Helpful information
Choosing a Therapist
If you are at the point where you feel that some form of therapy may be helpful it is of course essential that you choose wisely. There is an ever increasing number of people offering various forms of "Counselling" and Therapy and as in most industries if you don't have some form of professional insight it can be easy to make mistakes that could lead to very unpleasant and costly outcomes.
So, here are a few suggestions to help....
Firstly, ask about their academic background.
We would recommend that you choose a Therapist with a minimum of Masters Degree level qualification,
also ask which University they studied at and if the course was an accredited course.
It is true that there are very competent clinicians who do not have this level of qualification however ask yourself would you employ a heart surgeon who was not qualified to the highest level and use this as a guide.
Secondly, ask about the therapists experience.
Where have they worked and for how long and what kind of difficulties have they treated.
Thirdly, ask about the forms of therapy they provide.
In the case of CBT, we would strenuously encourage you to ONLY engage the services of a BABCP accredited practitioner (not just a member of this organisation). There are many individuals who state that they offer CBT although they are often not specialised in this type of therapy.
Of course CBT may not be the most beneficial form of therapy for you and it may be helpful to explore other therapeutic styles.
However, other forms of therapy do not have the evidence base that re-enforces CBT as a very effective treatment.
In the case of EMDR you would also need to ensure that they belong to an EMDR professional body such
as EMDR UK.
Also, you need to ensure that your therapist is insured, that they keep accurate records and that your confidentiality is ensured. With regards to cost once again we would encourage you to use the heart surgeon example, most therapists who are confident about the treatments and service they provide are usually not found in the lower price ranges.
So, here are a few suggestions to help....
Firstly, ask about their academic background.
We would recommend that you choose a Therapist with a minimum of Masters Degree level qualification,
also ask which University they studied at and if the course was an accredited course.
It is true that there are very competent clinicians who do not have this level of qualification however ask yourself would you employ a heart surgeon who was not qualified to the highest level and use this as a guide.
Secondly, ask about the therapists experience.
Where have they worked and for how long and what kind of difficulties have they treated.
Thirdly, ask about the forms of therapy they provide.
In the case of CBT, we would strenuously encourage you to ONLY engage the services of a BABCP accredited practitioner (not just a member of this organisation). There are many individuals who state that they offer CBT although they are often not specialised in this type of therapy.
Of course CBT may not be the most beneficial form of therapy for you and it may be helpful to explore other therapeutic styles.
However, other forms of therapy do not have the evidence base that re-enforces CBT as a very effective treatment.
In the case of EMDR you would also need to ensure that they belong to an EMDR professional body such
as EMDR UK.
Also, you need to ensure that your therapist is insured, that they keep accurate records and that your confidentiality is ensured. With regards to cost once again we would encourage you to use the heart surgeon example, most therapists who are confident about the treatments and service they provide are usually not found in the lower price ranges.