how to pick a therapist

[craigthecoupe]

Without wanting to go too into this, I think I would benefit from some time with a therapist to help me sort some unhelpful cycles and thought processes.
I no longer live in the UK, but it's important i can express myself in my mother tongue.
I've started a brief look online for a therapist, but there are thousands! Does anyone have any useful advice about how to find someone, or is it simply a case of having brief chats and seeing who you connect with?

[imck]

Not sure if appropriate to recommend someone I saw late last year?

Bit of anxiety
Social anxiety
'Silly' thoughts about things that really didn't matter.

Female Clinical Psychologist about 40.
I went in person but I was offered remote.
Around £100/hour. Best money I have spent in a long time.
15 Min chat FOC before any sessions start.

PM me if you like.

[Hoofy]

Check for qualifications and relevant certificates. Also check where the quals/certs came from as there are some "schools" that don't have any decent foundation themselves so the cert isn't worth the paper it's written on. Check how much experience they have and that it's relevant to you ie they're experienced in what you need dealing with. Also chat with the therapist to see if you get on.

Certs/quals aren't the be all and end all BUT they ensure a certain standard. In theory, anyone can claim to be a therapist but without formal training, there won't be professional standards that they have trained in or adhere to. https://www.exploreyourmind.co.uk/blog/counsellor-...

[craigthecoupe]

Thanks to both for the replies. I was looking through the bacp site to try and pick a few that stood out before sending initial messages. I honestly never considered how one finds a therapist, i just rush to the 'blubbing on the sofa' bit.

[HustleRussell]

If you're anything like me, the best advice I can offer is to try not to agonise too much over who, just make that initial contact. The overwhelming amount of choice and the indecision would be enough to put anyone off!

You can of course always change afterwards if it's not working out. As awkward as that may sound, it's common that people do as far as I can tell.

[uknick]

Have a look at Benenden health insurance. They offer a free counselling service that is done over the phone. I’ve used them a couple of times and found it was just what I needed; complete stranger to talk through my problems. Only downside is you only get 6 one hour sessions for each time you call.

Having said all that, I don’t know how they would deal with overseas clients. But, it might be worth looking into.

[trashbat]

My wife's a CBT & EMDR therapist, I have a bit of advice on this I can dig out, I'll post it up a bit later.

[trashbat]

OK, so based on your post, I'm assuming you're looking for private therapists, paid for by yourself, and that remote is OK.

Disclaimer for all that follows: I'm not a therapist or an MH professional, and at best I'm relaying second hand advice to you.

You've been given some good advice already. Whoever said £100/hr is about right. The initial ~20 minute assessments tend to be free.

BACP and BABCP are two professional bodies; someone accredited by them is meaningful and a good start.

Psychology Today has a directory, the UK one is https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/counselling - this is useful and where my wife gets a lot of work.

You are outside the UK but I assume you have some UK connections or context? This is not unusual, some of her clients are in Dubai for example. I think they all have some UK connection though; working with them remotely feels distinct from UK therapists trying to offer global services to people in a totally different cultural and legal environment. I couldn't quantify what that difference is though.

More generally, my wife's advice from a while back:

• Therapists may well offer general services but often they have a specialism/niche/demographic they're targeting in whatever form; ideally know yours and try to find someone who focuses on it
• The best way to find someone is personal recommendation, especially one for any specialism you're interested in
• Lead with your requirements; email a bunch of them but be open with what you want (brief definition of problem/therapy and all the time and place and cost limit stuff), saves you both getting deeper into assessments before finding there's no fit, which is mutually very important
• All therapists are very busy/full right now
• After Covid, almost all of them have gone online to some extent
• Check your junk mail for responses, lots of her stuff goes to spam (despite my efforts)

[dhutch]

Christ, glad we're in the northwest, mines just gone up from £50 to 60 and I think that's plenty. They even offered to continue at the old price if I was struggling to pay as we have a young family.

[trashbat]

We're in Manchester FWIW. She did charge £80 until recently. I think this kind of rate is pretty normal although there is a broad range out there. It sounds like a lot but it certainly doesn't make you rich!

[craigthecoupe]

Thanks very much for the replies. Some helpful advice there. Ill start to put out some emails and see how things go.

[imck]

My £100 was in Manchester for a Clinical Psychologist. Done in 6 sessions.
My Partner paid £80 for a Psychotherapist.

Good luck with it Craig.
Not something I had considered doing but gave it a go following my partner's positive experience.

[popeyewhite]

I'm a qualified psychotherapist.

Although there is no legal requirement for psychotherapists to join the BACP (and pay a healthy chunk of cash), that is where I would look first.

Let your choice be intuitive, ie some say it's important you actually like or don't dislike the look of the person you're going to trust and enter into some relational depth with!

Good luck.