Do Online and Remote Therapists in the UK Need Insurance?

This blog explores what risks online therapists need to consider and how therapists insurance can help protect virtual sessions.

Do online and remote therapists need insurance?

To answer the question – yes, both online and remote therapists in the UK need insurance. The reason is simple: even if you work remotely, you're still exposed to many of the same risks as ‘in-person’ therapists.

Cyber insurance for therapists

One vital cover for online and remote therapists is cyber insurance. This includes:

• Cyber extortion insurance to protect you if a hacker tries to hold your business to ransom
• Data recovery services if you lose any important data
• Cyber business interruption - compensation for loss of income, including where caused by damage to your reputation, if a hacker targets your systems and prevents your business from earning revenue
• Hacker damage reimbursement for the costs of repair, restoration or replacement if a hacker causes damage to your websites, programmes or electronic data

Professional indemnity insurance for online or remote therapists

Professional indemnity insurance covers the amount you may have to pay as compensation should the advice or guidance that you give to your clients lead to loss (up to your chosen limit of indemnity).

Libel and slander is another potential cover. It protects therapists' businesses from financial losses and legal costs arising from alleged defamation claims.

Product liability insurance for online or remote therapists

Professionals who send out products, offer advice or provide some services from their own home can still cause harm for which they may be liable, so this is an important cover to consider as an online or remote therapist.

Online or remote therapists employers liability cover

If you employ staff, employers’ liability cover is a legal requirement. This covers legal defence costs for compensation claims from employee injuries or work-related illness if you are at fault.

Commercial Legal expenses cover for therapists

Commercial legal expenses cover for online and remote therapists offers legal helpline access, defence cost, and support for disputes.

Legal expenses are the costs associated with legal representation, and court proceedings. Individuals may need legal expenses insurance to cover these costs, especially if they face unexpected legal challenges to their work. Commercial legal expenses policies can cover employment and contract disputes, tax investigations and more. Please check your policy for details.

Does therapists insurance cover working abroad?

Yes, therapists insurance can cover practice from abroad, though conditions will apply. Cover can be provided for work for a maximum of 60 days abroad, but not from a property owned by the individual.

Therapists insurance from Towergate provides cover for you to work outside of the UK on a temporary visit not exceeding 60 consecutive calendar days, so long as you permanently live in the UK. Note that cover is excluded for any action brought in any court of The United States or Canada.

Therapists insurance from Towergate

With years of experience in providing tailored therapists insurance solutions to a wide variety of professional bodies and charitable organisations across the professional risks sector, Towergate want to help you reduce potential risks to your business. We take care of those who take care of others, insuring over 40,000 talking, complementary and alternative therapists across the UK.

We can source specialist, speedy liability cover for therapy practitioners and a 24-hour legal helpline.

Get a therapists cover quote

Start a therapists insurance quote online or call us on 0330 123 5810.

About the author

Diane Caplehorn is a respected industry leader with over 25 years' experience within the insurance sector. She works across a wide spectrum of insurance products and policy development, delivery and optimisation for trades professionals, SMEs, health and beauty, professional risks and martial arts clients.

Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems we recommend that professional advice be sought.