Five things to look for in an online therapist

What should you look for in an online counsellor or therapist?

Searching for a counsellor or psychotherapist often feels like a daunting task. With a seemingly endless amount of approaches to choose from, delivered face to face, by phone, text, messenger and email as well as online, how do you give yourself an edge to finding the best person to provide the service that you need?

In my 22 years as the Director of a counselling and psychotherapy centre, helping people find the right practitioner and approach for them, I have found the process can be a lot less fraught if you follow a few simple guidelines and keep the following in mind:

1. WHAT QUALIFICATIONS DO THEY HAVE AND WHERE DID THEY GAIN THEM?

In my time Directing The Liverpool Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy, I understood that the array of qualifications presented on websites could be pretty confusing. It isn't possible to go into all areas of qualifications and training requirements here; however, there are some sensible questions to ask yourself and anyone you contact for potential treatment.

While it may be easy to assume that if someone is a counsellor or psychotherapist, they must have had long-term or high-quality training, that isn't necessarily always the case.

Some certificates, diplomas or titles such as 'Master Practitioner' can be gained in as little as six months, with little or no requirement for the trainee to engage in personal development - it varies a lot between different qualifications. So a question to ask can be 'How much has the counsellor committed themselves to their personal and professional development?' It may be that a qualification gained online will be sufficient for your needs, however, there are always counsellors who have completed more demanding and extended periods of training, and there is a commonly held view that a practitioner can only really assist someone as far as they have learned for themselves. 

It may be worth considering a qualification, (gained at a reputable, accredited training establishment) like a diploma in counselling or psychotherapy to be only the start of the learning process of a competent practitioner, not the end. People are incredibly complex, and we are all individuals, it takes hundreds or even thousands of hours of practice to really start to understand people and how they function emotionally and cognitively.

2. WHAT ACCREDITATION AND MEMBERSHIPS DO THEY HAVE?

The four central accreditation bodies in the UK are the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy), UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy), who is an umbrella organisation accrediting several different training modalities, the BPS (British Psychological Society) and BABCP (British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies). All these organisations have set minimum standards for training in their respective fields, and if a Membership or Accreditation is listed with another Organisation, it is worth checking them out to see how big an organisation they are, how long they have operated and to be wary if they have been created only to Accredit one training course.

3. IS THE COUNSELLORS APPROACH RIGHT FOR WHAT YOU NEED? 

It should always be okay for you to ask questions about the therapist's approach to treatment. After all, it may be counterproductive to go into psychoanalysis sessions for a year, if all you want is to overcome a fear of flying that 8 – 10 sessions of CBT or EMDR might resolve! Alternatively, people who are reflective by nature sometimes do not respond well to cognitive treatments, some people are comfortable with a motivational approach, direct and to the point, others need to feel comfortable and establish more in-depth communication before mobilising for change, it can be complicated so don't be afraid to ask for an initial talk. My view is that although we do this for our living, it is essential and professional to make sure we are right for the person who is seeking our help, and a half-hour talk to someone in need of clarification is not, in my opinion, a lot to ask for.

4. WHAT EXPERIENCE DOES THE COUNSELLOR HAVE?

People are incredibly complex, and we are all individuals, it takes a long time begin to understand people in any significant depth. I have been a Counsellor and Psychotherapist for 22 years and have something like 17,000 hours of practice with clients, and I am still learning new things. In my opinion, there is no substitute for experience and your practitioner should be open about if they have treated a condition or need before, or helped with a particular challenge and how often. With treatment, the one size fits all approach that counsellors and the NHS (often through service or financial limitations) can adopt may fall short of the quality of service that you require. Areas of experience are also very important, be aware that sometimes counsellors will be tempted to take in whatever comes to them and 'give it a go', while they are rare they are around, so again, ask questions and be prepared to shop around.

5. DO YOU FEEL UNDERSTOOD BY YOUR COUNSELLOR?

As skilled communicators, we can emphasise and understand the viewpoint of a wide range of people, and experienced practitioners will be able to communicate effectively with someone who presents with challenging ways of communicating, or complex inner selves that need understanding. Still, it is essential that you feel comfortable with your counsellor and that they understand your approach and outlook well enough to assist, this may take a little time, so it is significant if the practitioner regularly asks you for feedback on whether you feel they understand, and if the sessions are going in the right direction for you.

While recommendations are an excellent way to find the right someone, engaging with any professional is often a try it and see process, and if you are starting from scratch with the above in mind, you can increase your chances of finding a good counsellor or therapist and so getting a better outcome.

Note: One of the things that will compel a person to seek help is something called the 'Point of Optimal Frustration'. Generally speaking, this is the point which a person's pain or internal pressures are higher than the mind's natural resistance to making change, this can result in urgent or rushed decisions on which therapist to choose, and to people sometimes grabbing the soonest appointment, when experienced counsellors and therapists are usually fairly booked up. If you feel suicidal or desperate, then there are emergency services that can help as well, if you can wait, then taking a little time to find the right person can pay dividends.

Peter Banczyk is a Counsellor and Psychotherapist with 22 years’ experience and is a Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, Membership Number 00922450

Website: https://www.my-onlinepsychotherapy.com/blog

First published 14/08/2018