Selecting a Counsellor
Finding the right counsellor for you is an important task. It can feel overwhelming, as counsellors often list a great deal of information about their modality and approach that can be unfamiliar to people outside of counselling and psychology. As you begin this process, and try to wade through unfamiliar terms and find something that sounds right for you, here are some important things to consider.
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Common Factors Theory
​There is a school of research into success in counselling and psychotherapy called “Common Factors Theory”; this looks at different approaches to counselling and tries to determine what factors are most commonly associated with good outcomes for clients. This research largely indicates that the style of therapy a counsellor practices is not as important a predictor of success as you might think; instead, the most important factor for success in therapeutic work is actually the therapeutic relationship that exists between the client and the counsellor. This is also sometimes called “alliance” in research about therapy outcomes. This is why selecting a counsellor is an important first step in your counselling journey.
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Arrange a Brief Conversation
When selecting a therapist, it is a good idea to try and arrange a brief conversation before starting work with them. This conversation will give you a sense of how you feel with the counsellor: are you at ease in their presence? Do you feel comfortable? Can you see yourself opening up to them? Think of this short consultation as an interview process, where you are interviewing a counsellor to see if they are the right fit for you. Just as you get along better with some people than others, this will also be true with counsellors. We are very used to this process, and we know that we are not always going to be the right fit for every person, and we want you to end up with the best counsellor for you.
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Free Initial Consultation
I offer a brief, free, consultation because I want you to get a sense of me and how I work without having to pay a full fee for a first session. Sometimes people get trapped by a “sunk cost” fallacy, where they feel like the fit isn’t exactly what they were hoping for, but they have paid for a full session already and invested an hour of their time, so they decide to stick with it; if the fit isn’t right, that can mean that the relationship does not evolve into the supportive context where change can occur. A fifteen-minute call may not give you a perfect sense of a person, but it can be surprisingly effective.
Get in Touch
I hope this information helps you as you work to select the right counsellor for you, even if it is not me, and please reach out to me if you have any questions or would like to set up a consultation.