Some Things To think about before starting
What is it that you want from therapy? What change do you want to experience?
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You don’t need to be precise but thinking about this before your first meeting will help both you and your therapist decide if you can work together.
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How long for?
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You may feel hesitant to commit to therapy as it can often be portrayed as a never-ending, financially-draining commitment - but this is not the case.
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The number of sessions will depend on you, your therapist, type of therapy, and what you want solutions for - all of which you can talk about in an introduction call, a first meeting.
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You can choose to sign up for a defined period (six, ten, twelve weeks, for example) or to talk about a specific issue. A longer-term process is undefined as the appropriate length will become apparent naturally as the width and depth of your exploration unfolds. It depends on what you cover and the change that occurs. How long you stay in therapy is always your decision.
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Choosing a therapist
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It’s not necessarily easy to choose one person from amongst so many so it's worth taking a little time over it. You'll be spending time with you talking about things that worry you, have gone wrong for you, about the things you’re passionate and care about. The conversation is about you, and intimate personal conversation at that, so it's fine to take your time.
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For example:
Where are they located? Can you get there week in week out?
What do they say about their working style, type of therapy, do they offer flexibility?
How do you feel after reading what they’ve said?
What else do you want to know?
Once chose, approach the relationship as a partnership and be an active participant.
Search for a qualified and approved therapist on a number of websites. Amongst those available are the following which offer professionally trained, insured professionals governed by the ethics of their registration bodies.
Counselling Directory: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/