Over the past decade, conversations about mental health have moved from the margins to the mainstream. Once stigmatised, it is now becoming a more openly discussed topic in workplaces, schools and homes alike, with greater awareness and empathy, better diagnosis and a growing willingness to seek help reshaping how societies understand psychological wellbeing.
That progress is increasingly visible in public policy around the globe. In Australia, the recent move to restrict social media use for under-16s has been confidently framed as a protective measure and came as part of a broader commitment to safeguarding the emotional and cognitive development of young people. Similarly, all World Health Organisation Member States have committed to the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030 which sets out strategies for leadership, community-based care, prevention, and promotion of mental wellbeing, and aims to embed mental health into wider health systems and social policy planning. Together, these initiatives are a signal that there is growing recognition of the psychological pressures in modern life and that thoughtful support and intervention is essential.
“Those with higher incomes are significantly more likely to have engaged with therapy, while people from lower-income backgrounds often face both financial and cultural barriers to participation even when their needs are comparable.”
Similar developments can be seen in the UK where more people than ever are exploring therapy as a proactive investment in their wellbeing. Last year, 35% of adults reported seeking therapy at some point in their lives, up from just 10.4% in 2007. Yet access remains uneven. A private therapy session commonly costs between £60 and £120 an hour, placing sustained support beyond the reach of many households. On top of this, despite progress, surveys still suggest that a meaningful proportion of adults feel hesitant when it comes to seeking help, and that willingness varies markedly across socio-economic groups. Those with higher incomes are significantly more likely to have engaged with therapy, while people from lower-income backgrounds often face both financial and cultural barriers to participation even when their needs are comparable.
It is precisely this gap that Towards, founded last year, is working to address. Built on the simple but radical premise that accessing therapy should be as straightforward as visiting the barber or the optician, the business has set out to normalise and democratise mental health care.
Speaking to Tim Rideout, the company’s CEO, he told us: “When you make an appointment at Specsavers, it’s easy and you know what to expect. You recognise the brand, and you know the pricing will be affordable. Our question has always been, why can’t you do that for therapy?” The ambition is to create a recognised, trusted brand offering high-quality therapy at the right price on every major high street in the UK. And the model has clear potential, as well as pace and impact, as Tim explained: “One woman came to us at about ten to seven one evening, after months waiting for help, and by ten past seven she was starting her first therapy session. It’s transformative that she was able to do that.”
When Tim joined the business in 2025 it was first sparking to life and in its very early stages. Since then, Tim has laid robust foundations, establishing a strong vision for the business and securing funding. Towards is now “testing the hypothesis” and building a playbook for national expansion. In just six months, the organisation has put in place what Tim describes as the “hygiene factors” of a serious healthcare operation – namely people, policies, cybersecurity and compliance.
The second priority, he explained, has been marketing, an area where the team is still learning but has already made progress, particularly in establishing institutional clients such as schools. However, most important has been culture. “We want Towards to be really great for clients and employees,” Tim told us. “Our aim is for Towards to be an employer of choice for therapists, which, understandably, takes time, but if we get culture right, the rest of the organisation will sing.”
With those foundations beginning to embed, the next step was to prove the model in the right location. Opening Towards’ first site in Leeds was a strategic choice, as the city is home to the core demographic that it is targeting: mid-income families in a compact, clearly defined city centre. “We wanted to serve a big enough population with a fairly tight city centre,” Tim explained, from a site that would be accessible and appealing to those local communities.
This high street location has proven more significant than even the team anticipated. “We thought the high street location was going to be important and we’ve already proved that is the case,” Tim said. The striking Leeds building has set a high bar for future sites, and has played a part in walk-ins becoming the second most effective marketing channel next to Google search.
It also speaks to a broader reimagining of the high street. As retail moves online, physical spaces are being repurposed. “More and more you see organisations who traditionally were slightly out of town relocating into some of those spaces that are becoming available,” Tim told us. “You can shop online, but if you want a physical treatment or a therapy session you need to go somewhere. That’s the changing face of the high street.”
Towards has leaned into this, embedding itself in the local community. Therapists at the Leeds clinic are building relationships with every general practice and every school in the area, with the team leafleting, attending markets and events, and opening its doors to community groups. “It’s difficult to overplay how important that location in the community is,” Tim explained. “I don’t see anybody else in the space doing that. It’s a real differentiator for us.”
“If you want a physical treatment or a therapy session you need to go somewhere. That’s the changing face of the high street.” – Tim Rideout, CEO, Towards
People sit at the heart of this model. Wanting from its earliest days to contribute to solving the national shortage of qualified therapists, Towards has established a partnership with the University of Exeter, and the business and university have worked to develop a new curriculum for both adult therapy and therapy for children and young people.
From around 80 applicants, ten were recruited to the Towards Academy and now three are therapists in training and already seeing clients. “You might say, ‘well, a 30% success rate isn’t great’,” Tim told us, “but actually this is just where I wanted to be because I want our standards to be extremely high. In due course, I’d like people to be really proud of being a Towards therapist.” Recruitment is also deliberately local. The Leeds hub is staffed by people from Leeds, reinforcing the intention to build a national brand that is regionally inflected and rooted in the communities it serves.
Looking forward, Tim says he hopes Towards will become synonymous with excellence, convenience and affordability. “I want Towards to be a recognised and trusted brand nationally,” he said. “But I also want it to be community meaningful and locally meaningful, and I want us to be transforming lives.” Ultimately, his goal is simple. “I want us to be a trusted partner that you can depend on in moments of difficulty, and that we are the go-to place when people are facing those sorts of problems across the country.”
For now, Towards will continue to test the hypothesis in Leeds – refining the idea in practice, earning trust locally and laying the groundwork for a model that will, soon, spread far beyond the city.
