Finding a Counsellor

Finding a counsellor.

Be aware that the first person you speak to may still not be the counsellor for you – then again they just might be! Just be sure that they are qualified and have experience in the areas you need to reflect on and deal with. The best way to do this is to look at their qualifications and professional memberships In the UK – MBACP, MUKCP, MBPsS C Psychol. You can ensure their qualifications in counselling and psychotherapy are genuine by using the Find a Therapist listings on the professional websites or using directories, such as Counselling Directory, that only list therapists that have had their credentials professionally accredited. If they claim to have a speciality ask just what their experience is in this area. Don’t rely on a short course qualification.

It is possible to get counselling help from GPs or charity organisations such as Mind. The counsellors will be qualified and properly supervised and the counselling will be free. The down side is that there are often long waiting lists, the counselling model (explained later) may not suit you or your issues and may be of very short and infrequent duration. Be very wary of online sites that offer free counselling – they are probably unqualified, at best willing listeners, and may do more harm than good.

Telephone and online directories can give you listings and details of counsellors you can meet face to face at their office or your home or, as becoming more frequent, online through Skype, MSN or e-mail. Online counselling gives you the opportunity to stay in the comfort of your own home and have a far more flexible arrangement regarding times and access to your counsellor. Like any investment or purchase, it pays to do some research. You may find a counsellor by word of mouth or by the endorsements of others on their websites and listings. This will also give you an opportunity to find the model of counselling that will suit you best. Most counsellors will work to a basic model but will adapt and combine their methods to ensure that you get whatever is most effective for you.

All counsellors will ensure confidentiality (with some exceptions which are legally necessary), empathy and a non-judgemental approach. In addition they may offer approaches which are more directive, such as C.B.T. or solution-focussed, and which are usually of fairly short duration. The approach may be non-directive, such as longer term Psychodynamic counselling, or more creative when it is difficult to find what and how you need to say what is important to you. There are many different models and many different combinations. There will be something that works for you!

Counselling, like anything that is worthwhile, has an associated cost. All those well trained and experienced counsellors who will do their best in working with you have had years of paying for that education and training themselves, often gaining many counselling hours of experience in unpaid positions, while also trying to keep their own homes and families. They then have the cost of continual professional and personal development (yes – they have to have counselling too), supervision to ensure the work they do with you is of the highest professional standards, on-going training, professional memberships, personal insurance and maintenance of a private practice and business. If counselling is offered free (unless through NHS, charity or approved agency and funded by other grants) then these things are probably not in place.

Most counsellors will list their costs per counselling hour on their website or directory listing and it will usually be comparable with others in their geographical area and level of expertise.

Remember that your mental health and your ability to function effectively every day is as important as your physical health - they may even be very closely related.