How to pick a counsellor/therapist from the BACP register

[Turtletunes]

I'd like to start therapy as part of helping me escape my marriage and I've looked at the BACP register of counsellors but there are so many on there, how do you choose one? Pick one whose photo looks normal and isn't too far away?! They all seem to have experience of dealing with all issues, according to their own profiles. How qualified are psychotherapists as opposed to psychologists I wonder? I'm just a bit tenuous about confiding in someone who turns out to be another gaslighter/narcissist under the guise of a psychotherapist, I'm not sure I could cope with that. Has everyone who has been to a counsellor found it helpful?

Honestly this thread alone will show you the issues with 'hierarchies' within the therapeutic profession. Don't assume that PhDs mean you'll get better counselling (I spoke to one and he was so far up his own hole he was in his throat). Psychotherapist isn't a protected term. Some people like to call themselves it because it sounds fancier and they tend to charge more.

Anyone accredited on BACP list will have met fairly rigorous standards which include personal therapy, supervision and 400+ hours of experience, which includes supervised placement hours. My friend finished her 3 year course and is now doing a Masters but she's a Counsellor at the end of it all and that's what she calls herself even though she's drawn to psychodynamic work and uses it 70% of the time.

Find the person you connect with. Integrative means they'll have covered a bit of everything. I would avoid anyone doing purely CBT.

The BACP don’t require personal therapy for membership or accreditation. I’d always ask the therapist about their own experience of therapy.

I agree with every word of this post!

The UKCP courses I looked at cost the same as a phd. They are - in my opinion - exclusionary.

magpieddd

Yes, that's what I said - I'm a registered member

I was answering the beginning question about hours - that you don't just get accreditation if you have a lot of supervised hours - I have over 10,000 supervised hours but have chosen not to do the accreditation

And a doctorate is no indication at all of anything to do with providing psychotherapy - I'm two thirds of the way through mine (part time as I got it funded through work) and it's not related in any way to my adult therapeutic work

I won't even be putting it on my BACP profile as I don't want/need more clients

I was like you, looking for therapy to make a decision about ending my marriage.

I was advised to look for a chartered psychologist. I believe this is someone who will have done a university course.

I then decided I preferred face to face rather than online.

I then googled practices near to me and looked at their therapists. I chose someone who looked about the same age as me (post menopausal)I also looked for someone who stated they dealt with relationships. Some I excluded because they seemed focussed on children, teenagers, addictions, gender identity etc.

Pricing might be a good indicator. My therapist charges £100/hr. When I first looked I actually found a friend listed as a counsellor. She charged £50/hr. She’s a really lovely person, but I happen to know just a few years ago she was doing something completely different.

I am very happy with my therapist.

Price often means diddly squat other than the fact that some people think 'big money = mad skillz'.

I feel for you OP. It's a minefield. I think a 'chemistry test' is often more important.

Pricing might be a good indicator. My therapist charges £100/hr. When I first looked I actually found a friend listed as a counsellor. She charged £50/hr.

Price has very little to do with with. I know many excellent therapists who keep their fee low to support increased access to therapy, who offer reduced and pro Bono work because they believe people who need therapy should be able to do so in an affordable way. Some also have very low outgoings (eg they don’t have office costs) so keep their fees low.

A high fee rate really doesn’t tell you anything about their skill - to be honest I’d be concerned they only worked with the “worried well” who can afford their fees.

A good psychoanalytic therapist will meet you for some consultations to think together and to see if you are likely to be able make use of the therapy. In other words are you curious about your part in your difficulties and do you have some psychological mjndedness.

Not everyone is able to make use of therapy.

Psychologist are not counsellors or therapists unless they have trained @Turtletunes

ccpe.org.uk/

Have you tried the centre for counselling and psychotherapy education?

They were recommended to me by a psychotherapist and I found them really helpful. They do an initial interview and then identify several counsellors who appear suitable. If there is no initial fit with the first choice, it's easy to move on.

Just to add...
a psychologist may work in all kinds of settings. Sometimes business coaching, (they use assessments on personality types for instance) sometimes academia, some are educational psychologists (assessing students or someone with possible dyslexia, for example.)

To be a psych you need a uni degree than time in the workplace, to become chartered. This is not usually about therapy or counselling.

A psychotherapist is very different. They offer therapy.

Shortlist and then interview. They should all give you a session free. Go with your gut.

I found one on the register and I wanted close by (so I could see them in person), preferably female, and looked like someone I could click with. I chatted to a few on the phone and by email before choosing one.

They should all give you a session free.

I disagree. Most will give a free initial chat or introduction call, but most won’t do a full session for free.

I think there are some misunderstandings on this thread about different professions. I can't comment on all but I can speak for psychology (being qualified myself). There are different types of "Practitioner Psychologists". These have had to do some form of accredited training to register with the HCPC. Chartership is a bit outdated since we became regulated by the HCPC so it is not something used as much anymore.

