There are many different reasons why people decide to visit a counsellor and there are numerous counsellors operating in the UK. To make sure that your counselling experience is beneficial it is vitally important that you choose the right counsellor for you. Here is some useful advice and questions to ask when choosing a counsellor.

How do you find counsellors?
Many counsellors have their own websites or advertise on sites such as Classifieds. You should easily be able to locate the contact details for a number of counsellors local to you. You could also try asking friends and family to recommend a counsellor that they have recently attended and were pleased with the service and experience they received. Or, check out the website of the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP) which can provide you with a list of qualified counsellors in your area. Other ways to find counsellors include asking in your local GP's surgery or a Citizens Advice Bureau.

Finding an accredited or registered counsellor
It is very important to realise that, in the UK, it is possible for anyone to call themselves a counsellor without actually having any recognised counselling qualifications. So, you need to make sure that you only select a properly trained and qualified counsellor. Ask what qualifications all potential counsellors have and ask to see proof of their qualifications. Also ask if they are registered or accredited and, if so, by which organisation and then verify this with the accrediting organisation. The BACP produces a directory of all practitioners on the UK Register of Counsellors, the BCP and UKCP Registers of Psychotherapists, the British Psychological Society Register of Chartered Psychologists and practising BACP members. If a counsellor is included on this directory you can be assured that they have met the required entry standards, they are covered by a Code of Ethics and Practice as well as a complaints procedure.

Choosing an appropriate counsellor
Counsellors can specialise in one or more particular areas of counselling. For example, some will have specialised training in counselling for bereavement, relationships or a particular illness such as cancer or eating disorders. Also, some counsellors may concentrate on a particular client group such as couples, children or families. So, try to find a counsellor that has particular expertise in the specific area for which you are seeking help. Different counsellors may use different approaches to counselling such as behavioural therapy, psychoanalytical / psychodynamic therapies or humanistic therapies so make sure you find out what approach each counsellor uses and decide if you think that approach will suit you.

Personal preference
A major factor in determining how much benefit you gain from your counselling sessions will be how good the relationship is between you and your counsellor. During counselling sessions you will be discussing intimate details about your life so it is very important that you feel comfortable and safe with your counsellor and that you trust them. This is largely down to your own personal preferences and instincts. It is a good idea to ask any potential counsellors if you can visit them for an initial exploratory meeting to find out if counselling is appropriate for you and to determine whether you feel comfortable. A good counsellor should readily agree to this. The first meeting should be free and without any obligation for you to agree to continue on into a counselling relationship with them.

Costs of counselling
Find out how much a counselling session will cost before you agree to anything. Costs vary between counsellors so try to get a few prices from different counsellors for comparison. Ask how many sessions you will need, will you have to pay if you miss a session for any reason and is it possible to pay per session or do you need to pay up-front for a set number of sessions.

Practicalities
Try to choose a counsellor that is easy for you to get to otherwise you may stop attending and lose any benefit gained. Most good counsellors should be flexible with their appointment times so make sure that you can make an appointment at a time that suits you such as after work or at a weekend. Also, find out how often you are expected to attend counselling sessions - every week or every 2 weeks or every month and decide if you will be able to make the required commitment.

Contract
Some counsellors will be able to provide you with a contract to set everything out clearly for you at the start and avoid any misunderstandings. Contracts will usually provide details of the counsellor's specific qualifications, accreditations, specialities, their approach to counselling, how many sessions they think you will need, the length of a session (generally 50 minutes or so) and their fees. This should also detail any penalties if you drop out, are not happy or decide that you would prefer to see a different counsellor. The contract should also include a confidentiality statement -- professional counsellors are bound by a code of ethics but this varies between professional bodies and independent or unaffiliated counsellors have made no such commitment.

During a counselling session the counsellor has to meet with a client in private to discuss details of a particular problem, issue, illness or difficulty that they are experiencing. Therefore, choosing a counsellor is not something that should be entered into lightly. It is very important that you choose the right counsellor for you to make sure that your experience is positive and beneficial in the longer term.
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17 July 2008
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