The biggest question anyone looking into therapy or support with their mental health will be asking themselves is how they should pick the right therapist or counsellor.
The truth is that we’re all unique and so are our preferences for a therapist. What may work for one person may be unhelpful for another. I always recommend having an initial consultation call with a potential therapist and offer a free 15 minute call to anyone who makes an enquiry. This call is an important opportunity for you to get to know me and to see if I am the type of Psychologist you want to work with. The call also gives you a chance to find out how I work and for us to discuss your hopes or goals for therapy. This will hopefully help you make an informed decision when booking your first appointment!
Some things to consider when choosing a therapist are:
- Do you have a preference about the gender of the therapist?
- Is it important that your therapist is from a similar background to you, i.e. culturally, a person of colour, part of the LGBTQIA+ community, or from a similar religion? Or would you prefer someone who is different to yourself?
- What would you like to work on in therapy? Is the therapist specialised in this area?
- Is there a particular type of therapy you would like to try?
- What type of therapist would you like to work with? A psychologist or a psychotherapist?
- How much can you afford to spend on therapy?
- Would you like a therapist to be more directive in sessions or would you prefer more freedom?
- Does the therapist match your availability?
- Are you looking for in person or online therapy?
These are all very important questions to make sure the therapy can work for you. Ensuring that the therapist meets your needs on both a personal and practical basis is important. You need to feel comfortable with the therapist and how they work. Similarly, the fee they charge or their availability needs to work for you. Therapy can often be long term commitment so it’s helpful to consider what you need before starting therapy.