How To Choose The Right Therapist

You've decided it's time to prioritise your mental health and you want to enlist professional support to help you. The trouble is, with so many different types of therapist out there, how are you supposed to know where to start?

Firstly I'd recommend working out whether you need a counsellor or a coach.

Generally speaking, a counsellor will support you to process things that have happened in the past. They can support you through psychological distress by helping you to understand complex emotions and address harmful coping strategies.

A coach will be more development focused, supporting you to recognise where you are in the present, where you want to be in the future and the goals you need to set in order to get there.

There is significant overlap between the two disciplines, with some coaches undertaking extra training in order to be able to support clients with emotional distress that is rooted in the past, and many counsellors using skills such as problem solving and motivational interviewing to support clients who are keen to look to the future. You may even see the term 'Therapeutic Coach' used to describe a professional who has both counselling and coaching qualifications.

If you choose to work with a counsellor, you might want to consider the counsellor's modality and training background. A counsellor may have trained in one or more specific modalities, the most common of these being Humanistic, Psychodynamic and Cognitive-Behavioural.

It's important to note that even though a counsellor has trained in a specific tradition, they will still be unique in the way they work, and many counsellors will work 'intergratively', meaning that their approach will draw on several different modalities. Whilst many counsellors will work with the person and not the diagnosis, there are some specific mental health difficulties that may respond better to certain types of therapy. For example, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and other anxiety disorders such as phobia have been shown to respond particularly well to Cognitive-Behavioural therapy.

If you are unsure about which approach will suit you best it may help to know that research has consistently shown that the counselling relationship (i.e. the relationship between you and the therapist) is the most important factor in determining an effective outcome. This is why many counsellors offer an initial 15-30 minute session free of charge: it enables you both to work out whether or not you are 'good fit'.

Unfortunately the titles 'counsellor', 'psychotherapist' and 'coach' are not yet protected, which means anyone can use these to describe themselves regardless of how well qualified or experienced they are. To ensure you choose a therapist who is credible, never be afraid to ask what training they have completed (a counsellor needs to have at a minimum a Level 4 diploma in order to practice) and which professional body they are registered with. Most counsellors and psychotherapists will be registered with either the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, the National Counselling Society or the UK Council for Psychotherapy. Being a registered member of a professional body means the therapist is bound by a code of ethical practice which helps to ensure you are kept safe at a time you are likely to be at your most vulnerable.

Therapy can be a challenging process, but the right therapist will help you to feel comfortable, supported and accepted in your sessions. Never be afraid to voice any concerns you may have; the right therapist will welcome your input and encourage a collaborative relationship.