How to find a therapist? 

Although therapeutic relationships are different to personal ones by way of being professional, they are much the same as other relationships in that sometimes in life we just don’t find the right people for us straight away. You are your own unique person, with individual needs and preferences. That is perfectly okay. 

So, finding out what or who works best for you can be a bit of trial and error. This means you might not find the right match for you straight away, although this is normal it might feel frustrating. 

When looking for a therapist here are a few things to consider: 

• Do they practice the type of therapy you are looking for?
• Do they support clients with the type of difficulty you are experiencing?
• Are you able to get to their office or do they offer options such as online or phone therapy?
• Is the gender, age or cultural background of the therapist important to you?
• Do you feel comfortable enough with the therapist, can you be honest with them?

But then if they meet all our criteria how do we know if they are suitably qualified?

One way is to check that they are regulated by a professional body (also referred to as an accredited register) for the service they are offering, if this is not clearly advertised, just ask them.

How do you know which professional bodies are legitimate and of a good enough standard? 

This is where the Professional Standards Authority can help as they run the Accredited Registers for Health and Social Care Practitioners. 

If you choose someone from a PSA approved Accredited Register you can be confident that they have been checked and are appropriately trained.