If you’re looking at therapy, then you have a multitude of options. How to find the best therapist can be a minefield if you don’t know where to start. But it doesn’t have to be. If you follow the simple tips included in this blog, then you’ll know just how to find the best therapist for you. And that’s the overriding factor here. Each person will have a different view of what they need, what works for them and what they are comfortable with.
People seek therapy for many reasons such as –
relationship breakdown
bereavement
recover from trauma
reset for a new phase of their life
to improve their mental health
build confidence
deal with phobias
quit smoking
and many more reasons beside
Everyday people look to a therapist to restore their balance and move forward. Personal growth can be impacted hugely by the bond between a therapist and client. This means that finding the best therapist for you is hugely important. Don’t take this task lightly. Use the resources in this blog and you will discover how to find the best therapist.
What Type Of Therapy to Pursue?
There are many different kinds of therapy. The Covid lockdown a few years ago led to many people being far more comfortable online than they ever were. Zoom calls have become the norm, allowing you to access services that were once reserved to people in the locality of an expert. Now you can book an online appointment with a therapist from any corner of the world that has internet access. But be aware that greater choice can make your task of finding the best therapist more difficult.
Solution-focused hypnotherapy is a very positive experience, as you can see from the testimonials on my website or my reviews on Google. I use sophisticated methods of hypnosis to help with a range of physical and psychological concerns. A high percentage of people feel the benefits of clinical hypnotherapy in a comparatively short period of time.
Let’s take a look at some of the best methods used in how to find the best therapist for you.
Shop Around for a Therapist
As long as there's no charge, there is no harm in meeting various therapists for initial consultations. A consultation should leave you feeling comfortable - if it doesn't, move on and find someone else. A professional therapist will be empathetic and want you to be as comfortable as possible. After all, a comfortable relaxed client is going to find the best results in the shortest period of time. No therapist worth their salt wants to waste people’s time and money.
Free consultations are about discovery from both sides. The therapist will want to know if they can help and if they’re a good fit. The client will want to find about more about the therapist and the type of therapy on offer. This is the reason I offer free consultations. If we’re going to do great things together, then we have to build that trust quickly.
Ask Plenty Of Questions In The Initial Meeting
Before a consultation with a therapist, make a detailed list of questions that you want to ask. The more you know, the better informed your decision on whether to continue with a therapist/the type of therapy. In terms of questions, think of asking things like –
Are you qualified?
When did you qualify?
What training have you received?
What will the sessions look like? Feel like?
How many patients/clients have you have you worked with who have similar issues to myself?
What is the success rate?
What do you specialise in?
How much is the cost per session?
Do I need to book a block of sessions?
Do you stay up to date with research and training?
Will this be a long-term thing or a limited number of sessions?
You should also write down questions that are specific to your situation. This is all part of the research that will help you feel comfortable with a therapist, understand their methods and know what and when the end result is likely to be. There are no absolute guarantees – there isn’t a switch to be turned on or off, but knowing the likely direction of travel and the expected destination will help to manage your expectations.
Communication is absolutely vital in therapy so ensure that this is someone who clearly communicates with you – and someone that you’re comfortable opening up to.
When I meet people for the first time, I always encourage them to ask as many questions as possible so that they feel comfortable before commencing any type of therapeutic work. As well as free consultations, I am also happy to answer any questions people have who choose to contact me.
Google Search for a Therapist
One simple way to find a therapist is to conduct a Google search. This will show you the therapists in your local area, plus some of those who offer online sessions. Be aware that the therapists that appear at the top of the rankings may not be the right therapist for you. It’s simply that they either have the best Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or they have paid Google to appear at the top of the results page (identified as 'Sponsored' links) and appear at the top of the page because of this. Looking at the results of a Google search in combination with the next section in this blog will allow you to refine that search and help you find the best therapist.
Read the Therapist's Reviews
We’re all part of a world that now relies heavily on reviews to make many decisions. Amazon have been the frontrunner with this approach, allowing you to know what other buyers think of a particular product before you put your hand in your pocket. this concept works in very much the same way for therapy. The way a therapist has delivered in the past is a good indication of how they will perform in the future. If they have helped many people with the same issue as you, then the likelihood is that they will be able to help you. Regardless of whether this is helping people with anxiety, depression, work related stress or giving up smoking; you want someone who has a good track record in helping people just like you. Reviews are a good indicator of whether they are able to help you in your current situation.
As a qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist, I have received nothing but 5 star reviews for my work with people both in-person and online. You can read reviews from people who I have worked with here.
Online or In-Person Therapy
Working with a therapist online wasn't really considered by most people until the Covid lockdown. However, online therapy has become increasingly popular over the last few years. The majority of people have become far more comfortable sitting in front of their computer screen and speaking with people. The world of therapy has adapted to fulfil this need and most therapists now offer online therapy sessions.
Online therapy has many benefits. You can experience high
quality therapy from the comfort of your own home. Therapists have found that having their clients in a safe and relaxed environment can in fact bring about better results than if they were meeting face to face. If you’re more relaxed as a client, then you’re in a better place before you even start to work with the therapist.
Also, the availability issues aren’t as prevalent when you look at online therapy. Rather than have to wait for an appointment time to appear with a busy local therapist, you can access anyone across the UK or even the rest of the world. There are many therapists available online, giving you greater choice and more availability.
