What kind of therapy would suit me?
What are the different kinds of therapy available?
What kind of therapist could I work well with? (You may prefer a man or a woman, someone with the same background as you or someone your own age or older).
How much time or money am I willing to spend?
How far am I willing to travel?
Do I mind where I see the therapist? (Options include at a Private office, GP practice, clinic, hospital, community centre or in the therapist’s own home)
Who may be able to recommend a therapist to me? (Friends or your GP may be able to put you in touch with a therapist they respect).
Questions to ask a therapist
About the therapist
What are your qualifications?
What other training have you done?
How long have you been working as a therapist?
Do you belong to a professional organisation?
Can I see your professional organisation’s code of practice or code of ethics?
Can I opt out any time?
About the therapy
What kind of therapy do you offer?
Do you specialise in helping people with certain types of problem?
What happens at a typical session?
How long is a session?
How often do you see people?
How many sessions would I have?
About the cost
What is the cost for each session?
Are there any reductions for older people, students or people on benefits?
When you meet a therapist for the first time (sometimes called an assessment), they will be working out if they can help you. That’s your chance to find out about the therapist too. Ask yourself:
Do you feel comfortable talking to them?
Would you be able to trust and work with them?
What’s your 'gut feeling' about them?
What makes a good therapist?
Your relationship with your therapist is really important.
A good therapist:
listens to you
values what you say
has your best interests at heart
helps you learn how to change
challenges negative thoughts
reinforces positive thoughts
checks you are getting what you want from therapy
knows their own limits and when to refer you to someone else.
A good therapist concentrates on you – what you think is important in your life, what you want to achieve, what steps you could take to get there. They shouldn’t tell you what to do. Your therapist may be highly trained and very experienced, but you are the expert on you.
It's worth taking time to build a trusting relationship with your therapist. Remember therapy is a two-way process. If you have any questions, ask them. If you are worried that you could become dependent on them, say so. A good therapist will help you deal with your worries and work out how you will manage when the therapy comes to an end.
