This is my first time…
Tools for searching for a therapist.
If you have ever considered therapy and found support, you know that the journey to finding a therapist can be long, confusing, and just overwhelming. You may have decided to seek private support instead of waiting for your appointment on the NHS and now you find yourself typing ‘therapist near me’ into your search engine. Well, I wish I could tell you the process will be over in a minute and you will be on your way, but that would be selling you something more complex.
Finding a therapist does not have to be hard, but it takes work. Here are some thoughts to get you started on your journey.
Charities: When looking for support you might want to consider UK-based charities that provide mental health support such as Mind, Cruse Bereavement Support, Relate, Samaritans, Citizens Advice or even Addition Anonymous Groups just to name a few. Some offer 1:1 support, remote or in-person support, and might be a useful lifeline if you find yourself in crisis.
Registered with a Professional Membership Body: The counselling profession is not regulated by the UK government, which means the practitioners who are in the counselling world may look very different in terms of their experiences and training. For example, the government regulates the Social Work, Education and Healthcare professions. Different counselling and psychotherapy professional bodies regulate their members and ensure they have the appropriate training needed to be counsellors or psychotherapists. You will know a therapist is registered and has a membership with these bodies as they may list them after their name and post them on their website. If you do not see who they are registered with it might be useful to ask. Registering with a professional body requires the counsellor to adhere to that organisation’s specific ethical guidelines. Some of these might be the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), UKCP, British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC), or the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). Click here to read a more exhaustive list. Having a counsellor or psychotherapist who is a member of a professional body means that they are recognised as a professional in that particular organisation and adhere to specific ethical and professional values and codes of conduct.
Counselling Directories: Some of these talk therapy professional bodies have directories with a list of counsellors who are regulated by them. This can make your search for a therapist much easier. These directories are usually very simple to navigate and can provide you with some potential options for support.
Low-Cost Therapy: ‘Therapy is for people with money’, or ‘Therapy is too expensive for me’… yes, there is the idea that therapeutic support is for those who have more disposable income at their fingertips, but that doesn’t mean it is always the case. There are some charities like the ones listed above that offer free, or funded therapy sessions. Often, therapists do offer concessions for those who may find the full rate too high. These lower fees exist to support you and allow you the support you need without having to break the bank.
Word of Mouth: Oftentimes, your best way to find a therapist is through the recommendation of others. Sometimes knowing that someone has had personal success in therapy with someone may mean we can envision what that means for us too. I can remember a period when I found therapy useful and my counsellor was a recommendation from a friend who had worked with them previously. As counsellors sometimes it is advised to not work with friends or relatives of those we have worked with (couples and family therapy does not apply here) as we need to hold an impartial perspective, so that might be something to be mindful of.
Connections from spiritual leaders or faith-based environments: For those who have spiritual leaders, or find themselves in faith-based environments, you may find support of a pastoral nature there. Those people in your community may be able to point you towards therapy and support if you would like.
Look for professionals who have experience or niches: When you are searching for support, looking at counsellors and psychotherapists near you might become very overwhelming very quickly. In refining your search, you might find someone who can work with your specific issue. Many of these directories will allow you to look up support in a specific niche. Counsellors and Psychotherapists might often work in a specific area. It is not a rule or a way of working, but it might support you as you search for support.
Consider what sort of person you might want to work with or not work with: Just like with other relationships, the counselling relationship may or may not be a good fit for you and that is okay. When looking at therapists consider who you might want to work with. What is their gender? Does their age hold value for you? What about their cultural and ethnic background? Who do you feel comfortable with? Who might you not want to work with? Many therapists agree that the connection between the two people is important and a good indicator of therapeutic success. Or maybe you want someone who has been where you were? You do have a choice, you can choose. In the case of charities and low-cost therapy organisations, you may be able to request who you might want to work with- usually around gender, age, and ethnicity.
Test trial a therapist: Some therapists offer you a phone call or a first session before you agree to work together. This is the perfect time to see what it is like to speak with them, to see what it is like in their physical or online presence. Use this to gauge how you feel, do you feel comfortable and able to speak freely?
Look for transparency: Something I was encouraged to look for years ago when I was searching for a counsellor was transparency. By this, do they give you information to help you make an informed decision about pursuing sessions?
Ultimately, when looking for a counsellor, you want to feel that you are safe, comfortable, aware of the services you are receiving and feel that you are held and cared for therapeutically. The whole idea is that looking for therapeutic support can be an adventure you did not expect to have to navigate. Perhaps some of these tools can support you on your journey to finding support that works for you.
From one human to another,
Take care of yourself.
