How to choose your therapist

There is no perfect therapist for everyone; different therapists will suit different clients, so my number one tip is to choose someone who you feel comfortable with. Many therapists like myself, offer a free consultation on the phone or face-to-face and this can help you satisfy yourself that’d you’d feel safe and confident working with them. A short chat will also give you the opportunity to ask questions about hypnosis and to discover if they are experienced dealing with the issue you want help with. Their website, if it is a well-designed and professional one may also give you a pretty good impression of the therapist’s personality or approach, as can reading any blogs or articles they’ve written.

Whether you meet up, speak on the phone or exchange emails, you’ll probably want to ask a bit about what to expect in your therapy sessions. The question I am asked most frequently by prospective client’s, is “How many sessions will I need?” Whilst I appreciate why people want to know this, it’s almost impossible to give a precise number and you might want to consider how a therapist could ‘know’ how exactly how many sessions will be required before you’ve even started. What I tell clients is that I will see them for as few sessions as are needed for them to experience the change they seek. I also explain that hypnotherapy is described in psychotherapeutic terms as a brief therapy, so the therapy is likely to take weeks, rather than months or years.

Other things you will want to know is whether your therapist has attended a recognised hypnotherapy practitioner course, belongs to a professional body and has appropriate insurance. Most reputable hypnotherapy organisations do require a minimum number of training hours, insurance, etc, so membership of one of these bodies, should be enough to satisfy your questions. You may want your therapist to belong to the CNHC (Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council) register. This is a government backed voluntary register so not all therapists will choose to register.

Whether you prefer to work with an experienced therapist or are happy to see a newly qualified therapist is personal choice. New therapists can be very enthusiastic and effective; my hypnotherapy graduates are therapists I’d certainly be happy to recommend. I’d suggest that you arrange to talk with your prospective therapist on the phone or face-to-face to check how comfortable you feel. Rapport between client and therapist is vital for a positive outcome.

Practicalities are worth considering too; you’ll want to research the location of their practice if it’s not known to you and decide too whether you’d prefer to go to a high street clinic, a health club or to a therapist’s home? How you can pay for your therapy might be a factor too. Are you able to pay by card or Paypal, or will you need to pay by cash? Is spreading the payment by using a credit card likely to be important in order to avoid gaps in your therapy?
Once you have considered all of these factors and any others that are relevant to you, then go ahead and book; many of my clients tell me that they feel better as soon as they have their first appointment booked.