As a result of offering hypnotherapy online, I have had the pleasure of working with people all over the world. Feel free to contact me to see if I can help you.
Alternatively, you can book a free consultation here.
Ask For Recommendations
Having therapy isn’t always something we talk to our friends and family about. But when you do speak to others, you will find many people have sought therapy as a way of helping them through a particular part of their life. More and more people look for help nowadays and for good reason; receiving help is now seen as a sign of strength and not a sign of weakness as it sometimes has been viewed in the past.
This means that you’ll almost certainly find people around you that have used a therapist to help them. And this also means that you can ask them if they recommend their therapist. Meeting with someone who has already helped someone you know is a very powerful reason to work with a therapist. It adds to their professional standing and gives you confidence in their ability.
It is always worth asking for a free consultation and asking all of your questions to ensure that they feel like a good fit for you. But if you have a recommendation, then you can contact a therapist with some confidence that they can help. If you don’t know anyone who can recommend a therapist, this doesn’t mean that your search has to stop here. Use the other suggestions in this blog and you will discover how to find the best therapist for you.
Be Wary Of 'Guarantees'
Guarantees may first appear like they give you peace of mind when looking for the right therapist. And peace of mind goes a long way. However, there are no cast-iron guarantees in therapy and you should therefore be wary of therapists offering such assurances.
As part of the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK, therapists are not allowed to offer any guarantees in their advertising. A bonafide therapist will give their all and try everything in their skillset to help, but they cannot reasonably offer a guarantee. If you come across a therapist promising to solve your issues, then politely decline and continue your search elsewhere.
Each and every person who enters therapy is obviously an individual. As individuals, we have a highly complex set of rules, experiences and beliefs. Therapists work with you to deal with issues and that means that you have to do certain things in order for the therapy to take effect. A therapist can take you so far – the rest will be up to you.
If you feel that you want to work with me, why not book a free consultation. You really do have nothing to lose.
Alternatively, you can contact me here to ask any questions you may have.
Search For Accredited Therapists
When looking for a therapist, you need to check that they have had the necessary training and experience. Accreditations show that the therapist has trained, practiced and furthered their knowledge in their chosen field. This makes them more likely to be able to help.
Accreditations come in different forms. Qualifications are a great place to start. It illustrates that the therapist has taken the time to learn their craft. And, as techniques develop all the time, a therapist that is continually studying and improving what they do is someone to look out for.
I trained with the highly acclaimed CPHT and am affiliated with the National Council for Hypnotherapy, the Association for Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy and the National Board for Modern Psychotherapy.
Ask Your GP for a recommendation
Your GP may have access to a list of local therapists that they refer people to. Most people consider their GP to be a trustworthy source and it is fairly safe to say that they won’t refer therapists unless they have a good degree of confidence that their patients are going to be looked after.
If you're looking to receive therapy on the NHS, be aware that the waiting list can be long. But the wait might be worth it if the problem isn’t acute and the cost is a major factor.
Check Therapy Prices
The cost per session is another factor when deciding whether a therapist is the right one for you. Of course, the broad rule of thumb is the more you pay, the better you get. But that doesn’t mean that money is the only factor here.
An initial consultation is a great place to start gathering the information you need to make a decision. Ask a few questions related not only to how much you pay, but how you pay –
Do you have to pay for a block of sessions or pay session by session?
Do they offer a discount for paying up front?
Prices can indicate quality but use this measure wisely. It doesn’t override recommendations or reviews, so take all of the data available together and make a decision based on all of the information available to you.
I allow people to pay on a session by session basis, meaning that they don't have to commit a large sum of money before commencing therapy. This also allows people to end the therapy whenever they wish.
Feel free to get in touch to book a free consultation OR contact me to ask any questions you may have.
Listen To Your Gut Feeling
An initial meeting with a therapist gives you the opportunity to ask questions. The answers provided will help you to make a decision based on the cold hard facts, but there is something else that you need to consider. First impressions really do count. As well as listening to your brain, listen to your gut too.
Gut feelings are highly important. If you don’t think you've made a connection with a therapist in the first meeting, then that discomfort can stay with you for entirety that you work with someone. Anything that undermines your confidence in the therapy and the therapist makes it more difficult for you to achieve the results you’re looking for. In short, go with your gut feeling!
People who book free consultations with me are always encourage to think for a few days before committing to hypnotherapy sessions. I also encourage them to contact me with any questions that they may have as a result of meeting with me.
How To Find The Best Therapist
Right, let’s take a breath and pause for a few moments. There is a stack of information here. All of it good, all of it useful. And the last thing I want you to do is to get overwhelmed by all of this. Finding the right therapist for you is a case of looking at the 3 C’s –
Competence – are they trained, experienced and suitably practiced in the issue you want to be dealt with?
Character – do they come recommended by a reputable source such as a personal recommendation, quality online reviews or your GP?
Chemistry – do you feel comfortable with them when you have the initial meeting and talk things out with them?
All of the factors above pretty much fall into one of these categories. And that leads you to the right decision.
Therapy is a great way to move forward – especially when you might feel a little stuck or lost. And the last thing you want is to feel stuck or lost in finding a therapist. Use the ideas, hints and tips included in this guide to find the right therapist for you. And if you have any questions then please don’t hesitate to drop me a line by contacting me here.
