Choosing a Practitoner
When looking for your therapist, ask yourself:
• Is it important whether you see a man or a woman? (If you don’t know, that’s fine).
• What can I afford? It is usually a weekly commitment and, in the case of longer term work, may be for a considerable time. An hourly session can cost between £15 and £35.
• Some therapists offer free initial sessions, some don’t. Counsellors working short term are less likely to. A few practitioners have reduced rate places and some are flexible around school holidays.
When you phone up, you should expect to find:
• An answer phone, not a receptionist; don’t try to tell the machine about yourself just leave your name and phone number and when you can be contacted.
• When you talk to the therapist on the phone, ask if they have a vacancy, if they charge for an initial interview, what they charge per session, where and when they could see you. They may ask you to tell them a little about yourself or ask you to wait until you meet in person. All therapists listed in this website work at least some of each week at Openings in Bath and some also work part of the week from home or elsewhere.
At an initial interview, ask yourself:
• Is this therapist right for me? What do I think/feel about this therapist? If you don’t know, that’s OK. If you do have a reaction against them as a person, think twice about going to them, try for another interview, or tell them.
• Is the room/environment right for you?
Ask the Therapist:
• About their training, experience, do they work to an ethical code,
accreditation, conditions they have around fees, holidays etc.
• Do they have any special skills, areas of interest? E.g. bodywork, dreams, creative work.
• About their supervision and personal therapeutic experience.
Remember:
An initial interview is just a taster, a chance to meet and get a feel for each other and for you to check out what is important for you about the therapist.
Don’t worry if you don’t know anything about psychological theory. The therapist chooses the training style that is right for them. If you feel they are right for you, that is what matters.
