Therapy FAQs

Who is therapy for?

People come to WPF Therapy in order to address emotional, personal or relationship problems. These include:

• Lack of confidence
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Difficulties in sustaining relationships
• Bereavement and other losses
• Physical illness
• Difficulty in expressing feelings
• Loneliness
• Psycho-sexual problems
• Issues relating to abuse or unhappiness in childhood
• Stress at work
• Eating disorder

Is the service regulated/accredited by the BACP/UKCP?

WPF Therapy's central London practice is a BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) accredited service and an organisational member of the UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy).

How many therapists do you have working there?

There are around 200 psychotherapists working at WPF Therapy, including some who are in training.

Do you offer a variety of approaches (eg ongoing one-to-one counselling and psychotherapy, group therapy, short-term counselling, CBT) or just the one?

WPF Therapy offers:

Will you help me decide which model of therapy is the right one for me?

Before offering therapy sessions we will arrange an initial consultation interview, of around 90 minutes, to explore your needs and expectations and whether the services we offer could help you. We will then be able to recommend what we believe will be the most appropriate approach for you. Sometimes a further consultation may be necessary before we are able to make a final recommendation.

Contact us for more information >

What if you think that your services are not appropriate for me?

In that case we will recommend alternative approaches that you may want to consider.

How long have you been operating as a therapy service?

WPF Therapy started providing therapy services in 1969, and is now one of the leading charitable providers of psychodynamic psychotherapy and professional training.

Read more about the history of WPF Therapy here >

If I come to you will there be just you and me in the building or will there be other people around?

There will always be a receptionist and a duty manager on the premises. Depending on the time of day there may also be other therapists in therapy sessions, other clients, office staff, training staff and trainees.

Does the therapy take place in a private house or in more of a professional setting?

WPF Therapy is housed in purpose-built office premises near London Bridge which include consulting rooms and training rooms as well as the offices of those staff who work for the charity.

You can see photos of our premises within the About Us section of our website >

What happens if I turn up early? Is there a waiting room? Can I get in the building even if my therapist is busy or will I need to wait outside?

There is a waiting area for you as soon as you've let reception know that you've arrived. Your therapist will collect you from there.

Is the practice profit-making or are you a charity? If a charity then what might my fees be supporting?

WPF Therapy is a charity which believes therapy should be accessible to all. After covering the basic cost of providing the service, any additional payment helps us to provide therapy to people who would otherwise be unable to pay the basic costs. By asking people to make a payment based on their income we are able to offer a professional service to people whatever their personal situation. We also train the psychotherapists of the future.

Do you offer appointments for people who may be unemployed and unable to pay or would I need to go to my GP or to hospital if this was the case?

We offer appointments and a safe service irrespective of whether somebody is in employment or not. We operate a sliding scale of payment depending on income.

Do you have appointments at early mornings, evenings and weekends as I can’t really take time off work?

Appointments at WPF Therapy are available from 8am until 8pm at night and from 9am to 4pm on Saturdays.  The Low Cost Clinic has limited availbility at 8am, 9am and 10am Monday to Friday and all day Saturday.

How do I know my therapist is working professionally?

All of our psychotherapists receive regular supervision and have to comply with the ethical codes of FPC, BCP, BACP and UKCP.

How can I be sure that my details remain confidential?

All staff adhere to a code of conduct which includes the rule of confidentiality.  No details will be given to a third party (eg employer, doctor or anybody else) except in exceptional circumstances such as child protection.

Any records are kept securely on site at all times and remain confidential. We comply with the data protection act.

Read more about our Professional Standards >