My top 5 tips to finding the right therapist to help you and the one thing you shouldn’t do.
If you are stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or feeling unwell in any way and you would like to find yourself a therapist, one that you feel confident is the right one for you, then you have no doubt already discovered looking for the right one is a bit of a minefield.
There are so many different forms of therapy, even within the counselling field you can find solution focussed, person centred, psychodynamic etc. etc. Most of which probably means nothing to you, you just want to know who will help you resolve your problem.
But how do you know if it’s counselling, psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, IEMT (what is that?) or any of the other multitude of therapies on offer, that will be the one that will get you the outcome you desire?
Read on and I will help you out with my top tips to finding the right therapist to work with you.
- Location, Location, Location!
Where do you want to see your therapist? Do you want to see them in a clinic near you or would you prefer online sessions. Maybe you want to be able to go straight from work or during your lunchbreak, so having convenient access to your therapist is vital.
Putting your desired location into the search is therefore essential. As a clinic based in West Moors, we will also use, Ferndown, Wimborne, Ringwood, Dorset and other local places in our google details, so whatever location you put in, it is likely you will see other places near you.
If you are looking for an online therapist then your search is much wider and how you find them will be a little different, but everything here is still relevant.
- Identify your problem and look for someone who helps that particular issue.
That may sound a little obvious but as I mentioned above there are many different types of therapy and many different approaches within those therapies. It is much easier therefore to look for help for your specific problem.
Even if you are searching under hypnotherapy for instance, add the condition to your search. It will help you whittle down who is on offer.
Don’t be too fixed on the type of therapy as many therapists are qualified in a number of different modalities and methods, so you will get the benefit of a lot of knowledge and skills from one therapist.
- Know, like and trust.
Recommendations are great. If you know anyone who has seen a therapist for a problem similar to yours, then don’t be shy, talk to them about their experience and if they would recommend that therapist, or not!
Don’t worry if you are going in cold, social media, YouTube, blogs and Podcasts are a great way to get to know whether you like what a therapist has to say and if you even like the look of them. All these things are important when you are sharing very personal details with someone.
Check out their reviews too: Google reviews, Facebook or their website. The absence of reviews does not mean that you shouldn’t use them, it might just mean they are not that tech savvy and haven’t set that up.
- Registering bodies and therapy directories.
When looking for a specific type of therapy this is a great place to start, though going back to my previous points, look for someone who specifically mentions your issue.
How ever read their Bio in regards to this. The directory provides a long list of areas the therapist can help with, it is very easy to tick them all. Yes we can help with nearly all of them, but that doesn’t make us the expert in that area, you want the expert.
I myself am on a number of directories, they check your credentials before they accept you, so you can feel reassured by the training and qualifications held by the therapists.
- Meet the therapist
Most therapists will offer a free introductory consultation or discovery call. This is your opportunity to share the difficulties you are facing and find out what their approach would be.
This session is also a chance to discuss the likely number of sessions and the costs involved. Some therapists will do pay as you go, others on a programme price, this will depend on the type of therapy and the outcome you are hoping to achieve.
I find one big advantage of starting therapy with an idea of a set number of session, even if just initially, is that it helps the client understand that change is a process and therefore they are beginning that process they already feeling committed to achieving their desired result.
The big don’t!
Do not go on price, yes really. Price does not determine whether you will get the results you desire.
A higher price may mean the therapist is more highly qualified, has more experience or is in higher demand, or it may not.
A lower price might represent value for money on an hourly basis, but if you don’t get good results or it takes twice as long, then it’s false economy.
Conclusion:
Finding the right therapist for you will make the world of difference to both your experience of therapy and the results that you get.
Although you are dealing with difficult and sensitive issues, therapy should be a positive experience and empowering. To ensure you get that experience, take your time and follow my all the tips in the article and you will be sure to make a good choice.
If at this end of this you would like to explore whether we have the right therapist to help you, then please do check us out following all the above tips, or fill in our contact form to book a call back.