To think that therapist should put their CVs on their website

[goingtobeaninja]

Also to give information on the kind of work they have done so far, e.g. how much experience in trauma (e.g. 4 years, 50 patients),
Most times the information they share about their experience is too vague.

When we are expected to present cv and talk in detail about our past experiences before offered any job, is it too much to expect that therapist tell us a little more about their background?

I am finding it so hard to pick one.

Look for accreditation and ring them and talk to them. In my experience many therapists are more the ring up and chat type of people than CV with numbers and figures on their websites people.

Talk to a few. The relationship/fit stuff is as important as experience.

But experience is important too. Talk to them and ask them.
Lots depends on what you want from them and how they practice. For instance, someone who works with symbolic modelling (metaphor) would offer something different to someone who works psychodynamically. I'm a coach and I've had a few clients post counselling/therapy who've got to know their problem v well but have no strategies.
It's important to interview a few and work out what would work for you.

I think they're should be more scrutiny on their success rate. They can go on for years but not help anyone.

Look for BACP accreditation and contact them to ask if they have specific areas of expertise.

Mine gave me a copy of his resume on our first session.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I have talked to a few and visited a couple of them for first sessions, where I explained my issues and therapist talked about admin stuff. I had to pay for these sessions. I decided not to continue with those 2.

I feel it's very unfair to patients as therapy itself is so expensive. There should be a better way to shortlist therapists.

None of the therapists I talked to were friendly enough for me to dare ask them about their CVs.

I had tried therapy a few years ago and for many different reasons it didn't help, and it cost a lot of money. So I am a little apprehensive.

I want to find a therapist with PHD in psychology and then years of experience in dealing with the issues I have (trauma, relationship), and a warm personality. I feel a good counselling therapist without advance education might not have not studied the phycological aspects of trauma. Is this approach wrong?

If you are in the south east, I can recommend someone excellent who fulfils your criteria - but do be aware that a practising clinical psychologist is considerably more expensive than an ordinary person-centred type counsellor

Or alternatively, you could ask to be referred to your local psychological services via your psychiatrist - if you aren't currently under one, I think you have to go via IAPT and be referred by them. Many areas have a huge wait though - I had an urgent referral from my psych and by the time I moved five years later, I still hadn't been seen

A therapist with the time and academic ability to do a PHD might not have the personal qualities needed to be a good practical therapist. They might not have put in the hours needed to give them the depth of experience you are seeking. And if you did strike gold and find someone who has everything you are looking for they would probably be astronomically expensive, much more than the standard £50-£60 an hour.

I think you need to be more proactive when contacting therapists - be up front about what you think will come up and what you need. If they aren’t prepared to divulge their qualifications/experience before the first session , move on. It’s a buyers market out there. Lots and lots of qualified therapists and not many people who are prepared and able to pay the fees.

And again, don’t get too hung up on the PHD, being able to research and write aren’t vital qualities in a therapist.

I have talked to a few and visited a couple of them for first sessions, where I explained my issues and therapist talked about admin stuff.

This sounds as if they are carrying out an initial assessment. Were they asking things about your background, childhood, health etc? All decent therapists will start by carrying out such an evaluation in the first session. They won't launch straight into therapy on the first session. Even the second and third session might still be covering some of these details. There aren't quick fixes for trauma. They need to do this assessment to make sure that they understand the issues. You need to pay because you are using their time.

For trauma you might want to find someone with EMDR training. If you can afford it then go for someone who is consultant level. Possibly someone who is also a Clinical Psychologist.

A PhD psychologist may not have had practice experience but may know a lot of theory. A good therapist with decent training and experience will be able to work well with you.

I found it best to phone and talk to the person about their experience rather than booking a first session which often costs you money. It’s absolutely fine to ask about their initial training, their experience of working with trauma (including what type of trauma, eg working with an adult who has experienced and assault is different from understanding the impact of childhood trauma), explore any further training they’ve had and how much post training experience they’ve had (usually expressed in hours). Most good therapists will be happy to talk about this stuff, and if their manner suggests not, they aren’t the person for you.

I think your expectations are unrealistic and the PhD requirement certainly rules out most right away as it's not the standard career path for a psychotherapist.

In my experience - as someone who is a trained therapist but not doing clinical work, and as someone who's had therapy myself - it's rarely so straightforward. Academic qualifications are not important; personal qualities, depth of training and depth of personal therapy/the therapist's willingness to work on their own development matter much more.

Most will have on their websites the pertinent information - where they trained, when they qualified and which professional bodies they are members of/accredited by. Most of the best therapists I've come across started their working lives in a different profession and became therapists later on.

Are you looking for a psychotherapist, a counsellor, or a psychologist? If relationships and trauma are something you want to work on, you'd do well to choose a psychodynamic counsellor or psychotherapist with a solid psychodynamic training (usually a post grad diploma - not a degree) behind them.

Oh and agree you don't want a psychologist with a PhD, if you want a psychologist look for someone with a DPsych which is a clinical rather than research Doctorate in Psychology - DClinPsych or DCounsPsych.

Yes, as pp said, you want a Psychologist with a doctorate rather than a PhD. Practitioner psychologists (who offer therapy) do doctorates whereas PhDs are a route for working in academia/research.

Look up clinical psychologists or counselling psychologists in your area, or you can find listings on the British Psychologist Society website. Those who have expertise in working with trauma will usually state it. You will be paying more than you would for a counsellor or other kind of therapist, but you will be seeing someone who has a very high level of training and experience.

*Psychological

As others have said if you want someone who has studied to doctorate level and is a practitioner you need a clinical or counselling psychologist. They should be able to understand and be able to explain their understanding of trauma. The British psychological society has a find a psychologist bit on their website... But as others have pointed out they are more expensive than counsellor therapists