Some examples of competitive salaries are described below-

  • Based on the area, qualified psychotherapists earn an average of £45,743 yearly. For example-
    • Derby professionals earn £58,147 per year.
    • In Nottingham, professionals make an average of £41,141 annually
  • In the UK, the wage is distributed per year-
    • Standard – £42,948
    • Per hour pay- £22.02
    • Entry-level- £36,544,
    • Most experienced- £55,566.
  • The cost of private practice per hour is not fixed. Anyone can join the session from anywhere, and the payment of a clinical or counselling psychologist earns-
    • Per session: £120 – £180
    • Session time: 50 – 60mins
  • In the NHS, They follow the Agenda for Change (AfC) pay rates as per year-
    • In Band 6, Trainee psychotherapists get £31,365
    • The most senior positions are paid up to approximately £60,000 to £95,000

A woman is counting her salary, and there are a notebook, pan, glasses, and a calculator on the table

  • An early career with 1-4 years of experience earns an average (includes tips, bonus, and overtime pay) of £48.00 per hour and it is based on 33 salaries.
  • The national standard wage of a Psychotherapist is £44,024.
  • Psychotherapists can earn an Average Therapist Salary in the UK: £43,454.00, Minimum range of £24,907 and higher is £62,001
  • As per the National Career Service average salary (a year) may vary on an experience –
    • Stater- £40,056
    • Experienced- £53,218
    • Working hours- 38 to 41(a week)

A stressed man having a headache is sitting in front of his therapist

Fees

No fees are fixed for private practice work. According to the calculating technique, the payment is decided by the amount. For example.-

  • 1. Example 0f payment_
    • 20 to 35 Sessions
    • $75 to $125 per hour as an Ave Collection rate
    • 46 to 50 Weeks of Work per year
    • 20% to 40% of income for Expenses
    • 25% to 35% for benefits and taxes
  • 2. The basic formula for calculating psychotherapist pay:
    =(No of Sessions) x (Collections Rate) x (No of Work Weeks)
    = (Gross Receipts) – (Expenses)
    = (Gross Pay) – (taxes & benefits)
    = (Paycheck).
  • 3. Depending on various factors, including location, psychotherapists typically charge between £40 and £100 for a 50-minute session. You may offer a limited number of reduced-rate sessions for clients on a low income.
    • The average psychotherapist’s gross salary in the UK is £35,752 or an equivalent hourly rate of £17. Additionally, they earn an average bonus of £1,094.
    • The private practice charges an average of £30 to £60 a session; however, their income depends on the number of client sessions, the cost of the counselling room, and their supervision.

Plenty of opportunities are increasing in this field. You can do many jobs in schools, hospitals, organisations, mental health facilities, and private practices. You can also select your flexible working time.

What Type of Psychotherapist Gets Paid the Most?

Whether you belong to therapists or any other sector, the basic curiosity in every field is which job gets paid the most. You can pursue many positions if you want to get decently paid. Some examples of psychotherapists who earn the most-

Cognitive-behavioural therapists (CBT):

They are mental health professionals with a minimum of a master’s degree and specialised CBT training. A cognitive-behavioural therapist is a highly specialised counsellor who uses psychotherapeutic and behavioural techniques to assist their clients in addressing various psychological problems, such as-

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Substance abuse
  • Eating disorders

Therapists employ this type of therapy by making goals and measuring the client’s progress. As per NCS, the average psychotherapist salary for a year is as follows-

  • Stater- £32,305
  • Experienced- £45,838
  • Working Hour (a week)- 37 to 39 hour

 

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Dialectical behavioural therapist (DBT):

A weekly individual therapy programme that includes skills classes for people who experience –

  • Difficulties regulating emotions
  • Diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD)
  • Traits

Individual therapy usually involves weekly one-to-one sessions with a DBT therapist. Each session lasts approximately 45–60 minutes. There is no specific diagnostic requirement for the programme. But suppose you suffer from -intense emotions, unmanageable distress and problematic behaviour, the DBT therapists assist you in dealing effectively with –

  • Self-harm
  • Extreme emotional sensitivity
  • Mood swings
  • ADHD
  • Eating difficulties,
  • Anger
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Intense relationships
  • Impulsivity
  • Ultimately in building a fruitful
  • Satisfying life

The national average psychotherapist salary of a DBT therapist is £35,862 annually in the United Kingdom.

