2026 UK counselling and therapy trends and attitudes revealed
News from BACP

Our Public Perceptions Survey found nearly one in three young adults have sought help from a therapist

Nearly one in three young adults (30%) aged 16 to 24 have seen a counsellor or psychotherapist at some point in their lives, compared to a quarter (24%) last year, according to our annual Public Perceptions Survey.

The survey also revealed that almost half (49%) of young adults who’ve received counselling did so within the past twelve months. An increase from 42% last year.

Each year, we ask more than 5,000 UK adults about their experiences of, and attitudes towards, therapy and mental health. The survey, carried out by YouGov, also explores how people are coping with issues in their lives, including at work and within their families.

This year’s findings show a rise in work-related burnout, now affecting nearly one in five people (19%), up from 16% in 2025. Burnout remains particularly common among younger adults, with more than a fifth (22%) reporting work-related burnout.

Dr Lisa Morrison, Director of Professional Standards, Policy and Research.

Experiences and attitudes around counselling

Nearly one in three young adults have had therapy

More than a third of people (37%) say they have seen a therapist, up from 35% last year (29% of men, 44% of women).
Nearly three quarters of people who’ve had therapy (72%) found it helpful and three quarters (76%) would recommend it.
Nearly one in three young adults (30%) aged 16 to 24 have seen a counsellor or psychotherapist at some point in their lives, compared to a quarter (24%) last year.
Almost half (49%) of young adults who’ve received counselling did so within the past twelve months. An increase from 42% last year.
The perception of counselling as self-indulgent among men has dropped to 29%, from 34% in 2025. But still much higher than women at 14%.
Around one in five 16- to 24-year-olds (22%) believe that seeking therapy without a serious problem is self-indulgent.
More than half of young adults aged 16 to 24 (55%) feel there is stigma around therapy, higher than any other age group.
Nearly half of people (48%) believe ‘therapist’ is a regulated title like ‘doctor’ or ‘midwife’
Two in five people (40%) people are unsure about regulations around counsellors and psychotherapists.

Top five reasons people had therapy in last two years:

Anxiety: 62%
Stress: 52%
Depression: 47%
Confidence, self-esteem and support: 31%
Trauma/PTSD: 24%

State of the nation’s mental health

Work-related burnout affects a fifth of adults

More than two thirds of people² (67%) have experienced a mental health issue in last five years.

The most reported mental health issues are:

Anxiety (46%)
Stress (45%)
Depression (32%)

Burnout at work affects nearly one in five (19%) of people, up from 16% in 2025. It is particularly prevalent among younger adults, with 30% of 25–34-year-olds and 22% of 16–24-year-olds reporting work-related burnout.
More than half of men (60%) have experienced a mental health issue in the last five years. The most common being anxiety (38%) and depression (31%).
Nearly three quarters of women (73%) say they’ve experienced a mental health issue in the last five years. More than half (54%) cite anxiety. 
70% of the over 65s say their mental health is good (compared to 59% overall) .

How people access therapy

Only one in 10 advised to see a BACP registered therapist

More than two in five (34%) who saw a therapist were advised to by a medical professional.
Only a quarter (26%) said they checked their therapist's qualifications and if they were registered with a professional body.
Only one in 10 (12%) were advised to see a BACP registered therapist.
More than a third (35%) of people who thought about seeing a therapist but didn’t, said this was due to cost (35%) and a fifth cited long waiting lists (22%).
Nine in 10 (91%) of people who had therapy said confidentiality an important factor.
One in three people (31%) who’ve seen a therapist said they were given a choice on how the therapy was delivered.

Top two therapy types offered:

Cognitive behavioural therapy (55%)
Person-centred therapy (37%)

Children and therapy

More than one in five children have seen a therapist

More than one in five (22%) said their children have received counselling or psychotherapy, with most parents finding it positive and a third (33%) described it as very helpful.
Schools and colleges remain the most common route to support, with just over half (53%) accessing therapy through educational settings.
Two in five parents said their received support from the NHS (40%), while almost a quarter (24%) said they used private practice.
Most children can access therapy relatively quickly, with nearly three-quarters (73%) receiving support within six months, though 17% waited longer than six months.
Only a quarter of parents (24%) said they checked if their child’s counsellor was BACP registered.

Mental health support and LGBTQ+ communities

LGBTQ+ people are less likely to describe their mental health as good or very good compared with non-LGBTQ+ people (47% vs 59%).
They're more than twice as likely to use counselling or psychotherapy to help manage stress (30% vs 12%).
Nearly half (47%) say they would turn to a counsellor or psychotherapist if they needed support, compared with 28% of non-LGBTQ+ people.
Most LGBTQ+ people (70%) say they feel comfortable talking to a counsellor or psychotherapist, compared with 61% of non-LGBTQ+ people.
More than a quarter (26%) have considered having counselling or psychotherapy, compared with 18% of non-LGBTQ+ people.

The findings highlight a significant shift in attitudes towards mental health, particularly among younger adults, with one in three accessing support. Overall, the data points to growing acceptance of therapy, but also ongoing barriers around stigma, awareness, cost and access that continue to shape how different groups engage with support. The findings relating to LGBTQ+ people highlight important disparities, with this community less likely to report good mental health, yet significantly more likely to seek and consider counselling support. Higher levels of comfort in speaking to therapists are encouraging, but may also reflect greater need, underlining the importance of accessible, inclusive services that are responsive to LGBTQ+ experiences.

While the fact that many young people are seeking therapy can be seen as disheartening, it is lovely that the taboo around seeking help has largely gone. I have great hopes for this generation who, by learning greater self-awareness, will help humanity evolve in communicating kindly with each other. As the survey notes, and in my experience, people seek help for anxiety, stress, depression and trauma. In looking at the reasons for their mental health issues, clients understand why they have come to feel this way (often through others acting out, manifesting and offloading their emotional pain). This could be the generation that calls an end to their own families’ intergenerational traumas by talking about issues and addressing them, rather than having them played out in destructive behaviours.

It's encouraging to see a rise in the number of people accessing therapy - up two percentage points to 37% in just one year. This likely reflects both a growing prevalence of mental health challenges and a continued reduction in stigma, as indicated in the report. Greater openness is a positive step, as meaningful change becomes possible when the underlying drivers of depression and anxiety are acknowledged and addressed. However, significant challenges remain. Nearly a third of men (29%) view therapy as 'self-indulgent' and some individuals report limited benefit from their experiences. These findings point to an important opportunity for the profession to evolve - strengthening the accessibility, relevance, and quality of care so that support is both effective and widely trusted.

¹ About our Public Perceptions Survey

Since 2019, BACP has conducted an annual survey to measure the opinions and attitudes of the British public towards mental health.

The survey data was collected using a self-complete, online methodology. A nationally representative sample of 5,058 adults (aged 16+) was taken from YouGov’s online research panel and results were weighted to provide a nationally representative dataset. Fieldwork for the 2026 survey was conducted between the 16th February and 6th March 2026 and is in line with fieldwork dates from previous years.

2 Of who chose to answer the question.