Private Practice in the Milton Keynes area….is it worth the price tag?
Regardless of what sort of therapy you are looking for whether it be short term, CBT, humanistic, or therapy for the young person in your family it can be argued that due to modern day psychological research, there is a type of therapy out there for everyone. The wide choice of therapy and therapists does however come with some limitations and restrictions, the main one of course being cost. Nearly three quarters of people said their experience of therapy was helpful (73%) and appropriate (72%) for their mental wellbeing. Nearly nine in 10 people (88%) think it’s important that counselling is accessible to those who want it.
According to recent anonymous research on outcome measures in schools a large percentage of parents of children undergoing therapy at school reported positive changes in their children’s moods and behaviours. Therefore, it can’t really be argued that partially funded and free NHS therapy whether it be CAMHS, CBT or talking therapy certainly provides huge benefits for those seeking it and is disputably more accessible than private therapy. So what is the downside of free and funded therapy if there even is one? It is fairly widely known the amount of pressure that the NHS is currently under, resulting in cancelled appointments and longer waiting times across the board. This also applies to the NHS Mental Health services, the average wait time for children and adolescent mental health services in England varies but it can be months or sometimes even years. There was an estimated waiting list of 403,955 in March 2023 with a wait time of over four months, with Milton Keynes being close to five months. This can result in a decline in mental health in young people, and a reluctance to attend. In addition to the wait times, children and young people may not receive the right service, undergo the correct modality suited to their problems, or they may not see the therapist that is necessarily best suited to them. They also may not receive the required number of therapy sessions required, whereas with private practice a large number of therapists will work with a more flexible approach. According to a survey conducted in 2024 by the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists eight out of ten say that it is important to find a counsellor on an accredited register, highlighting perhaps the importance of there being some choice.
With a decrease in funding in the Milton Keynes area for mental health services including counselling and an increase in waiting lists more and more people are looking to private practice for face to face or online therapy whether it be for themselves or for their children. Regardless of this, it is a tough decision that many families face, whether the mental health support that is needed for their young people is accessible and affordable, or whether they risk lengthy wait times and limited choices on therapy.
