A growing number of people in Scotland struggling with mental health are being offered access to support thanks to a fairer pricing structure introduced by an innovative community interest company.

Connections Counselling, founded earlier this year by trained counsellor Ian Nicholson-Kapasi (pictured above), is using a tiered-fee model designed to remove financial barriers and offer accessible counselling to those most in need.

Based in Edinburgh’s Drill Hall, the service has quickly drawn attention for its bold stance on affordability. The tiered system sees clients on lower incomes paying what they can afford, sometimes as little as £1 per session, while clients with greater means may contribute more, helping to subsidise access for others who may not be able to afford the same help.

Ian said: “I set up Connections Counselling to challenge the systemic inequality that exists within mental health services. We know the most vulnerable in our society are often least able to afford counselling.

People in distress face enough challenges as it is. Lifting financial barriers helps create the space for those seeking change, to take meaningful steps toward helping themselves.”

Ian has drawn from personal experiences and years of training to launch the practice. Every £600 raised through the service guarantees 15 sessions of counselling at £40 per session, which will be offered to those otherwise unable to afford it.

While the core cost is covered, clients are still encouraged to contribute a nominal amount, helping preserve the value of the therapeutic relationship.

He added: “Our tiered system is designed to create fairer access, not just for those who can afford therapy, but for everyone. A higher fee doesn’t necessarily reflect the quality of the service, but often how a counsellor values their own time or circumstances. That’s not the same as the quality of the relationship.

“For many clients, especially those working through issues of self-worth, this can unintentionally reinforce a power imbalance. Our Tier 1 ‘pay-what-you-can’ model offers an alternative, one that honours client agency and sees the therapeutic relationship as a shared space of respect and care.”

The initiative comes at a time when the NHS is under unprecedented pressure, with wait times for mental health support in some areas stretching over a year.

While CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) remains the standard modality offered through the NHS, Connections Counselling adopts a more holistic approach, incorporating person-centred and psychodynamic therapies to better serve clients working with challenges such as trauma or understanding neurodivergent needs.

Ian explains: “There are incredible people working within the NHS, but the system is under strain, narrowly focused with CBT as a singular modality approach and doesn’t help enough with limited sessions. We want to help by offering longer-term, trauma-informed care that allows people to build meaningful therapeutic relationships. That flexibility can be vital in helping someone properly recover.”

Since launching, Connections has seen a growing waiting list for its tier one services. However, limited access to early-stage funding means growth is being restricted at a time when demand is surging.

Ian adds: “We are actively looking to partner with funders and businesses who share our vision of sustainable, accessible mental health care. Even modest donations can make a lasting impact.”

In addition to eliminating upfront cost barriers, the practice has also scrapped the widely used 24-hour cancellation fee, recognising it as a punitive measure that disproportionately impacts clients already in distress.

Ian commented: “Let’s say someone cannot leave the house due to anxiety, crisis, childcare issue or other common life happenings – charging them for a missed appointment reinforces not just a power imbalance but a financial barrier too – one that might be enough to stop someone who really needs access to support, from seeking it altogether. That is not how healing works.

Unless a counsellor also offers money back, or a free next session if they (the counsellor) missed one, then they are actually saying to a client that their time is more valuable than the clients. This is not an ethical approach to counselling.”

While still in its preliminary stages, the practice already has ambitions for growth, including peer-support groups for practitioners and potential longer-term expansions into new locations across Edinburgh, Scotland and the UK.

Ian added: “The goal is to build a community of counsellors and clients who support each other. If the model proves successful in Edinburgh, there is no reason we cannot replicate it elsewhere.”

The service is open to referrals and currently accepts clients both online and in-person around the UK. Individuals or organisations interested in supporting the initiative can find more details via the Connections Counselling website.