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More than a third of UK adults have now tried therapy, and most say it was worth it

BACP's 2026 survey of 5,000 UK adults found more people had tried therapy than back in 2019, and far fewer thought doing so without a crisis made you self-indulgent. This includes practices like yours.

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Therapy practices spend a good deal of energy persuading people it's fine to turn up without a full-blown crisis, and this data suggests that persuading job is getting easier.

Original ResearchBACP reports that therapy uptake and public comfort with seeking it have both risen since 2019.
Sourcehttps://www.bacp.co.uk/news/news-from-bacp/2026/2-july-more-people-are-choosing-therapy/
OverviewA nationally representative survey of 5,000 UK adults, commissioned by the professional body for counsellors and psychotherapists, tracking how people feel about seeking therapy.
Year2019
PublisherIndustry body, BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
Relevance to WellbeingHigh
Our VerdictToo early to tell A well-sized survey from a body with an obvious interest in showing therapy is thriving, so read the numbers with that in mind.
Our Summary
  • 37% of adults have now tried therapy, up from 33% in 2019, so the pool of people willing to book is growing.
  • 53% now disagree that therapy without a "serious problem" is self-indulgent, against 26% who agree, so the stigma argument is losing.
  • BACP commissioned this about itself, and its members do rather well out of therapy looking popular.
  • Saying you're comfortable with therapy and actually booking a session remain two different activities.
Our Geo ViewApplies broadly to all countries
Abstract of wellbeing niches and revenue flow
Recognise how this might impact your practice

Why this might matter to you

  • Coaching: this matters because if people are less embarrassed about therapy, they're probably less embarrassed about a life coach too, so the "let me convince you it's normal" pitch needs a rewrite.
  • Therapy: this matters because it's about them directly, and the hard part now is being found, not talking someone out of their shame about looking.
  • Training: this matters because if the taboo is fading generally, personal training copy built on quiet humiliation about bodies is ageing badly alongside it.
  • Alternative Healing: this matters because a public that's relaxed about therapy is probably relaxed enough to mention their acupuncturist at dinner.
  • Clinical: this matters because clinics leaning hard on clinical distance to look credible might be reassuring people who stopped needing reassurance some time ago.
  • Retreat/Centre: this matters because centres still selling transformation as a last resort are competing with a public who now treat it as a Tuesday afternoon.

Where this came from

BACP says its latest polling shows therapy going mainstream, with more people trying it and fewer treating it as an admission of failure.

BACP, published 2 July 2026.

Sample of 5,000 UK adults, full methodology and polling agency not disclosed in the release, published by the professional membership body for counsellors rather than an independent research institute.

How we scored this

A relevance score out of 100, built from three things: how well it fits the six practice types, how recent it is, and how solid the methodology behind it is.

97%
Practice fit, 100How new, 100How solid, 90

Marked down a little on how solid the method is, since the polling details aren't spelled out, but scored high on practice fit and recency for being therapy-specific and freshly published.

Faces of satisfied clients
It's worth considering changes to your marketing practices

What this means for your marketing

  • Put a line on your booking page saying therapy is for upkeep, not just emergencies.
  • Say, before anyone asks, that turning up without a diagnosis is ordinary now, not brave.
  • Brief whoever answers enquiries to drop the hushed, careful tone.
  • Retire any copy still working hard to convince people they're allowed to be there.
  • Mention the 37% figure somewhere client-facing, people like knowing they're not unusual.

Who this is most useful for

Practice typeRelevanceRecommended action
CoachingMediumBorrow the stigma-drop message and adapt it for coaching enquiries.
TherapyHighRework messaging toward earlier, lighter-touch enquiries.
TrainingLowNote the cultural shift, no urgent action needed yet.
Alternative HealingMediumTest copy that assumes acceptance instead of persuasion.
ClinicalMediumSoften clinical distance where it's no longer buying you credibility.
Retreat/CentreLowKeep it in view, revisit once it changes what sells packages.

Best before

Best before: BACP tends to repeat this survey every few years, so pencil in a re-check after the next one lands. In the meantime, verify against the primary release from BACP.

What next?

Every therapist knows the enquiry that nearly came through twice before finally landing, and this survey suggests there are more of those people about than there used to be.

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