Yes. Bupa health insurance policies include mental health cover as a standard benefit — not an optional extra. This means therapy is covered under your outpatient allowance.

At Therapy Central, we’re a Bupa-recognised provider, so:

• We bill Bupa directly — no upfront payment from you
• Sessions can be online or in-person at our London clinics
• CBT, counselling, EMDR, and psychotherapy are all covered

Your coverage amount depends on your specific policy’s outpatient allowance. Check the My Bupa app or call 0808 250 9452 to confirm your limit.

Yes. Bupa is one of the few UK health insurers that includes mental health cover in its base policies — it’s not an add-on you need to pay extra for.

Covered therapies include:

• CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
• Counselling and psychotherapy
• EMDR for trauma
• Online therapy — covered the same as in-person

Unique to Bupa: There are no time limits on mental health treatment. Your cover continues as long as you have outpatient allowance remaining.

While Bupa offers comprehensive mental health cover, some conditions and treatments are excluded:

• Pre-existing mental health conditions — conditions you had before your policy started
• Chronic conditions — except newly diagnosed depression or anxiety
• Dementia and age-related cognitive decline
• Learning disabilities, behavioural and developmental conditions
• Couples therapy — Bupa considers this “group treatment” (not covered)
• Self-help programmes without therapist involvement

If you’re unsure whether your situation is covered, call Bupa Mental Health Support on 0808 250 9452 — they can check your specific policy.

Yes, significantly. NHS mental health waiting times in England average 6–18 months depending on your area. With Bupa, you can typically start therapy within days.

Why Bupa is faster:

• Direct Access — You can self-refer without waiting for a GP appointment
• No waiting lists — Therapists at Therapy Central have availability now
• Same-week appointments — Often available for initial consultations

At Therapy Central, most Bupa clients start therapy within 1–2 weeks of first contact, compared to months on the NHS.

The 6-week rule applies to day-patient and in-patient procedures (like surgery), not outpatient therapy.

Here’s how it works:

• If the NHS can’t provide treatment within 6 weeks, Bupa may cover private treatment instead
• You must have been referred to an NHS consultant first
• Applies mainly to surgical procedures and specialist consultations

For mental health therapy: This rule doesn’t apply. You can access therapy through Bupa’s Direct Access pathway immediately — no need to wait for NHS referral or hit any time threshold.

Getting therapy through Bupa is straightforward:

1. Self-refer via Direct Access — Call 0808 250 9452 or use the My Bupa app. No GP appointment needed.
2. Get your authorisation — Bupa confirms your cover and provides an authorisation code
3. Choose your therapist — Contact Therapy Central and we’ll match you with a Bupa-recognised therapist
4. Book your first session — Often within the same week
5. Attend therapy — Online or in-person, typically weekly sessions
6. We bill Bupa directly — No upfront payment or claim forms for you

The entire process from first call to first therapy session typically takes just 1–2 weeks.

The number of sessions depends on your policy’s outpatient allowance. Common limits include:

• £500 allowance — Approximately 5–6 sessions
• £1,000 allowance — Approximately 10–12 sessions
• £1,500+ allowance — 15+ sessions

Unique to Bupa: There are no time limits on mental health treatment. Unlike some insurers that cap therapy at 20 sessions per year regardless of need, Bupa lets you use your full outpatient allowance for therapy.

Check your allowance in the My Bupa app or call 0808 250 9452.

It depends on your policy. Many Bupa policies include Direct Access for mental health, which lets you self-refer by calling Bupa directly — no GP appointment needed.

However, other policies still require a GP referral, or Bupa may request GP documentation if there’s a question about pre-existing conditions.

To check your options

• Call Bupa Mental Health Support on 0808 250 9452
• Or use the My Bupa app to request therapy

They’ll confirm whether you can self-refer or need a GP referral for your specific policy.

Direct Access means faster treatment — no waiting for a GP appointment, no delays in getting help.

