Making psychotherapy available to all
Howard Hodgkin, Ice, 2013
Courtesy of the Estate of Howard Hodgkin
“My reason for supporting this remarkable organisation may also speak to you: the belief that mental well-being should be available to everyone immaterial of wealth”
— Helena Bonham Carter, CPU London Ambassador
Images courtesy of Abigail Schama
Our services
CPU London offers free psychoanalytic psychotherapy to those who cannot afford to pay.
For those who are able to pay something, we charge low fees on a sliding scale.
We are currently accepting applications for Group Therapy. For details on how to apply go to "Accessing therapy" under the Therapy tab.
Support Us
We are an independent charity which is entirely self-funded, we do not receive any statutory support. All our funds are raised through a combination of grants, donations, collaborations and fundraising events.
About us
Since 1969 CPU London has been offering psychoanalytic psychotherapy to anybody who is concerned about their emotional difficulties and is seeking psychotherapy or looking for advice about which kind of psychological help would be best for them.
CPU London and
'Products of Loneliness' Partnership
‘Products of Loneliness’ is a short film about the challenges facing a young man and mother trying to let go of each other whilst their desires and fears are triangulated by a microwave. The young writer & director Patrick Fitzgerald, grandson of Edna O’Shaughnessy, was inspired by experiences in analysis to make this film. He believes whole-heartedly in the mission behind CPU London.
We have partnered together to offer some promotional support for the funding of the short film in exchange for raising awareness for our cause. Please follow the link to learn more about the project, and the team behind it, and to donate towards its completion.
CPU London funded by The Lady Ryder of Warsaw Memorial Trust to deliver psychotherapy to the Polish community in London
We are delighted to announce that CPU London has been generously supported by The Lady Ryder of Warsaw Memorial Trust (LRWMT) to deliver long-term psychotherapy to disadvantaged Polish patients living in London.
The partnership will support weekly psychotherapy for three Polish patients across the year. We will work closely with The Polish Psychological Association (PPA) on referrals, to ensure we are helping Poles for whom our treatment is most needed and can be most effective.
We are extremely pleased to begin this partnership with LRWMT in support of the Polish community in London and we thank LRWMT for making this important work possible.
Photograph by Matt Crockett
A message from CPU London Ambassador
Helena Bonham Carter, CBE
I am an ambassador of CPU. My reason for supporting this remarkable organisation may also speak to you: the belief that mental wellbeing is a right and not a privilege.
For nearly 60 years, CPU has provided free psychoanalytic psychotherapy to Londoners on benefits and low income who otherwise could not afford it.
People travel from 21 boroughs across London to CPU’s home on Prince of Wales Road in Camden. And every year, 150 patients pass through its doors. The model of care is inclusive, progressive and, for those in need, transformative. As one former CPU patient put it; the sessions were not just life changing, but lifesaving.
Yet there are so many more people CPU wants to reach. NHS cuts, the cost-of-living crisis, the toll of the pandemic – mean demand is hurtling upwards. Especially in the most deprived boroughs in the capital.
That’s why I am supporting their fundraising campaign to raise £1.5 million over the next three years to build three more Community Psychotherapy Units in London.
Since 2011, CPU has received no government funding. Its work is only possible thanks to generous donations from people who believe in their mission.
We all have mental health, and we should all have access to mental wellbeing. Please consider supporting CPU. Your contribution, today and in future, will make their vision a reality. Thank you.
Helena Bonham Carter, CBE