Online couples counsellor

Couples paying privately, often working people who want evening or lunchtime sessions without travelling.

A fee per session, typically 50 to 60 minutes. Income builds as your regular caseload grows. Some people also offer a short-term package of sessions.

• Recognised counselling training, ideally with a couples element
• Calm, impartial listening
• Clear professional boundaries
• Comfort with video tools

• Counselling is not a protected title in the UK, but clients and insurers expect proper training and supervision, so check what your insurer requires
• Professional indemnity and public liability insurance, and check whether your cover includes online work
• Data protection: you will hold sensitive notes, so check if you need to pay the ICO data protection fee and how to store records securely
• Domestic abuse and safeguarding risks in couples work, so have an assessment process and know when to refer on
• Building a caseload takes time, so keep other income at first
• Startup costs here exclude training, which can cost several thousand pounds

Startup costs are typically around £500 to £2,500, depending on your equipment, insurance and software. This excludes training, which can cost several thousand pounds, so budget for any qualifications or supervision you still need.

Monthly revenue is typically around £800 to £4,000, depending on how many clients you see and your session fees. Building a caseload takes time, so it is worth keeping other income at first while your practice grows.

Counselling is not a protected title in the UK, but clients and insurers expect proper training and supervision, so check what your insurer requires. Also check online cover, the ICO data protection fee, secure record storage, and safeguarding and domestic abuse processes.