Humanistic therapists:

They focus on growth, responsibilities and self-development. They assist individuals in recognising their strengths, creativity and choice in the here and now. The humanistic approaches are based on believing that we naturally gravitate towards goodness. While difficult life experiences may temporarily block our ability to reach our potential, we can all achieve our goals with the proper support.

A humanistic therapist always works to create a safe, supportive environment where clients can express themselves. They are ultimately working towards developing people’s personal growth – mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Humanistic therapists also work with people with specific conditions, such as

  • Anxiety
  • Panic disorders
  • Addiction, depression
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Schizophrenia.

Humanistic psychologists can work in a wide range of different fields. They are commonly found in faith-based nonprofit organisations, drug and rehab facilities, or within providers of spiritual marriage counselling.

The average national salary for Humanistic Psychology is $50,000.00.

Psychodynamic therapist:

A psychodynamic therapist is a licensed, experienced social worker, psychotherapist, or other mental health or medical professional having advanced training in psychoanalysis. They look at how individuals respond to unconscious forces like defences and conflict. The focal point of this therapy is the emotional impact of childhood development and problematic patterns in a patient’s (adult) life. They use the relationship between the therapist and patient as a window into their critical condition. It works to improve a person’s outward symptoms and help that person lead a healthier emotional life.

Recently a job circular has been posted at Brighton; the salary offers – £36,382 to £51,799 pro-rata for full-time.

Holistic Therapists:

This therapist treats the body, mind, spirit and emotions. Holistic therapy is widely known as CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) and assists in regaining the body’s physical and energy balances.

It has been used for centuries and is essential in maintaining good health and well-being. A holistic therapist looks after the underlying cause by considering physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual states of health and well-being.

In UK, the national average salary for a Holistic Therapist is £35,862.

A young man getting a neck massage at a therapy and spa clinic

 

How Much Does a Newly Qualified Psychotherapist Earn In the UK?

To analyse the information about approximate income of a newly qualified psychotherapist, you can check salary survey data . The information is collected directly from employers and anonymous employees in the UK. As per the data-

  • An entry-level psychotherapist (1-3 years of experience) earns an average salary of £25,018.
  • A senior-level psychotherapist (8+ years of experience) earns an average salary of £44,071.
  • Newly experienced get £25,188 and annual salary starts from £25,188 to £124,248.
  • Though every organisation has its pay scale for compensation disbursement, even the NHS also pay as per its band.

A happy woman patient at a psychotherapist's office

Is Being a Psychotherapist a Good Job?

Being a psychotherapist is a great job; you can relieve people and get a happy life. So there’s a wonder and beauty in that process that you can not find anywhere else. The following points assist you in understanding why it is an excellent job-

  • A psychotherapist treats and cares for people who live with mental disorders or illnesses and assist them in achieving a state of balance.
  • They can understand the abnormality and work with those who suffer from these mental health conditions, such as depression, bipolar disorder, or personality disorders.
  • As a psychotherapist, you support someone via an online therapy session.
    You can constantly work with and meet new people through individual or group sessions.
  • With time, your salary will also increase. Like most careers, psychotherapists start at the bottom. Learning, experimenting, and building a solid job. More experience, education, training and certificates allow you to advance your career as far as you want.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this blog has helped you with the salary of psychotherapists in the UK and made you aware of the highest-paid sector of this domain. Now you can easily choose the sector suitable for you.

There are many opportunities that await, so you need to use them appropriately. For example, you can arrange an online session as a private therapist or directly apply through the company’s website. So it’s your time to prepare.

Thank you for being with us.

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