Frequently asked questions.

Yes. At the moment, we are an exclusively virtual service, offering the flexibility to meet around your location and schedule. We work with clients across the United Kingdom (and occasional international clients), and your psychologist will arrange a time that suits your time zone.

Online therapy is just as effective as meeting in person for most people — with the added comfort of being able to talk from your own space, wherever you call home.

Therapy at ABODE is suitable for people from all walks of life facing all kinds of difficulties. You do not need a mental health diagnosis to be seen by us — and if you have received one previously, that’s also no problem.

Our psychologists offer theoretically-grounded, formulation-driven therapy — evidence-based and person-centred, with cultural sensitivity as a given. People come to us for support with things like anxiety, low mood, stress and burnout, relationships, life transitions, loss, self-esteem and difficult past experiences, among many others.

Not sure if we’re the right fit for what you’re facing? The free 15-minute consultation is the easiest way to find out — with no obligation to book anything further.

We’re here for adults seeking planned, non-urgent therapy. There are a few situations where we’re not the safest fit, and we’d gently point you elsewhere:

• We are unable to see anybody who is in need of immediate support or emergency crisis care.
• We are unable to have sessions with anyone who is currently receiving psychological support from a primary mental health team, or who is simultaneously seeing another psychologist or therapist outside of our team.
• We will not see people who show signs of intoxication or side effects of substance use during the session, or who present with inappropriate or threatening behaviour towards our psychologists.

If you need urgent or crisis support, please reach out now rather than waiting for an appointment:

UK: call Samaritans on 116 123 (24/7), contact your GP, call NHS 111, or in an emergency call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.

There’s no wrong way in, and the first step is always gentle and free. Most people begin one of three ways:

• Book a free 15-minute consultation — a relaxed, no-obligation chat to ask questions and see how it feels. Available to everyone.
• Use our therapist matching service — answer a few questions and we’ll thoughtfully suggest a psychologist who fits what you’re looking for.
• Book directly — if you already know what you need, choose a time with your chosen clinician.

Book a consultation · Find your therapist · Book a session

It can be hard to know how you might feel when you start speaking with your chosen psychologist. We advise taking a look at the information provided about our psychologists before making a decision, and perhaps booking a free 15-minute consultation with your chosen psychologist. You can then review how you feel during and after the consultation. If you would like to change psychologist, you can self-select the individual in the booking system. Our psychologists understand that client–therapist fit is very important, and will not take offence at you choosing to see someone else.

If you do not know where to begin in deciding between our psychologists, you can use our matching service or contact us at welcome@abodetherapy.co.uk, and we will be able to recommend someone who might best suit your needs and availability.

Press the ‘Book now’ button at the top of the page or click here to be taken to our booking page. There you can select your preferred slot with your chosen therapist and service, and purchase the booking directly through the system. You’ll receive confirmation and a secure joining link by email.

Your first session is mostly about getting to know one another. Your psychologist will ask what’s brought you to therapy, a little about your history and what you’re hoping for, and will begin to make sense of things with you. It’s also a chance for you to ask questions and see how it feels to work together.

There’s nothing you need to prepare, and you’re always in control of how much you share and how quickly. How confidentiality works will also be explained at the start of your work together.

It depends on the type of appointment:

• Individual therapy — 50 minutes (a 30-minute brief session is also available, for example as a check-in).
• Couples therapy — 50 minutes.
• Comprehensive assessment — 90 minutes, including a written assessment summary.
• Initial consultation — 15 minutes, free of charge.

If you have not entered the online waiting room within 15 minutes of the start of the session, the session may be ended and charged in full (see ‘running late’ below).

Just three things: a private, quiet space where you won’t be interrupted; a reliable internet connection; and a device with a camera and microphone (a laptop, tablet or phone all work well).

We use Zoom, and you’ll receive a secure meeting link ahead of your appointment. If you don’t already have Zoom, you can download the free app in a couple of minutes, or join straight from your web browser.

This depends on the number of sessions in your collection. You have up to 6 months after purchase to use all the sessions in a 6-session collection, and up to 12 months for a 12-session collection. You can book your sessions as and when you’d like, depending on your psychologist’s availability, or you might like to agree a regular time with your psychologist, which you should then book using the online booking system.

Collections are a more considered way to commit to a course of therapy, and work out a little gentler on the overall cost than booking sessions one by one.

Yes. We’re registered with the major UK and international providers and bill them directly, so for most insured clients there’s nothing to pay upfront and nothing to claim back:

Before your first session you’ll share your membership details and a pre-authorisation from your insurer, who will confirm your cover and the number of sessions approved. If your insurer later declines payment — for example if cover is withdrawn, or you have a member contribution to make — you’ll be responsible for settling the outstanding fee.

Don’t see your insurer? Please don’t worry — we may still be able to register with them on your behalf. Just email welcome@abodetherapy.co.uk, and we’re always happy to talk through self-paying too.

In line with professional ethics, codes of conduct and data protection law, information shared with ABODE psychologists remains confidential.

If a specific concern related to the risk of harm to yourself or to other people arises, we may be required to share this information (in line with best-practice in safeguarding) with relevant agencies who can provide further support. Your therapist will aim to discuss any such concern with you wherever possible, and this will be explained further in your first session. You can read more in our Client confidentiality & consent page.

We know that life happens, and plans change, so we are happy to cancel or reschedule any appointments up to 48 hours prior to the appointment time. If you choose to cancel, the credit equivalent to your session will be returned to your account for you to use towards your next appointment. We are unable to offer refunds to safeguard the service and our psychologists’ time — it can be very difficult to fill a slot that has already been booked. If you do not give 48 hours notice prior to cancellation, the full session fee will apply as usual.

We understand that things crop up now and then, so we offer a grace period of 15 minutes. In the event that you are running late, please contact us as soon as possible. If we have not heard from you within the 15 minutes after the scheduled session time, and you have not entered the virtual waiting room, we will assume that you are not coming to the session and it will be recorded as a no-show. You will still be charged in full for the session.

If you are running more than 15 minutes late and you have contacted us, whether the session continues or not is at the psychologist’s discretion.

Sometimes, after an initial consultation, assessment or session, a therapist may feel that our service isn’t best placed to support your particular needs. If that happens, we’ll always let you know honestly and, wherever possible, make onward recommendations for services that may be able to support you better. You’re never locked in — and changing your psychologist within our team is always an option too.