Do You Need To Find a Therapist?
Choosing the Right Therapist or The Right Therapeutic Relationship
Are you considering starting therapy?
This can be a difficult step to take. It’s a professional relationship as well as a deeply personal one, and it is even harder when you aren’t sure where to start looking for a therapist. There are many different things to explore: different directories, different regulators and even different qualifications to investigate, and theoretical orientations or “modalities” in therapy speak, as well as finding someone who feels like the right fit.
You Don’t Need To Have All The Answers
There are many reasons for starting therapy, such as relationship breakdown, low mood, anxiety or something that feels deeper and harder to name. As there can still be a stigma around therapy, you may also feel some resistance to start therapy, which you can’t quite describe. When asking what to look for in a therapist, it is OK to not know exactly what you are seeking from them, figuring out what you need could be part of the work you do with your therapist.
Use A Reliable Online Database
With a few exceptions, therapy is not regulated by law in the UK. This means that anyone can say they are a therapist, a counsellor, or a psychotherapist.
Qualified therapists will typically be registered with one of the voluntary regulating bodies, such as BACP of UKCP. These regulators also assess training institutions, and members are bound by their codes of ethics and conduct. There are also numerous listing sites, such as the Counselling Directory and Psychology Today being two of the primary ones. When looking for a trained therapist, aim to search one of the voluntary membership bodies
Terminology and Training
According to Psychology Today, there over 40 types of therapy offered in private practice in the UK, making the therapy world confusing to step into. A qualified therapist should share what their therapy training is, but there is lots of confusing terminology such as humanistic, integrative, psychodynamic, gestalt or transactional analysis. Feel free to ask questions about this and a therapists style of working.
The Therapeutic Relationship
A strong working alliance where the client feels seen and understood is a key factor in individual therapy, and more likely to result in good outcomes. Feel free to raise concerns directly with a therapist if you are not sure of being a good match or not. The chances are it’ll strengthen your understanding of each other or make clear that you aren’t the right fit. It can take a few goes to find the right one, so be patient. Therapy is deeply personal and only you can judge if it feels right.
Shop Around
Many therapists will offer a free call or consultation. This will allow you the space to find a good fit for you. Aim to share any concerns that you have with a potential therapist, as this will help you to assess your compatibility.
When the therapeutic relationship works well, whether in couples counselling or individual, change and deep therapeutic work are about getting to know the deeper and possibly hidden parts of yourself; to help you make connections, find meaning in patterns, and to help you see and feel what is beyond words. Finding the right person to help you do this can take time.
So, allow it to flow at the pace you need.
Alex is a qualified Transactional Analysis psychotherapeutic counsellor who works with individuals and offers couples relationship counselling to explore emotional patterns, relationship dynamics, and the deeper roots of current struggles. He trained at the Metanoia Institute and is a registered member of BACP.
References
www.psychologytoday.com/gb/types-of-therapy
https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fpst0000175