How to find the right therapist
You have taken the first step – decided to start therapy. Now you are faced with the daunting task of finding the right therapist for you. There are various things to consider when you start your search.
These can largely be bracketed into two categories:
Practicalities (such as location, timing, and fees) and therapeutic relationship (such as rapport and trust).
Below is a list of factors to consider when you are searching for a therapist:
Ask a trusted source
Ask a friend if they can recommend a therapist, check with your private medical insurer, or go to sites such as the British Psychological Societies list of chartered psychologists. As with choosing any professional, going with a personal recommendation, or a professional body or organisation that checks professional qualifications, can give you reassurance of basic competencies. A search engine can also be a good option, but always check if the therapist you find has recognised qualifications and is registered with the relevant professional body.
Qualification and specialism
When looking for a psychologist, always check that they are registered with the regulator the Health and Care Professions Council. This ensures that they have recognised qualifications and that they engage in continued professional development. Apart for that, consider if you want your therapist to specialise in a certain issue such as stress or anxiety, work or family issues.
Location
To narrow down your search, location is an important factor to decide on. Consider whether you prefer seeing a therapist online or in person. Or a combination. Consider if you would you like to see a therapist in person in your local area or near your workplace. Location can also overlap with specialism – for instance if you work in the City of London, a psychologist based there might be better suited to help with work-related issues or issues related to life circumstance of a high-performance career.
Timing
Are you restricted to only having sessions on certain days or times of day? Do you need the time of the sessions to be the same every week or to change to fit around you work or other commitments? Knowing your own time restrictions allows you to enquire about scheduling with your short-list of therapists.
Fees
Unless you have private medical insurance cover, check that you are comfortable with the expense. If you do have private medical insurance cover, make sure you only short-list therapists who work with your insurer.
Therapeutic relationship
Research shows that one of the most important factors in making psychotherapy effectful is the therapeutic relationship. At the same time, this is perhaps the less easily definable part. How does the person make you feel? Does their communication style suit you? Do you trust that they can provide a safe space for you to talk? Do you feel judged or accepted and understood? Does what they offer match your expectations?
Therapeutic approach
Psychologists or psychotherapists use different therapeutic approaches. There are many different types of therapeutic approaches. You might already know what you think is the right approach for you. If not, look into a few different approaches or read about the approaches your short-list of therapists offer to check if one resonates with you more that another. The therapeutic approach can inform the style and the focus of the conversation.
You can find out some of the above from written descriptions, but mostly you need to have a conversation to see if you are a good match. This is why Bech Psychology always offer a free 10-minute phone conversation before you book you book your first appointment.
Now you have made your decision, and you have started therapy:
It is still important that you assess if you made the right choice. Therapy will only be of benefit to you if you feel comfortable with the working relationship you have with your therapist. It is your life and your decision, so…
Assess how you feel: After the first session, consider if you felt listened to, if your therapist’s manner and style of communication felt right for you. Ask yourself if you think you could build a trusting relationship where you feel safe talking about difficult and intimate aspects of your life. Consider if what they said made you confident that they can help you with your issues.
Evaluate the progress: After a few sessions, consider how you are getting on. Have you developed a mutual understanding of what is going on for you, what to work on, and how to approach the issues? Do you feel accepted and listened to? If you are unsure, try to speak with your therapist about your doubts or concerns, you might figure it out together.
If you want to find out if Bech Psychology have the right therapist for you, contact us to arrange a free 10-minute phone call.