[5th November 2026] MumsAid has been featured as a case study in a major new national report, highlighting the clinical effectiveness and economic value of specialist counselling services for mothers experiencing mental health difficulties.
Published on Monday 2 November, Unlocking Potential: Transforming Lives, from the independent Commission for the Future of Counselling and Psychotherapy, sets out recommendations to improve access to psychological therapies across the UK, strengthen public protection and ensure the profession can better meet the nation’s growing mental health needs.
The report makes a compelling case for greater recognition and investment in counselling and psychotherapy, highlighting the significant contribution that skilled practitioners and community-based services can make to improving mental health outcomes.
MumsAid is featured as an example of the impact that specialist, targeted therapeutic provision can achieve, both for individuals and for wider society.
The MumsAid case study draws on an independent evaluation published by Pro Bono Economics in December 2024, examining outcomes for 300 mothers who received specialist counselling between 2019 and 2024.
The findings demonstrate the considerable impact of MumsAid’s approach, which combines tailored, specialist perinatal counselling with additional therapeutic and practical support.
The evaluation found that:
These findings highlight not only the difference that appropriate therapeutic intervention can make to mothers experiencing mental health difficulties, but also the wider social and economic benefits of investing in specialist support.
For MumsAid, the inclusion is particularly meaningful because it demonstrates the value of services designed around the specific needs of mothers during pregnancy and early parenthood, including those who face barriers to accessing appropriate mental health care.
The Commission’s report identifies significant opportunities to improve mental health provision by making better use of the UK’s existing counselling and psychotherapy workforce.
It estimates that more than 370,000 additional hours of therapy could potentially be delivered each week through better utilisation of existing professional capacity.
Among its recommendations are calls for more sustainable funding and commissioning arrangements, stronger professional standards and greater recognition of the role that counselling and psychotherapy can play across health and community settings.
The report also highlights the importance of protecting specialist voluntary-sector services and embedding them more effectively within wider mental health pathways.
These recommendations are particularly relevant to organisations such as MumsAid, which provide targeted, community-based support to people whose needs may not always be adequately met by mainstream provision.
MumsAid CEO & Founder, Dr Miriam Donaghy, attended the official launch event, joining professionals and organisations from across the counselling and psychotherapy sector to mark the publication of the report and discuss its implications for the future of mental health support.
The event also provided an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues from other organisations working to improve the experiences of families facing difficult circumstances.
Among those attending was Karen, CEO of Petals, a specialist baby loss counselling charity with which MumsAid has an established and valued relationship.
The opportunity to connect with Petals was a welcome reminder of the importance of collaboration between specialist charities, particularly those supporting women and families through complex and often deeply challenging experiences.
For MumsAid, the event was both an opportunity to celebrate the recognition of its work and to contribute to a wider conversation about how high-quality therapeutic services can be made more accessible and sustainable.
The charity welcomes the Commission’s recognition of the value of specialist counselling provision and hopes the report will encourage greater investment in services that have demonstrated their ability to transform lives.
You can read the report here: Commission-for-the-Future-of-Counselling-and-Psychotherapy-Report
