Counselling in Pembrokeshire

As all good therapists do, I realised it was time to commence my own personal therapy once more. Professionally, this is a sign of best practice, personally it’s simply good self-care. I didn’t expect to find it so difficult to find a therapist  to fulfill my counseling  in Pembrokeshire .
There are so many therapists out there advertising . It can be mind blowing, if you go onto a professional site and the therapist is a member of a governing body (BACP or UKCP) then they are all qualified therapists to a good standard.You do not need to worry about the letters after the name  unless you are looking for a particular specialty.
It never ceases to amaze me the number of therapists who never reply to inquiries, it takes ages to find someone you like then contact them and then you  have to wait for a reply ,and  then nothing might happen. I appreciate that this can really faze a potential client , it can put someone off from still seeking help .
I often receive a person`s issues in a long email explaining why they need therapy. Do not feel that you have to share everything or anything, it can be hard to open up to a complete stranger and you should consider confidentiality.
Maybe just ask if the therapist has particular experience in the issue you are wanting help with and then ask for a chat either on the phone or face to face. I often offer a free twenty minute appointment to see if we can work together and connect. This can help put first session nerves at bay too, it is all about minimizing the unknown.

Looking for Counselling in Pembrokeshire -Top Tips

1. Be very clear on your counselling objective and look for the appropriate words and qualifications around this issue
2. Ask around friends and colleagues if they can refer someone or if you find a therapist maybe ask around if people have heard of them. I feel word of mouth can really help instill confidence and like all things, there are good therapists and bad. It is about minimising your risks so you can feel as safe as possible
3. Look for membership of BACP or UKCP, these organisations are our governing bodies and show we have trained to a certain level and follow a set of guidelines we call our code of ethics. They both have a complaints procedure too.
4. Length of practice. I know  the difference in the therapy I offered when I first qualified to now. There is a huge difference in experience and knowledge base. Now, I am not saying do not go to a newly qualified therapist but ask how long they have been qualified for and if your issue is a very serious one such as sexual abuse, post trauma disorder, psychosis or eating disorders think very seriously about whether they can keep you safe whilst working and healing. All the qualifications in the world does not overshadow experience
5. Ask about the therapist’s availability. I heard a story the other day of someone having a first session and when booking a second session he was told the therapist could not fit him into her diary! Ask first, tell the therapist in the initial contact your working hours and the day and times you are looking for
6. Speed of returning a reply after  your initial inquiry and the nature of the reply can tell you a lot about the therapist
7. Follow your instinct even if the therapist ticks all the boxes, if it doesn’t feel right, keep on looking.When you first arrive at the initial session trust your gut instincts. Do not be afraid of cancelling any second session. Finding a therapist can be like looking for a pair of shoes, you need to try a few on first.
8. Once you have found a therapist that you can trust, feel safe with and can help you move forward , it will be something you value and hopefully will be a positive life changing experience!

http://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellors/nikki-catto

Tags: counselling, Counselling in Pembrokeshire, therapist