How to choose a therapist

It is crucial to ensure that the therapist you choose is a member of a recognised professional body. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) are two examples of such bodies that are accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. Membership signifies that the therapist has met certain requirements and standards, including proper training, ongoing professional development, and adherence to a code of ethics. 

It is important to ensure that any therapist you choose has the appropriate qualifications that allow them to be registered or accredited with a recognised professional body. The minimum qualifications typically involve completing a diploma or degree in counselling or psychotherapy from a recognised institution. Additionally, therapists are required to have completed a certain number of supervised clinical hours and engage in ongoing professional development to maintain their accreditation or registration status.

A therapist should have significant experience working with clients in a therapeutic setting, which may include providing counselling or psychotherapy to individuals, couples, families, or groups. They must have experience working with the issue for which you require help such as trauma, addiction, or mental health disorders. If they do not have sufficient experience they should refer you to a practitioner that does. 

Check that your therapist has regular clinical supervision. It is an essential aspect of ongoing professional practice. Counsellors and psychotherapists need regular supervision to maintain their professional and ethical standards, reflect on their practice with clients, manage their emotional and psychological responses to their work, and receive guidance to maintain their skills to provide high quality care to their clients. 

Therapists must respect boundaries and avoid dual relationships with clients. This means they should not have a frienship, romantic or financial relationship with a client or anyone known to the client. This is to protect you and prevent conflicts of interest. They should not share personal information or engage in conversations unrelated to the therapeutic process, avoiding shared social events or social media as these blur the professional boundaries and can have a negative impact on the therapeutic process. 

Therapists should maintain confidentiality with their clients and only share information when legally required or with the client's explicit consent. They should have clear policies to protect personal information.  

Therapists should have a clear policy on when fees are due, penalties for late payment, no shows,  cancellations and refunds. Clients are free to terminate their contract for therapy at any point and so it is unethical to ask for lump sums for block bookings in advance unless there is a very clear policy on refunds. Be wary of offers of discounts for block bookings or other incentives for committing to long term therapy. 

You need to trust and feel comfortable with your therapist. It may take a while before you feel comfortable to open up. They are there to help you through difficult thoughts and feelings. If you do not feel happy with an aspect of therapy you should feel comfortable to discusss it. A good therapist will never be defensive, judgemental or tell you what you should do. The most essential ingredient to successful therapy is the quality of the therapeutic relationship. Therapy is a personal and unique process and that includes finding the therapist that is the right fit for you.