How to choose a therapist?

[JoMalones]

I'm looking for therapy for trauma and anxiety. I have no idea where to start! GP happy to refer as I have private medical insurance but where do I start?

Go to the BACP website and use the choose a therapist option .

Read the bios . Make a shortlist . Email them and ask if they specialise in the area you want counselling for . Most therapists will have a free of charge 20 min chat with you .

Main thing you need to ask is do they have experience in the area you want therapy for . How long they've been practising .

If you want to focus on the past psychodynamic is for you ,if you want past and present transactional analysis is for you , person centred is more about the present .

Cbt is good for anxiety , changing the way you think about events .

I agree that the BACP website is a good place to start, but you might also want to look at UKCP and BPC (British Psychoanalytic Council).

You sound like you know what you need and want help with, so you can search for key words - I would particularly look for therapists who mention trauma, or those who have additional training in trauma and or EMDR therapy, which is proven to be very effective for trauma.

Depending on your insurer, you could also search on their directory (eg Bupa). With a lot of therapy being online at the moment, you have a lot of freedom to choose someone who feels right for you, regardless of distance.

Contact a few and you will get a good feel of who might be a good fit, just based on a short phone call or consultation. Trust your instinct!

But definitely make sure they are accredited by BACP, or members of UKCP or BPC as this will guarantee a certain degree of qualification and experience, and adherence to code of ethics etc..

Also, some do a low cost or free initial session to see if you can work together.

And counselling directory is good for putting in your postcode - more user friendly website than the BACP (I'm on both)

We used Bupa and the counsellor was abysmal - we're considering putting in a Complaint to the bacp. It might not be wise to rely on private health care for this area, as our experience suggests high quality counselling isn't via private health care providers.

Thanks so much for the advice, so difficult with only being able to zoom or call

I googled therapists in my area because I don't have a car, so when things open up again, there's no point me choosing someone 2 buses away. Then I picked out the lady whose vibe most appealed to me. I also looked at the directories mentioned above, and made a shortlist of the therapists I liked the sound of most (and who were near me in my city - which is evidently crawling with therapists!). In the end, the first lady had availability for me and was lovely on our call.

Also, I had/have no idea what KIND of therapy was most appropriate for me, so I kind of limited my search to the people who practice across a few different styles, so that we could find our way together.

There are a lot of therapists (like me) who have seen people face to face all the way through

We were vaccinated along with other HCP's - there was no way I could have stopped doing face to face for some clients