Firstly some psychologists do offer therapy (seen a couple of posts saying we don't). Clinical Psychologists certainly do. They will have an undergraduate degree, experience working in mental health and a doctorate degree. On the doctorate we are taught different therapeutic approaches which we apply on placements working with a range of people and presenting difficulties. After qualifying we maintain skills and knowledge and may train in further specialist therapies. Prices can seem higher than other counsellors and psychotherapists. Usually a minimum of £100 per session but some do sliding scale based on income. Fees reflect our level of training and expertise. Many will offer 15 min consults and will often say if they think they can do the work or may be able to signpost you to someone they think may be a better fit.

Just want to be clear I am in no way saying Psychologists are the best. I've seen counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists myself for therapy and each offer something different so it's worth doing the research to think which appraoch may fit best for you. Just wanted to be clear on what psychologists do and our training, Clinical Psychologists anyway.

Unfortunately the title 'Psychologist' alone is not protected and sadly can be misused so do be on the look out for anyone calling themselves that who are not registered with the HCPC.

That's been my experience - a phone call or zoom call where issues are explored and their experience shared. Not a full therapy session, but an introduction.

I found UKCP worse than useless. I approached several therapists from their register by email, not one of whom replied. It really knocked me back. I complained to the UKCP itself, and they didn’t reply either.

I've had a lot of therapy and I also have psychotherapist colleagues at work.

Personally I'd look at both recommendations from people you trust, and qualifications. On the second, it is my understanding that psychologists can offer therapy without having had the requirement that they undertake much personal therapy themselves. Psychotherapists have to be in personal therapy during the whole of their training - about 4 years at masters level. Counsellors too, but their courses are much shorter.

This is really important imo because it means the therapist shouldn't bring their own issues and prejudices to the work. This can sadly happen. I both know of a counsellor who became quite enmeshed with their clients and a vulnerable family member who was traumatised by their experience with a judgemental counsellor.

This is not to say there won't be great psychologists and counsellors, and if a trusted person recommended one, I'd think it worth exploring.

But most of all, as PP say, it's about the fit. Be brave, challenge, ask questions and speak your mind as early on as you can. If they upset you, don't stew, raise it. If they are able to work with all that without becoming defensive it is a good sign.

I have been receiving psychodynamic therapy since November last year from a man who is not on any of the registers mentioned on this thread. Previous experience of an unregistered counsellor was very strange and I baled out very quickly, but I thought I was safe this time because this therapy was arranged through a lottery funded charity on a referral from IAPT, and I know he is not the only person who works for them, because I was assessed by someone different.

Also, he and I are alone in the building and I am not allowed to know his last name or anything else about him. As a survivor of sexual abuse and domestic violence, this has always made me feel uncomfortable.

Thanks

Gosh that would make me extremely uncomfortable. I know psychodynamic therapists are supposed to be mega boundaried but it doesn't seem right that you can't know who he is. How can you check his qualifications?

Personally, I always say I need a female therapist because of what men have done to me in the past. But I imagine there might be some male therapists I'd be comfortable working with. Crucial to that would be an upfront acknowledgement of the power differential between us. Has your therapist broached this at all?

I’m a part qualified counsellor and it’s correct that someone would need to have completed the 2 year diploma course plus have been under supervision.

it really comes down to how well you gell with a counsellor rather than length of experience and how many boxes they tick/don’t tick.

Find someone who

• you feel comfortable with
• feel you can open up to
• you feel lifts your spirits
• comunicates in a way that speaks to you.

I once went to a very experienced counsellor, had done all the more intense courses, worked for Relate and was a mouth piece in the media. All she was interested in was getting payment out of me. She yawned and stretched through consultations and came over as bored. I ended it after a few sessions.

I also went to a counsellor working in my GPS surgery, again all the qualifications and all she cared about was filing out forms to get her payment from my employer. She called me snooty when I was talking about a problem with a friend.

My 3rd attempt was with a woman 2 years post qualification. She was brilliant, she was interested, engaged and got me to open up. I professed really well with her.

So, just make sure you use a BACP counsellor but after that, limit the distance you need to travel, choose someone who doesn’t do it from home (I have heard far too many tales of family members being too close by/interrupting), contact 3, see how they respond and utilise the initial chat sessions to interview them. Don’t choose on cost - charges more so must be better - choose on how much better you feel after seeing them. Don’t choose on years experience, choose on who do you feel you could open up to.

I worked for a counselling charity and lone working was not allowed. Is this a sexual abuse charity? Doesn't sound good to me, I'm sorry.

This is not a specific sexual abuse charity. It is "a voluntary organisation and a registered charity with committed highly trained voluntary counsellors; it is independent of the statutory services. It exists to meet the needs of people who feel they would like the chance to sit down with someone who will really listen and try to understand their difficulties."

The lone working has been a concern from the beginning, coupled with the fact that I am only allowed to know the counsellor's first name.

Well, I've found him, thanks to a spit of lateral thinking. He is on the BACP register but doesn't come up when you search by area as he has no profile on there. Luckily, he has a full profile on another website.

I will be asking him about the organisation's lone working policy though.