Online family counsellor: start a home video practice

Parents and families paying privately, plus some clients referred or funded through charities or employee assistance schemes.

A fee per session, usually 50 to 60 minutes. Some counsellors offer a lower rate for charity-funded clients or a sliding scale to widen access.

• A recognised counselling or family therapy qualification
• Calm, careful listening
• Handling confidential information safely
• Setting clear boundaries with clients

• Counselling title is not protected in the same way as some professions, but clients and insurers expect a recognised qualification and membership of a professional body
• Professional indemnity and public liability insurance, check what your insurer covers for online and family work
• Data protection: check whether you need to pay the ICO data protection fee and how to store notes securely
• Working with children and young people may need an enhanced DBS check and a clear safeguarding policy
• Be clear about when to refer on, for example in cases of abuse or serious risk
• Check whether you need landlord or mortgage lender permission to see clients from home, even online

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £500 to £2,500, depending on your qualification status, insurance, software and equipment. Check what your insurer covers for online and family work before you begin.

Monthly revenue is typically around £600 to £3,000 in our estimates, depending on how many sessions you offer, your fees and how quickly referrals build. Around six hours a week is a realistic minimum to get started.

Check that clients and insurers expect a recognised qualification and professional body membership, that your insurance suits online and family work, whether you need to pay the ICO fee, and whether working with young people needs an enhanced DBS check.