Online counselling
Online counselling with verified UK therapists.
Online counselling is therapy by video call or phone with a qualified therapist, instead of in a room together. The therapists listed here for online work have had their registration, insurance and supervision checked by a person, exactly as for in-person work. It suits people who cannot travel, have unpredictable hours, or find it easier to talk from home.
- How it happens
- By video call or by phone, at a time you agree with the therapist.
- Who is listed
- The same verified therapists, with the same four checks and the same badge.
- What you need
- A private room, a connection, and headphones if you share a wall.
- What changes
- The room, not the checks. Filter any search to online only.
Can I have therapy online?
Yes. Many of the therapists listed here offer online sessions, by video or by phone, and some work that way entirely.
You choose a therapist in the same way, read the same four questions, and see the same list of what was checked. The only practical difference is where you sit.
Who does online counselling suit?
People who live somewhere with few therapists, or where the one they want to see is an hour away. People with caring responsibilities or shift patterns that make a fixed weekly trip impossible.
People who do not want to be seen walking into a building. People who find it easier to say difficult things when they are not in the same room. None of these is a lesser reason.
What changes when the room is a screen?
You have to make the room: a door that closes, headphones if you share a wall, and a slot when you will not be interrupted.
Some people sit in the car. The therapist will usually check at the start that you are somewhere private.
The ending is more abrupt. In person, there is a corridor and a street. Online, the call ends and you are back in your kitchen. Many people find it helps to keep ten minutes clear afterwards.
Some things are harder to read on a screen, and a good therapist will ask more often whether something has landed. You are allowed to say “I would rather do this in person” if you find that out after a few sessions.
Can I switch between online and in person?
Often, yes. A profile shows whether a therapist works in person, online, by phone, or any mix, and many people settle on a mix.
Say what you would prefer in your first message, and ask whether it can change later. A therapist who works both ways will usually say yes.
Before the first session
How do I set it up so it works?
Ask what they use, wear headphones if you can, keep the edges of the hour clear, and check the same things you would check for anyone.
Ask what they use
Most therapists use a mainstream video service. Ask before the first session, and test it once so the first ten minutes are not spent on the software.
Headphones, if you can
They keep the therapist's voice private and make it easier to hear the quiet parts.
Keep the edges clear
Five minutes before, ten after. The session is the same length as in person; the transitions are yours to make.
Check the same things
Online therapists are checked identically: register, insurance, supervision, identity. If a website offers therapy online with no register named, that is worth noticing.
Plain answers
More questions people ask
Is online counselling private?
As private as the room you are in and the service the therapist uses. Ask which video service they use and whether sessions are recorded; the usual answer is a mainstream service and no. Your side is a door that closes and headphones if you share a wall. Gototherapy is not part of the call and stores nothing about it.
Do I need special software?
Usually not. Most therapists use a mainstream video service that runs in a browser or a free app, and they will send a link before the first session. Test it once beforehand so the first ten minutes are not spent on the software. Phone sessions need nothing at all.
Does online counselling cost less?
There is no rule. Each therapist sets their own fee and shows it on the profile; some charge the same online as in person, some less. Ask in your first message, and ask about lower-fee places if cost is the deciding factor.
Are online therapists checked the same way?
Yes, identically. Register entry, insurance, supervision and identity, checked by a person before listing and again every year. The badge on an online profile says exactly what the badge on any other profile says. How we verify.
Can I have online counselling from outside the UK?
Ask the therapist. Many will see people who are abroad temporarily, and some will not, because their insurance or their professional body limits where they can practise. It is a fair question for the first message.
What if I need help right now?
Gototherapy is a directory, not an emergency service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. For other urgent support, the urgent support page lists where to turn.