Unlike other counselling and psychotherapy directories, we operate a FAIR PLAY ethical trading model.

This relies on subscribers being both ethically motivated and well-boundaried (so that they neither take unfair advantage of the system, nor feel guilted into payment) and so is ideal for the counselling and psychotherapy community.

How it works

FAIR PLAY is unique among ethical trading models. Where most ethical trading models put the onus on an organisation not to exploit others, the FAIR PLAY model instead puts the onus on others - in this case on you - to be fair to the organisation.

Based on trust, this ethical trading model works best where all the people involved commit to work to high ethical standards: professional counsellors and psychotherapists work to codes of ethics and fairness, as well as being people who have good boundaries and who have learned to trust their own judgement. This gives us faith that most subscribers will not exploit the system, nor feel "guilted" into paying more than their better judgement tells them to.

You Choose

Each person is best placed to assess their own situation so putting any payment decision in the hands of each individual therapist is is the best and most practical way of making sure that that no qualified professional feels excluded from the directory, so that we can give the fullest possible representation of the available services to clients.

No Pressure

We discourage payments made out of a sense of guilt or obligation. As a rule of thumb, if you decide to make a payment but then feel uncomfortable with that decision, you're probably either deciding on an inappropriate amount for your particular circumstances, or you may need to take more time first to reflect on what's right for you.

Tailored to Fit Your Needs

A decision to pay a lesser amount or nothing towards the running of this service need not reflect only your financial circumstances. It may also be a reflection of whether and how well it meets your needs. For example, a therapist who does not need to advertise and is never short of clients may perceive that the presence of their details on this site helps clients be more fully aware of the services in their area, but is of no personal benefit to them.

On the other hand another practitioner in those same circumstances may wish to make a contribution in any case because they think that this service is worth supporting.

No Favouritism

There is no preferential treatment for those who pay. You are invited to make a subscription payment of your own choosing, to help towards the running of the directory if you are in a position to do so and it feels fair to you. But this will not give you preferential treatment over those who cannot pay. Whether, or how much, you contribute is treated as private.

No Wrong Answer

As long as your decision is guided by the ethical framework of a recognised professional body, we accept whatever decision you come to in relation to supporting us. Deciding what and whether to pay is a value judgement so we trust that your decision is the right one for you.