Annual Salary
£35,000 to £50,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Medical or Social care or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Medical or Social care or go back to all job sectors
Psychotherapists use talking therapies to help people deal with emotional, behavioural and mental health issues.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: in your own business; managing your own hours
There will be
3.8% more Psychotherapist jobs in 2027.
As a psychotherapist, you would:
You could work in the community, in a therapy clinic, at a health centre, in an NHS or private hospital or from home.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
To become a psychotherapist, you'll need to:
Your postgraduate course should be recognised by one of the following:
Training can take between 3 and 4 years to complete.
To become a child psychotherapist, you will need to complete 4 years of training with the APC.
You'll also need experience of working with children or vulnerable adults.
Some courses may expect you to go into therapy yourself during your training. This is to help you deal with any issues that may affect you as a therapist, as well as to experience therapy from a client's point of view.
You'll usually need:
You could start by doing a Level 3 or 4 Diploma in Counselling before moving onto further training at degree and postgraduate level.
You'll be encouraged to take an introductory course to start, to make sure that this is a career for you.
Some colleges have a minimum age limit to start this type of course. They may also expect you to have had experience of working with vulnerable people.
You'll need to:
Training in psychotherapy is personally and emotionally challenging. It can also be costly and takes a lot of time and dedication. It's important to think about how it will impact your life before committing to a course.
You can find out more about careers in psychotherapy from Health Careers and the UK Council for Psychotherapy.
You can also explore other careers in the psychological professions.
With experience, you could take on a training, teaching or mentoring role, or specialise in a particular therapeutic approach.
You might also become self-employed and set up a private practice, or move into academic research.
You'll need: