How Do I Choose the Right Therapist?

There are so many therapists out there. So many photographs, profiles and different ways of working. I often wonder what makes us pause at one person rather than another.

For me, the photograph is part of that.

I notice the face, the expression, the eyes. There is something about seeing another person that makes the profile feel a little more personal. But what am I actually seeing in a photograph? And how much of the person am I really seeing?

It makes me think about photographs in general, and the way we choose the image we put out into the world. A photograph can be a true representation of us and still only be one small moment. It doesn't tell the whole story.

I wonder about my own photograph on my website. What do you see when you look at it? What does it say to you? What makes you curious enough to read on and find out a little more about me?

Then there are the words.

The way someone talks about therapy tells us something too. Personally, I don't want to read lots of therapy language that leaves me wondering what it actually means. I don't want therapy to feel like an intellectual exercise, or like someone is going to analyse me.

I want to feel that I am meeting another person.

Someone who knows that life can be difficult. That relationships can hurt. That we experience joy, sadness, connection and disconnection. That emotions and feelings are part of being human.

The qualifications matter too. Of course they do. They tell us about someone's training and experience, and they are an important part of choosing a therapist. But they are not the whole person.

Then there is the space.

Looking at a photograph of the room where someone works can give us another little glimpse. It's not necessarily about whether the room looks beautiful or has the right furniture. It's more about the feeling of the place. Does something about it make us curious? Can we imagine sitting there and talking?

And perhaps this is where it becomes interesting, because this is really what therapy is about.

How we relate to ourselves and to the world around us. How we have learnt to be. How our experiences have shaped the way we connect, respond, protect ourselves and relate to other people.

And when we come into the therapy room, some of this is represented in the relationship between us. The relationship between therapist and client becomes part of the work. How we meet each other, how we communicate, what feels comfortable and what doesn't. There is something about being with another person in this way that can begin to show us more about ourselves.

That is why the relationship between us matters so much.

And if you are curious, I offer a free 15-minute introductory call. Sometimes a conversation is the simplest way to get a sense of whether we are comfortable talking together. If you are looking for a therapist in Ditchling serving the surrounding areas of Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint or online, you are welcome to get in touch.