Get Your Counselling & Therapy Referral Letter
Most private counselling and therapy providers require a formal GP referral letter before accepting you or processing insurance. Our registered UK GPs issue that referral online without the wait for an NHS appointment.
Each letter follows a clinical assessment by a licensed UK doctor, giving your provider the signed documentation needed to begin your care.
✔ Issued by a registered UK GP following clinical assessment
✔ Suitable for private counselling, therapy, and mental health programmes
✔ Most requests reviewed same day, from £39
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Accepted by most UK employers, universities and insurers, subject to their own policies. All consultations are subject to clinical assessment and certificates are issued only where clinically appropriate.
Consistently voted 5 stars
How It Works
Complete short online consult
No appointment required.
Complete a short medical questionnaire and upload any supporting evidence.
Doctor reviews your evidence
A GMC-registered doctor reviews your submission individually.
✔ Full refund if a certificate cannot be issued.
Receive your certificate
Most certificates are issued same day, almost all by 9AM the next morning. Delivered as a signed PDF. A doctor will email you if more evidence is needed.
Certificate security
Every MedicalCert certificate can be checked as genuine
Each certificate is issued with anti-tampering protection and its own verification reference. If your employer, university, airline or insurer wants to confirm the document came from a GMC-registered doctor, they can check it against MedicalCert records. Altered or copied documents do not pass that check.
Very happy, I ordered my Medical Certificate in the early morning hours and before noon time of same day I had it on my inbox. Speedy service and they present the health condition precisely, get to the point.
They meet the incredibly fast turnaround stated (certificate/letter sent before 9am the following morning if the doctor feels that a letter/certificate is appropriate) which is incredibly quick and I am really grateful for the help provided!
Very easy and quick to get my certificate. And the certificate was approved from the specific company to travel with my dog. I will use them again. Well done.
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Excellent service. Easy to use and certificate issued in less than 24 hours. £39 as opposed to the £150 my GP charges. Highly recommended.
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A counselling and therapy referral letter is a doctor-signed document recommending that you receive psychological therapy or counselling. It is commonly requested by private therapy providers, employee assistance programmes, health insurers and occupational health teams. This guide explains when a referral letter is needed, what it should contain, and how to obtain one online, subject to clinical review by a GMC-registered doctor.
Accessing therapy or counselling can require a formal letter of referral, particularly when seeking private psychological support through a health insurer, an occupational health route, or a therapist who asks for a doctor's confirmation of clinical need. NHS Talking Therapies services publish access and waiting time data through NHS England, and reported waits to a second treatment appointment vary widely between local areas, which is one reason people choose to fund therapy privately.
When is a counselling or therapy referral letter required?
Private therapists and psychologists
- Some private therapists ask for a doctor's letter confirming your mental health history before beginning treatment
- Clinical psychologists may request a formal referral before a specialist assessment
- Certain funded or scheme-based counselling routes require written clinical support
Health insurers and PMI
- Most private medical insurance policies require a referral before authorising funded therapy sessions
- Insurers commonly ask for a doctor's letter confirming the clinical indication before a claim is processed
- Employee assistance programmes may request documentation to extend a session allocation
Workplace and occupational health
- Occupational health referrals relating to work-related stress or burnout
- Supporting a reasonable adjustments discussion under the Equality Act 2010 where therapy forms part of your management plan
- Evidencing therapeutic need for an income protection or employer welfare process
What presentations a therapy referral letter can cover
A counselling and therapy referral letter can be issued across a range of mental health presentations where clinically appropriate. The reviewing doctor decides on the basis of the information you supply.
Anxiety and mood
- Generalised anxiety disorder
- Panic disorder
- Mild to moderate depression
- Persistent low mood and loss of interest
- Adjustment difficulties following bereavement, job loss or relationship breakdown
- Health anxiety and illness-related psychological distress
Trauma and specialist needs
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, including complex presentations
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Social anxiety and specific phobias
- Burnout and sustained work-related stress
- Psychological support alongside specialist eating disorder treatment
- Grief and bereavement counselling
What a counselling referral letter contains
A referral letter for counselling or therapy issued by a GMC-registered doctor will typically include:
- Your full name and date of birth
- A brief clinical description of the presenting concerns
- A recommendation for psychological therapy or counselling
- The therapy type recommended where appropriate, for example cognitive behavioural therapy or person-centred counselling
- A statement that the referral is clinically appropriate given the information provided
- The doctor's GMC registration number, signature and contact details
The letter is written with the level of clinical detail appropriate to its purpose. A letter for a private therapist will differ in tone from one intended for an insurer's claims team, so name the intended recipient when you complete the consultation form.
How to get a counselling referral letter online
Check what the recipient requires
Confirm whether your therapist, insurer or employer needs a specific form or a general letter. Many insurers issue their own referral form, so download it before you apply and upload it for the doctor to complete.
Complete the online consultation form
Provide your mental health history, current symptoms, the impact on daily life and work, and any previous therapy or treatment. Upload supporting documentation such as earlier letters or diagnosis confirmations.
Clinical review by a GMC-registered doctor
A GMC-registered doctor reviews your submission. Where clinically appropriate, a signed referral letter or completed insurer form is issued.
Receive your letter by email
Your referral letter is delivered as a PDF, same day or by 9am the following morning with the express service.
Get a counselling and therapy referral letter online
GMC-registered doctors. No appointment needed. Suitable for private therapists, insurers and occupational health referrals.
Apply for your referral letterFrequently asked questions
Not always. Many private therapists in the UK accept self-referrals and do not ask for a doctor's letter. If you are funding therapy through private medical insurance or an employee assistance programme, a referral letter is usually required before sessions are authorised. Check with your insurer or scheme provider before booking.
Yes. A referral letter can name a recommended therapy modality such as cognitive behavioural therapy, EMDR for trauma, or person-centred counselling, where clinically appropriate. The reviewing doctor assesses whether the clinical information you provide supports the recommendation requested.
A GP referral letter is generally used to refer someone to a named specialist, for example a consultant psychiatrist or cardiologist. A therapy referral letter is a supporting document recommending psychological therapy or counselling and provides clinical justification for accessing private therapeutic support rather than entering a formal NHS referral pathway.
Yes. NHS Talking Therapies services in England accept self-referral, so you do not need a doctor's letter to access counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy on the NHS. Waiting times vary by area. A private referral letter is mainly relevant when accessing funded private therapy through insurance or an occupational health route.
Upload the form during the consultation process. The reviewing doctor will complete it to the required standard where the clinical information supports doing so.
