About us

When you're going through a difficult time, it can be easy to keep your worries to yourself and believe that you're the only one experiencing these feelings. We all have our ways of coping, however, through our own experiences, we've learnt how important it is to have relevant, accessible information, and how the right support can help transform lives.


About Counselling Directory

Our story began in 2005 when sisters Aimi and Emma launched Counselling Directory. They had both experienced mental health issues when they were at school and university and knew how it felt to be overwhelmed and lacking guidance. They wanted to use their own experiences to help others find help from counsellors and therapists. 

Co-founder Aimi shares her journey on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place Podcast.

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Our mission

We are passionate about counselling and want to promote the huge benefits talking therapy can have. We know how important it is to find the right counsellor for you and we’re dedicated to making that process as simple as possible.

We continue to work closely with counsellors and psychotherapists to ensure we provide you with the very best service. We have over 22,000 qualified counsellors listed with us, so we’re sure the right person is waiting to hear from you.


The Happiful family

Counselling Directory has four sister sites, all with the same aim - to help people find support. From nutrition and holistic therapies to hypnotherapy and coaching, our network of directories seeks to cover all aspects of mental health and wellness. These websites are a part of the Happiful family, a network of over 26,000 professionals. 

To date, more 4.6 million people have found support through our resources.

Hypnotherapy Directory

Unlock the potential to identify and transform unwanted behaviours. Connect with experienced hypnotherapists and embark on personal development journeys, including areas like overcoming addiction, managing anxiety, and improving sleep at hypnotherapy-directory.org.uk.

Life Coach Directory

Empower yourself to reach your full potential in life. Seek guidance from experienced and qualified coaches, or explore our comprehensive resources to help you become the best version of yourself at lifecoach-directory.org.uk.

Nutritionist Resource

Whether you're interested in understanding the gut-brain connection or seeking quick and healthy recipes, Nutritionist Resource offers a wealth of information to nourish your health, providing opportunities to connect with professional dietitians and nutritionists. Explore more at nutritionist-resource.org.uk.

Therapy Directory

Discover complementary therapies for relaxation and rejuvenation. Browse our list of qualified therapists to find a treatment that suits your needs, whether it's acupuncture, sports massage, or reiki. Explore the options available at therapy-directory.org.uk.

Happiful magazine

Our magazine is devoted to furthering our mission of nurturing a healthier, happier, and more sustainable society. In each edition, you'll find a diverse range of valuable content, including guidance, thought-provoking articles, and personal interviews, all with the aim of promoting positive mental health and overall well-being.

We are dedicated to making our magazine easily accessible to everyone, and you can subscribe to receive the free e-magazine on a monthly basis. Our goal is to illuminate positivity and provide support that we believe should be within everyone's reach. 

Proud to be a B Corporation

In 2019, we were proud to become a certified B Corp (Better Corporations). Joining a growing group of companies, this certification means that we’ve proved our business balances purpose and profit. Happiful has met rigorous social and environmental standards which represent our commitment to making the world a better place. Find out more about B Corp and what it means to us.


The team

Based in Surrey, our small team of around 40 members work across the well-being directories and the magazine. From our hard-working developers ensuring everything runs smoothly to our award-winning customer service team responding to queries and supporting our members, we're all passionate about what we do.

Team photo in the Happiful office


Why choose us?

Counselling has come a long way and, while there is still much to be done in stamping out the stigma of mental illness, more individuals are beginning to feel comfortable and confident enough to speak out and seek help.

We understand that these first steps take an enormous amount of courage and taking the time to do the research, find a qualified counsellor and make contact can be extremely daunting – especially if you don’t know where to look, or what it is you’re looking for.

We hope we can be the hand to guide you on your journey.

To get you started, we’ve included everything we wish we’d had access to in our times of need, including:

  • A nationwide database of qualified counsellors and therapists.
  • An advanced search tool that allows you to filter your search according to your needs and location. Or, if you’d rather receive support remotely, you can find a therapist offering online or telephone services.
  • Detailed member profiles. Our members pack their profiles full of information including background, fees and even availability - helping you learn more about them before making contact.
  • A thorough approvals policy. This means all professionals are asked to provide evidence of professional body membership before they can be listed with us, so you can be sure of contacting a credible professional.
  • A detailed library of fact sheets featuring useful information about how counselling might be able to help with what’s worrying you.
  • A types of therapy section that aims to explain the different forms of therapy that are used by practitioners and how they can help.
  • An FAQs section that looks to answer any questions you may have.
  • Additional resources, such as events, where you can find workshops and courses to further your learning, and articles, where experts share their knowledge on a variety of subjects.

Counselling Directory homepage on a laptop and mobile

If you’re not ready to contact a counsellor just yet, that’s OK. Be kind to yourself and trust that, when you are ready, we’ll be here for you. In the meantime, knowledge is power. We’re passionate about providing the latest information on everything mental health-related so, please, read as much as you like (if that’s what feels right for you).

Wherever you are on your journey, know that change is possible. We know this from personal experience and from the experiences our visitors have shared with us. Everyone deserves happiness and this is what we wish for you.


Get in touch

Ultimately, we wouldn’t exist without you, the individuals seeking help and happiness, and the practitioners who share our dream of helping others. It’s because of you that we feel it’s so important to keep listening and acting upon the feedback we receive.

If you have something to say about the site – a suggestion to make or an experience to share – please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you.

If you have any queries about how to use the website, please visit our Not sure where to start? section. If you’d still like some guidance, fill out our contact form and a member of the Counselling Directory team will get back to you as soon as possible.

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All therapists are verified professionals

All therapists are verified professionals