Bupa Direct Access is a self-referral service available on many Bupa policies. It lets you contact Bupa directly about mental health concerns — a trained advisor assesses your needs and, if appropriate, authorises therapy without requiring a GP referral.

How it works:
– Call 0808 250 9452 (Bupa Mental Health Support)
– Speak with a trained advisor who’ll assess your needs
– If eligible, get authorisation and choose a Bupa-recognised therapist
– Start therapy — often within days

Note: Direct Access availability varies by policy. Some members may still need a GP referral, particularly for pre-existing conditions. Call Bupa to confirm your eligibility.

No. Bupa classifies couples therapy as “group treatment,” which is not covered under standard health insurance policies.

However, there’s an alternative:

• Individual therapy for relationship issues IS covered — You can work one-on-one with a therapist on relationship difficulties, communication patterns, or the emotional impact of relationship problems
• Both partners can have individual therapy — Each person uses their own Bupa policy

At Therapy Central: We offer both couples therapy (self-pay) and individual therapy (Bupa-covered). If you’re struggling with relationship issues, we can discuss which approach might work best for your situation.

Bupa covers therapy for a wide range of mental health conditions, including:

• Depression & Low Mood
• Anxiety Disorders — generalised anxiety, social anxiety, health anxiety
• Panic Disorder
• Phobias — specific phobias, agoraphobia
• OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)
• PTSD & Trauma
• Work Stress & Burnout
• Grief & Bereavement
• Sleep Problems
• Adjustment Difficulties — life changes, transitions

Note: Pre-existing mental health conditions (those you had before your policy started) are typically excluded. If unsure, call Bupa to check your specific coverage.

Yes. Bupa covers online therapy sessions exactly the same as in-person appointments. At Therapy Central, you can choose:

• Online video sessions — from home or anywhere private
• In-person sessions — at our London clinics
• Hybrid approach — mix of online and in-person

Online therapy is just as effective as in-person for most conditions and offers greater flexibility. Many clients appreciate being able to attend sessions without travel time.

You’ve already found us! Therapy Central is a Bupa-recognised provider with a team of approved therapists ready to help.

You can also use Bupa’s Therapy Finder at finder.bupa.co.uk to search for therapists by location and speciality.

When you contact Therapy Central, we’ll:

• Match you with a Bupa-recognised therapist suited to your needs
• Offer a free 15-minute consultation to confirm fit
• Handle all Bupa billing and paperwork

Our therapists hold qualifications recognised by Bupa including HCPC registration, BPS chartership, and BABCP accreditation.

No. At Therapy Central, we bill Bupa directly using your authorisation code. You don’t need to pay upfront and claim back.

Here’s how it works:

• You provide us with your Bupa authorisation code
• We verify your cover and book your sessions
• After each session, we invoice Bupa directly
• Bupa pays us — you pay nothing (within your policy limits)

If your policy has an excess or you’re approaching your annual limit, we’ll let you know in advance so there are no surprises.

Getting pre-authorisation from Bupa is simple thanks to Direct Access:

1. Call Bupa Mental Health Support — 0808 250 9452 (no GP referral needed)
2. Or use the My Bupa app — Request mental health support through the app
3. Speak with an advisor — They’ll confirm your cover and assess your needs
4. Receive your authorisation code — Usually provided immediately or within 24 hours

Share your authorisation code with us and we’ll handle the rest. You can even book your first session while waiting for the code if you’d like to secure your preferred time slot.

If you reach your Bupa outpatient limit but want to continue therapy, you have options:

• Self-fund remaining sessions — Continue at our standard private rates
• Wait for policy renewal — Your allowance typically resets on your policy anniversary
• Request additional cover — In some cases, Bupa may authorise extra sessions for complex cases
• Reduce session frequency — Move to fortnightly sessions to extend your remaining cover

We’ll always keep you informed about how many sessions remain so you can plan ahead. Your therapist can also help you develop self-help strategies to maintain progress between or after sessions.