Choosing a therapist

Therapy is becoming more and more popular.  The old stigma attached to psychologists has thankfully been lifted.  Now that counselling has become sociably acceptable it is easier to find a good practitioner.  HAVOCA thoroughly recommends therapy as part of your healing journey.  You had no control over your abuse, but now you have control over who can give you the assistance you need.

Choosing a counsellor isn't as daunting as it first may appear.

First of all start by looking through the yellow pages under COUNSELLORS or COUNSELLING.  Listed here will be all the therapists in your area that are available for consultations.

Look through the lists and choose therapists who are local to you.  Look for any special qualifications they have.  In particular see if they are members of or have been accredited by the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP).  

Visit Sway House Publications to see a useful list of abbreviations:

• Training Abbreviations

• Qualifications Abbreviations

• Speciality & Therapy Abbreviations

It is advisable to speak to several therapists, or alternatively contact them via email if this is possible.

If you are having trouble finding one please supply your postcode to us at find-a-therapist@havoca.org and we will do our best to find one for you.

The sort of questions you ask the therapist will depend on your own situation but here are some good starting points.  Remember to pay attention to the way the counsellor answers your questions as well as the actual factual content.

here's a question to ask yourself;

Does the therapist seem confident, clear, respectful, and cooperative?  What do you feel as you talk to them?

IMPORTANT:  Give your therapist a chance, it may take several sessions before you can develop a higher level of trust within the relationship. 

Another issue which you may want to consider is the sex of the counsellor.  I for one could not talk intimately with a male therapist because of the way I feel about the male gender.  Some people, although abused by a male, find it hard to talk openly to a female therapist because they remind them of a family member (motherly figure) who perhaps did not protect them from the abuse.  At the end of the day the choice is yours, but remember you are the one in control, if at anytime you think the therapy isn't working you are free to stop consultations and choose another therapist.

Therapy Index