There are so many to choose from it is hard! As the client you should feel empowered to email, message or speak to a variety of counsellors to get the right one for you. It is really important that you like the counsellor you work with and feel comfortable. There’s nothing wrong with sending an email and then not following up when you hear back. So, I encourage you to explore a few possibilities and when you feel comfortable, go for it!

There are a huge variety of counselling models, it is no wonder it is so hard to know what you are looking for.

The main ones are psychodynamic, which is more traditional and stems from Freudian theories. Its less relational and you may find if you are just starting out that this type of therapy is quite intense.

Then there’s person centred which is much more focused on the here and now with the client but doesn’t look too much at deeper issues about why you are feeling or behaving like you are. This can be a good access point to counselling.

There’s also CBT or Cognitive behavioural therapy, which focuses more on negative thoughts and how to change them but again doesn’t look too much into why you are feeling or behaving a certain way.

Integrative therapy is a mixture of these and more too. You work with the therapist to find what you like and don’t like to find something that fits. You can explore uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, work on ways to change them and look at where they might be coming from, and how to find new ways of being that serve you better in the future.

This is a tough question and there are many factors that contribute to differences in cost. Free counselling is often done by trainee counsellors as part of their training hours. This can be really great counselling as the trainee is often really well supported with extra supervision. However, waiting times for this are long and often it is limited to 6-12 sessions with no option of extensions.

Private counsellors have a range of costs such as websites, directories, governing bodies, supervision, and room hire. This is before you think about the cost of the training and the cost of living. Counsellors should also be keeping to a maximum of 20 clients (BACP guidelines) and so to earn a salary some counsellors need to charge more. It is not a reflection on how good a counsellor is but rather how they have worked out what they would like to charge. Some areas are more expensive than others, particularly when it comes to room hire.

It’s a tricky question to answer. The simple answer is no, most courses are to a minimum standard. If you are unsure look for a counsellor who has trained on an accredited BACP course as their standards are high. Most courses are a minimum of two years and all therapists on the BACP have a minimum of 100 client training hours practice. Often the MA or Dr before or after someone’s name doesn’t necessarily relate to the counselling course they have completed. If in doubt check it out, just ask the counsellor where and what they have studied, a good counsellor shouldn’t mind.

Accreditation is the next layer of qualification or competency after qualification. Counsellors must practice for at least 3 years before they can apply and have completed at least 450 hours of counselling with clients. To apply counsellors must give evidence and provide written case studies to show that they are working at a greater depth, working with accountability (completing continued professional development and supervision) and widening their knowledge and understanding continuously. After counsellors apply, the BACP then assess all of the information and pass or fail the counsellor. Counsellors do not have to apply for accreditation but it is a good way of showing that you are working with integrity. You can see if a counsellor is accredited on their BACP account, where it will say Accred next to their name or on their collective mark/badge.