Counselling contributions
Why do we have to charge?
Bright Light is a charity, and we rely on client contributions to provide our services. We receive a small grant from the Scottish Government but this does not meet our operational costs including the counsellors fees.
We work hard to keep our fees as low as possible so that anyone who needs our support can access our services. The word “charity” sometimes causes confusion. It doesn’t mean that we can offer a free service; rather, that we are a non-profit organisation that reinvests all its income in the services we provide.
It costs us over £90 to arrange and deliver each appointment for you (this varies between services). Generally, payment is due at the time of your appointments, and cancellation fees apply for less than 48hrs notice.
Fee contributions are based on household income, and we ask you to select the rate that fits with your income. If you are a UK taxpayer, you could help us further by selecting ‘Gift Aid’ on your registration form. We then receive an additional 25p for every £1 you spend with us. Gift Aid does not cost you anything extra.
Set up fee
We charge a one-off set-up fee of £30 per adult to cover all the initial work relating to your case, from registration through assessment and the allocation of your first appointment. This fee is therefore
non-refundable and doesn't guarantee that we will offer you the service if, after the assessment, counselling isn't deemed safe or appropriate. We will ask you to pay your set-up fee on receipt of your registration form.
Counselling costs
Our fees start at £45 per appointment for individual counselling and £55 per appointment for couple counselling. Please see our rates here. We ask a flat rate of £55 per appointment for Sexual Relationship Counselling.
