Counselling in Glasgow

This page brings together registered counsellors and psychotherapists who work online with clients in Glasgow and across Scotland. You can search by approach, availability and specialism to find someone suited to what you have come with.

What is counselling?

Counselling is a talking therapy, usually weekly, usually around fifty minutes. You bring a difficulty and work on it with someone trained to listen carefully and think with you rather than tell you what to do. It might be a bereavement, a relationship that has gone wrong, work stress, low mood, or a feeling you cannot name yet.

Counselling tends to be shorter term than psychotherapy and focused on the present. Some counsellors work to a set number of sessions, often six to twenty. Others work open-ended and review as you go. In the UK, counsellors are usually registered with BACP or NCPS, both of which require supervised practice, ongoing training and a complaints procedure.

Counsellors available to clients in Glasgow

• 350 therapists offering online sessions are currently accepting new clients.
• Fees start at £25, with a median of £85 across the online profiles.
• Registration is checked with the professional body before a profile goes live.

What to expect from counselling

A first session is mostly about working out whether the two of you fit. Your counsellor will ask what brought you, what you have tried, and what you want to be different. You do not need a tidy answer. Turning up unsure is a normal way to start.

After that the shape is fairly simple. You talk, your counsellor listens and reflects back what they notice, and over time the patterns become clearer. Some weeks feel useful and some feel like nothing happened. That is ordinary. If after a few sessions you feel no connection at all, say so. A good counsellor would rather help you find someone else than have you drift away.

Related pages

• Therapists and counsellors in Glasgow
• Trauma therapy and EMDR in Glasgow
• Couples therapy in Glasgow
• CBT therapists in Glasgow
• Anxiety therapy in Glasgow

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does counselling cost in Glasgow?

Private counselling in Scotland commonly runs £45 to £80 a session. Among the online counsellors on this directory, fees start at £25. Some hold reduced-fee places for people on low incomes.

What is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy?

The training routes overlap and the boundary is blurry. As a rough guide, counselling tends to be shorter and focused on a current difficulty. Psychotherapy tends to run longer and look at where a pattern came from. Many practitioners do both.

Can I get free counselling in Glasgow?

Your GP can refer you into NHS psychological therapies in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, though waits are often long. Some charities and university training clinics offer free or low cost sessions.

Do I need a referral?

No. You contact a private counsellor directly.

How many sessions will I need?

Many people work in blocks of six to twelve and review from there. Some stay longer. Your counsellor should discuss this openly rather than leave it vague.

Is online counselling confidential?

Yes, with the same duties as in person work. Your counsellor should tell you what platform they use and what the limits of confidentiality are. Take the session somewhere you will not be overheard.