Highbury Fields

You have two simple options at HQ Therapy. Use our therapist finder to browse profiles and choose someone yourself, or book an assessment where we’ll help match you with the right therapist. If the first therapist isn’t the right fit, we’ll help you find someone who is.

This varies depending on your goals. Some people find 6-8 sessions helpful for specific issues, while others benefit from longer-term therapy for deeper personal development. You can discuss timeframes with your therapist and adjust as needed. Many people start noticing positive changes within the first few sessions.

It depends on the route you choose. Qualified therapists set their own fees, typically £50–£90 per session. Our low-cost programme with supervised trainee therapists ranges from £27 to £45 per session, depending on the number of sessions you commit to. An HQ Therapy Assessment is £25.

Yes. Low-cost therapy sessions with supervised trainee therapists range from £27 to £45, depending on the number of sessions you commit to — 8, 12, 16, or 20+. Our trainees are on advanced postgraduate programmes at institutions like UEL and Metanoia, working under dual supervision. It's open to anyone who's happy to work with a supervised trainee. Book a 30-minute assessment for £25 to get started.

Once that is done you will receive an email confirming your booking and guiding you through the process:

• There will be a client invitation link leading you to a form that will be used to gather some details about you. Don’t panic, the process is very simple and all you need to do is put your answers into the form.
• There will be an invitation link to join the referral assessment video call on the day and time you have chosen (a reminder email will be sent near the assessment date to alert you).
• Now you are all set up for your initial referral assessment and on the road to finding the right therapist for your issues.
• We look forward to meeting you.
• If you cannot make your appointment date, let us know at least 24 hours before and we can reschedule it for another available slot on our calendar. Please be advised that referral assessments are non-refundable

An assessment is your first step with HQ Therapy. It’s a practical conversation where we understand your needs and goals, explain how therapy could help, and match you with the right therapist. We’ll also discuss which of our services – standard therapy or low-cost program – would work best for you. The assessment helps ensure you get the most suitable support from the start.

Your first session is about getting started with your therapist. You’ll discuss what brings you to therapy, what you’d like to achieve, and how you’ll work together. Your therapist will explain their approach and answer any questions you have. There’s no pressure – it’s about finding out if you work well together.

A client therapy referral assessment provides you with a safe and confidential space to discuss the issues that have brought you to therapy and helps you decide whether counselling is the right choice for you with one of our referral therapists.

• Counselling referral assessments are up to 30 minutes long and cost £. All assessments take place over a video call, for your convenience at the time you have chosen. We ask that you be in a private space when taking the assessment call.
• The referral assessment is also to determine whether a trainee therapist is suitable for the client. If the assessment counsellor thinks a referral to another service is more appropriate, they will discuss this with you.
• If the service is deemed unsuitable, we do not offer refunds for referral assessment appointments, but you will be offered the option for your notes to be transferred to our Fully Qualified Therapy Practice.
• Although our therapists endeavour to be flexible around your schedule, due to the nature and the high demand of the low-cost service, session times are limited and we ask that you be flexible with your availability. Please be aware that the only session times we can guarantee are on weekends between 7 am-10 pm and assessment appointments are non-refundable.
• Please note: Our low-cost service trainees cannot currently offer therapy sessions with clients who are residing abroad.

Once the therapy assessment process has been completed, we will begin to arrange your sessions with a therapist.

• The prices range from £27.50, depending on a sliding scale of your annual income. A £50 deposit will be required when beginning your sessions, which will be refunded at the end of your client contract, on meeting the contract terms of cancellation
• If you earn above 40k per annum, you can still opt to use the low-cost service; however, the session rate will start at £45 per session. Payments are set up on a monthly basis.
• The Low-cost service is intended to make therapy accessible to all. However, we are restricted to the number of clients that can receive the lowest fee bracket, so please bear this in mind when booking your assessment appointment. Currently, the lowest monthly block booking fee is £108
• Make sure you take time to look at the information on the’ Low-Cost Counselling Subscription Information’ document and understand how ongoing Low-Cost Therapy works for you.
• Our low-cost service is a training program for therapists that includes conducting client sessions and assessments; therefore, the initial referral assessments take place via a video call with a client and a trainee therapist.