Guidance for anybody considering therapy for the first time
Introduction
The HACP Directory lists counsellors and psychotherapists, who are members of HACP and who work in many different ways, having followed a variety of pathways to qualification and accreditation.
At the time of creating their directory listing with HACP, these therapists belonged to one of the recognised national professional regulatory organisations, such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the United Kingdom Council of Psychotherapy (UKCP), the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS), the UK Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners (UKAHPP), or the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists (CORST).
These organisations operate their own codes of ethics and practice, which their members agree to adhere to, and also have complaints procedures, helping to assure you that you are enlisting the help of someone who has your best interests at heart and who is working professionally.
At the time of joining HACP’s directory, care was taken to validate each therapist’s stated professional qualifications and professional membership. However, HACP itself is not a regulatory body, so does not make an assessment of, nor guarantee, the therapists’ standard of work. If you have any concerns about a therapist’s professionalism, please refer to the professional regulatory body that they have chosen to belong to, and whose ethical framework they have chosen to adhere to.
Most therapists would be happy to answer any questions you have about their qualfiications and professional membership.
Many of the organisations listed above also appear on the accredited register of the Professional Standards Authority: https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/ that oversees the regulation and registration of healthcare professionals.
Some people use the terms Counselling and Psychotherapy interchangeably. Others, from well-established traditions, distinguish between them. There is much overlap between the two. However, if you are seeking help, the distinction is not one which need greatly concern you; most therapists want to be sure that what they offer is appropriate for the client before there is any commitment on either side.
Counselling and psychotherapy are not necessarily exclusively based on talking; both can include the body, creativity, play, art and action-based elements. When you decide to contact a therapist, you can ask them more about how they work. As well as one-to-one counselling and psychotherapy, therapy in a group can be an extremely effective setting and is usually less costly.
Sessions are most often held face to face, but may be also be offered online or by telephone, dependent upon your preference or the logistical need of the therapist. Specialised help is available for children, families and couples.
Counselling or psychotherapy is a contractual arrangement between you, the client, and your chosen counsellor/psychotherapist. The contract may be in written or verbal form. If you have questions about the contract between you and your therapist, please ask them.
Counselling or psychotherapy will help you to make decisions and/or changes. The therapist will not tell you what to do but will be listening to you. They will help you explore difficulties or distress, dissatisfaction or loss. You may wish to understand yourself more deeply and clearly, or bring personal issues to discuss in an environment where you feel emotionally safe, heard and validated. You may seek to make a life change or adjustment… etc. Counselling and psychotherapy are about understanding and change.
When choosing your counsellor or psychotherapist, you may wish to satisfy yourself that the professional’s qualifications, experience and specialty are suitable for your needs. We also encourage you to listen to your instinct once you meet the therapist. You need to establish that the therapist is someone you feel you can trust, engage with and with whom you can imagine developing a trusting and deep relationship.
All therapists in our directory have provided their qualifications, and details of their professional membership, which will have been scrutinised by HACP at the time of joining the directory. They should each belong to a chosen regulatory professional body, such as BACP, UKCP, NCPS, etc, at practitioner level. You should be able to ask the therapist any questions you wish regarding their way of working, their experience, and their professional association.
Some things you might like to ask about may include:
- Area of expertise
- How they work eg: talking, creativity, bodywork, breathing, other specialist training..
- Possibility of group or one-to-one therapy
- Place of meeting
- Length of first/initial and any subsequent session(s)
- Frequency of appointments
- Price structure (including initial consultation)
- Cancellation arrangements
- Accessibility
- Professional membership organisation
Your first session is very important because it sets the framework for the work to come. This session is an opportunity for you and your therapist to meet, and at the end, to come to a decision about whether or not you will engage in a therapeutic relationship. If you and your chosen therapist agree to continue to work together, you may be given a written or verbal contract at the end of the session, laying out your agreement and your therapist’s terms and conditions. You should always have the right to stop your counselling sessions if, after a time, you decide that it isn’t right for you.
All counsellors/psychotherapists work slightly differently from one-another, but in general, in this initial session (or sometimes beforehand) the counsellor/psychotherapist will make notes of your personal details, including your contact details, GP, next of kin, medical history and other relevant information the practitioner may need for the clinical assessment. It is also the time for you to share something of what has brought you to counselling as well as to ask questions about anything you wish to know about the process of counselling/psychotherapy in general and about the specific approach of your therapist. Your therapist will probably ask you what has led you to seek help at this time, what your reasons are and what your goals for this therapeutic work might be.
This first session is also the time for you to assess whether this is the professional you wish to trust and work with. You will get a sense of whether or not you feel willing and able to build an effective therapeutic relationship. It is completely legitimate to decide that this is not the therapist for you and you may want to make contact with other therapists before you feel able to choose. Sometimes the professional might refer you to a colleague who may be more suitable for your concerns.
Sometimes, the first session is the only session. Some therapists offer one-off, or single-session therapy, in which case the approach may differ slightly from the above and you may provide more information in advance of your session, so that your time with your chosen therapist is used as productively as possible.
Whether you are seeking regular ongoing therapy, or an intensive one-off session, as far as possible try to be clear about what you want. Your aims form the basis for your time together and the outcomes you are hoping for.
While every care is taken to validate their stated professional qualifications, HACP is neither able to make an actual assessment nor guarantee the standard of any therapist’s work.
We have checked that all the professionals in our directory belong to at least one of the UK’s recognised national organisations such as the BACP, the UKCP or the NCPS. These details are checked periodically. Our directory also includes members who are on the Accredited Voluntary Register (AVR), which is a scheme overseen by the Professional Standards Authority. The AVR scheme was set up by the UK Government to improve standards and safety for the benefit of the public. All of these organisations are independent from HACP and they operate their own codes of ethics and complaints procedures.