The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy found in its most recent survey that 35% of UK adults have sought help from a therapist, with almost half of sessions taking place in person.

Director of The Greenhouse Therapy Rooms, Patsy Richardson, based in Richmond and Chiswick, believes everyone should visit a therapist in the same way they might visit a doctor if they are feeling unwell.

"The whole idea behind Greenhouse was to have a place where the clients and the patients were respected, where they could relax," Richardson told Nub News.

"The rooms were designed for therapy, it was designed for them."

During her time as a non-executive for a mental health charity, Richardson saw first-hand the lack of facilities for mental health provision in the UK.

She explained: "Very often people have to go and see their therapist in an inappropriate office space or hospital space.

"It's not made for them as clients and so that's when I started the idea of The Greenhouse."

Founded two years ago this month, The Greenhouse Therapy Rooms first brought its welcoming and calm rooms to Chiswick, followed by a second location in Richmond in May 2025.

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Director of The Greenhouse Therapy Rooms, Patsy Richardson (credit: The Greenhouse Therapy Rooms).

Richardson received therapy herself following a difficult period in her life when she suffered from kidney failure and underwent a kidney transplant.

She said: "Therapy helped me by giving me more of a foundation, by helping me to weather some of the difficult things I was dealing with medically.

"It's a support and it helps me to understand myself better and then you can work with yourself."

The Greenhouse Therapy Rooms sees clients for a range of mental health issues, including couples counselling, bereavement counselling, general therapy, adolescent therapy, and emerging fields such as neurodiversity support.

Therapists and counsellors practising at The Greenhouse Therapy Rooms all work independently and are insured, qualified, and registered with, and/or members of, a professional association relevant to their field.

"We only take psychotherapists and counsellors who are approved by the NHS," added Richardson.

"This is one of the areas that makes us different.

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"This isn't a general holistic health place or beauty space this is a space for talking therapy.

"We also have a directory where clients can find the therapist they want which are all active.

"We really concentrate on the quality of offer."

Richardson prides herself on the environment she has created at The Greenhouse Therapy, offering therapists a community space and clients a welcoming, safe and calm environment to understand their problems.

She added: "Our aim is really to get more better therapy done - help people, help the therapists so that people can feel completely safe and comfortable here."

To learn more about The Greenhouse Therapy Rooms in Richmond, visit its website here.

The Greenhouse Therapy Rooms is a sponsor of Richmond Nub News, without our sponsors, our Richmond online newspaper would not be possible. Thank you.